Working Girl rated R for nudity, language, sexual content, and some drug use

I have been wanting to watch this film for quite some time now but for reasons didn't make the effort to see it.  I even went so far as to save it on my Netflix but didn't get round to it.  Finally it came on tv one night and I sat and watched it.  I loved it!

Tess McGill (played by Melanie Griffith) is a frustrated and talented secretary who just wants to be taken seriously and given a chance to show her work so to speak.  She put herself through school and has been trying to land a secretary position with the hopes of working her way up eventually I imagine.  Tess is blessed with beauty and men find her spunk very attractive which might not be so bad except that this seems to make her male bosses feel that they can take advantage of her so to speak.  Thankfully Tess doesn't take any crap from anyone.

Unfortunately this leaves Tess with the situation of her word versus her former bosses words and her former bosses sides are taken essentially.  Tess has one more shot or she's out the door.  On her last shot Tess finds work as the secretary of Katharine Parker (played by Sigourney Weaver).

At first things go well.  Katharine seems to be a cool boss who values her employees and their input.  Tess shares some of her ideas with Katharine under the assumption that Katharine will give her credit because Katharine tells her that she will give Tess credit for good ideas.  Katharine comes back to Tess and tells her that her big idea was refused but encourages Tess to keep trying.

After Katharine is laid up with a broken leg from a skiing accident, Tess works to fulfill Katharine's obligations.  While Tess is working, she finds that Katharine lied to her and is trying to present Tess's ideas as her own.  Tess is devastated and goes home.  When she gets home she finds her boyfriend Mick (played by Alec Baldwin) having sex with a sort of mutual friend Doreen (played by Elizabeth Whitcraft).  Tess leaves the apartment amid Mick's protestations.

Tess determines to see her idea come to fruition but with herself getting the justified credit.  She poses as her boss as far as having her boss's position and makes efforts to connect with the right people to make her idea happen. Along the way she meets Jack Trainer (played by Harrison Ford) who helps her get her idea heard by the people that can make the idea become reality.  While working with together, sparks fly between Jack and Tess.

And so Tess is left with a lot of on her plate.  Does she pursue Jack?  Is she going to get back together with Mick?  What happens when Katharine comes back to work?  What happens if anyone finds out about her deception?

I had heard this story described as a kind of modern Cinderella and I agree.  It is definitely an 80s Cinderella.  The story was very well written and the characters were great.

I loved that Tess had so much spunk.  It was very easy to root for her.  It was also nice to have such an independent minded woman to admire and possibly emulate.  Tess doesn't seem to take things for granted for the most part.  She believes in working for goals and it shows in her actions.  She isn't keen on the lying part even from the beginning.

Jack was definitely the "handsome prince" to Tess's "Cinderella".  He was so adorably in love with Tess from the moment that he saw her.  He was also a really nice guy considering the position of power that he was in.  He also doesn't appear to take things for granted and like Tess believes in hard work.

No Cinderella would be complete without a wicked stepmother.  Although Katharine is a wicked boss rather than stepmother she is delightfully wicked.  Sigourney Weaver played her beautifully.  You understand where the character is coming from i.e. why she does the things that she does and you love to hate her.  I learned after watching this film that the role of Katharine was a highly sought after role and I can appreciate why.

The Witch: A New England Folktale rated R for disturbing violent content and graphic nudity *spoilers*

When I first heard about The Witch:  A New England Folktale there were excited comments that this film was supposed to be the "scariest film of this year".  I immediately felt less interested because I personally don't feel that anything should be described as the "best" of something until it has been experienced.  While it might not have been the filmmakers fault that people immediately started labeling it as "the scariest" I just found it to be off-putting.

I briefly considered seeing this picture in theatres but ultimately changed my mind.  I also considered purchasing the movie without watching it first when it was initially released on dvd but I changed my mind.  I don't regret either decision that I made after watching this picture.

On its surface the plot of this film tells of how a Puritan family is banished out of the plantation due to the father William (played by Ralph Ineson) publicly disagreeing with the Church.  His family include his wife Katherine (played by Kate Dickie), their oldest child and daughter Thomasin (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), their second oldest and oldest son Caleb (played by Harvey Scrimshaw), their two young fraternal twins Mercy (played by Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (played by Lucas Dawson), and their baby Samuel (played by twins Axtun Henry Dube and Athan Conrad Dube).  They have a few animals including a dog, a horse, two nanny goats, and a billy goat named Black Phillip.

After leaving the Plantation, they try homesteading in an area located about a day's ride from the Plantation.  The house is immediately surrounded by fields with a river nearby.  The fields are bordered by dense forest.

Misfortunes start happening pretty quickly after they move to their new home.  The trouble starts when Thomasin takes the baby to play hide and seek near for forest.  While playing the baby disappears.  Mind you, the baby is too young to crawl much less walk away so it is even more frightening and distressing to the family that the missing baby particularly goes missing in this manner.  Thomasin apparently doesn't see or hear anyone or anything take the baby.  The troubles escalate from there.

One of the very great things about this film is the many layers to it.  As I said, on its surface its dealing with a family that is going through terrible misfortunes all due to the pride of the father in his refusal to recant or apologize for his speaking out thus putting his family in this predicament.

It also deals with personal changes in the form of Thomasin going from being a child to being "a woman" by Puritan standards.  She is physically developing to the point where her brother Caleb finds himself physically attracted to her.  Strangely her mother is aware of  this behavior and Thomasin's encouraging the behavior by engaging in somewhat provocative behavior of her own around Caleb.

Then there is the trust between parent and child and how that can be so easily damaged by one word.  While Thomasin was extraordinarily foolish to take her young brother to play near the woods, I'm sure that she wouldn't have deliberately endangered her young sibling or any of her family for that matter.  But because Katherine can't full on blame Thomasin for the loss of the baby she attacks Thomasin in other ways about other things.

