I know

I'm being flaky again. I just don't feel like posting.

Movie Review: The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect

I'm not a huge Ashton Kutcher fan, but he really did a good job. He plays a man who can bend the past only to discover the terrible effects of meddling in areas that should be left to the universe to control.

The name comes from those who would try to control the weather. It's said that we cannot control or predict the weather much farther out than a few days because it's such a complex system that the flapping of a butterfly's wing will change our desired outcome.

Though the story makes me sad, I found it interesting to see a boy try valiantly to save those he loved. It's very science fictiony and goes directions I didn't expect. A good chance to spend a couple hours thinking.

Library: DVD; Coos Bay & VHS; Dora

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289879/

Buy the DVD from Amazon:
The Butterfly Effect (Infinifilm Edition)

No Gems!

In the last couple months I haven't found any gem films to review. I'll have to think up one and post about it over the weekend.

Made for TV Movie Review: 10.5 Apocalypse

10.5 Apocalypse

I thought maybe the DVD left something out because it just started with the quake and I was terribly confused for the first part of the film. Then it got worse. So like a series of earthquakes end up sinking Las Vegas trapping the only scientist who can figure out a way to save America! Eye Roll.

Oh and then things get worse. They always get worse. If the world is going to end, I vote for not watching this before it does.

You might get on board with Frank Langella in this, but sadly, nothing can save this far fetched piece of crap. Kim Delaney gets top billing but she just totally walked through the rule.

Library: Myrtle Point

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463850/

Amazon: 10.5: Apocalypse

Movie Review: The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code

I just love Tom Hanks and think he's such a great guy. Too bad his major "talent stretch" in this film involved running and looking perplexed. Maybe the novel really thrilled many, but the film just slogged along. All the controversy just seems silly.

It's a story about a man who uncovers a great Christian secret. Supposedly Jesus married and had children with Mary Magdalene. One sect of the faithful keep the secret and another tries to destroy any evidence of the "facts."

I've been told the "badguy" had albinism in the book. They didn't state he was in the film, but he sure had pale skin. I have albinism and find the genetic disorder often gets depicted as evil and or miraculous. That disturbs me. I give this film a little bit of a pass in that they never said "albino" when referring to the character, but it's implied.

It's really on the low end of the Watchable scale. Look for the DVD in Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, North Bend and Powers.

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382625/

Buy the DVD from Amazon:
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Movie Review: The Abandoned

The Abandoned

An adopted American woman finds out she has an inheritance in Russia. She travels there to find out about her past. Once there she experiences strange flashes forward and back and learns her father tried to kill her mother and his children. Mom managed to take the babies to safety before she died.

The cinematography kept my interest, but ultimately it's still a gritty horror flick. Watch it if that's your thing. Grab the DVD from Bandon

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475937/

Look for the DVD from Amazon:
The Abandoned

Movie Review: Abraham - the Secret Behind "the Secret"

Abraham - the Secret Behind "the Secret"

I watched this expecting to despise it. Let me be clear, I DO NOT subscribe or expect anyone else to subscribe to any particular aspect of this philosophy. I say that because I think some of it is quite nutty. That having been said, I found it quite interesting.

This DVD covers several segments of what seems to be the same interview of Esther and Jerry Hicks. They claim they get messages from "Abraham" who they explain is a kind of spirit guide. They provide details of how life should be, how we as physical beings can bring what we desire into our life by imagining it.

My struggle with this is I know it's a kind of truth. Though I'm unconvinced it's a spiritual thing. To me, it seems rather an obvious life awareness. If we have a clear idea of what we want, we see opportunities to have it.

Watch the DVD and let me know if you have any reaction to it. I'm glad I did. I did find it interesting and amusing. Look in Bandon for the DVD. I saw no reference to the DVD called "The Secret," seems to be a marketing technique to capitalize on the similar self help concept.

I couldn't find any IMDB listing.

Check out Amazon's listing for this DVD:
: Introducing Abraham - The Secret Behind "The Secret"

Soso Left Overs

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

A bitter man by the name of Nemo, captains an attack submarine terrorizing sailing vessels. It strikes me as similar to modern day terrorists hurting others for their "cause." It all just seems pointless to me. No decent outcome. Might be more interesting to read the Jules Vern novel written over 100 years ago.

Library: DVD; Coos Bay & Coquille. VHS; Bandon, Coquille, Dora, Lakeside & Myrtle Point.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046672/

Amazon: Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The History Channel
Admiral Chester Nimitz

While this DVD tells the story of Admiral Nimitz's life and military career, it really didn't reveal much about his inner workings. We didn't really get a sense of what makes him such an amazing leader. It comes off as rather dry history.

