Movie #91 - Aliens

"This time there's more."

Great tag line. Definitely one of my favourite James Cameron films - however, nothing beats Terminator 2: Judgment Day in my books!

For a horror / action movie, this movie received a great deal of critical acclaim, for acting, directing, and special effects. For 1986 and limited CGI technology, a number of these scenes had to be created with miniatures, life-sized puppets, and innovative filming techniques.

Winner of two Oscars for visual effects and sound effects, Weaver got nominated for Best Actress for her reprisal of the Ellen Ripley character... a recurring character in the original Alien Quadrology. Add in some strong cameos from everyone's favourite Sigma Nu - Michael Biehn, cult weirdo Lance Henriksen, and of course Bill Paxton and weenie Paul Reiser. Although I like Reiser in this asshole role... which is by far better than the crap he usually appears in (see all of his television roles for examples).

Three awesome scenes in this film make this movie worthwhile. 1. Bishop impalement scene - probably the best scene involving milk as a studio prop. You'll know what I mean when you see it. 2. Bishop knife scene - yeah... let's just say thousands of 80's teenagers probably tried to do this in real life, to no avail. I tried to do it with a sharp pencil back in the day and let's just say its better than using a knife. 3. Ripley vs. Queen Alien scene - awesome use of mechanical forklifts... enough said.

If after 22 years, you still haven't seen this movie, I have no sympathies for you. Its a must see if you are a fan of the genre, the franchise, and if you enjoy a great action movie where you don't have to think, but enjoy plain violence - 80's style!

Movie #90 - White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

I watched this film back when my wife and I first got TMN. This is one of those powerful, historical documentaries that you are not watching to be entertained, but to be informed of how tragic our recent past has been and how much influence it still has for people of today.

The title says it all, but this movie is more than that. It is a full documentation of the remaining survivors of the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki near the end of the Second World War. Some of the scenes and descriptions are quite graphic, but this is real life - which is what makes it powerful than anything a Steven Spielberg or Clint Eastwood could conjure up to depict WWII.

Director Steven Okazaki should be commended for telling a story that many people have since forgotten. Generations have come and gone since the tragic bombings of Japan and many of the country's own citizens have already forgotten what these victims had to go through just over 60 years ago. This notion was captured by Okazaki after interviewing a number of teenagers and twenty-somethings in the streets of both Tokyo and Hiroshima during the 60th anniversary of the bombing. Only a handful of young people interviewed actually knew the significance of the day in question - which was both heart-wrenching and not surprising at the same time.

Without getting too preachy, many young people of our generation have forgotten the many sacrifices that previous generations did to provide for a better world for the first world countries. This includes a number of issues, not just tragedies linked to war or oppression. Its good to see that movies like this exist to wake up people like me to realize how lucky we truly are. Hopefully, more people will have the chance to see documentaries like this one to know what really happened through a first hand account of the events.

I highly recommend this film. Its definitely not for the faint at heart, but one that I believe most people my age should watch. History is sometimes retold with a great deal of bias (e.g. old World at War documentaries produced by the BBC in the 70's), however, this first-person account really shows what truly happened - all biased removed.

Movie #89 - Akira

"Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E."

Definitely one of the weirder films that I have seen over the last decade. I had wanted to watch this movie for many years after following suggestions and advice from movie critics such as Leonard Maltin, Gene Siskel, or Roger Ebert. From my recollection, I believe this film comes from one of Ebert's picks from many years back.

Have never been a real fan of anime, although I collect comic books - primarily mainstream issues from the DC and Marvel. I rarely ventured outside of my realm of superhero books, so this movie and its artistic style was intriguing and a treat to watch for the first time.

I stumbled upon a used copy on VHS from the local Rogers video store and forced my then girlfriend at the time to watch this movie with me on a Friday or Saturday evening. I cannot speak for her, but I was impressed by the plot, the artwork, and the action sequences... which you never see in any animated feature films of Batman, Superman, etc.

However, this movie was just plain weird. Probably the inspiration of late 90's and early decade music videos of Daft Punk, Gorillaz, or Linkin' Park, Akira is the mainstream anime film that many people know and actually accept as a solid movie.

Back in high school, I tried to get into it as one of my good friends was trying to introduce this genre to me along with other science fiction type activities (collectible card games - CCG's). However, it never caught on with me - probably just weirder than I wanted to let my mind get involved in at the time. The reason behind that was because I watched Ghost in the Shell. Similar to Akira, was beautifully shot and had a great plot, but took a tremendous twist in the end - making the whole movie watching experience somewhat cheapened as the film didn't make any sense once it was over.

If you like that sort of thing and enjoy other science fiction type films, you'll enjoy Akira. Even if you are not a fan of anime, you will find entertainment value in this film. Just stop the tape or DVD in the last 10 minutes and you'll be fine!

Movie #88 - Aeon Flux

"The Perfect World Meets The Perfect Assassin."

There are really just two reasons to watch this film - Charlize Theron and black spandex. Really, that's all I have to say about this film, although I should say more about this movie.

Its a creative film about an assassin living in a Utopian society, and that Theron's character Aeon Flux, threatens to end this lifestyle when she's hired to kill the leader of the society. Movies like these are highly predictable and are only enjoyable for the wondrous set designs and beautiful women. In this case - win, win!

Theron has a rock hard physique in this movie and it is known that she did all of her stunts, which shows physical versatility and the fact that she is the epitome of the female specimen. The CGI set designs and scenes of violence and action are quite entertaining, but mainly because Theron is kicking ass and shooting large weapons.

Overall, the movie in itself is quite bad once you get passed seeing Theron for the majority of the film in tight clothing or without much clothing. Producers cast previous Oscar winners Frances McDormand and Pete Postlethwaite to add some credibility to the plot, script, and cast - although they both seem quite out of place without much dialogue or importance in the movie itself.

In the end, if you cannot enjoy this movie for any other reason than the admiration of Theron, than you are kidding yourself if you believe you will like this film for plot or science fiction content. Theron clearly did this role as a money making venture and a reason to get fit and show her abilities as a potential action star in future roles, but in the end, this is definitely one of her more forgettable roles and at the time, set her back a couple of steps of gaining critical acceptance as a serious dramatic actress.

It hasn't hurt her in the long-term, but it definitely is a black mark on a emerging resume of solid roles and movie selections for Theron in recent years.

Movie #87 - Legends of the Fall

"After the Fall from Innocence the Legend begins."

Marking the beginning of a stellar, versatile career, Brad Pitt is the main driving force behind a solid cast in this time piece from 1994. Following critically acclaimed roles in Cool World, A River Runs Through It, and Interview with the Vampire, Pitt is able to capture the audience with his portrayal of Tristan Ludlow.

The whole plot revolves around the exploits of the Ludlow family and how love and sibling rivalries tear the family apart over the years. The story is narrated from a third person perspective, following the life of middle brother Tristan, alongside the other brothers Samuel (Henry Thomas) and Alfred (Aidan Quinn). The love interest of the film is the beautiful British actress, Julia Ormond and her influence on the three brothers is what makes this film so passionate.