There is also the "very real supernatural" events that go on in this picture to contend with.  How much is all in the imagination and how much is really happening?  I have heard some speculate that Thomasin herself is in fact the witch.

This film has a great deal of food for thought.  It seems to be one of those films where the more you watch it, the more details there are to take in.  This film was superbly written.  The acting was brilliant.

Wahab Chaudhry as Black Phillip's voice was one of the best parts because the way that he spoke the words was very much how I would imagine the devil might talk and sound.  His voice had darkness but it was a kind of seductive darkness where the listener knows that the person talking to them is bad and that what the person is saying is bad but the listener finds that they don't care.  The thought of hearing the voice gives me chills.

The "A New England Folktale" portion of the title of this film is very apt.  This film reminded me of some of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories.  Robert Eggers did an excellent job capturing the feel of those kinds of stories (that might not have been the intention but either way it was excellent).  If you are unfamiliar with that sort of literature and you are curious I would suggest reading from Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories or another author from that time period perhaps.

A couple of words of caution.  First off the "horror" is very atmospheric.  The person who initially showed me this film aptly compared it to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.  So, if you are looking for typical horror or blood and guts, you might be disappointed.  I definitely do not think that this is "the scariest" film of this year or any year for that matter. But it is still a good movie that I think is worth watching.

Second word of caution,  the dialogue of this film is spoken in Puritan English.  As in, if you aren't at least vaguely familiar with Puritan English you might not understand a word that people are saying.  For example they don't say "banished" they say "banishe ed".  "Thee" and "Thou" are frequently used.  I would strongly advise turning on the subtitles when watching this picture both because of the Puritan English and also a goodly amount of the cast is British and Brits notoriously speak in lower volumes than American ears are used to (not a criticism just a fact).

The Conjuring rated R for disturbing violence and terror

I was curious about this film mostly because of the excellent trailer involving the clapping game but also because of the reference to the Warrens.  I was afraid that I would be too scared to watch it much less own it.  Needless to say I was wrong although the film does spook me a bit no matter how much I have watched it.

This film is said to be based off of the true story of the haunting of the Perron family that occurred starting in 1971 in Rhode Island.  This film also touches on (and as far as I can tell basically tells of) the story of the Annabelle doll that occurred in 1968.  So this film is something of a two for one but I digress.

The Perron family consists of Roger Perron (played by Ron Livingston), Carolyn Perron (played by Lili Taylor), and their five daughters:  Andrea (played Shanley Casswell),  Nancy (played by Haley McFarland), Christine (played by Joey King), April (played by Kyla Deaver), and Cindy (played by Mackenzie Foy)  There is also a dog named Sadie (although I haven't heard a reference to Sadie the dog in other things regarding this case so I'm not sure if in fact Sadie was real or just included in the film to add to the drama and suspense).  Immediately after moving into their new home strange things start happening including the poor dog Sadie mysterious being strangled on her chain as she is tied to a chain in the front yard and unusual bruising happening on the Mrs. Perron.  The events quickly escalate into more frightening occurrences including terrifying sounds and sights.  I thought it was well done that at times the audience can't see or hear what the characters are seeing and hearing and it is left to the talent of the actors to convey to the audience by their reactions to events what is going on and how terrifying the sights and sounds are.

Meanwhile Ed Warren (played by Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (played by Vera Farmiga) are recovering from an exorcism that went wrong for Lorraine Warren.  An attack of sorts happened resulting in Lorraine being physically and emotionally weakened.  Ed is obviously concerned and appears to want Lorraine to recover fully before including her in any investigations.

After the events at the Perron house escalate to the point where both parents are convinced that their house is haunted, Carolyn seeks out the Warrens' help after reading about them and attending a lecture.  The Warrens' agree but they obviously expect that they will find a rational explanation for the haunting.  They find that they are dreadfully mistaken and as such undertake to assist the family in relieving their haunting.  Research that the Warrens' come across shows that the "haunting" is much more severe and spread out than just the house and has affected people and situations for quite some time with the Perrons being only the latest victims.  While the Warrens continue to investigate the haunting they themselves end up being afflicted by the same spirit that is terrorizing the Perrons.

This film is very well done.  It is very well scripted and the actors are all very good.  I particularly loved the portrayal of the Warrens.  When I have heard of the Warrens they are always portrayed as behaving in a cold, scientific manner especially Ed Warren.  Perhaps it is simply that they were being businesslike.  I liked that Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga had very believable chemistry.  I also liked that this film showed the Warrens as first trying to find rational explanations rather than simply assume that places are haunted.  I also liked that there was an effort to properly educate people regarding hauntings and demonic activity.  The scenes where Lorraine witnesses the "attachments" of the demon to the family were particularly striking I thought.

The film had quite a bit of accurate information neatly wrapped in it.  But, as with any Hollywood film, there were liberties taken that I wasn't appreciative of.  I learned of the liberties taken after doing further research.  I find it disappointing when Hollywood takes liberties rather than relying on the actual events to tell the story because I would say eight times out of ten the real story is much more frightening than what Hollywood comes up with.  Further I feel that it takes away from the real story and the real struggles that the real people went through.

All in all a very well done horror film but be aware that there are liberties taken and if you want the full true story you should do research.  This film is rated R for a reason so I wouldn't recommend for people who are easily frightened, who don't like scary movies, or children.

Rango rated PG for language, rude humor, and action

I wasn't interested in this film when I first heard about it.  As such I had decided that I was probably never going to watch it and I was fine with that.  A friend decided to put this film on with the express purpose of showing me the film.