Library: Bandon

NO IMDB

Amazon: Pearl Harbor: Admiral Chester Nimitz, Thunder of the Pacific Part III Dvd! History Channel

The Adventures of Francis the Talking Mule

These four films changed circumstances but had the exact same plot. The mule helps a man get ahead. Nobody believes the kindly everyman that Francis is the one helping him until they irritate the mule into talking. Donald O'Connor stars as the shy soldier who talks to mules. Cute for a little while, but I got bored of the gimmick.

Library: Myrtle Point

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041387/

Amazon: The Adventures of Francis the Talking Mule, Vol. 1 (Francis the Talking Mule / Francis Goes to the Races / Francis Goes to West Point / Francis Covers the Big Town)

Soso Thriller Thursday

Domestic Disturbance

John Travolta and Vince Vaughn play a father and stepfather who end up at odds over Travolta's son. The boy doesn't like the new step-dad and tries to run away. He witnesses the stepfather murder a man and no one believes him. This one sits on the high end of this rating. It almost made it to watchable, but I just dislike how the plot developed.

Library: DVD; Bandon & Lakeside. VHS; Coos Bay & Dora.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249478/

Amazon: Domestic Disturbance

Don't Say a Word

Convoluted plot very similar to Firewall where bad guys kidnap family members in order to get the father to do something. In this one Michael Douglas stars as a psychologist blackmailed into trying to get a number from a mentally disturbed girl.

Too many sub plots to make the story really flow. It's amazing how violent kidnappers end up manipulated by a little girl. I lost my suspension of disbelief at that point.

Library: DVD; Myrtle Point & Coos Bay. VHS; Bandon, Coos Bay & Coquille.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260866/

Amazon: Don't Say a Word

Disturbia

David Morse likes to play creepy guys next door. Teenager Shia LaBeouf gets sentenced to house arrest and can't go off the property so he starts spying on his neighbors with binoculars. He witnesses a murder and tries to get people to believe him.

Maybe my dislike of this film has more to do with the sense that peeking into your neighbors life may be just as creepy as finding out there's a murderer next door. Plus I don't like the message that strange people are automatically suspected of something. I'm strange. ;)

Library: Bandon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486822/

Amazon: Disturbia (Widescreen Edition)

Deepwater

A paranoid young man finds himself caught up in a strange world working for a motel owner. He hears what seem to be the voices of himself and the motel owner's hot young wife and we're not sure if these are memories or his desires. So much of the imagery flashes about like it's some kind of dream.

Toward the end of the film, elements start coming together in unexpected ways. I'd already lost interest but if they'd played it out sooner in the film it might have inspired a better rating. Lucas Black and Peter Coyote star.

Library: Bandon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383304/

Amazon: Deepwater

Desperate Hours

You would think that Anthony Hopkins could class up this film, but sadly, he didn't quite do it. Apparently it's a remake of an old Bogart film. A psychopathic murderer manipulates his lawyer into helping him escape custody. He then takes over a family's home while he's waiting for the girl to come get him.

I suppose this reminds me of a horror film without ghosties. This falls on the low end of the rating, almost earning it a dog.

Library: Bandon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099409/

Amazon: Desperate Hours

Soso Relastionship Flicks

Across the Universe

This musical love story features Beatles songs amid a backdrop of late 60s anti war activism. I do like the songs and they're sung well enough by the actors. I just found it a bit long and boring. I just think they went too far to fit the songs together. I'd just rather listen to the originals.

Library: Coos Bay & Myrtle Point.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445922/

Amazon: Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition)

About Last Night

Rob Lowe and Demi Moore hook up and start living together. I guess this film tried to show how tough it is to get along. I just thought these two deserved each other as they didn't ever sit down and talk about how they were gonna live. Relationships are tough, but people gotta talk before they get in em.

Library: Bandon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090583/

Amazon:
About Last Night...

Adventures in Babysitting

While technically not a relationship film, it has a couple element in it. A babysitter gal packs up the kids she's sitting and drives to the big city to pick up her runaway friend at the bus station. Before she gets there, she runs afoul of car thieves, a raging tow truck driver and saves one of the kids form falling off a skyscraper.

Confused? Me too. I remember seeing this in the theater back in the day. Maybe it's neat to see a young Elisabeth Shue, Bradley Whitford or Vincent D'Onofrio. There are way better teen angst films, though.