Although I acknowledge that this movie is in fact a love story - because its a tragic love story makes it an entertaining story to follow. Combined with the fact that Anthony Hopkins does a wonderful job as Colonel William Ludlow and that the entire film is shot in B.C. with beautiful landscape scenes, this make the movie a great film.

Pitt steals the show from a great cast of good performances and he follows this role with a number of hit films in the mid to late 90's such as Se7en, Twelve Monkeys, Seven Years in Tibet, and Fight Club. With this handful of roles that followed, it is not surprising that Pitt showcases his talents here in Legends of the Fall, which are probably what landed him successive roles in the films listed.

If you have yet to watch this movie, please do so. You will be compelled until the very end, especially the final 10-15 minutes in which the entire storyline is brought together for a stunning conclusion. If you watch this movie and skip to the end, its still a powerful set of scenes, but is difficult to understand the emotion behind the events. This film is highly recommended in my books despite being labeled as a Pitt chick flick by many. Admittedly, its a great film from that era.

Movie #86 - Working Girl

"For anyone who's ever won. For anyone who's ever lost. And for everyone who's still in there trying."

1988 must have been a slow year for movies... after doing some research on this quirky film, it seems that a number of Oscar nominations were given to the cast and film credits associated to this movie. Although it is a funny film from the 80's, there really isn't a reason as to why so many nominations were provided.

This film does mark one of the best performances in the long career of Melanie Griffith (pre-plastic surgery of course). If you want her best performance, seek out the WWII time piece Shining Through opposite Michael Douglas.

There are good points to this film - Sigourney Weaver plays the villain and she does it well. In fact, when you look back at the 80's, Sigourney dominated a number of key films of that era - the Alien franchise, the Ghostbusters franchise, and a number of romantic comedies such as this movie. This also marks one of those Harrison Ford films that I didn't add to my collection - he's not playing his standard Ford role of being a lawyer/doctor/analyst turned action star, so this film gets relegated to the second tier in his many roles.

However, the biggest selling point of this film is following the life of the character of Tess McGill. Since this movie was filmed in the heart of the 80's, the ability of women to advance in the shark-friendly corporate world of New York City is a rarity and its entertaining to see how she does it. Throw in a good soundtrack and some cameos from Alec Baldwin (the greatest actor of all time), Joan Cusack, and Kevin Spacey - and you got a pretty good 80's film.

I am glad to learn that neither Weaver, Cusack, or Griffith won an Oscar for this film, however, Griffith did in fact win a Golden Globe consolation statue instead. Hey - even the Globes make mistakes from time to time - look at Paul Hogan winning for Crocodile Dundee or Tom Cruise winning three times for Magnolia, Jerry Macguire, and Born on the Fourth of July.

Movie #85 - 54

"Welcome to the party."

54 was a film made in 1998 and it is dated with movie and television actors and actresses who were hot back during that time period. For those that haven't seen this movie, it profiles the party lifestyle surrounding Studio 54 in New York City and follows a set of characters portrayed by Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, and Mike Myers.

Considering 50% of the headline cast is Canadian content is a bonus for this movie. The soundtrack coming out of this film is great, including the remake of Gordon Lightfoot's "If you could read my mind" by the Stars on 54 - which consisted of late 90's artists Ultra Nate, Amber, and Jocelyn Enriquez.

This movie definitely had a lot going for it. It was a story about Steve Rubell (depicted by Mike Myers) and it was a feature about life in the late 70's during the high point of the disco era. Hence the musical soundtrack is great, but in the end, the movie is a flop. There is too much focus between the romance between Philippe and Campbell and there wasn't enough of Myers' acting as Rubell - which would've represented a strong debut of his more dramatic acting side. I believe all superstar comedians should do at least 3-5 dramatic roles either in television or movies in their careers - its helped Robin Williams and it has allowed Tom Hanks to evolve into the dramatic leading actor that he is cast for since the early 80's.

In Myers' case with his portrayal of Rubell - there just wasn't enough dialogue or plot focused on this enigmatic person - although Studio 54 itself was built and destroyed on the exploits surrounding Rubell. I guess knowing a little too much about the history behind the plot cheapens the movie in the end and so you are left unsatisfied when the storyline strays away from what the story could have focused upon.

With the romantic sub-plot of Campbell and Philippe, you are easily bored. Many women find Philippe attractive (my wife included), but only in his more recent leading roles has Philippe shown true promise as an actor. He needs to tuck this one away in the closet somewhere. Campbell - usually a solid leading or supporting actress in her various roles, falls flat. Also, she is cast a little older in this film (approximately in her late 20's) - which is surprising since she will always be cast as the 17-21 year old young adult in all of her roles. Although refreshing to see her in this age bracket, her performance weakens the film in the end, leaving only the music to enjoy.

Movie #84 - La Bamba

"Born to poverty. Destined for stardom. He lived the American Dream."

1987 was a good year for movies that had a musical flare to them. This was the same year that Dirty Dancing was popular, and not surprisingly, both are clever time pieces. This movie follows the life of Ritchie Valens, a young Mexican-American teenager who quickly rose to stardom in the 50's rock & roll era.

Despite the predictable ending to this tragic true story, the portrayal of Valens' short life was entertaining. Lou Diamond Philips does a great job in capturing the youthful exuberance of Valens' life and the constant struggle that he endures dealing with his drunken, abusive older brother Bob (depicted by Esai Morales) really made this film a strong story to watch.

In the end, the music became the major selling point of this film. Many of the artists shown in this movie had their songs re-recorded, including all of the Valens' music. All of his songs were redone by the Mexican band Los Lobos. The updated La Bamba hit was actually a number one hit on the charts in 1987 - a true tribute that the music of the 50's is still relevant and that the updated version is quite good.

There are some cameos in this movie that make the film work as a time piece. Rick Dees plays a radio host of that era and Joe Pantoliano is Valens' record producer - back before Joey Pants had the attitude that is seen in many of his more recent roles in action films. From the musical side of things, Brian Setzer of the Brian Setzer Orchestra does a great Eddie Cochran for the soundtrack.

At the end of the movie, Valens' life ends tragically along with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. Its crazy to see how the true story actually ends and to know how easily Valens' would've lived - watch the movie if you don't know what I am talking about. I've read in some conspiracy stories that Elvis' record company sabotaged the plane so that they could remove some of the competition that was threatening Elvis' overall popularity - however, that would be an extreme conspiracy ranking up there with Area 51 and the JFK assassination.

What's funny about this movie though, is that Philips did such a solid performance in portraying Valens, he parlayed this role into some stronger supporting roles in Young Guns shortly thereafter. This is not the first time the death of an artist was made into a movie - other good examples include Gary Busey as Buddy Holly (1978) and Jennifer Lopez as Selena (1997).

Movie #83 - White Noise

"The dead are trying to get a hold of you."

When I originally saw the trailer for this film, I was intrigued by the concept. Banking on the popularity of ghost hunting shows and the resurgence of belief in paranormal activity, White Noise portrays the ability to capture electronic voice phenomena or EVP's for short. Many believe these voices heard on recording devices or in this case, the white noise of television and radio are in fact voices from another realm or voices from the dead.

