Topic: DSigs What I'm Watching

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Fort Apache (1948/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Director: John Ford Writing: Frank S. Nugent (Screenwriter), James Warner Bellah (Original Material By) Length: 128 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
John Wayne as Captain Kirby York
Henry Fonda as Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday
Shirley Temple as Philadelphia Thursday
Pedro Armendariz as Sergeant Beaufort
Ward Bond as Sergeant-Major Michael O'Rourke

Plot:
The soldiers at Fort Apache may disagree with the tactics of their glory-seeking new commander. But to a man, they're duty-bound to obey - even when it means almost certain disaster.

John Wayne, Henry Fonda and many familiar supporting players from master director John Ford's "stock company" saddle up for the first film in the director's famed cavalry trilogy (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande are the others). Roughhouse camaraderie, sentimental vignettes of frontier life, massive action sequences staged in Monument Valley - all are part of Fort Apache. So is Ford's exploration of the West's darker side. Themes of justice, heroism and honor that Ford would revisit in later Westerns are given rein in this moving, thought-provoking film that, even as it salutes a legend, gives reasons to question it.

** Complete Plot from Wikipedia**

(click to show/hide)

After the American Civil War, highly-respected veteran Captain Kirby York (John Wayne) is expected to replace the outgoing commander at Fort Apache, an isolated U.S. cavalry post. York had commanded his own regiment during the Civil War and was well-qualified to assume permanent command. To the surprise and disappointment of the company, command of the regiment was given to Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda). Thursday, a West Point graduate, was a general during the Civil War. Despite his Civil War combat record, Lieutenant Colonel Thursday lacks experience with the Indians he is expected to oversee, and is an arrogant and egocentric officer.

Accompanying widower Thursday is his daughter, Philadelphia (Shirley Temple). She becomes attracted to Second Lieutenant Michael Shannon O'Rourke (John Agar), the son of Sergeant Major Michael O'Rourke (Ward Bond). The elder O'Rourke was a recipient of the Medal of Honor as a major with the Irish Brigade during the Civil War, entitling his son to enter West Point and become an officer. However, the class-conscious Thursday forbids his daughter to see someone he does not consider a gentleman.

When there is unrest among the Indians, led by Cochise (Miguel Inclan), Thursday ignores York's advice to treat the natives with honor and to remedy problems on the reservation caused by corrupt Indian agent Silas Meacham (Grant Withers). Thursday's inability to deal with Meacham effectively, due to his rigid interpretation of Army regulations stating that Meacham is agent of the United States government and therefore entitled to Army protection (despite his own personal contempt for the man), coupled with Thursday's prejudicial and arrogant ignorance regarding the Apache drives the Indians to rebel. Eager for glory and recognition, Thursday orders his regiment into battle on Cochise's terms, a direct charge into the hills, despite York's urgent warnings that such a move would be suicidal. Thursday relieves York and orders him to stay back, replacing him with Captain Sam Collingwood (George O'Brien).

Following Thursday's orders, York spares the younger O'Rourke from battle. Thursday's entire command is nearly wiped out, but a few soldiers manage to escape back to the ridge where Captain York is positioned. Thursday himself survives but then returns to die with the last of his trapped men. Cochise spares York and the rest of the detachment because he knows York to be an honorable man.

Subsequently, now Lieutenant-Colonel Kirby York commands the regiment. Meeting with correspondents, he introduces Lt. O'Rourke, now married to Philadelphia Thursday. A reporter asks Colonel York if he has seen the famous painting depicting "Thursday's Charge." York, about to command a new and arduous campaign to bring in the Apaches, while believing that Thursday was a poor tactician and foolhardedly led a suicidal charge, says it is completely accurate and then reminds the reporters that the soldiers will never be forgotten as long as the regiment lives.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'Fort Apache' (1948) is the first in a trilogy of films by the great John Ford.  It is followed by 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' (1949) and then 'Rio Grande' (1950).
Staring John Wayne (Capt. Kirby York), Henry Fonda (Lt. Col. Owen Thursday), Ward Bond (Sgt. Major Michael O'Rourke), Shirley Temple (Miss Philadelphia Thursday) and John Agar (Lt. Michael Shannon "Mickey" O'Rourke).  With a good supporting case of Dick Foran (Sgt. Quincannon), Pedro Armendáriz (Sgt. Beaufort) and Miguel Inclan (Cochise).  With this group the acting is very good.  The writing is good and wears well, even for a 'Cowboys and Indians' movie of the late '40s.

Being show in Monument Valley, Utah becomes a trait of John Ford and many who came after him.  It becomes the face of the West for much of the world.  The cinematography is very nice.

I still like this movie.  It isn't as edgy as 'The Searchers' (1956 also John Wayne and John Ford) but it is good.

A fun watch i suggest this to anyone who likes good westerns of the '40/50s.

Rating: 3.5of5 stars

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Rio Bravo (1959/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Director: Howard Hawks Writing: Length: 141 min. Video: Widescreen :1 Audio: Subtitles:

Stars:
John Wayne as John T. Chance
Dean Martin as Dude
Ricky Nelson as Colorado Ryan
Angie Dickinson as Features
Walter Brennan as Stumpy

Plot:
On one side is an army of gunmen dead-set on springing a murderous cohort from jail. On the other is Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) and his two deputies: one a recovering drunkard (Dean Martin), the other a crippled codger (Walter Brennan). Also in their ragtag ranks are an unseasoned, trigger-happy youth (Ricky Nelson) and a woman with a past (Angie Dickinson) - and her eye on Chance. Director Howard Hawks lifted the Western to new heights with Red River. Capturing the legendary West with a stellar cast in peak form, he does it again here.

** Complete Plot from Wikipedia **

(click to show/hide)

In the town of Rio Bravo, Texas, sheriff's deputy Dude (Dean Martin), who has acquired the contemptuous nickname "Borrachón", enters a saloon to get a drink. Joe Burdette (Claude Akins), brother of rancher Nathan Burdette, tosses a silver dollar into a spittoon at Dude's feet. As Dude reaches for the spittoon, Presidio County, Texas Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) appears and kicks the spittoon away, looking at Dude with pity. Dude whacks Chance with a piece of wood, knocking the sheriff out cold. With two men holding Dude upright, Joe begins punching him, then shoots and kills an unarmed bystander who tries to intervene.

Joe leaves the saloon and heads to his brother's saloon, where a bloody Chance arrests Joe for the murder of the bystander. When another patron draws his gun on Chance, causing a stalemate, Dude shoots the gun out of the patron's hand, Chance slugs Joe with his rifle, and the sheriff and his deputy drag Joe off to jail.

While the funeral for the unarmed man is being held, Chance's friend Pat Wheeler (Ward Bond) and his supply train stop in town, with a young gunslinger, Colorado Ryan (Rick Nelson), riding guard. Wheeler informs Chance that Nathan Burdette's men stopped him outside of the town, meaning that the town is "bottled up" to prevent Chance from getting Joe to Presidio or any assistance in. Inside the jail, Stumpy (Walter Brennan), Chance's other deputy, keeps watch over the jail and Joe. Chance takes a delivered package to the proprietor of the hotel, Carlos Robante (red lingerie for his wife, Consuela (Estelita Rodriguez). A mysterious woman, Feathers (Angie Dickinson), arrives for a night. She arrived on a stage coach whose wheel has broken (possibly by Burdette's men), which delays its departure.