This film tells of a pet chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) who is somewhat bored with his life in his aquarium with his fake fish, fake palm tree, and headless/legless doll torso.  He is an actor and he craves more from life.  When his aquarium falls out of the back of the truck that he is traveling in, his "Western" adventure begins, taking him in a quest for  water to the town of Dirt.  In Dirt live an assortment of desert creatures in the form of an old West town.  Shortly after arriving, the chameleon takes on the name Rango and becomes sheriff of Dirt.  When the town water goes missing, Rango leads the posse to retrieve the water and figure out the mysterious goings-on at Dirt.

This film had some funny parts.  Its humor is in the style of Shrek and Igor in that it's funny for both children and adults and the adult humor is subtle enough that children won't notice the double entendre/innuendo.  Rango is also one of those films that you pick up something new each time you watch it, mostly because Rango himself speaks in a low and quick manner that is entertaining.

There were quite a few enjoyable and talented actors voicing characters in this picture.  I am one of those people who takes delight in successfully identifying actors in their voice work (although I confess I am not good at "lightning rounds" of quickly identifying actors based off of snippets of conversation and such).  I happily identified Bill Nighy as Rattlesnake Jake.  Isla Fisher was entertaining as Beans but I had no idea it was her until we watched the end credits. Ray Winstone was also easily recognizable and entertaining as Bad Bill.  I confess that I didn't identify Timothy Olyphant as The Spirit of the West although he did an excellent impression of Clint Eastwood (I hope that was his intention at least).

All in all, very good family movie.  The extra features show extra scenes (although if you watch the "extended" cut you will see all of the extra scenes worked in there) and some insight into the actual creatures that the characters in the film are based on.  If you decide to watch the extra features with children I would advise a warning to little ones especially to not do as the idiot in the extra features regarding the actual creatures does.

I know that the man is supposed to be an expert on these desert animals so I know he isn't truly an idiot.  But still I thought that it was immensely careless and thoughtless on his part as well as the part of the filmmakers of the extra features featurette about the desert animals to not put a disclaimer stating "Don't try this at home."

This imbecile who is supposed to be an expert repeatedly gets within literal striking distance of some potentially dangerous creatures.  At one point he picks up a scorpion with his bare hand.  At another he antagonizes a rattlesnake, a sidewinder, a bobcat, an African monitor lizard, and a Gila monster.  When he is bothering the Gila monster he mentions that he got bit by one once and that it was unpleasant but still neglects to tell people to not do what he is doing.  The only desert creatures that don't seem to be bothered by him are the fennec fox and the red-tailed hawk that he handles.

Perhaps he is assuming (dumbass that he is) that people will automatically refrain from being as stupid as he is being.   Amazingly he doesn't get bit by any of the creatures that he is bothering in this featurette.

As such, since the expert and the filmmakers of the featurette are ridiculously careless about including any kind of warning for children or anyone about avoiding the behavior of the idiot, I would strongly suggest that parents/teachers/whomever might show the extra feature involving the actual animals have a conversation with children about how they shouldn't do what the man on screen is doing.  Or you could simply avoid the special features regarding the actual desert animals.

Words and Pictures rated PG-13 for sexual material including nude sketches, some mature thematic material, and language

Which is more important, words or pictures?  Without words how can thoughts be accurately articulated in a coherent fashion?  Without pictures how can we see the visions and thoughts of others and thereby learn and expand our own imaginations?  Those are some of the questions that this movie asks although I wouldn't say that the questions are asked with "utter gravity".

This film tells of two teachers at a prep school presumably in New England but definitely somewhere in America who meet and engage in a "battle" of words versus pictures that ignites a renewed sense of purpose in their students and themselves.

Clive Owen plays an English teacher named Jack Marcus who goes by the name Mr. Marc to his students.  He is an alcoholic logophile (that means someone who loves words according to dictionary.com) who is also something of a failed writer with a strained relationship with his son.

Juliette Binoche plays Dina Delsanto a cantankerous artist who has come to the school to teach art.  To the audience her attitude is obviously at least partly due to her physical and emotional pain from having rheumatoid arthritis but she keeps her condition as private as possible.  She evidently left the city and her successful art career after her condition progressed to the point where she can't even open bottles sometimes much less pick up a paint brush and paint.  There's a rather pitiful scene where she can't open her medicine so she smashes the bottle open with a meat tenderizer then has to call her sister who lives nearby to help her get undressed because she can't do it herself.

Mr. Marc is initially interested in Delsanto due to her initial prickly response to him.  He gets "righteously indignant" when one of his students tells him about Delsanto's comment that "words are lies".  Granted her words were taken out of context but it doesn't matter.  So begins a "war" in which Mr. Marc and Delsanto exchange words and assign classroom assignments for their classes (they happen to have the same classmates in each of their respective classes).  Along the way sparks fly between them but it is a slow burn that is most satisfying.

As it turns out Mr. Marc is in danger of losing his job due to his alcoholism.  It isn't explained exactly why Mr. Marc is an alcoholic although his alcoholism appears to be a major reason for the distance between himself and his son.  I liked that the film didn't spell out the reason(s) for the alcoholism.

All in all a great film. The characters were believable and sincere.  The story made sense and was well written.  I particularly love that this movie left me with food for thought.  I personally would say words are more important only because there are so many to choose from to express thoughts and feelings.  Still a world without pictures is a very sad thought.

I also liked that this movie points out that many young people currently in elementary through high school are so very comfortable using tablets and smart phones that they don't typically use "traditional" ways of finding out information i.e. books or perhaps even talking to people who are knowledgeable about subjects.  Instead it is easy to simply go to a tablet, computer, or smart phone and google whatever it is you are looking for.