Keaton's character is desperately trying to search for a way to communicate with his dead wife and child in this film and his adventure exposes him to the extreme beliefs of EVP seekers. EVP's are sometimes seen as ways to communicate with the dead as you might have seen on silly shows such as Ghost Hunters or Paranormal State. More extreme believers are under the notion that this is in fact a way to bring people back from those realms where they may be residing or are trapped in.

This was the plot line in the many Poltergeist films of the 80's and is a common theme in a number of cheesy horror movies made to scare teenagers with impressionable minds. I honestly never thought Keaton would stoop low enough to make a film like this, but unfortunately, his movie resume has dwindled since his high end films such as the Batman franchise. In the end, if you go over his recent work - outside of some clever television cameos and voiceovers, Keaton hasn't done much since the late 90's and that includes bombs like Multiplicity or Jack Frost.

His body of work are a far cry from his rise to glory in Batman and Beetlejuice, but I truly believed Keaton's credibility could be salvaged with a strong thriller in White Noise... boy, was I wrong! The only saving grace in this film is the casting of Deborah Unger - however, she is poorly utilized and doesn't do enough to help this film in the end. If you like ghost hunting and the possibility that they might exist, this is still more enjoyable than the bad television shows available today - but not by much.

Movie #82 - The Abyss

"There's everything you're ever known about adventure, and then there's the abyss."

This is one of my favourite movies from the James Cameron line of films. Although he is somewhat of a pompous ass, he's done some stellar films that I like to watch over and over again. This movie ranks up there with Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day and is a special treat to go along with his other films such as Aliens or True Lies.

A storyline about a deep sea mining team searching for a sunken nuclear submarine is fitting for the cold war era of the late 80's and it definitely has some unique twists along the way - opening up the imagination of fans. Cameron has a tremendous fixation on the wonders that await discovery in the deep sea areas and this movie gives him a chance to explore it.

This film is far better than his Titanic movie, although that one had a love story starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I doubt a love story driven by the great Ed Harris (who is a good looking man by the way) would cause much of a box office stir in comparison to Leo.

Anyhow, this film was groundbreaking for special effects and advancement of underwater cinematography. It was a well-deserved winner of the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 1989 and set the tone for Cameron's upcoming film, T2, which utilized similar techniques to create his T-1000 character.

There is a solid performance by every one's favourite military hero/villain, Michael Biehn, who is cast as a villain in this film. Like every other movie he's been in except for a small handful, Biehn's casting leads to a tremendous death scene, as he is known in Hollywood for this guaranteed performance.

If you are as big of a fan of Biehn (who is also a Sigma Nu brother in case you didn't know) as I am - seek out his other strong performances in The Rock, Tombstone, and Terminator for his death scenes that strengthen the overall movie in the end.

Although Biehn has recently chosen to pursue the television roles to pay the bills, his appearances in most films are usually as a strong side character to help portray the protagonist in a better light. He accomplishes that here in the Abyss as you really hate him in the end.

Movie #81 - L.A. Confidential

"Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush..."

1998 was a funny year for movies. This was the year of the juggernaut Titanic taking over both the box office draw and all of the critical acclaim. Also, 1998 was a tough competition amongst films with Good Will Hunting, Full Monty, and As Good as it Gets participating for Best Picture.

L.A. Confidential in my opinion is one of the better films coming out of that strong group in 1998. The Academy got it wrong with some of the winners related to this film. L.A. Confidential, like the others of 1998 got a number of Oscar nominations, winning for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. I completely agree with the Screenplay nod as this movie is deep, with strong character development, a great murder mystery to drive you throughout the film, and is filled with deceit and mistrust - which makes for a great movie.

However, the reason this movie still creates a stir in me after 10 years is the fact that Kim Basinger won for Best Supporting Actress for a film that she starred in for probably 15-20% of the time. I guess, by definition, 15-20% of the film constitutes the nomination, but her performance doesn't. She's horrible in this movie and it goes in line with many of her other films. Not to mention, she lowers the achievements made by the rest of the cast, from Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, and Kevin Spacey down to even the brief appearances by Danny DeVito and David Strathairn. Basinger does not add value to her role and to the overall cast - and apart from the tension created by her character between Pierce and Crowe, you could remove her role completely and still have a wonderful film in the end.

So I guess, in retrospect, a Best Supporting Actress winner should be a character who drove the plot of the film and added value... from my rant in the last paragraph, you know where I stand there. In defence of her win, there wasn't much choice from the other nominees... except maybe Julianne Moore from her role in Boogie Nights. Outside of that, I didn't see the Academy selecting Joan Cusack (In & Out), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting), or Gloria Stuart (Titanic) as none of these three performances should have even been considered in the end.

By the way, I still highly recommend this film, and for those who have yet to see it - you'll be thrilled when you find out who Rollo Tomasi is?

Movie #80 - You've Got Mail

"Someone you pass on the street may already be the love of your life."

One of the more entertaining romantic comedies to go in the set of movies directed by Nora Ephron. Ephron fell in love with the on-screen chemistry of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and especially has a strong infatuation with Ryan as she has appeared in a number of her films.

The story follows the online love affair between Ryan and Hanks, while their real life interactions are filled with tension and rivalry. There are a number of small cameos in this film, which enhance the progression of the film - Dabney Coleman, Dave Chappelle, Greg Kinnear, and Steve Zahn.

In addition, this movie marks an earlier appearance of the ever-annoying Parker Posey as Hanks' girlfriend, making Ryan look like the ultimate catch by the end of the movie. In every Ephron/Ryan movie, Ryan is set up as the beautiful, sweet, woman that every guy would fall in love with. Unfortunately, 10 years and a couple of botched plastic surgeries later - Ryan now falls into the Melanie Griffith category (also known as the don't zoom in too close category).

I don't know why Ryan decided that she needed surgery to address something that I believe she would've done quite naturally and still retained her inner and outer beauty. Instead, her on-screen presence that many fans endeared over the last 20+ years is grossly affected by the issues with her surgery blunders.

You won't see Ryan cast in any recent romantic comedies because the whole point of the movie is for the audience to fall in love with both actor/actress... not going to happen anymore with Ryan. Its too bad though since this was her bread and butter genre and unless she has a way to turn back the clock to reverse some of her procedures, she will continue to be overlooked for these roles.

Movie #79 - 2001: A Space Odyssey

"Let the Awe and Mystery of a Journey Unlike Any Other Begin."

For years as an avid movie fan, I had wanted to watch this movie. In fact, I had only seen this movie once in my lifetime and since then, have only seen snippets on television or when they do profile or biography shows on Stanley Kubrick.

The build-up and anticipation of watching this film was huge back when I was a young teenager. Its been 14 years since I have seen this film, and my opinion still stands. It is one of the wonderfully shot and imaginative movies out there, with a classical soundtrack that suits the images on the screen - however... its just plain weird.

Don't get me wrong, I am a giant science fiction fan, growing up with shows and movies like Star Trek, Star Wars, X-Files... the list goes on. However, nothing can prepare you with how weird this movie is.

One of the main reasons that I haven't watched this film in quite a long time is its length and overall slowness to develop plot. Without providing too many spoilers, the first hour delves into the origin of the obelisk and how influential it was on the origin of mankind. Then the next hour seems to drag on as Kubrick focuses on the beauty of space and the various space vehicles and stations that exist in 2001.