Dude and Chance patrol the town, when Carlos stops the sheriff, saying Wheeler was talking too much about Chance needing help. Chance implores Wheeler to stop, as it will draw attention from the wrong people. Wheeler and Chance also discuss Dude; about three years earlier Dude was a top-notch gunman until he "met a girl on the stage" who was no good and they left together. Six months later Dude came back without her, drunk (hence his nickname, "Borrachón", "big drunk"), but Dude has stopped drinking due to the crisis. Wheeler suggests that Colorado could be of assistance but Colorado politely declines, saying he wants to "mind his own business." Feathers leaves a poker game a winner, Chance follows her up to her room and confronts her as a card cheat, with his evidence four missing aces from the deck of cards being used in the game, and a handbill indicating she was wanted for card cheating. Feathers confesses she is the girl in the poster but denies cheating, and challenges Chance to search her for the missing cards. Colorado arrives saying another participant in the game is the real cheater and plans to confront him with Chance's acquiescence. Colorado is proven right, and the real card cheat is sent out on the next stage. Chance admits he was wrong but refuses to apologize.

As Wheeler is walking back to the hotel, he is shot dead by a Burdette man hiding in the stable. Colorado offers to help but is angrily turned away by Chance who says "you had a chance to get in this and you didn't want it." Chance and Dude flush out the shooter, who escapes into Nathan's saloon. Dude believes the man had muddy boots, but everyone in the bar has clean boots. To suggest Dude is a drunk who needs a drink, one patron throws a silver dollar into a spittoon. Dude notices blood dripping into a drink on the bar and takes one shot into the loft, killing Wheeler's murderer. Dude then gets retribution on the patron who threw the dollar coin in the spittoon by making him go get it.

Chance goes back to the hotel to sleep, and unbeknownst to him, Feathers stands guard at the door to keep him safe, then returns to her room when he awakens. Chance asks Feathers why she did that but she does not say. Chance insists that she should leave on the stage coach. Nathan (John Russell) later arrives in town with his men, intent on seeing his brother Joe. Dude is standing guard and confiscating all guns before entering town, and Nathan agrees to turn in their guns until they leave. Nathan sees Joe, and after a few angry words between the land baron and Chance, is told in no uncertain terms if he attempts to overrun the jail his brother would be "accidentally" shot before they reached him. Nathan then leaves to visit his saloon, instructing the band there to play the Deguello (the "cut-throat" song) non-stop.

Carlos says Feathers will not get on the stage coach, and when Chance goes to see her she tells the sheriff that she does not want to leave, then gives Chance a kiss. After Colorado visits the jail to tell Chance the meaning of the song Nathan is playing, Chance gives Dude his guns back (the ones he had before he left town, sold by Dude but bought by Chance) as well as some clothes he left behind. Dude changes clothes and gets a shave, then returns to the jail while Chance and Feathers get better acquainted. Suddenly a shot rings out and Chance races to the jail, only to find Stumpy had shot at a shadow (Dude) in front of the jail. Dude and Stumpy exchange angry words, then Chance tells Dude they've been "pampering him too much" and to get some sleep.

The next morning, while Dude is standing guard at the town entryway, four Burdette men attack him from behind and tie him up in a stable. Approaching Chance on the street in front of the hotel with a fake injury, they draw guns and corner him (Chance's rifle is out of reach), and demand that he release Joe. Inside the hotel, acting on Colorado's instructions, Feathers throws a flowerpot through a window a moment after Colorado steps out on the porch, distracting the Burdette men. Colorado throws Chance's rifle to him and the two men shoot the four Burdette hands. Chance races down the street, finds Dude tied up in the stable and frees him. Dude, frustrated by his performance and recovering from his extended drunkenness, resigns as deputy. Colorado agrees to join Chance as deputy and then Dude reconsiders quitting after hearing the Deguello song, reminding him why he was there.

The group decides to hole up in the jail, as it will take several more days for the United States Marshal to arrive to take Joe to Presidio. Dude and Chance go to the hotel to round up additional supplies, but Carlos and Consuela are captured by Burdette men, and trick Chance into charging down the stairs, falling over a trip-wire. Dude and Feathers also are captured. Chance is given a choice--take the men to the jail to let Joe out, or the men will arrange a trade with Stumpy for Dude and Chance. Dude implores Chance to let Joe out, saying that Stumpy has no food or water to hold out very long. Chance agrees, and three men go to the jail. Dude's story was a ruse, as Colorado is with Stumpy and the three of them shoot the three Burdette men. The remaining Burdette men at the hotel take Dude and offer to trade him for Joe. Chance agrees, and the trade is made at a warehouse. But Dude bum-rushes Joe and they scuffle while a gunfight erupts. Dude knocks Joe out and Stumpy (who followed them over after being told to stay behind) finds some dynamite in one of Wheeler's wagons, and throws it at the building Burdette's men are in. The exploding dynamite in front of the building causes Burdette to surrender. With the Burdette men in jail, Chance goes to see Feathers who is wearing black tights to work at the hotel. Chance threatens to arrest Feathers, saying that only he should see her in those tights. Feathers takes this as an admission that Chance loves her, and they kiss.

Extras:

My Thoughts:

Rio Bravo (1959), El Dorado (1966) and Rio Lobo are 3 films by Howard Hawks and staring John Wayne. This movie, 'Rio Bravo' specifically stars John Wayne (Sheriff John T. Chance), Dean Martin (Dude ('Borrachón')), Ricky Nelson (Colorado Ryan), Angie Dickinson (Feathers) , Walter Brennan (Stumpy), John Russell (Nathan Burdette), Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez (Carlos Robante), Estelita Rodriguez (Consuela Robante) and Claude Akins (Joe Burdette). With a short part by Ward Bond (Pat Wheeler). All good and standard actors in westerns. I think this is one of Howard Hawks better movies. John Wayne is very good in this and as always Walter Brennen is a hoot to watch. I strongly recommend this to anyone who likes the western genre. Good action and better than average writing. I give this 3.5 of 5 stars John Russell (Nathan Burdette), Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez (Carlos Robante), Estelita Rodriguez (Consuela Robante) and Claude Akins (Joe Burdette)

Rating: 3.5of5 stars

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Beetlejuice (1988/United States) IMDB | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Tim Burton Writing: Michael McDowell (Original Material By), Larry Wilson (Original Material By), Michael McDowell (Screenwriter), Warren Skaaren (Screenwriter) Length: 92 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Music Only: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Alec Baldwin as Adam
Geena Davis as Barbara
Annie McEnroe as Jane Butterfield
Maurice Page as Ernie
Hugo Stanger as Old Bill

Plot:
What's a yuppie ghost couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) to do when their quaint New England home is overrun by trendy New Yorkers? Hire a freelance "bio-exorcist" to spook the intruders, of course.

As directed by Tim Burton, Michael "Keaton's Beetlejuice is one of the biggest, baddest wolves a ghost movie has ever unleashed, a polter-gas" (The Village Voice). Keaton's work in this and Clean and Sober won him 1988's National Society of Film Critics Best Actor Award. Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Sylvia Sidney share starring honors along with wondrous production design, Harry Belafonte soundtrack tunes and Oscar®-winning Best Makeup. Exorcise your right to a hilarious Day-O!