While I admit that it is convenient and I myself enjoy the convenience, I think it was nice to see a film point out that it is more satisfying and more stimulating to read through a book to find information.  Specifically Mr. Marc points out that by looking up words in an encyclopedia, the students were able to come across other words about other subjects and people that they might not have ordinarily come across, thereby possibly inspiring them to continue looking and learning about other things and people.

Captives rated R for strong sex scene, language, and violence

I came across this movie while flipping channels late one night.  I ended up enjoying it so much that I purchased it.

This movie opens with a beautiful young dentist named Rachel (played by Julia Ormond).  Rachel is evidently going through a bitter divorce with her ex husband Simon (played by Peter Capaldi).  While she is dealing with the divorce, she starts working at a London prison.  While at the prison, she meets Philip (played by Tim Roth).  Unlike most of his fellow prisoners that Rachel treats, Philip is calm and quiet.  He seems more polite and guarded.  After he asks and she agrees to a weekend visit, she gets swept up in a romantic relationship with him.  Complications arise both when Rachel finds out more about Philip's past and when a dangerous prisoner named Towler (played by Colin Salmon) finds out about their relationship.

The film is just excellent.  All of the actors were great.  Tim Roth was captivating and so sexy as Philip.  I was surprised at how attractive I found him considering the first time that I really recall seeing him was as the despicable Archie in Rob Roy.  

The story was very well written and had interesting twists.  I confess that I didn't anticipate the ending.  If I had a complaint I would say that I felt that the ending was incomplete but perhaps that was just a case of me wanting more.  When I first saw the film I was younger and as such didn't care for the ending.   As an older adult I realize that the ending is in fact perfect as it is fairly realistic.  

Keith Allen stole scenes as Lenny the Elvis-obsessed prison mate.  

Even the "awesome" jazzy saxophone muzak that plays throughout the film was great.

I must say that the bathroom sex scene between Rachel and Philip was so very sensual, it made bathroom sex look wonderful.  Lots of believable intensity and passion with a touching amount of raw tenderness.  Julia Ormond as Rachel and Tim Roth as Philip had such excellent chemistry from the moment that they first see each other to the end.  

Castle in the Sky rated PG

I was curious about this film as this is one of the many wonderful Studio Ghibli films made by Hayao Miyazaki.  I personally have enjoyed every Hayao Miyazaki film made that I have seen so far so I was really looking forward to this film.  I wasn't disappointed but I also didn't love it enough to consider purchasing it at present.

This beautiful film tells the story of Sheeta (voiced in English by Anna Paquin) and Pazu (voiced in English by James Van Der Beek) and their adventures together.  When the story opens Sheeta is being chased by government agents led by Muska (voiced in English by Mark Hamill) and pirates led by Dola (voiced in English by Cloris Leachman).  Sheeta has a crystal that has "magic effects" including making Sheeta float rather than fall.

She is in fact floating when from the sky when Pazu sees her and saves her from falling down into a mining pit.  Pazu tries to help Sheeta avoid capture while sharing aspects of his life story with her.  While they are traveling he tells her about how his father once saw the floating castle city Laputa and how his father's stories have inspired Pazu to seek out Laputa.

Sheeta is intrigued by his story.  She tells him that she used to live in a far away country where she was raised by her kindly older grandparents.  Her grandmother taught Sheeta spells and cautioned her to keep the crystal safe and secure.  One day the government agents led by Muska came and took her away without explaining why.

And so this film tells of Pazu and Sheeta's efforts to learn about Sheeta's mysterious past, find Laputa, and find happiness together.  It further teaches the lessons that things aren't always as they seem.  "Bad guys" might be good guys.  "A magic floating castle" might be much more.  Technology can be used for good or evil.

As I said, while I enjoyed the film, I didn't love it enough to own it at present.  I confess that I was bothered by Sheeta and they way that the final battle ended.  I felt that it was good but it was bothersome that the final battle "could only be ended one way" when in fact it could have easily played out another way.

This is a great family film.  There isn't disturbing imagery and no language of course.  There appears to be only one "frightening" sequence in the middle of the film that might disturb younger audiences.

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Not Rated

I came across this gem on Netflix.  As of this posting, this wonderful documentary is on Netflix.

I enjoy horror pictures even though they scare me.  Of all of the horror pictures that I have watched over the years the Nightmare on Elm Street series was one of the more frightening to me.  No matter how many times I have watched my favorites of the films, I still get scared.  Even watching this documentary spooked me.  Freddy Krueger is one of the most frightening movie villains to me because he gets you while you sleep and everyone has to sleep.

This documentary explored the individual makings of each film in the series, Freddy vs. Jason and the short lived Freddy's Nightmares tv series.  It puts the spotlight on almost all of the main actors of the series as well as the filmmakers particularly the producers, directors, and special f/x team(s) and gave them all a chance to talk about their characters, the experiences making the films, and the impact that the films have had on their lives.  Robert Englund talked about his personal experiences/feelings regarding each film which was interesting and enlightening.

If you are a fan of the Nightmare films I would highly recommend this documentary.  If you aren't a fan or you haven't seen any of the films, I would still recommend this documentary especially if you have even remote curiosity.  It might not make you like the films but you at least will get to hear interesting back story (unless you don't like that sort of thing, which is fine of course, to each their own).

My only sort of complaint about this documentary was that it was long (three hours and 58 minutes to be exact).  The reason for the length of course was that it was detailed but not cumbersome.

Man of Steel rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language

I wasn't keen to see this film when I first heard about it.  Part of my reluctance had to do with half of the people that I talked to praising this film and Henry Cavill's portrayal of Superman as being so much more superior to Superman Returns and Brandon Routh's portrayal of Superman.  I was also reluctant because it seemed that I heard from the other half of people that I talked about this picture that this movie was bad.