Library: DVD; Myrtle Point. VHS; Coquille, Lakeside

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092513/

Amazon: Adventures in Babysitting

A Number of Sosos

21

Kevin Spacey stars as a professor who entices a bunch of brainy math students into cheating a casino. I love Spacey, though this role he simply walked through. The plot didn't hold my interest because everyone seemed so smug. "We're all smart and can count cards and your just a dumb person throwing your money away." Eh?

Library: Bandon, Dora, North Bend & Powers.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478087/

Amazon: 21 (Single-Disc Edition)

The 39 Steps

This famous spy thriller from veteran Alfred Hitchcock impresses many including those from IMDB, but I found it forgettable and dull. Murder and spy rings set among London's music hall amusements didn't stay in my memory. Big fan of the director? Have a look at this 1935 "classic." Otherwise, avoid it.

Library: DVD; Bandon, Coquille & North Bend. VHS; Bandon & Coquille. Collection DVD; Bandon, Coos Bay, Lakeside, Myrtle Point & North Bend.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026029/

Amazon: Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps

2001: a Space Odyssey

Yes, I'm not a fan of this film. I understand that many a science fiction type loves this so dearly that I am going against the grain, but I found it slow and boring. I also know that Stanley Kubrick is considered a god. I'm definitely not a fan of his either.

Strange obelisks appear before apes to teach them violence I think? Then we find one on the moon too. A ship is sent to Jupiter and their computer goes crazy and the plot just gets weird from there. Watch it once in your life just so you know what weird really is.

Library: DVD; Bandon, Coos Bay & SWOCC. VHS; Bandon, Coos Bay & North Bend.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/

Amazon: 2001 - A Space Odyssey (Two-Disc Special Edition)

28 Days Later

28 Weeks Later

First let me remind any new readers, I despise horror films. This getting a rating above a dog, at least means it held my interest enough to mostly watch it. A man wakes up from a coma to find no one around him and he has to unattach himself from tubes and wires, he finds no one on the streets either. Some fast moving zombies try and get him and some non zombie people help save him. They find other people and try and make their way to some "clean" military types in northern England.

The second film opens where a family enters the "safe zone" of London to be with their survived the zombies Dad. Things go terribly wrong and this "rage virus" gets spread around some more. The actors did a good job of making the silly plot believable. It's all just kinda gross, though.

Library: Both; Bandon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463854/

Amazon: 28 Days Later (Widescreen Edition)

Amazon: 28 Weeks Later (Widescreen Edition)

Soso Week

Last week got a bunch of watchables off the books, now I'm going to pare down the soso list. I'll start tomorrow.

If you see a typographic error, feel free to point them out. I will fix them as soon as I get the comment email.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Documentaries to Watch

National Geographic
Really Wild Animals
Deep Sea Dive

This made for kids film shows the ocean in its glorious beauty. Though the animation seemed a little silly, even adults like me can appreciate all the interesting sea life. Everyone who enjoys understanding our world will like these under and above water scenes.

Library: DVD; Bandon. VHS; Bandon, Coos Bay & Myrtle Point.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482421/

Amazon: National Geographic - Really Wild Animals: Deep Sea Dive

Deliver Us from Evil

Important documentary and I'm including it even though I chose not to watch it myself. From the container: A documentary on confessed pedophile priest Oliver O'Grady and attempts by the Catholic Church to cover up his actions. Includes interviews with O'Grady and his victims.

Library: Bandon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814075/

Amazon: Deliver Us from Evil

An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gore presents a slide show he helped develop on the worsening effects of human cuased climate change. Though I believe he's telling an accurate tale, I found the presentation rather boring. Yes, I see the importance of the topic, I wonder how they could have punched it up to entertain just a tad more. Have a watch, tell me what you think.

Library: Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, Myrtle Point, North Bend & SWOCC.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/

Amazon: An Inconvenient Truth

11th Hour

Leonardo DiCaprio presents another environmental tale mostly of global warming but related to pollution too. I liked the special features section with scientists talking about creating color from optical properties rather than chemicals. I still wonder why these programs don't really give the average person some concrete actions we can take. They say stuff but it seems so far off and difficult.

Library: Bandon & North Bend.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492931/

Amazon: The 11th Hour

Families to Watch

The Addams Family

Based on the comic strip and TV series, Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston lead us into this wacky creepy world of family relationships. Long lost Uncle Fester returns in a plot to bilk the family out of their fortune. He thinks he's pretending, but it turns out he really is the misplaced brother.