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) decide to spend their vacation decorating their idyllic New England country home. While the young couple are driving back from town, Barbara swerves to avoid a dog wandering the roadway and crashes through a covered bridge, plunging into the river below. They return home and, based on such subtle clues as their lack of reflection in the mirror and their discovery of a Handbook for the Recently Deceased, begin to suspect they might be dead. Adam attempts to leave the house to retrace his steps but finds himself in a strange, otherworldly dimension referred to as "Saturn," covered in sand and populated by enormous sand worms.

After fleeing back into their home, the Maitlands' peace is soon disrupted when their house is sold and obnoxious new residents, the Deetzes, arrive from New York City. The new family consists of Charles (Jeffrey Jones), a former real estate developer; his second wife Delia (Catherine O'Hara), an aspiring sculptor; and his goth daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) from his first marriage. Under the guidance of interior designer Otho (Glenn Shadix), the Deetzes transform the house into a gaudy piece of pastel-toned modern art. The Maitlands seek help from their afterlife case worker, Juno (Sylvia Sidney), who informs them that they must remain in the house for 125 years. If they want the Deetzes out of the house, it is up to them to scare them away. The Maitlands' attempts at scaring the family away prove utterly ineffective.

Although the Maitlands remain invisible to Charles and Delia, their daughter Lydia can see the ghost couple and befriends them. Against Juno's advice, the Maitlands contact the miscreant Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), aka "Beetlejuice", a freelance "bio-exorcist" ghost, to scare away the Deetzes. However Betelgeuse quickly offends the Maitlands with his crude and morbid demeanor and they reconsider hiring him, though too late to stop him from wreaking havoc on the Deetzes. The small town's charm and the supernatural events inspire Charles to pitch his boss Maxie Dean (Robert Goulet) on transforming the town into a tourist hotspot, but Maxie wants proof of the ghosts. Using the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, Otho conducts a seance and summons Adam and Barbara, but they begin to decay. Horrified, Lydia summons Betelgeuse and agrees to marry him if he saves them. Betelgeuse disposes of Maxie, his wife and Otho, then prepares a wedding before a ghastly minister. The Maitlands intervene before the ceremony is completed, Barbara riding the Saturn sand worm through the house to devour Betelgeuse. In the film's conclusion, the Deetzes and Maitlands live in harmony in the house. Betelgeuse meanwhile is seen waiting in the afterlife reception waiting room, where he angers a witch doctor, who shrinks his head.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Production Notes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Beetlejuice (1988) stars Alec Baldwin (Adam Maitland), Geena Davis (Barbara Maitland), Michael Keaton (Betelgeuse), Winona Ryder (Lydia Deetz), Catherine O'Hara (Delia Deetz) and Jeffrey Jones (Charles Deetz) also with Glenn Shadix (Otho), Sylvia Sidney (Juno) and cameos by Robert Goelet (Maxie Dean), Dick Cavett (Bernard).

I love this film. Being only the second BIG film directed by Tim Burton (first being "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure") this film show the quirky nature that we would become accustomed to with Tim Burton and his vision.

For Michael Keaton, 6 years after his break through performance as Bill Blazejowski in 'Night Shift' and following several other great films ('Mr. Mom' (1983) and 'Gung Ho' (1986)) and just a year from another great performance in 'Batman' (1989) we find him here in 'Beetlejuice', a role that must have been made just for him.

For Alex Baldwin, his first movie was in the previous year 'Forever, Lulu' (1987). But in 1988 he would be in four films including 'She's Having a Baby', 'Beetlejuice', 'Married to the Mob', 'Working Girl' and 'Talk Radio'. This was his biggest role that year. 1990 would see his breakout role as Jack Ryan in 'The Hunt for Red October'.

For Geena Davis this was also her largest role following on the heels of 'The Fly' (1986). In 1988 she was to star in 3 films, 'Beetlejuice', the cult classic 'Earth Girls Are Easy' and 'The Accidental Tourist' for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

For Winona Ryder this is her third role with the previous ones being in 'Lucas' (1986), 'Square Dance' (1987). Also in 1988 she was in '1969' and 'Heathers'

This film is a great comedy which happens in the supernatural realm. The sets and direction are excellent and the acting is very good. I recommend this film to everyone. This is a great laugh. Rated 4of5 stars

Rating: 4of5 stars

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In the Line of Fire: Special Edition (1993/United States) IMDB | Wikipedia Columbia TriStar Home Video (United States) Director: Wolfgang Petersen Writing: Jeff Maguire (Writer) Length: 128 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Clint Eastwood as Frank Horrigan
John Malkovich as Mitch Leary
Rene Russo as Lilly Raines
Dylan McDermott as Al D'Andrea
Gary Cole as Bill Watts

Plot:
A gripping, gut-wrenching thriller that delivers suspense in almost unbearable doses, IN THE LINE OF FIRE showcases Clint Eastwood at his finest.

In a performance that won universal acclaim, Clint Eastwood stars as Frank Horrigan, a veteran Secret Service agent haunted by his failure to protect JFK from assassination. Thirty years later, he gets a chance to redeem himself when a brilliant psychopath threatens to kill the current president – and take Horrigan with him. Taunting him by phone and tantalizing him with clues, the assassin (John Malkovich) lures Horrigan into an electrifying battle of wits and will that only one man can solve.

Co-starring Rene Russo as Horrigan's risk-taking Field Chief, IN THE LINE OF FIRE is a high wire balancing act of searing suspense, explosive action and surprising romance. Quite simply, "one of the finest thrillers you'll ever see." (Roy Leonard, WGN-TV)

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

Frank Horrigan and Al D’Andrea meet with members of a counterfeiting group at a marina. The group's leader, Mendoza, tells Horrigan that he has identified D'Andrea as a United States Secret Service agent, and forces him to prove his loyalty by putting a gun to D'Andrea’s head and pulling the trigger. Horrigan shoots Mendoza's men, identifies himself as an agent, and arrests the counterfeiter.

Horrigan investigates a complaint about an apartment's absent tenant. He finds a collage of photographs and newspaper articles on famous assassinations, a model building magazine, and a Time cover with the President's head circled. When Horrigan and his partner return with a search warrant only one photograph remains, which shows a much younger Horrigan standing behind John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. He is the only remaining active agent who was guarding the President that day, but guilt over his failure to react quickly enough to the first shot in Dallas to take the next one in Kennedy's place caused Horrigan to drink excessively and his family to leave.

Horrigan receives a phone call from the tenant, who calls himself “Booth”. He tells Horrigan that like John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald he plans to kill the President, who is running for reelection and is making many public appearances around the country. Horrigan asks to return to the Presidential Protective Detail despite his age, where he begins a relationship with fellow agent Lilly Raines.

Booth continues to call Horrigan as part of his "game", even though he is well-aware that his calls are tapped and traced. He mocks the agent's failure to protect Kennedy, but calls him a "friend". Booth escapes Horrigan and D'Andrea after one such call from Lafayette Park, but leaves fingerprints. The FBI matches the print, but the identity is classified so the bureau cannot disclose it to the Secret Service; it does, however, notify the CIA.