I also wasn't keen on Amy Adams as Lois Lane.  I like Amy Adams in the films that I have seen her in.  She just didn't seem like Lois Lane.  I'm more accepting of her as Lois Lane than I am of Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane but Amy Adams is still not quite Lois Lane to me.

What little that I saw of this film at first didn't sell me on Henry Cavill as Superman. It took the film Batman versus Superman:  Dawn of Justice to convince me that Henry Cavill is in fact a very good Superman.

The plot of this film involves Superman's origins.  Through a series of flashbacks we see how Superman experienced growing up as Clark Kent.  Superman is trying to find out more about himself and comes across a Kryptonian ship in Antarctica.  While there he meets and saves for the first time, Lois Lane (played by Amy Adams).  Later, General Zod (played by Michael Shannon) comes to Earth looking for Superman and demands his surrender to General Zod's group.  With reluctance Superman submits to General Zod at which point Zod reveals his plans for Earth.  Superman decides to defend Earth from General Zod and then we see how Superman deals with the U.S. government and his formally adopted home and how the U.S. government feels about Superman.

It has some slight similarities to the first of the Richard Donner Superman films but that makes sense considering this is reintroducing Superman.  I thought that all of the performances were great.  The story was good.  The writers put their own variations on some aspects of Superman but their adjustments made sense and were well done.

I have to agree with the common complaint of there being too much destruction in this film in the battles between Superman, General Zod, and Zod's group.  I couldn't help but feel sorry for Smallville and Metropolis and it just further added to Batman versus Superman:  Dawn of Justice for me.

I still don't understand the controversy of Superman killing General Zod other than perhaps that being out of character for Superman.  While Superman isn't known for killing people (at least not deliberately) him killing General Zod in this film made sense to me.  What was he supposed to do given the circumstances?  General Zod made it abundantly clear that Superman had taken everything from him by that time so it wasn't like he was going to stop harming the people of Earth.

I thought that Russell Crowe's portrayal of Jor-El and Kevin Costner's portrayal of Jonathan Kent were very good and interesting because they both showed Superman's guidance, what drove and continues to drive Superman's actions.  Why he does the things that he does and so on and so forth.

Overall this film was better than I had hoped for (that may have been because my expectations were really low but anyway).  If you are reluctant for any reason to see this film I would suggest that if you decide to watch it keep expectations low.  You might be pleasantly surprised.

Cropsey Not Rated

I was watching a documentary about the evolution of more modern horror pictures.  As I am a fan of horror pictures I started writing the list of the films mentioned and they mentioned the film The Burning.

Out of curiosity I did research on various movies in the list.  When I got to The Burning I found that this film was listed as being inspired by the real life "Cropsey".  I had never heard of Cropsey prior to this.  When I did research on Cropsey I came across this film.

This is a documentary that tells of two young people who research a series of mysterious disappearances involving children on Staten Island and the connection to the "real life Cropsey" who allegedly kidnapped and killed these children.

According to the documentary the stories of Cropsey are  commonly found throughout New York.  The stories always feature a guy who attacks and kills children.  He is sometimes an escaped lunatic from the local mental asylum.  Sometimes he has a hook for a hand.  Stories of Cropsey are used to frighten children to "keep them safe".  For example, "If you play by the old hospital Cropsey will get you."

The people who made this documentary talk about how they grew up with the Cropsey stories and never thought that they were real until a little girl named Jennifer disappeared.  The alleged "real life Cropsey" was arrested and convicted of kidnapping the girl but the jury was unable to find him guilty of murdering her.  As of the documentary's release, poor Jennifer is the only child whose body has been recovered.

This documentary was full of tragedy and darkness.  It's one thing to watch a horror picture and know that it didn't happen.  It's quite different to watch the real thing playing out.  I was further moved by the knowledge that Cropsey and the events that occurred in this documentary were attached to Willowbrook.

For those who don't know, Willowbrook was called a school but it was really an institution.  Willowbrook is infamous for bringing to light the horrible conditions that people with developmental disabilities faced in institutions.  For further details (although I wouldn't advise it because it is really sad and horrifying)  see Willowbrook:  The Last Great Disgrace.

All in all, this documentary was interesting because it showed how a horror story/urban legend of an area affected and continues to affect the people of Staten Island.  It was also interesting to see the legal procedures/trials attached to this story.

The two people who did the documentary did a very good job of objectively presenting the story.  It was nice because I have come across some documentaries that are skewed towards a specific viewpoint.  This documentary could have easily skewed towards attacking the "real life Cropsey" but they didn't do that.  They also didn't sound as though they were trying to "take advantage" of the tragedies.

Personal Favorites List 2; Displays of Love/Affection Physical or otherwise

This portion of the blog is my personal favorite displays of affection/love in films. In my opinion these scenes are beautifully filmed and acted to convey love with a tenderness, sweetness, sometimes sensuality, intensity, or passion that is almost palpable. It's all so sweet that it almost hurts. These characters truly love each other as lovers/spouses but some in less typical ways. I don't get tired of these scenes no matter how many times I watch them and they never seem to lose the "magic" for me. Again these are in no particular order just listing as they come to me.