What's great about this film - back in 1968, movies about space and space travel were never done before and so having a movie of this stature really influenced the genre on the whole. Kubrick's panoramic shots and use of angles captured the essence of the emptiness of space and the overall beauty at the same time. While using classical scores was a treat in the end. In addition, the character of the artificial intelligence, Hal 9000, has evolved into a cult classic, even being used as the AI in Apple Computers of recent years.

In the end - you'll like many parts of this movie, but you may end up on the fence of how much you like the whole picture. If you can avoid watching the sequel starring Roy Scheider and Helen Mirren, you're lucky... unfortunately, I wasn't able to avoid it and sought it out this year - big mistake on my part as it put a bad taste in my mouth on the franchise.

Movie #78 - Wild Things

"No risk, no fun."

I caught this film on MPIX a few weeks ago and I can see why a number of people were hooked on this movie back in 1998. I am surprised that I never saw it before then, considering I was a teenager back in 1998 and this movie would've been the talk of the town back then amongst guys my age.

There are a couple of things that make me laugh about this movie...

1. How many times are we going to see Neve Campbell cast as a teenager? Campbell is in fact born in 1973. In 1998, Campbell would've been 25, a far cry from the 18 year old she was attempting to portray. It was a little obvious considering Campbell spent over five years as a "teenager" on the Canadian television show Catwalk and spent another five years as a "teenager" on the teeny-bopper television show Party of Five.

2. Can we really take Denise Richards seriously in any role? From Bond films to this kinky thriller, Richards is purely just cast as eye candy. She is entrusted with tremendous speaking roles in many of her films, but who is really paying attention. Not only can she not act, but she's stunning in most of her scenes, that her acting is more of a distraction more than anything. My favourite spoof on this assessment came on the television show Friends, in which Richards was constantly being viewed in slow motion by Chandler, Joey, and Ross with Barry White music playing in the background.

3. How many twists can we add to this movie in the last ten minutes? Without providing any spoilers to my readers, this movie ends as twisted as it begins... and not necessarily in a good way. The twists are tacked on as I believe writer Steven Peters and Director John McNaughton didn't know how to end this movie. I would've just flash backed to the sex scenes myself, but that's just how my brain works.

Either way, this movie is entertaining on many levels, but forgettable in the end. By the way, I couldn't resist to put this picture in as part of the post... I bet it will garner some extra viewings for my blog.

Movie #77 - Aladdin

"Wish Granted!"

Back when I was twelve, this was one of my favourite movies at the time, combined with Transformers: The Movie and G.I. Joe: The Movie respectively. However, once the Lion King came out a couple of years later, all bets were off on the animated front and I am still supportive of the strength of that movie in the long term.

Going back to Aladdin, this movie was released at the height of Disney's success at hitting it big with the box office blockbuster animated films. With movies such as Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King released in the same time period, its amazing to see how far the industry has fallen in terms of churning out high quality films. I blame CGI technology, which has now given the industry the ability to animate or create almost anything in terms of cartoons, but is losing out on the sheer imagination of the films themselves. The writing and the voice casting, both integral parts of the film process. Sure, animation is shorter now, but look at how many animated films enter in each year and how many are actually of the quality of movies of old.

Aladdin was released at a time when the Academy Awards didn't recognize animated films as "movies" and thus did not have the Best Animated film category. If not, Aladdin would've received that 1992 Oscar to go along with its best song and best sound editing wins. In addition, you would be hard pressed not to acknowledge the work of versatile actor, Robin Williams, for his work on this film - as he became the anchor to the role and the main draw of the future of the franchise (merchandising and a couple of years on the television cartoon front).

In the end, Aladdin ranks high in the terms of animated films, but does not come close to the achievements of the Lion King. In the end, enjoy this film for its well-written plot, quirky humour of Williams as the Genie, and the wonderful singing of Lea Salonga during the Princess Jasmine singing scenes.

Movie #76 - Youngblood

"The ice... The fire... The fight... To be the best."

There are only a handful of hockey movies out there, this being one of the better ones. Unfortunately, that doesn't really say much because of the fact that there aren't many good hockey movies - and sports movies in general.

Along with Youngblood, there are the Mighty Ducks trilogy, The Rocket, Mystery Alaska, The Cutting Edge, and of course Slap Shot. While many believe Slap Shot is one of the better films depicting sports out there, it still isn't a very good movie. It just became a cult classic with some of the funny quotes that you can extract from that film. Plus, Paul Newman really gives it his all in that movie.

Back to Youngblood, Rob Lowe portrays the title character - Dean Youngblood. He's a walk-on player that gets a chance to make it big playing for the fictional Hamilton Mustangs of the Ontario Hockey League. Its funny to see that this film is shot entirely in various places in Ontario, including a number of scenes shot in the "beautiful"city of Hamilton. What makes this film funny are the slow motion hockey scenes, probably because Lowe learned how to skate right before filming this movie... so they had to find a way to make him look faster than everyone else.

Swayze is also in this film, not previously playing hockey before, but professional trained as a figure skater in his youth. Look for cameos of Keanu Reeves as the Mustangs goaltender and of course, future NHLer's Peter Zezel and Steve Thomas.

In the end, Youngblood is a very bad film, which I still watch whenever its on television. But for what its worth, its great to see movies filmed in Canada. Also, this may rank in the top 5 of all-time hockey movies, but that doesn't say too much.

Movie #75 - Airplane II: The Sequel

"For the ride of your life... All you need for Christmas are your two front seats!"

Banking on the success of the first Airplane spoof film, the hijinks's arise with this sequel. Returning are Lloyd Bridges and Robert Hays as main characters to create a proper transition from the first film. However, because of how much critical acclaim Airplane received the first time around, the sequel was filled with a larger influx of celebrities.

Added to the sequel cast were brief cameos of William Shatner, Peter Graves, Raymond Burr, Robert Stack, Rip Torn, and even Sonny Bono.

Similar to many of the recent spoof movies, Airplane II was far worse than the first film. Although the plot is as ludicrous, the jokes seem contrived and out of place from the get go. 26 years after this film was produced, we are still riddled with crappy spoof films - unfortunately, they aren't even cleverly done anymore... relying strictly on loose references to hit movies that the majority of the population should have seen.

Basing the content of current spoof movies on the success of others is a cop out and should not be continued. The new movies should go back to the classic storytelling of this spoof franchise such as Airplane. In time, we shall see if there will be more movies like Airplane again - the only ones that I have seen that might have come close are the comedic films of the 80's and 90's - but even those films are close to 15-20 years old themselves. So its truly few and far between.

As long as Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have anything to say about it, they will never stop making such crap films as Epic Movie or Meet the Spartans. If we could only convince Jim Abrahams and David Zucker to take control of this genre again, we can easily enjoy a good spoof again!

Movie #74 - X-Files: Fight the Future

"Fight the Future."

I am quite unhappy that I missed the sequel to this film in theatres, but it wasn't in theatres long enough for me to see it. Probably some poor marketing campaign and a stale interest in the television show due to other recent science fiction marvels such as Lost, the X-Files is truly for the nerdy teenager of the mid to late 90's.