At a campaign event in Chicago Booth pops a decorative balloon which Horrigan, who has the flu, mistakes for a gunshot. Due to the error he leaves the protective detail but remains in charge of the Booth case. Horrigan and D'Andrea learn from the CIA that Booth is Mitch Leary, a former operative (a “wetboy”) who has suffered a mental breakdown and is now a "predator". Leary, who has already killed several people as he prepares for the assassination, uses his modelmaking skills to build a composite zip gun to evade metal detectors and hides the bullets and springs in a keyring.

D'Andrea confides to Horrigan that he is going to retire immediately because of nightmares about the Mendoza incident, but Horrigan is able to dissuade him. After Leary taunts Horrigan about the President facing danger in California, the assassin kills D'Andrea after the two agents chase him across Washington rooftops. Horrigan asks Raines to reassign him to the protective detail as the President visits Los Angeles, but a television crew films him mistaking a bellboy at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel for a security threat, and he must again leave the detail.

Horrigan connects Leary to a bank employee's murder and learns that Leary, who has made a large campaign contribution, is among the guests of a campaign dinner at the hotel. He sees the President approach the assassin and jumps in front of his bullet. As the Secret Service quickly removes the President, Leary uses Horrigan—who is wearing a bulletproof vest—as a hostage to escape to the hotel's external elevator. The agent uses his earpiece to tell Raines and sharpshooters where to aim; although they miss Leary, Horrigan defeats him. The assassin chooses to fall to his death from the elevator.

Horrigan, now a hero, retires as his fame no longer lets him do his job. He and Raines find a farewell message from Leary on Horrigan's answering machine. Horrigan and Raines leave the house and visit the Lincoln Memorial.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Production Notes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This 1993 thriller was directed by Wolfgang Peterson, who also directed 'Das Boot' which earned him an Academy Awards nomination, 'The NeverEnding Story', 'Enemy Mine', 'Outbreak', 'Air Force One', 'The Perfect Storm', 'Troy', and 'Poseidon'. It stars Clint Eastwood (Agent Frank Horrigan), John Malkovich (Mitch Leary), Rene Russo (Lilly Raines), Dylan McDermott (Al D'Andrea), Gary Cole (Bill Watts), Fred Dalton Thompson (Harry Sargent) and John Mahoney (Secret Service Director Sam Campagna). This is a well written and directed thriller. I also find the acting very good in this one (as with most all Eastwood and Russo movies). And as always John Malkovich plays his role to the hilt. I can be hard to believe that he really isn't that psycotic. To be truthful, I could have done without Thompson .. never liked him and never will. Of course that might be the point as he is someone you love to hate in the movie. I recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers.

Rating: 4of5 stars

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Critical Care (1997/) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Director: Sidney Lumet Writing: Length: 109 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
James Spader as Dr. Werner Ernst
Kyra Sedgwick as Felicia Potter
Helen Mirren as Stella
Anne Bancroft (1931) as Nun
Albert Brooks as Dr. Butz

Plot:
Dr Werner Ernest ( James Spader) is an overworked intern who only wants what is best for his elderly, comatose patient - until he falls for the ailing man's beautiful daughter Felicia ( Kyra Sedgwick ) The Seductive Felicia has 10 million reasons to let her father "die with dignity" while her deep religous sister has her own motives for keeping him alive. Caught between passion and duty Werner descends into a moral mine field where the physician's god-like powers of life and death depend not on knowing right from wrong...but having the courage to choose.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Production Notes

My Thoughts:

'Criticl Care' (1997) directed by Sidney Lumet who directed so many great films , nominated for 14 films by the Motion Picture Academy, and winning for 3 including 'Murder on the Orient Express' (1974), 'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975) and 'Network' (1976). He has recieved numerous other awards for his films internationally. This film stars James Spader (Dr. Werner Ernst), Kyra Sedgwick (Felicia Potter), Helen Mirren (Stella), Anne Bancroft (Nun), Albert Brooks (Dr. Butz), Jeffrey Wright (Bed Two), Margo Martindale (Constance 'Connie' Potter) and Wallace Shawn (Furnaceman).

Starting with James Spader, this is his 28th film and we can see he has been honing the 'James Spader' character which it seems to portray to some degree in all his films. Before 'Critical Care' he has some big movies to his credit including his possible break through performance in 'Stargate' (1994) playing the slightly disheveled Dr. Daniel Jackson and earlie in 1994 his performance as Stewart Swinton in 'Wolf' with Jack Nicholson (who i think Spader stood toe to toe with).

Kyra Sedgwick, who never really seems to 'star' in any film, has been in may great productions. 'Critical Care' was her 15th film with some greats under her belt at this time. These include 'Born on the Forth of July' (1989) with Tom Cruise, 'Heart and Souls' (1993) one of my personal favorites, 'Murder in the First' (1993) and Phenomenon (1996). Her characters always seem to have a bit of 'quirky' in them, along with the southern belle that he play so well on TVs 'The Closer'.

With this great cast you could only expect this move to be good and you would be right. Although I only give it a rating of 3 I find it very entertaining .. while dealing with subjects such as end of life options and sibling greed and a hospitals drive for revenue. These subjects might not be suited for all watchers.

I do recommend this movie highly. Rating 3.5 of 5
Rating: 3.5 of 5

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Constantine: Widescreen Edition (2005/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Francis Lawrence Writing: Kevin Brodbin (Screenwriter), Frank Cappello (Screenwriter), Kevin Brodbin (Original Material By) Length: 121 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Keanu Reeves as John Constantine
Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson / Isabel Dodson
Shia LaBeouf as Chas
Djimon Hounsou as Midnite
Max Baker as Beeman

Plot:
John Constantine sees demons walk the earth, and he aims to do something about it: send them back to hell!

As Constantine, The Matrix's Keanu Reeves fights a new otherworld foe in this eye-popping supernatural thriller based on characters from the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer Graphic Novels and set in a City of the Angels where spirit-world bounds have been broken...and all hell is breaking loose.

Holy water. A dragon's-breath flamethrower. A shotgun crafted from a crucifix. Armed with these and assisted by an intrepid cop (Rachel Weisz), John Constantine is a spiritual warrior gone to apocalyptic war. Be glad he's on your side.

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is an exorcist who lives in Los Angeles. Born with the power to see angels and demons on Earth, he committed suicide at age 15, unable to cope with his visions, but was revived by paramedics before descending into Hell. Because of this, he knows his soul is condemned to damnation when he dies once more, and has recently learned that he has developed cancer as a result of his continuous smoking habits.

After a case involving a full-fledged demon trying to break onto the "human plane," Constantine seeks an audience with the androgynous half-breed angel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton). Gabriel advises that because he performs the exorcisms for his own benefit, they are vain acts that will not spare him from Hell. After his meeting with Gabriel, Constantine is attacked by a full-fledged demon. After a meeting with a former witch doctor known as Papa Midnite (Djimon Honsou) fails to produce answers, Constantine begins investigating the situation with his associates Beeman (Max Baker), Hennessy (Pruitt Taylor Vince), and Chas Kramer (Shia LaBeouf). L.A.P.D. Detective Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) shows up at Constantine's condo seeking consultation regarding her investigation of the death of her twin sister Isabel, who leapt from the roof of a mental hospital. Constantine tells Angela that God and Lucifer are engaged in a proxy war; a standing wager for the souls of all mankind. Neither true angels nor demons can manifest on Earth, but they are allowed to possess and influence humans.