The expressions of love that I mention run the gamut from a look, to tender words of passion/love, to a warm and tender embrace, on to powerful kisses whether due to their simplicity or passion, and sometimes culminating in total physical lovemaking:

Harry to Geraldine in the show The Vicar of Dibley (I know it isn't a movie but it is super romantical)

Edward to Elinor in Sense and Sensibility

Wentworth to Anne in Persuasion (I'm speaking specifically of the version starring Ciaran Hinds as Wentworth)

Mark to Bridget in Bridget Jones Diary

Any of the verbal exchanges in Love Actually (except for the forbidden love/homewrecker/cheating ho bag situation of course)

Leon rescuing Mathilda at the police station and then Leon and Mathilda talking in the kitchen at the end of Leon the Professional

All of the scenes between Sean and Mary Kate in The Quiet Man

The scene in which Frank tends to Rachel after rescuing her at the concert in The Bodyguard (unfortunately this scene was cut from the newer dvd releases and is never shown on tv presentations so if you have this film on vhs treasure it)

The scene between Viktor and Eva at the end of The Bride

The looks exchanged between Alice and Uncas and Uncas holding Alice in The Last of the Mohicans

The looks exchanged and hand holding between Annie and Sam in Sleepless in Seattle

Colonel Brandon's treatment towards and looks given to Marianne in Sense and Sensibility

Erik The Phantom of the Opera's treatment towards and looks given to Christine in the TV miniseries The Phantom of the Opera (1990)

The embrace between Leon and Mathilda in the police station in Leon the Professional

The kiss between The Stranger and Lizzie at the end of Dear Frankie

The kiss between Guinevere and Arthur after Guinevere is rescued by Lancelot in First Knight (honestly it's the only good part of the movie)

The first kiss between Lorraine and George in Back to the Future

The kisses and embrace between L.B. and Lisa in Rear Window (1954)

The scene in which Peter and Faith spend their first night together in Only You

The kiss between Corbin and Leeloo in The Fifth Element

Love scene between Sydney and Billy at the beginning of Scream

The end sequence of Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Apart

The kissing in Princess Bride

Kissing between The Phantom of the Opera and Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Kissing between Rhett Butler and Scarlett in Gone With The Wind (particularly the scene where Rhett tells Scarlett that she needs kissing badly)

 Scenes between Keanu Reeves' characters and Sandra Bullock's characters in any movie that they are cast opposite each other

Love scene between Sally and Gary in Practical Magic

Kiss between The Prime Minister and Natalie in Love Actually as well as the love scene between Karl and Sarah

The kissing/making out in the spa area of the hotel in Jet Lag

Love scenes involving Rocky and Adrian in Rocky

When E. Edward Gray comes for Lee at the end and continuing on to his tending to her which leads to tender lovemaking in the film Secretary

All of the love scenes involving Johnny and Baby in Dirty Dancing

All of the love scenes between Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo after Daenerys decides to make the best of her situation and love her husband on Game of Thrones

All of the scenes between Rob Stark and Talisa Maegyr on Game of Thrones

The love scene in Amelie

Love scenes involving Mathilde and Manech in A Very Long Engagement

Love scene in the restroom in Captives

Love scenes involving Nathaniel and Cora in The Last of the Mohicans

Love scenes involving Birdie and Justin in Hope Floats

Love scenes involving Hester Prynne and Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter (1996)

Love scenes involving Drover and Lady Sarah Ashley in Australia

Love scenes involving Satine and Christian in Moulin Rouge!

Love scene involving Carolina and El Mariachi in Desperado

Love scenes involving Don Juan DeMarco and all of his lovers in Don Juan DeMarco

Roller Coaster scene in Fear

Love scene involving Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl in Watchmen

Love scene involving Megan and Nick in Blue Steel

Love scenes and exchanges that follow the love scenes involving Hank and Leticia in Monster's Ball

Vincent (played by Ron Perlman) and Catherine's (played by Linda Hamilton) relationship on the show Beauty and the Beast (1987)

Reese (played by Michael Biehn)  to Sarah (played by Linda Hamilton) in The Terminator

I'll add more as I think of them or come across them. Hope you enjoy or at least that I have given you food for thought.

Personal Favorites: List 1; Use of Music or at least Good Use of Music in a Movie Sequence

 This list is about the use of music in movies and how music can either take an already great scene and make it better or take a mediocre scene/good scene and make it great. This list is in no particular order, just what comes to mind off the top of my head. This list may grow or I may just make a second list as I come across more great uses of music. I'm only going to include one musical in this list as for the most part musicals come written with the music for them rather than having songs tailored for sequences. 

"Free Bird" in Devil's Rejects

"Don't Fear the Reaper" in the miniseries The Stand

Anything by Quentin Tarantino. The man is so brilliant at finding and selecting excellent music for his movies that it would be sickening except I love it.

The entire film of Moulin Rouge. Yes it is a musical but I absolutely loved the way that the songs were used to tell the story. I know this has been done in other pictures but I haven't gotten around to seeing those other pictures so there.

"Hallelujah" in The Watchmen

"Don't Fear the Reaper" in Scream

"Let Me Fall" and the end sequence in Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in Bridget Jones' Diary

"Thunderstruck" in Battleship

"Try A Little Tenderness" in Pretty In Pink

"I Can't Get Next To You" in Hope Floats

"Coming Back For More" in Hope Floats

"Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" in Don Juan DeMarco

"I Can't Hold Back" in Paul Blart: Mall Cop

"Time After Time"  and "Heaven is a Place on Earth" in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

All of the music from the movie Love Actually

"Independent Love Song" in Bed of Roses

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" in Manhunter

"Jaws theme" in Jaws

"Psycho theme" in Psycho

"I Will Find You" in The Last of the Mohicans (alas the foolish people who make these decisions decided to cut this scene short and, even worse, cut out the lyrics basically making it an instrumental version on all newer versions of the dvd possibly all dvds. Therefore if you happen to be lucky enough to own a copy on VHS, treasure it.)