Seeing this movie again, I realize how little Chris Carter and company truly understood their fan base back in 1998 and even now with the sequel. They made two films that are strictly movies that only viewers of the show would enjoy, yet they forced national releases and distribution for both films, spending millions in promotions, etc., instead of targeting their key demographics.

X-Files: Fight the Future is a wonderful film, beautifully shot with an exciting plot and a great tie-in to the television show back during its original release. However, many casual movie-goers were deterred from watching this film, as not only would the theatre be filled with sweaty, nerdy boys going through puberty and playing hours of video games, but the plot is somewhat confusing if you don't know any background at all.

The true test of this was getting my father to watch this film - a big fan of action movies and conspiracy films... you'd think that this would be right up his alley. Not at all. Although a big movie fan himself, my father lost interest very quickly and was only impressed by cameos of Martin Landau.

Although I am biased towards the franchise and of course, Gillian Anderson, I have to admit, if someone asked me to watch a movie for a show like 24 for example, after five or six seasons, I'd be lost - even if the film took 10-15 minutes to explain what was happening... I wouldn't know.

Because of this, I would've expected a limited release of the sequel, creating a viral marketing campaign, and a word of mouth buzz. Instead, the 2nd X-Files film was put up against the big boys this summer and lost.

Movie #73 - Airplane!

"You've read the ad, now see the movie!"

One of the earliest entourage spoof films, Airplane is a classic in how bad this film tries to be. Filled with a number of clever cameos, this film even garnered a Golden Globe nomination for best musical or comedy for 1980.

Included in this ensemble cast was Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lloyd Bridges. This combination alone is quite impressive, but all do a wonderful job of being serious throughout this silly movie... especially the famous quote of Nielsen's, "Don't call me Shirley," which was part of a recent revival special edition DVD.

Although not a theatrical success, Airplane did start a phenomenon of spoof films. Some of the worst movies made today are these spoof films, and we can all thank Airplane for doing it so well that so many money hungry producers had to copy the idea.

However, the good thing that came out of this movie is the re-invention of Leslie Nielsen's career path. Known prior to this role as a serious actor on both side roles and in television appearances, Nielsen developed a strong niche as the spoof actor. The Airplane role catapulted Nielsen onto his television show, Police Squad, and eventually, to every one's favourite - Naked Gun franchise.

Some may say, because Airplane was the first spoof film to be made, it ranks up there as one of the best ever as it is definitely groundbreaking from that perspective. I would have to agree because some of the recent ones now are just plain stupid and horribly done. They really do not think highly of their audience and although its a spoof, it doesn't have to be idiotic.

Movie #72 - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

"It's everybody's non-pollutionary, anti-institutionary, pro-confectionery factory of fun!"

Still one of my favourite movies of my childhood, every time I see this film, I have to watch it. After many viewings, I am starting to realize that this movie probably marked when I started to become quite cynical. This movie is filled with sarcasm and has a very dark tone to it, but its wrapped in sugar and chocolate, that you forget what is actually going on behind the scenes.

If you ever read the original books by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator), there is a dark undertone in both children's books, which Dahl adapted into his screenplay for the 1971 movie.

I am surprised that to this day, Dahl's books have not been banned by those who would be offended by ground-breaking work. Its a goal of mine in 2009 to re-read these books to see if I can catch the difference between how children were intended to understand his writing and what he actually wrote.

In comparison to the Depp/Burton remake, the original film wins out. Call me nostalgic, but the musical scores, the set design, and the performance of Wilder alone make this movie a great film. Plus, you really feel for Charlie and his plight and you root for him to win in the end. I was sorry to discover that Wilder didn't win the Golden Globe that year for his performance here, because despite his wide array of films, this ranks up there as one of his best performances of his career next to probably Young Frankenstein (for which he garnered an Oscar nomination).

In the end - if you watch this film at face value, you'll enjoy the silliness of the factory and the wondrous colours and imaginative set design. If you enjoy the "dark side" of this storyline, then you're in for a treat - no pun intended!

Movie #71 - Air Force One

"Harrison Ford is the President of the United States."

Yes, that is the tagline for this film. As a Sigma Nu brother of Harrison Ford, I am somewhat biased to his films - especially since I own 70% of the Ford VHS movie collection (I stopped when you couldn't buy VHS movies anymore at Wal-Mart).

The bonus of this film is that it stars Gary Oldman. Oldman ranks very high on my list of top actors, especially since his roles are so diverse and you really end up hating him as a villain, which makes the protagonist even better. In this case, Oldman is a terrorist that holds the passengers and crew of Air Force One hostage, including the President of the United States, Harrison Ford.

What makes this film and many of Ford's films funny is that he becomes an action hero as the film progresses... but is still unable to throw a proper punch on screen. Either cast as a lawyer, a surgeon, an IT specialist, or Indiana Jones, all of Ford's films end up the same way. For some strange reason, Ford is always wearing either a suit or a leather jacket... and to throw a punch in either of those is quite difficult - both are very constrictive that you end up throwing what I call a "suit punch." Suit punches are awkward looking and usually miss, unless you rip the elbow of the suit or throw your shoulder out in the process.

Anyways, getting back to AFO, Oldman steals the show here. I remember President Clinton was quoted as saying that this was his favourite movie... but I doubt that would be true, considering not only was he a draft dodger in the 60's, but if a terrorist ever held the first lady and first daughter hostage - Clinton would be the first to jump in that escape pod.

There are some other good cameos here: Dean Stockwell, Glenn Close, J.T. Walsh, and Jurgen Prochnow, however, the real storyline takes place between Ford and Oldman. Although Ford's performance is weak in comparison to Oldman's, it would be nice to see these foes do battle again in a future picture... it would easily rejuvenate the struggling career of Mr. Ford and be a treat to watch for sure!

Movie #70 - King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

"Don't get chumpatized."

For 2008, this ranks as one of the best films that I have seen this year that I know no one else has seen. A documentary about the battle for Donkey Kong arcade supremacy and the hardships that one regular man must endure to win the recognition and validation from his arcade peers.

In the end, its a conspiracy movie portraying previous Donkey Kong guru Billy Mitchell versus a regular Joe named Steve Wiebe in their quest to be entered into the Guiness Book of Records with the highest score in Donkey Kong. This film follows the various efforts Wiebe must do to prove his Kong prowess and the relentless efforts of Mitchell's followers to sabotage and discredit the abilities of Wiebe.

Sounds funny, but you really get caught up in this documentary because Wiebe is the every man and Mitchell is the evil, deceitful man holding the keys to the clubhouse. By the end of the film, you are filled with utter frustration over what one man needs to go through to prove himself. And you also wonder why people waste so much time playing a video game that's older than me?

I feel fortunate to have watched this unique documentary. Its not the best movie out there, but it is definitely entertaining. I thought my hobby was bad - a bunch of adults collecting little pieces of paper and spending thousands of dollars in the process. This hobby takes the cake and it is a documentary that competes with Trekkies for those fans out there that watch this sort of thing.