Through Hennessy and Beeman's findings, Constantine learns that Mammon, Lucifer's son, seeks to create his own kingdom on Earth by breaking through onto the human plane. To do so, Mammon requires a powerful psychic, Isabel, who was provided by the half-demon Balthazar (Gavin Rossdale). After reporting the information, Hennessy and Beeman are found dead and Constantine concludes that Balthazar was responsible. Angela reveals that she possessed the same gift as her sister but denied it to the point that it became inactive. Constantine reawakens Angela's psychic ability through a near death experience, then hunts down and interrogates Balthazar who reveals that Mammon has obtained the Spear of Destiny, which has the blood of Jesus Christ encrusted on it. Angela is abducted by an unseen force and taken to Isabel's hospital to be used as the portal for Mammon’s entrance to Earth. Constantine storms Midnite’s club and Midnite allows him to use "The Chair", an old electric chair from Sing Sing Prison that had killed over 200 inmates, and it shows Constantine a vision that the Spear was discovered in Mexico and has been brought to Los Angeles. Constantine and Chas head to the hospital and interrupt the ritual, but Chas is beaten to death by an unseen force in the process.

Using incantations and sigils tattooed on his arms, Constantine reveals the force to be Gabriel but the angel promptly subdues Constantine. Gabriel laments God’s favoritism towards humans and believes that bringing Hell to Earth will enable those who survive to become truly worthy of God’s love through repentance and faith. Gabriel then throws Constantine from the room and begins to release Mammon. As Gabriel moves to stab Angela with the Spear and release Mammon, Constantine slits his wrists. Time stops as Lucifer (Peter Stormare) arrives to personally collect his soul. Constantine tells Lucifer about Mammon’s plan and Lucifer sends Mammon back to Hell to keep Mammon from conquering Earth before him. When Gabriel attempts to smite Lucifer, the angel's wings are burned away and Gabriel becomes human. In return for helping Lucifer, Constantine is owed a favor and asks that Isabel be allowed to go to Heaven. Lucifer obliges and begins to drag Constantine to Hell, but his self sacrifice has redeemed him and he begins to rise into Heaven. Infuriated and wishing to reacquire Constantine's soul, Lucifer heals his wounds and cures him of his lung cancer so that he may live again. Constantine departs with the Spear after refusing the temptation to kill Gabriel, and gives the Spear to Angela instructing her to hide it. As he watches her leave, instead of smoking a cigarette, like in the past, he starts to chew on some nicotine gum.

In a post credits scene, Constantine visits Chas’ grave and watches as he rises into Heaven as an angel.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• DVD-ROM Content
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'Constantine' (2005) directed by Francis Lawrence in his directorial debut. Since then he as brought us 'I Am Legend' (2007), 'Kings' (2009) (4 episodes), 'Water for Elephants' (2011), 'Touch' (2012) and 'Catching Fire' (2013). For Keanu Reeves (John Constantine) this film is on the heels of several great movies. 'Little Buddha' (1993), 'The Matirx Trilogy' (1999, 2003), 'The Replacements', 'The Watcher', 'The Devils Advocate' and of course the 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure' plus many more.

Rachel Weisz (Angela Dodson & Isabel Dodson) previously starred in 'Chain Reaction' (1996) with Keanu Reeves, 'Stealing Beauty' (1996), 'The Mummy' (1999), 'The Mummy Returns' (2001), 'Enemy at the Gates' (2001), 'About a Boy' (2002) and 'Runaway Jury' (2003) plus many more.

Although those two carry the movie (of course they are the focus) with strong associated performances by Shia LaBeouf (Chas Kramer), Tilda Swinton (Gabriel), Pruitt Taylor Vince (Father Hennessy) always love him, Djimon Hounsou (Papa Midnite) and a great (short) performance by Peter Stormare (Lucifer) no one could have played it better.

I really like this movie. If find the settings and artwork very well done. The visual concept of Hell being like here but crisply .. Conceptually very nice .. following the trail of the 'Dangerous Habits', 'Original Sins' and 'Hellblazer' comics. Also, i very much enjoy Keanue Reeves acting. Along with Rachel Weisz and Shia LaBeouf this becomes a very 'believable' movie. You enjoy and create a connection with the characters. You care what happens to them.

I highly recommend this to anyone who likes the 'horror' genre. It was rated 'R' but it probably should have been 'PG-13" as it really show intensity but very little violence or language on its own. My bet is that it was rated 'R' by people with overdone religiosity.

Rating: Rating 4of5 stars

[DSig]

Bad Boys II (2003/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Michael Bay Writing: George Gallo (Original Material By), Marianne Wibberley (Original Material By), Cormac Wibberley (Original Material By), Ron Shelton (Original Material By), Ron Shelton (Screenwriter), Jerry Stahl (Screenwriter) Length: 147 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Martin Lawrence as Detective Marcus Burnett
Will Smith (1968) as Detective Mike Lowrey
Jordi Mollà as Hector Juan Carlos "Johnny" Tapia
Gabrielle Union as Syd
Peter Stormare as Alexei

Plot:
Hang on for maximum mayhem, full-on fun and the wildest chase scenes ever put on film! The action and comedy never stop when superstars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunite as out-of-control trash-talking buddy cops. Bullets fly, cars crash, and laughs explode as they pursue a whacked-out drug lord from the streets of Miami to the barrios of Cuba. But the real fireworks result when Lawrence discovers that playboy Smith is secretly romancing his sexy sister, Gabrielle Union (Bring it On).

Director Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, Armageddon) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Carribean, Black Hawk Down) deliver a high-speed, high-octane blockbuster that will blow you away! "...Year's most action-packed and high-flying flick." (Shawn Edwards, Fox TV).

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

Eight years after the events of the first film, Miami police detectives Marcus Barnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) are investigating the flow of highly-potent ecstasy into the city. Their surveillance of boats coming in from Cuba leads them to a Ku Klux Klan meeting and drug drop in a swamp. The subsequent raid on the Klan members proves to be a disaster; malfunctioning radios delay back-up, causing a firefight where Mike accidentally shoots Marcus in the buttocks, while the Klan members are revealed to be mere small-time buyers and not the distributors of the ecstasy. The incident leaves Marcus to further question if he still wants to partner with Mike, while Mike frets that Marcus may discover his relationship with Marcus' sister, Syd (Gabrielle Union).

Unbeknownst to Mike and Marcus, Syd is an undercover operative with the DEA, as a money laundering agent for Russian gangsters; the Russian gangsters are in fact the distributors of the ecstasy on behalf of neurotic Cuban drug lord Johnny Tapia (Jordi Mollà). During her first assignment in Miami, a violent Haitian gang attempts to hijack the money transport between the Russians and Tapia, putting Syd in danger. Mike and Marcus inadvertently stumble into the action, and an intense fire fight and car chase ensues between the gang members and the Miami Police/DEA, devastating the local area and enraging Police Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano). Marcus and Mike learn of Syd's actual work, which makes Marcus unhappy, while Capt. Howard demands they find the supplier of ecstasy.