"Sister Christian" in Fast Times At Ridgemont High

All of the scenes involving music in Top Gun particularly the opening sequence using "Danger Zone"

"Twist and Shout" in Ferris Bueller's Day Off

The Tango Scene in Scent of A Woman and to a lesser, more comedic degree the tango scene from True Lies

"Halloween Theme Main Title" in Halloween (1978)

The entire soundtrack used for Dark Shadows (2012)

"Sweet Dreams" for Gamer and to a much lesser degree House on Haunted Hill (1999)

All of the scenes involving music in Dirty Dancing (1987)

"Shout" in Animal House

All of the scenes involving music in The Blues Brothers (1980)

"Higher and Higher" in both scenes using this song in Ghostbusters II especially the scene involving the Statue of Liberty

"Earth Angel" and "The Power of Love" in Back to the Future

"I'm All Right" in Caddyshack

"Footloose" in Footloose (1984)

"Angel of the Morning" and "Inspiration" in Deadpool

"Tequila" in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

"Surfin' USA" in Teen Wolf

All of the scenes involving music in The Breakfast Club

"Better When I'm Dancin" in The Peanuts Movie

Dance off scene in White Chicks

"Keep on Loving You" in Crank: High Voltage

"Lucky Star" in Snatch

"It's Always Been You" in Crown for Christmas

"You don't know me" in Groundhog Day

All of the scenes involving music in Sleepless In Seattle

"Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" in Strictly Ballroom

I'll add more as they come to me or as I come across them. I hope that I have at least given you food for thought even better a pleasant reminder of movie memories.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island rated PG for action and brief mild language

I wasn't interested in seeing this film when I first heard about it.  I had seen Journey to the Center of the Earth and I hadn't particularly loved that film.  My favorite part of that movie was when they mentioned that they were "still falling" and screamed.  Even the appearance of Dwayne Johnson in this picture didn't peek my interest.  I didn't even give this film a thought until my friend suggested and put on the picture.  I wasn't disappointed.

Journey 2 picks up within a year of the events of the first movie I think.  Fortunately Josh Hutcherson decided to reprise his role as Sean Anderson for this film.  As far as I am aware Josh Hutcherson is the only character from the first film in this one.  When this movie starts Sean is being a rebellious teenager towards his mother Liz (played by Kristin Davis) and stepfather Hank (played by Dwayne Johnson). The deleted scene (that should have been included in the final picture in my opinion because it ties into the first picture) mentions that Sean is angry that he wasn't allowed to accompany his uncle (Brendan Frasier's character from the first picture) on some adventure.  Further Sean appears to resent his mother's efforts at getting him to be respectful to his stepfather and his stepfather Hank for trying to be a father to him.  To Hank's credit he is amazingly understanding and patient.  He in fact seems to be ok with trying to gradually work to gain Sean's trust and respect whereas Liz seems to be pushy about demanding a more immediate father-son relationship.

In any case, Sean gets a mysterious coded message that Hank helps him to decode. The message appears to be from Sean's missing grandfather Alexander (portrayed by Michael Caine) and also appears to give directions to The Mysterious Island from the Jules Verne novel.  Hank sees an opportunity to bond with his stepson.  Sean sees an opportunity to find his grandfather and find the mysterious island.  So off they go on an adventure that takes them halfway around the globe.  Along the way they meet Gabato (played by Luis Guzman) and his lovely daughter Kailani (played by Vanessa Hudgens).

This film is a rare example of the sequel outshining the first movie and I loved it.  Further I'm not surprised at all that they are planning a third film and am anticipating watching that when it comes out.  This is an excellent family film although there may be a couple of parts that might be a little "intense" for young children.

While the whole cast was great, Dwayne Johnson was easily the best of them.  He was hilarious, warm, sincere, and just a lovable gentle giant.  We even get the rare treat of hearing him sing in this picture.  One of the best parts of this fantastic film was the banter between Hank and Alexander.  Michael Caine and Dwayne Johnson have such excellent comedic chemistry that I would love to see them in another film together.

Whisper of the Heart rated G

This film was recommended to me by the same friend that I watched The Book Thief with.  We have very similar tastes in film so I expected to like this film.  I was further intrigued by the mention of The Baron aka The Cat from the equally wonderful film The Cat Returns.

This picture tells the story of a girl named Shizuku (voiced in English by Brittany Snow) who is going through the transition from being a "child" to "adult".  She finds that she enjoys reading books and also writing but she doesn't seem to be doing anything "serious" with her life according to her bratty older sister Shiho (voiced in English by Courtney Thorne-Smith).  Shizuku is supposed to be preparing for high school (the implication that I gathered is that "high school" in Japan is more like college here).  Her fellow classmates have been studying and prepping all summer for the barrage of tests that will come with school that will determine if they get into high school or not.

While that is happening, Shizuku's friend Yuko (voiced in English by Ashley Tisdale)  confesses that she has a crush on a boy from school.  This conversation and similar ones afterwards lead Shizuku to think about boys and love.

Additionally, Shizuku finds that she has no sense of "direction".  She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life really until she gets to know a boy from school named Seiji (voiced in English by David Gallagher).  When she initially meets Seiji, he teases her about a song that she wrote which causes her to "hate" him.  As they meet and interact more and more, Shizuku starts to like him.  After he tells her of his plans for his life which don't include going to high school, Shizuku is simultaneously inspired to continue down the path of writing and devastated that she "doesn't have anything to offer in comparison to him".

This is a lovely coming-of-age story I think.  Like many Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli films, the characters all come across as very relatable and real.  They also all grow to some extent, some more than others.  Also the end is very hopeful and happy in a believable way.  Excellent family movie.