If you can find it somewhere or have TMN, its definitely worth your time. Not only is it fun to watch men do battle on arcade games, but seeing the vintage machines is an added bonus.

Movie #69 - Without Limits

"Pre - The way he competed...The way he lives his life."

Surprisingly, I am quite entertained by this film. Not because its a 70's time piece or because its a movie starring every one's favourite movie villain, Donald Sutherland, but because watching a compelling story about an athletic legend in terms of distance running was a treat.

Don't get me wrong, I am usually biased against anything affiliated with Tom Cruise (producer), but I was impressed by the overall cast of this biopic. Donald Sutherland gives the cast instant credibility, and is not a villain in this film as some might think. Monica Potter is once again cast in another time piece - seek out Patch Adams and you'll see a very similar performance, and pretty much the same set and costumes.

The real star of the show is the performance of then-unknown actor Billy Crudup. Not only does Crudup capture the essence of Prefontaine, but he conveys the true power inside the real Prefontaine from his rendition on screen. I don't know if Cruise intended to star in this film himself back in 1998, but Cruise and Crudup look very similar in stature and appearance. What's funny is that they appear together in MI:3, guess that's equivalent to coming full circle.

In the end, the movie plays out like every "true" story - you cannot change the ending... which is what makes it compelling. I like movies based on true events, but full adaptations usually turn out better since the events being portrayed actually happened... although glamourized, it is better than any script out there. Check out Pursuit of Happiness and you'll understand what I mean.

Movie #68 - Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

"David is 11 years old. He weighs 60 pounds. He is 4 feet, 6 inches tall. He has brown hair. His love is real. But he is not."

Conceptually, this movie could've been good. I recently watched a documentary on the life and times of Stanley Kubrick, and based on the script written and the plot and wonderful sets designed by Kubrick - this movie should've been good.

What went wrong you ask? Steven Spielberg. Kubrick entrusted AI to Spielberg as not only did he doubt the computer generated image technology at the time of original production, but Kubrick envied Spielberg's talent and timing to do blockbuster movies - readily accepted by the average movie fan.

Something went haywire with this film and I guess its somewhat ironic since this movie is about robotic lifeforms. In terms of CGI, this movie is top notch for its time. Fantastic images and set design capture Kubrick's original vision. The script itself is good and is believable (in science fiction terms) for about 95% of the film - until you reach the end of the movie, which I hated.

I usually don't dislike anything done by either Spielberg nor Kubrick, but this joint venture was a major disappointment for me. I cannot put a finger on who to blame? Was it Osment or was it Law? Good think Kubrick didn't see the end of this film being made, but I am sure he would've been disappointed too.

I guess in the end, the real culprit are expectations. You have two of the better directors creating a unique partnership to make this movie about the life of robots - great movie idea right. I guess some of these movies should just stay in that little vault, never to be made.

Too bad... maybe in 200+ years, the Earth will freeze over and the new inhabitants will find a copy of this movie on DVD and watch it and think its the greatest thing ever... nah... that would never happen - DVD players 200+ years from now? Who am I kidding?

Movie #67 - Kingpin

"A comedy right up your alley."

My wife will definitely disagree with me on this one, but this film is a gem from the Farrelly brothers. The only film of the resume that competes with the acting and cast of this classic is Dumb & Dumber.

Filled with funny quotes and bowling hyjinx, this film follows Roy Munson and Ishmael Boorg, portrayed by the wonderfully contrast of acting skill - Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid. Munson wants to prove that he can still bowl, while no longer having a right hand. Boorg wants to earn enough money to save his Amish farm.

Mix in the lovely (back in 1996) Vanessa Angel and a clever performance by Bill Murray, you got the making of a great adventure film. The bowling references are what make this film fun. And before they became redundant in films, the slapstick humor and gross sexual references were well placed throughout the script.

Many critics would say that Bill Murray's performance over-shadowed that of Quaid and Harrelson. Although I must agree, the comedic tone was set very early with the cameo appearance of Lin Shaye, who represented Munson's dysfunctional landlady. Shaye is a recognizable actress in other Farrelly comedies such as There's Something About Mary, and yet, her performance just makes you laugh.

I enjoy this film from beginning to end, so whenever I catch it on television, its a treat. Your better off renting this film or purchasing it from the cheap DVD's section as the edited versions really butcher the comedic script and innuendos. The best part of this film comes near the end when Munson and "Big Ern" Ernie McCracken (Murray) square off in the bowling final... what makes these scenes great are the hair sequences. Just make sure you aren't drinking something when you watch those scenes.

Movie #66 - The World Is Not Enough

"Danger, suspense, excitement. There must be when he's around."

An obvious tagline for James Bond, this is one of the forgettable Bond films in the Brosnan repertoire. This movie is filled with the standard Bond beauties in Denise Richards and Sophie Marceau. However, this movie falls flat as the evil villain, portrayed by Robert Carlyle, doesn't enhance the performance of Brosnan. In the end, you don't hate Carlyle as much as you should and you get confused to why producers want us to believe that Richards is a nuclear weapons specialist.

I don't recall the exact quotations in a late exchange in the submarine, but Richards is trying her hardest to sound smart, which just came off as being stupid. Plus, who really cares what she's saying in this film anyway.

Despite these setbacks, the women cast in this film are quite beautiful and compete highly in terms of the Bond standard, especially when combined in the same film. You might recognize Marceau as Princess Isabelle from Braveheart, where she depicted the stunning Princess of Wales. Despite having a limited acting resume in North America, Marceau is recognized both for her beauty and her prowess on the French silver screen.

As for Richards, a suggestion - don't try to cast her as a nuclear specialist. A double agent would've worked or something of the sort. The movie loses its credibility every time she tries to relay her technical lines, so keep them simple and we'll appreciate her presence more!

Movie #65 - 30 Days of Night

My apologies to many of my readers - I have been quite busy with life, that I haven't been able to keep my blog up to date. However, I am still watching a number of movies each week, so I have many topics to write about.

Watched this film with the wife a few weeks ago. It was one of those highly anticipated films in my list, unfortunately, this is a funny statement to make because I am not a big fan of any films starring Josh Hartnett. I figured, similar to the movie 300, this movie is well-scripted and framed in the comic book storyline... I thought wrong.

The vampires of this film are great. Quite scary and startling in various scenes and the concept of having vampires kill people living in total darkness in Alaska is a great plot. What wrecks this movie for me you ask? You guessed it... Josh Hartnett.

I honestly no longer know who is worse - Hartnett or Keanu Reeves. Both are stellar at giving no emotion in scenes which require at the very least, a pulse. However, with Hartnett, he is capable of over-acting other scenes and thus gives a consistently confusing performance in another flop at the box office.

The only reason to watch this movie is the performance of Danny Huston. This Italian actor is slowly becoming an A-List "That Guy" actor in which Huston is being cast to be a solid role actor in these protagonist centric films. Some of the films on his recent resume where you won't remember seeing Huston is Constant Gardner, Number 23, and Children of Men just to name a few.

Huston's "Marlow" vampire character is the scariest thing in this movie outside of Hartnett's performance. But overall, if you disregard Hartnett completely, you will enjoy this movie for what it was intended to do - to make vampires scary and violent again!