Marcus and Mike go to confront the Haitian gang leader, which results in a firefight and the leader revealing that his information about the transport came from his friend's camcorder. After viewing the footage, Marcus and Mike find out that a local business, the Spanish Palms Mortuary, is possibly being used as a front by Tapia. Disguised as pest terminators, the detectives penetrate Tapia's mansion and discover that Tapia has eliminated his Russian distributors and begun to woo their former associate Syd, who is still undercover with the DEA and has refocused the investigation towards Tapia. The detectives also recover evidence linking Tapia to one of the boats involved in the Klan raid.

After pressuring one of the arrested Klansman into making Tapia's boat, the detectives find themselves involved in another firefight, this time while pursuing a morgue van from the docks carrying emptied cadavers. Mike and Marcus decide to infiltrate Tapia's mortuary, where they learn that the drug lord is using dead bodies to smuggle his drugs and money. The mission is nearly sabotaged when the pair are almost discovered, resulting in Marcus accidentally ingesting some of the ecstasy and Mike ordering the disguised officers outside the building to crash an ambulance into it, creating an diversion. After Mike and an intoxicated Marcus obtain a search warrant from Capt. Howard, the mortuary and Tapia's mansion are raided, with the drugs and money being intercepted by the Coast Guard. However, the mansion raid is botched when a vengeful Russian gangster, Alexei (Peter Stormare), violently storms the mansion on his own. Alexei is killed by the police, while Syd is discovered by Tapia and kidnapped to Cuba. With Syd held prisoner in Tapia's compound and guarded by the Cuban military, the drug lord demands the return of his money in two days in exchange for Syd's life.

Mike and Marcus, along with their voluntary SWAT team and Syd's DEA co-workers, prepare a military assault to rescue Syd from Tapia's fortress. During the battle, Mike and Marcus extract Syd and escape, pursued by the infuriated Tapia. After a lengthy pursuit, they end up in a minefield outside the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, where Tapia holds Mike at gunpoint. Marcus rescues Mike with a skillful headshot to Tapia's skull in the middle of the minefield with his last bullet; in a nod to the previous film, Mike exclaims "That's how you shoot!". Later, at the Burnett house, Mike has bought Marcus a new pool (replacing a previous pool that had been destroyed in a prior gag), and Marcus finally makes peace with Mike dating Syd and no longer doubts their partnership. Despite the sentiment, Mike's new pool breaks, washing the two into a river, as they sing the "Bad Boys" theme song.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Production Notes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned
• 2-Disc Set

My Thoughts:

'Bad Boys II' (2003) by director Michael Bay is the second installment of the 'Bad Boys' franchise. It is rumored that 'Bad Boys III is being worked on.

Since 'Bad Boys', and before 'Bad Boys II', Michael Bay brought us 'The Rock' (1996), 'Armageddon' (1998), 'Mystery Men' (1999) a greatly underated movie, 'Coyote Ugly' (2000) and 'Pearl Harbor' (2001).

I really don't have anything good to say about this movie. I was not offended by the language and use of the word 'nigga' nor of the gratuitous violence. It is the total lack of real plot. You just don't care about any of the characters ..

Although I do not necessarily recommend this to anyone except Will Smith and Martin Lawrence fans .. i will watch it again .. not a bad way to loose a couple of hours. I give this 2.5 of 5 stars ... simply on the action scenes.

Rating: 2.5of5

[DSig]

Howard the Duck: Special Edition (1986/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Universal Studios Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Willard Huyck Writing: Steve Gerber (Original Characters By), Willard Huyck (Writer), Gloria Katz (Writer) Length: 110 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English

Stars:
Lea Thompson as Beverly Switzler
Jeffrey Jones as Dr. Jenning
Tim Robbins as Phil Blumburtt
Ed Gale as Howard T. Duck
Chip Zien as Howard T. Duck

Plot:
One of the most talked-about movies of all time, Howard the Duck, lands on DVD for the first time ever in an all-new Special Edition!

From executive producer George Lucas and the pages of Marvel Comics comes this unbelievably funny comedy about a fast-talking, cigar-chomping, beer-loving duck from a parallel universe who crashes to Earth. Featuring brand-new bonus features, a digitally remastered picture and new 5.1 surround sound, Howard the Duck Special Edition is a hidden treasure the whole family can enjoy.

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

Howard (voiced by Chip Zien) lives on Duckworld, a planet just like Earth but inhabited by anthropomorphic ducks. One night, as he reads the latest issue of Playduck Magazine, his armchair begins to quake violently and propels him out of his apartment building and into outer space, where he eventually ends up on Earth, in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon arriving, Howard encounters a girl being attacked by thugs and decides to help her out with his unique brand of "Quack Fu". After the thugs scamper, the girl introduces herself as Beverly (Lea Thompson), and decides to take Howard to her apartment and let him spend the night. The next day, Beverly takes Howard to a supposed-scientist by the name of Phil Blumburtt (Tim Robbins), who Beverly hopes can help Howard return to his world. After Phil is revealed to be only a lab assistant, Howard resigns himself to life on Earth and rejects Beverly's aid. With the help of a no-nonsense secretary (Virginia Capers), he soon lands a job cleaning up at a local romantic spa. Due to unfair treatment by his boss (Sheldon Feldner), Howard ultimately quits his job and returns to Beverly, who plays in a band called Cherry Bomb. At the club where Cherry Bomb is performing, Howard comes across the group's sleazy manager (Richard Edson), and confronts the manager when he badmouths the band. A fight ensues in which Howard is victorious, before getting the manager to force Cherry Bomb out of their unfair contract.

Howard rejoins Beverly backstage after the band's performance, gives the band their money and accompanies Beverly back to the apartment, where Beverly chooses Howard to be Cherry Bomb's new manager. The two begin to flirt and joke at the idea of sexual intercourse, but are interrupted when Blumburtt and two of his colleagues, Dr. Walter Jenning (Jeffrey Jones) and Larry (David Paymer), arrive and reveal how Howard came to Earth: earlier, the scientists had been working on a dimensional-jumping device that just happened to be aimed at Howard's universe and brought him to Earth when it was activated. They theorize that Howard can be sent back to his world through a reversal of this same process, so they drive Howard to the lab with the intention of sending him back. The device malfunctions upon being used a second time, and Jenning's body is taken over by a lifeform from a region of space called the Nexus of Sominus. When the police arrive, the resulting chaos leads Howard, Beverly and Jenning to escape from the police as Jenning's transformation becomes more apparent. After eluding the police, they arrive at a Cajun sushi diner where the lifeform introduces itself as a "Dark Overlord of the Universe" and demonstrates its developing mental powers by causing the table condiments to explode. Chaos ensues when a group of truckers in the diner begin to insult Howard, resulting in a fight. This results in Howard's capture and near-decapitation at the hands of the diner chef. Meanwhile, the truckers are scared off when the Dark Overlord destroys the cafe, kidnaps Beverly, and escapes in a semi truck.