Look for a young Christina Ricci playing daughter Wednesday Addams. The effects thrill with the start of the film where we see disembodied hand Thing traipse around the house. My favorite part comes when Morticia says "Last night, you were unhinged. You were like some desperate howling demon. You frightened me. Do it again."

Library: DVD; Myrtle Point. VHS; Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, Myrtle Point & North Bend.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101272/

Amazon: The Addams Family

Dad

Jack Lemmon stars as a man with some kind of dementia who's wife, Olympia Dukakis, goes into the hospital with heart trouble. Their obnoxious son played by Ted Danson comes home to take care of his father.

I totally did not expect the WILD twist that takes place inside this film. I bet it would throw anyone for a loop. Until this amazing turn, I didn't' really think much of this film. Stick with it, it's worth the ride.

Library: DVD; Myrtle Point. VHS; Coquille.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097142/

Amazon: Dad

Daddy Daycare

Eddie Murphy stars as a laid off dad who decides to partner with some friends to start a day care center. It kind of fits into a typical Hollywood mold where the people "learn something important" while they're doing something they don't really want to do. It surprised me with some cute kids and funny antics, but there's noting much special about this film.

Well , MAYBE, when we get a little Anjelica Huston playing a competitor. This almost made up for the predictable plot.

Library: DVD;Dora, Myrtle Point & North Bend. VHS; Dora & Powers

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317303/

Amazon: Daddy Day Care (Special Edition)

Science Fiction Watchables.

2010

This sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey stars Roy Scheider as part of a joint Soviet-American expedition to find out what happened to the ship and crew from the previous film. They find the ship and contact HAL 9000, the inboard computer. HAL doesn't remember what happened.

They discover the strange monoliths orbiting Jupiter enveloping the planet. They're instructed by some mystery force to leave the area.

I like all the space stuff with a clear plot and outcome. Plenty of edge of the seat space ship action.

Library: DVD; Bandon & Coos Bay. VHS; North Bend

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086837/

Amazon: 2010: The Year We Make Contact

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th dimension

This cult classic explores a weird scientist's experiments that open a door into another dimension. Aliens battle him and his cohorts for control of the world. This bizarre film may only amuse science fiction fans like myself, but some bits are just too funny to ignore. How far can you go wrong with character names like John Bigboote and Reno Nevada.

Peter Weller stars and look notables like John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum and Christopher Lloyd. Grab this one and laugh at all the silly plots and puns.

Library: DVD; North Bend. VHS; Bandon, Lakeside and Myrtle Point

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086856/

Amazon: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension

Dark Star

John Carpenter directed and wrote this spacey lark about a ship full of frustrated workers who go about the universe destroying "rogue" planets. After being caught in an ion storm, one of their bombs starts misbehaving and they attempt to talk it back inside the ship.

This student film became a classic around science fiction convention circles and Carpenter talked a studio into releasing it. I'm pretty sure it never went into conventional theaters. No matter, it's quirky, weird and funny.

Library: Myrtle Point

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069945/

Amazon: Dark Star

Destiny Space

For a space nut like myself, this film didn't provide much new information. I could see someone new to the topic would find many points of interest. Count on IMAX for breathtaking footage of launches, spacewalks and shuttle scenes.

Library: Myrtle Point

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109609/

Amazon: Destiny In Space (IMAX)

Murder and Mayhem Watchables

48 Hrs

Wild man cop Nick Nolte arranges to get Eddie Murphy released from jail to help him catch a bad guy. They make a good pair and the story and plot will hold your interest throughout.

Library: Bandon DVD & VHS

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083511/

Amazon: 48 HRS.

The Departed

I'm not a fan of mobster flicks and this grew into an "ok" review simply because it won tons of Oscars. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin all play cops trying to go after mobster Jack Nicholson. Some of the cops commit as much crime as the criminals. I still don't get that lifestyle. Can't they see that it's only a matter of time before THEY will die? It just makes me shake my head.

Library: Bandon, Coos Bay, Dora, Myrtle Point & SWOCC

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/

Amazon: The Departed (Widescreen Edition)

Blog Monday

Tuesday through Friday, I'll post all watchable films. I need to bring the huge list down to a manageable size.

I haven't asked this lately, I'm still looking for someone to write a few reviews on the weekends. Foreign films would be best, but anything that you want to write about would suit me fine. Leave a comment and let me know. The films have to be available from the Coos County Library System DVD collection. Your opinion is up to you.

Also, feel free to comment on my reviews, even if you disagree. I'm willing to post interesting points of view in the main blog.

I do not do educational or informational DVDs for children. If you want to review those, I'd be happy to include them.

Have a great Monday!