Movie #64 - The Accused

"The first scream was for help. The second is for justice."

This movie was one of the critically acclaimed films of 1988, for which Jodie Foster won an Oscar as Best Actress. The film contrasted one of the up and coming actresses of the early to late 80's in Foster with one of the more accomplished veteran actresses in Kelly McGillis.

The storyline of this movie is quite disheartening - following a rape victim's trial to seek justice from the rapists and people who did nothing to help her. The movie is about the trial to charge the spectators who not only avoided helping Foster's character, but also cheered the rapists on to continue their heinous act.

Foster gives a powerful performance portraying the victim, but McGillis is a convincing female DA and shows her true acting prowess - especially absent a strong leading actor role in this film. Many of McGillis' films from this era had her opposite the protagonist male character - this movie allows her to excel on her own without the male lead.

Unfortunately, McGillis' career began to fizzle once the 90's hit, while Foster has been banking on her achievements alongside Anthony Hopkins in the Silence of the Lambs. McGillis has done a number of television show appearances in the last 20 years, but nothing compares to her run in the mid to late 80's - Top Gun, Witness, and The Accused. Guess it was just too much too fast, but thankfully, I married a pseudo Kelly McGillis clone - so no worries from my point of view.

Movie #63 - Welcome to Pornoland

I caught this film on TMN a few months back and it was quite entertaining - posed as a documentary of a married couple who ventures to Hollywood in hopes of stardom.

The film follows a director, who has experienced critical acclaim and exposure in Hollywood North, but wants to branch out and be successful in the Holy Grail - Hollywood. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints and competition - this director is forced to become a porno movie director with his friend who is already entrenched in the business.

What follows is a stark and honest portrayal of the movie industry - not as glamourous as the television documentaries that follow the business, but more on the negative sides that take place on a daily basis. It was quite entertaining to see some of the minor "stars" in the films and how disconnected they are from the sexual acts they were performing.

What made this documentary compelling was seeing the deterioration of the bright-eyed director caused by the temptations of this business and the promise of easy money. In the end - its a wonderful Canadian film that comes highly recommended - not for the gratuitous nudity and sex scenes, but for the story.

Movie #62 - Across the Universe

"All you need is love."

Well - that's not all you need to enjoy this movie. When my wife mentioned that we were going to watch this film, I was intrigued by a musical influenced by the music of the Beatles - one of my favourite bands of all-time.

However, the music is probably the only thing that is good from this film. Integrating the musical numbers into the plot were done well overall - but like any musical, the performances interfere with the progression of the movie in the end. In comparison to other musicals - e.g. Sound of Music or Phantom of the Opera, the music itself enhances the plot and storyline. In this case, the music becomes a nuisance as there is very little plot or explanation of what in fact is going on.

Depicted in the 60's, I guess the only way to enjoy this film is while on some sort of drug - however, as a non-drug user, I could not enjoy the weirdness of this film... despite the fact that I try to give any movie a chance. Thankfully, this movie did not fall under the "did not finish" category - mainly because I was still entertained by the musical performances and is impressed by the beauty of Evan Rachel Wood - a 21-year old actress constantly being cast to play a teenager in films and television.

Hopefully, Wood will choose more adult roles that will allow her to break the stereotypical teenage angst films. I am looking forward to her making the transition similar to those like Portman or Johanssen. Only time will tell.

Movie #61 - Bat 21

"Trapped behind enemy lines. A whole army after him... And only one man can save him."

From the entire resume of these two actors in this film (Danny Glover and Gene Hackman), this is one of the better films made by these two gentlemen. Glover and Hackman have a strong rapport throughout the progression of this movie and you really begin to feel the despair of the issue at hand, the rescue of Hackman's character.

I believe this movie is influenced by actual events, but overall, it depicts some of the major problems with the Vietnam War. Without getting into details and political opinions, the Vietnam War was difficult for the U.S. military due to the extreme conditions of jungle warfare. As shown by this movie, we spent 2 hours watching how many lives would be lost to try to save one man who was stuck behind enemy lines.

What trivializes the strength of this movie is Hackman's failed attempt to "re-make" the concept of this movie by making Behind Enemy Lines starring Owen Wilson. Not only is Owen Wilson not an action movie star, but this movie follows the same progression and predictable plot as this 1988 classic, as Hackman really loses credibility in the remake for fans who remember this original film. Although not intended to actually be a remake - it clearly is.

Overall, Bat 21 ranks higher up on the Vietnam War movie genre. I wouldn't mind seeing films about this era again because I believe the WWII genre has been overplayed in recent years. Would definitely like to see some war movies out there... but I hope Hollywood stays away from the current incursions in the Middle East since there are still active soldiers there.

Here's a thought, maybe we should find out what happened in WWI, there are only a handful of movies done about that era and there are many more unexplored stories that could be translated into war movie classics in the future.

Movie #60 - What Women Want

"He has the power to hear everything women are thinking. Finally... a man is listening."

Yeah right... men listen to everything a woman says... its just sometimes, they aren't saying anything that we find important (e.g. sports, women, money, etc.).

All kidding aside, this movie ranks up there with the Bridges of Madison County for submission to remove Mel Gibson from the men's secret society. Like Eastwood, we can give Gibson some grace because he's done so many masculine movies in the past (Braveheart, the Lethal Weapons, the Mad Max trilogy), but he came fairly close to be removed from the group. Swayze lost his membership when he did Too Wong Foo, so Gibson should count his blessings.

Again... all kidding aside, I actually enjoy this movie every time I see it on television - mainly because its silly to think how powerful his character would be if he could hear what women think. Like every other man out there... women end up being the most complex and enigmatic species out there, that historically, men have attempted to solve other problems in science and technology as opposed to solving the solution to the man's biggest problem - the woman.

Lastly... all kidding aside, Gibson benefits from having this ability... but in the end, the woman wins in the end. Not only has Gibson's character been molded to appreciate women more on the whole, but he's become a more well-rounded man in the end. Although women may say he's evolved... men would say that he's set us men back many years by agreeing to do this movie.

Which side should I take? If my wife reads this, which I know she reads on a regular basis... I'll stick to the more conventional answer.

Movie #59 - Balls of Fury

"A huge comedy with tiny balls."

Far from it. A great tagline, but a horrible movie. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy teenage movies with no plot or are direct spoofs of actual successes, however, this movie does not have anything going for it.

I watched this movie based solely on the fact that Christopher Walken was in the cast. Not only was Walken cast to be a poorly developed villain, but he obviously didn't even take the time to memorize his lines - it looked like as if he was reading cue cards throughout the film.

There are some beautiful women cast in this movie - Maggie Q and Aisha Tyler, however, their roles are limited. Both women would serve better to enhance action movies instead (see MI:3 for Maggie Q's performance), but in this case, they were just cast as eye candy... I'm not complaining about that part of it, but I am complaining about this movie.

The main reasons for my complaints - George Lopez and Dan Fogler. Both are not equipped to be starring men on the big screen... and although an entire movie about the sport of ping pong is a great concept for a comedy... the casting of these gentlemen turn a good concept into a bad comedy.