Howard then finds Phil and frees him from the police car he had been held in after being arrested for his role in the science center explosion. On the run, the two discover an Ultralight aircraft, which they use to search for the Dark Overlord and Beverly. Meanwhile, having returned to the lab, the Dark Overlord ties Beverly down to a metal bed, hoping to transfer another one of its kind into her body with the dimension machine. Howard and Phil return to the lab and apparently destroy the Dark Overlord with an experimental "neutron disintegrator" laser. However, it had only been knocked out of Jennings' body. The then Dark Overlord reveals itself as a monstrous creature. Howard fires the neutron disintegrator at the beast, obliterating it, and destroys the dimension machine, preventing more Dark Overlords from being brought to Earth, but also removing Howard's only chance of returning to his planet. Howard then becomes Beverly's manager and hires Phil as an employee on her tour.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

'Howard the Duck' (1986) produced by George Lucas (no introduction needed) and directed by Willard Huyck (mostly known for screenwriting of screenplays of films including 'American Graffiti', 'Lucky Lady', 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' and 'Radioland Murders among others) only directed 4 films including 'Messiah of Evil' (1973), 'French Postcards' (1979), 'Best Defense' (1984), and this one 'Howard the Duck' (1986).

'Howard the Duck' stars Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, the voice of Chip Zien as Howard.

Having 1983's 'Jaw 3-D' being hee first roll, Lea Thompson only had a couple of rolls under her belt when she did 'Howard the Duck' with the biggest ones being 'All the Right Moves' (1983), 'Red Dawn' (1984) and then the break through hit 'Back to the Future' (1985) with 'Back to the Future Part II' coming in 1989 and 'Back to the Future Part III' coming in 1990. Her biggest hits would come on television with the sitcom 'Caroline in the City' (1995-1999) and the 'Jane Doe' made for tv movies.

This also staring Jeffrey Jones (Dr. Walter Jenning/Dark Overlord) and a very young Tim Robbins (Phil Blumburtt). Tim Robbins having just started filming 4 years before you can see the youth in his performance. The same year (1986) he would work in 'Top Gun'. But in 1988 he would give a breakout performance in 'Bull Durham' opposite Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon.

I am probably 1 of a dozen people who actually have seen 'Howard the Duck' and like it. I have had the soundtrack on vinyl since it came out and have had the VHS table for almost as long. I lost track of it and recently ran into a used dvd copy .. i jumped on it.

For fantasy I find the concept fun and exciting. 'Howard the Duck' is loosely based on the Marvel Comic books of the same name (well there was a duck from another planet AND it's name was Howard). I heartily recommend this movie to anyone who just like a good time .. though they might not accept any of my recommendations after this I give this a 3.5of5 stars

Rating: 3.5of5

[Dragonfire]

I'm one of the few people that like Howard the Duck too.  I fully admit it isn't a great movie..and it is cheesy as hell..but it's fun.

[DSig]

So .. there are 2 of use.  Must account for the full box office numbers it made <G>

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[DSig]

Bad Influence (1990/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Director: Curtis Hanson (1945) Writing: David Koepp (Writer) Length: 100 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Palmer Lee Todd as Naked Woman
Rob Lowe as Alex
James Spader as Michael Boll
Rosalyn Landor as Britt
Tony Maggio as Patterson

Plot:
There's nothing more enticing than evil...especially when it's hiding behind a killer smile and draped in designer suits. Rob Lowe ("The West Wing") and James Spader (sex, lies and videotape) star in this "slyly seductive and thoroughly enjoyable thriller" (The Wall Street Journal) from director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) and writer David Koepp (Spider-Man).

Financial analyst Michael Boll (Spader) seems to have everything: brains, money, a socially connected fiancée and a blindingly bright future. Then he meets Alex (Lowe), an impeccably dressed drifter with fatal charm and an insatiable appetite for wine, women...and danger. Alex befriends Michael and takes him for a walk on the wild side – but Michael soon discovers that there's a terrible price to pay for life in the fast lane, because hanging out with Alex...can be murder!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'Bad Influence' (1990) is in the 'film noir' style. Written by David Koepp including 'Toy Soldiers' (1991), 'Death Becomes Her' (1992), 'Jurassic Park' (1993) with Michael Crichton, 'Carlito's Way', 'Mission: Impossible' (1996), 'Stir of Echoes' (1999), 'Spider-Man' (2002) to just mention a few. Directed by Curtis Hanson whose credits include 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle' (1992), 'The River Wild' (1994), 'L.A. Confidential' (1997), 'Wonder Boys' (2002) and '8 Mile' plus more.

Rob Lowe plays Alex a charming sociopath, James Spader plays Michael Boll a seemingly hapless marketing analyst. Also with Lisa Zane (Claire), Christian Clemenson (Pismo Boll), Marcia Cross (Ruth Fielding) and Grand Bush (Bartender).

As with many of James Spaders films this movie goes from tight thriller to out and out crazy fest. Rob Lowe is simply brilliant at sociopath Alex and James Spader who normally plays the bad guy is simply brilliant in the reversed role. Although Rob Lowe has never been a favorite of mine I have to admit that I really like him in this. Possibly as good as Spader in this one.

Rating: 3.5of5

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A Few Good Men: Special Edition (1992/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Rob Reiner Writing: Aaron Sorkin (Screenwriter), Aaron Sorkin (Original Material By) Length: 138 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Tom Cruise as Lt. Daniel Kaffee
Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan R. Jessep
Demi Moore as Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway
Kevin Bacon as Capt. Jack Ross
Kiefer Sutherland as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick

Plot:
Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore star in Rob Reiner's unanimously acclaimed drama about the dangerous difference between following orders and following one's conscience. Cruise stars as a brash Navy lawyer who's teamed with a gung-ho litigator (Moore) in a politically explosive murder case. Charged with defending two Marines accused of killing a fellow soldier, they are confronted with complex issues of loyalty and honor - including its most sacred code and its most formidable warrior (Nicholson). Superbly directed with a trio of powerhouse performances and an outstanding supporting cast including Kevin Pollack, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon, A FEW GOOD MEN is "entertainment to be seen and appreciated... consistently gripping" (Desson Howe, Washington Post).

** Complete Plot(with spoilers ) **

(click to show/hide)

Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel "Danny" Kaffee (Tom Cruise), is an inexperienced U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps lawyer who leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines, Private First Class Louden Downey (James Marshall) and Lance Corporal Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison), who are accused of having murdered a fellow Marine of their unit, PFC William Santiago (Michael DeLorenzo), at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, which is under the command of Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Jack Nicholson).

Santiago compared unfavorably to his fellow Marines, had poor relations with them and failed to respect the chain of command. He went above his superiors to bargain for a transfer in exchange for blowing the whistle on Dawson for firing a possibly illegal shot towards the Cuban side of the island. When the transfer request is seen by the base's senior commanders, there is a heated argument between Santiago's commanding officer, Lt Jonathan Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland) who asserts that he can handle the situation, and Jessep's executive officer, Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson (J.T. Walsh) who casts doubt on Kendrick's ability based on a past incident. Markinson advocates that Santiago be transferred immediately for safety reasons before the request gets out, but Jessep says that this would set a bad precedent which could cost lives. Jessep also states that officers have a responsibility to ensure that all personnel are trained, so he orders Kendrick to ensure that Santiago shows significant improvement on the next evaluation report, or he would be held personally responsible. When Dawson and Downey are later arrested for Santiago's murder, Naval investigator and lawyer Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway (Demi Moore) suspects that they were carrying out a "code red": a euphemism for a violent extrajudicial punishment.