The Brothers Grimsby rated R for violence, nudity, strong sexual content, language, and drug use

I thought that the preview was hilarious but I was a little worried that all of the funny parts might be in the preview.  I was further warned away from this movie by a coworker who mentioned the elephant scene.  Still I was curious because I find that generally I like Sacha Baron Cohen's sense of humor.  I wasn't disappointed by this film.

The story of this picture involves   Nobby (played by Sacha Baron Cohen), an idiotic football supporter from Grimsby who has been looking for his brother Sebastian (played by Mark Strong) for 28 years.  When Nobby finds Sebastian, Sebastian is in fact on an MI6 mission to thwart an assassination attempt by Maelstrom.  Nobby unknowingly foils Sebastian's attempts to stop the bad guys from Maelstrom and further causes Sebastian to get wrongfully accused of the assassination. The rest of the film tells of Nobby and Sebastian's efforts to clear Sebastian's name while trying to save the world.  Further it also tells of Sebastian and Nobby reconnecting.

There was an unexpected sweetness to this film.  Nobby is "scum", he isn't ashamed of anything much less the fact that he rips off Welfare with a fake claim of cancer and he's an idiot but he's also likeable.  He tells Sebastian throughout the film that he feels rich for having his family.  While he downplays his relationship with his girlfriend Dawn (played by Rebel Wilson) as no big deal, he obviously adores her.  He has been looking for Sebastian for 28 years and he so looks forward to being reunited with his "bruva" that it appears that he talks about it all the time and even keeps a room in his home for him.

Further, there is more "sweetness" in the form of the familial bond that the town of Grimsby shares with the members and by extension Sebastian.  Sure they do things outside of the law or at least things that might be considered morally wrong but they are good people at their core and they seem to genuinely care for each other.

If you are someone who doesn't care for crude humor particularly of the Sacha Baron Cohen type then you should avoid this film.  It is hilarious but very crude and stupid.  Some if it was a bit gross (the elephant scene was one of the more disgusting scenes) but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this film as I had hoped that I would.

Another word of warning.  If you are someone who gets dizzy or sick from watching first person POV in films then you probably shouldn't watch this film either.  There isn't a lot of first person POV but they are featured at various parts throughout the film.

The story was ridiculous but great fun.  The cast was brilliant.  I definitely plan on owning this picture sooner than later.

Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging rated PG-13 for language and suggestive content

I heard about this movie from a dear friend who had watched it with her children.  She assured me that I would love it and she was right as it turns out.  This film became one of my many favorites.

The plot of this movie tells of a teenage girl named Georgia (played by Georgia Groome) who is narrating the ups and downs of her present.  Georgia lives with her family which includes her parents and her little sister Libby and her beloved cat Angus.  She has three close friends including Jas, Ellen, and Rosie.  She is looking forward to her birthday party  and begins to heavily crush on a new boy that moves into the neighborhood named Robbie (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson).  Right around this time Georgia's father leaves for New Zealand for a job promotion.  During her father's absence,  Georgia begins a  quest to get Robbie as a boyfriend and have an awesome birthday party.

Things change and not always for the better during Georgia's efforts to win Robbie.  She goes from being very selfish and bratty to being more mature and accepting of things and people.  There is lots of comedy with just enough drama to give the film more substance than you might expect from a "teen" movie.  All in all, the film was so enjoyable.  The cast was great.  The story was great.  I personally think that this is a very good family film and excellent coming of age story.  Plus the music used in the film was great.

John Wick rated R for violence, language, and drug use

I was initially curious to see this film due to the "teasing" nature of the trailer and frankly the picture looked promising.  My enthusiasm wavered a bit after I learned that the gangsters kill John Wick's dog.  I was reassured by my friends that the killing of the dog happens off screen so it shouldn't have been a problem.  Unfortunately my friends obviously didn't remember the film well enough or simply considered the way the killing of the dog was filmed as "off-screen".

So the plot of John Wick is that John Wick (played so excellently by Keanu Reeves) is grieving after his wife's death and is attempting to begin healing with an adorable beagle puppy named Daisy. Daisy happens to be a gift from his deceased wife.  Mrs. Wick was sick and had time to arrange for the puppy to be delivered around the time that she died.

 While John is at a gas station with his puppy a Russian gangster named Iosef (played brilliantly by Alfie Allen) spots John's car and asks John  to name a price.  John refuses.  Iosef spots John's sweet puppy and pets the dog before insulting John in Russian.  John surprises the Iosef by replying in Russian to his insult before driving off.  That night John is beat up by Iosef and his friends and Daisy is killed.  When John regains consciousness he determines to find Iosef and kill him.

As it happens, Iosef is the son of a powerful Russian mobster named Viggo (played excellently by Michael Nyqvist).  At one time, John used to work for Viggo so Viggo is aware of his "abilities".  Turns out that John Wick is a badass that no one is keen to mess with.  Even Viggo has a healthy enough respect of John to try to reason with him before John fully begins his pursuit of Iosef.  And so we follow along as John does his best to avenge the death of his precious puppy.

The movie was very good although given the death of the puppy I don't think that I want to own it at present.  Maybe some day in the future but not any time soon.  (If you are wondering why the fictional death of a puppy in a movie bothers me so much it is simply because, for the most part, I am sensitive to "pet" deaths/animal deaths).

On a much more positive note, Keanu Reeves was amazing to watch in this film.  His movements during the fight scene were like watching a "deadly ballet".  He was so graceful.  The stunt fighters were also so beautifully graceful it was just glorious to watch.  They had to have spent hours training and training and rehearsing over and over again to make it all come together so seamlessly and effortlessly.

The story in this movie was great.  The acting was superb, much better than you might expect considering it is an action movie.  There were elements that one comes across in action pictures of course but there was a very nice subtle depth added.  There were no stupid one liners which, while appreciated in action movies is also nice to see omitted.