Galloway requests to defend them, but the case is instead given to Kaffee, who has a reputation for arranging plea bargains. There is initial friction between them, as she believes he negotiates plea bargains to avoid having to argue in court, and he claims that she is interfering with his handling of the case. However their relationship strengthens as the trial progresses, as does Kaffee's effectiveness as a lawyer.

Despite goading by Galloway and Dawson to allow the trial go to court, Kaffee initially tries to step down as lead counsel for the defense – his argument being that since he cannot prove that any order was given for the assault, making a legal stand simply because he believes the Marines did as they were told was a futile gesture. However, Galloway successfully argues her point of view to Kaffee after Dawson and Downey state they were ordered by Lieutenant Kendrick (under the orders of Jessep) to shave Santiago's head, minutes after Kendrick ordered the platoon not to touch the would-be victim. Santiago actually died from asphyxiation after a rag was shoved into his mouth as a gag.

Kaffee comes to realize that for a legal officer of his limited time and experience to be given such an important case is unusual, and he accepts that he was probably assigned to it due to his reputation for plea bargaining, indicating that someone high up did not want the case to reach court, so he changes his mind and agrees to proceed. Kaffee's suspicions are confirmed when he rejects a plea bargain offer from prosecutor Capt. Jack Ross (Kevin Bacon), who is a friend of his. Ross then warns that the government's case against the two Marines is strong and that Kaffee could risk his reputation (including court martial and being discharged from the Navy) for any attempt to smear high-ranking officers in making a futile defense.

In the course of the trial it is established that code reds are standard in Guantanamo Bay as a means of enforcing discipline and getting sloppy Marines to follow procedure. Kaffee especially goes after Kendrick, particularly over the fact that he denied Dawson a promotion after the latter helped out a fellow Marine who was under what could be seen as a code red.

Lieutenant Colonel Markinson has gone absent without leave since the incident, but he resurfaces in Kaffee's car during the trial, revealing that Jessep never intended to transfer Santiago off the base as previously claimed but created the transfer orders as part of a cover-up long after Santiago's death. Kaffee is unable to find evidence corroborating these claims and announces his intention to have Markinson testify. Rather than publicly dishonor himself and the Marine Corps, Markinson sends a letter to Santiago's parents, blaming his own weakness for the loss of their son, outfits himself in full Class A-Prime dress uniform and commits suicide by shooting himself in the mouth with his .45-caliber semi-automatic service pistol. Without Markinson's crucial testimony, Kaffee believes that the case is lost and returns home after a drunken stupor, having come to regret that he fought the case instead of considering the plea bargain.

Galloway, however, convinces Kaffee to take the great risk of calling Colonel Jessep as a witness. Kaffee initially questions Jessep's travel habits versus that of Santiago (who had apparently made no preparations to pack and/or called anyone about leaving the base) in an attempt to argue that the transfer order was never properly conducted. However, Jessep successfully outsmarts Kaffee by saying that he cannot speculate on Santiago's habits, and he becomes particularly disdainful of Kaffee (pointing out dismissively that Kaffee pinned his clients's defense on a phone bill) and the court proceedings.

Kaffee is stumped, but then he manages to unnerve Jessep by pointing out a flaw in his testimony. He had stated that Santiago was due to be transferred off the base for his own safety in case the other Marines sought retribution, but also stated that Marines are honorable men who always follow orders – thus if the other Marines were ordered to leave Santiago alone and always follow orders, then Santiago would have been in no danger whatsoever and would not have to be transferred. Under heavy pressure from Kaffee and unnerved by being caught in one of his own lies, Jessep furiously declares, "You can't handle the truth!" He then dismisses Kaffee as disrespectful of a Marine doing his duty, ultimately confessing that he did order the code red. As Jessep angrily justifies his actions on the basis of national security, he is arrested by Ross, and there is a verdict of not guilty on the murder charges for Dawson and Downey. Ross informs Kaffee he will now have Kendrick arrested for the same charges faced by Dawson and Downey.

Nonetheless, the two Marines are dishonorably discharged for having caused Santiago's death through their "conduct unbecoming a United States Marine." Downey does not understand why they are being given dishonorable discharges, but Dawson accepts the verdict, and explains to Downey that they had failed to stand up for those too weak to stand up for themselves, like Santiago. As the two prepare to leave, Kaffee tells Dawson he does not need a patch on his arm to have honor. Dawson, who had previously been reluctant to respect Kaffee as an officer, barks "There's an officer on deck!" and salutes Kaffee.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes
• Production Notes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'A Few Good Men' (1992) written by Aaron Sorkin ('Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969) for which he got an Academy Award, 'The Hot Rock' (1972), 'Marathon Man' (1976), 'All the President's Men' (1976) with another Academy Award plus many others including the great 'The Princess Bride (1987). Directed by Rob Reiner whose directorial credits include 'The Princess Bride' (1987), 'When Harry Met Sally...' (1989), 'Misery' (1990) and 'The American President' (1995).

This film stars Tom Cruise (LTJG Daniel Kaffee, USN), Jack Nicholson (Col. Nathan R. Jessup, USMC), Demi Moore (LCDR Joanne Galloway, USN), Kevin Bacon (Capt. Jack Ross, USMC), Kiefer Sutherland (Lt Jonathan Kendrick, USMC), Kevin Pollak (LTJG Sam Weinberg, USN) and J. T. Walsh (Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson, USMC). I don't know what to say about this movie. First I am really not a Tom Cruise fan. And Demi Moore has never done anything for me. I do like Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon and Kevin Pollak so i guess that is 3 to 2 in favor .

This movie was received with great success both critically and financially at the box office. But I just don't get it. I don't believe that I have seen this movie since it came out and so I popped the disc in in an attempt to give it a fair break. As usual I find Tom Cruise's performance just hard work .. hard work doing and hard work watching. Demi Moore, like Tom Cruise is wooden and stiff. There is noting here for be to care about. I am not sure if the is the acting, writing or direction .. but it is all too wooden.

Having said all that I give it a 3of5 stars. There is something here. You don't feel like you just lost 2 hours of your life. Maybe it is the direction .. maybe it is the photography or editing .. but there is something that keeps me from throwing this newly purchased dvd in the trash..  But it did cost me $1.60 + shipping (total 4.58) so just tossing it wouldn't make sense.

Rating: 3of5 stars

[Piffi]

Interesting notes on the "A Few Good Men" .. I've been very interested in the movie, but havent bought it yet. Beacuse a few different reasons. Just one quastion for you, If your not a Tom Cruise fan. Would you like the movie? And would you buy the movie? Nw, that yu have seen it?

thanks

[Dragonfire]

So .. there are 2 of use.  Must account for the full box office numbers it made <G>

DSig

I didn't see it in the theater.  I first saw it on tv late one night.  When I found the DVD fairly cheap - and not long after it became available - I got it.

[GSyren]

So .. there are 2 of use.  Must account for the full box office numbers it made <G>

DSig

3 actually. It has Lea Thompson and a stop motion monster. Either one would have been enough for me... ;-)
But then I never read the comic, so I didn'lt get upset by the liberties the writers took.