Sad cameos in this film: Robert Patrick as Daytona's father, Jason Scott-Lee as Siu-Foo (ironically cast since this movie is a spoof on Enter the Dragon - Bruce Lee connection here), and James Hong as Wong (re-incarnation of his role from Wayne's World).

Movie #58 - Away from Her

"It's never too late to become what you might have been."

This was one of those films that I didn't want to watch, but ended up watching because the wife had recorded it on our PVR. Fortunately, I enjoyed it - but not for the reasons as to why everyone else in Hollywood did.

Sarah Polley made her directorial debut with this film - made in the Canadian film style, the movie focused on plot development, character development, and a good story to tell. Not to mention, Canadian actors were riddled amongst the mainstream cast and did a remarkable job - resulting in Polley's critical acclaim for her directing - even resulting in an Oscar nod for writing / adaptation.

However, many believe the star of this film was the crucial role of Julie Christie - who is portraying a woman who is institutionalized with Alzheimer's Disease and ends up falling in love with another man in the hospital different from her husband. Although Christie's role is compelling, what made this story work is the accomplishments of long time Canadian icon actor - Gordon Pinsent.

I was disappointed to hear that Pinsent was looked over for any acknowledgement either from the Golden Globes or the Oscars similar to Christie. Pinsent's heartache throughout this film is well-established and you truly feel for his pain more than what you feel for Christie by the end of the movie.

The film and the acting helps depict what happens to real people when they get sick with this disease and what happens to the loving relationships when something like Alzheimer's strikes. In comparison to a recent movie that discusses the same subject matter - the overrated, The Notebook - this film is by far a better movie overall on all fronts - romance, acting, screenplay.

I would've liked to have seen Pinsent get his dues in Hollywood, but unfortunately, the voice of Babar will never get what he deserves.

Movie #57 - V for Vendetta

"Remember, remember the 5th of November, the gun powder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gun powder treason should ever be forgot."

Another film from the Wachowski brothers, thankfully, this time, they had a template from which to base the majority of the film on - a great comic book adaptation. They didn't screw this one up - unlike their attempts at the sequels to the Matrix.

Once again... Hugo Weaving is the star of the show. Not only was Weaving able to steal the thunder of Keanu Reeves in the Matrix trilogy, Weaving is a main cog in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well. But here, Weaving achieves a great on-screen presence without ever showing his face - an accomplishment only worthy of James Earl Jones for example.

Weaving depicts V, a violent, dark, and sarcastic freedom fighter in a 1984-esque future in which freedom police and religion rule the city streets and society. In a planned casting, 1984's star, John Hurt, is cast as the villain of V for Vendetta, posing a credible adversary to Weaving's V.

The true bonus of this film though, is up and coming actress Natalie Portman. Not only is she beautiful to watch on-screen, but she ranks up there with some of the best actresses of her age group - let alone for her gender. Currently, I would rank her up there with Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, and Cate Blanchett - not bad company if you ask me.

Portman represents an "everyman" character for this film - which is something that many readers of the V comic books establish for themselves. V represents anarchy against a system of oppression and Portman's character is one that bears personal witness to his glory in defying this system.

Wonderfully shot and creatively adapted to the big screen - I would hope that the Wachowski brothers leave this one alone after the film's conclusion and not decide to grab anymore $ - one can only forget Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions - I know that I am still trying!

Movie #56 - Awakenings

"There is no such thing as a simple miracle."

One of my favourite films from the 90's era, this is definitely a great, feel good story about life and the perseverance of the human spirit.

Before I saw this film, I saw a documentary about Dr. Oliver Sacks on CBC Newsworld, portraying the doctor for which this film was based on. Sacks had worked on a number of encephalitis patients in the 1960's in a Bronx hospital, being able to "revive" them for a brief period of time using experimental medications.

The documentary was somewhat morbid, showing actual patients and their medical conditions / hardships... what better way to lighten up that story than make a fictional adaptation of Dr. Sacks' life - casting Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer.

This film is a wonderfully shot movie by Penny Marshall with a beautiful score written by Randy Newman, which is prevalent throughout the scenes of the film. There are some strong cameos from Julie Kavner, John Heard, and Penelope Ann Miller. However, the real treat to this movie is the relationship built and established between Williams and Robert De Niro's character of Leonard.

De Niro and Williams work together on this movie like peanut butter and jelly. The contrasting styles of both acclaimed actors work well in this drama - as Williams really captures the shyness and awkwardness of the Sayer role. By the end of the film, you really feel for De Niro's character and the rest of the patients in this movie and you are genuinely touched by its message.

This movie also marks the transition that Williams makes into dramatic acting, something I wish he would continue to do. Not only has Williams been recognized for his role in Awakenings, but you can add Dead Poets' Society, Good Will Hunting, Jakob the Liar, Insomnia, What Dreams May Come, and One Hour Photo to his dramatic resume.

Unfortunately, similar to De Niro's recent works in the last 10-15 years, Williams resume is overshadowed by money grab films and box office flops such as Flubber, Jack, and RV. I hope that he begins to realize that a happy medium of drama and comedy can easily be established... we definitely need to see him in more time pieces or non-fictional movies - give us some more Patch Adams Robin, this is where you are at your best!

Movie #55 - Who Killed the Electric Car?

"In 1996, electric cars began to appear on roads all over California. They were quiet and fast, produced no exhaust and ran without gasoline...........Ten years later, these cars were destroyed."

The wife and I caught this movie during TMN's Earth Week, in which they showed other films such as An Inconvenient Truth. This movie is a documentary of the rise and fall in popularity of the zero emission vehicles - specifically the GM / Saturn EV1.

What made this movie compelling is the fact that the EV1 not only represented a vehicle that produced zero emissions, but actually ran like a normal car. It utilized battery charge technology (fuel cell) and was inexpensive to produce. The only problem - supply and demand. There wasn't enough established demand to move the production of these cars further, there wasn't enough charging stations / infrastructure to make the car feasible, and there wasn't enough cars being produced.

Many EV1 owners were celebrities, to increase popularity and exposure of the vehicle. The likes included Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Ed Begley Jr., and Alexandra Paul. Unfortunately, not even the power of celebrities could stop the conspiracy that occurred which made these vehicles obsolete and unwanted in the automotive industry in less than 10 years.

Its sad to see that this technology actually works very well. Not only is the charging technology quite simple, the infrastructure is quite easy to establish. In addition, with the continuous development of battery technology these days, this car could've represented a move towards zero emissions within our lifetime.

Instead, hydrogen technology and hybrid cars became the "it" thing for the automotive industry. And although there was an outcry to keep these vehicles in production and operation, the EV1 was slowly made extinct by the very same industry which created it.

Normally, I don't enjoy the "thumping" that most celebrities get behind, but this is definitely one that deserves revisiting in the future. Global warming and the ramifications behind this event will continue to affect billions of people worldwide unless the global population makes some wholesale changes. Although North Americans are only beginning to see some of the signs of global warming, many regions around the world are being hit with devastating ferocity.

It is only a matter of time before we seek out alternatives to fossil fuel burning and resurrect ideas and concepts like the EV1 - only time will tell when we wake up and decide to do so!

Movie #54 - Witness

"A big city cop who knows too much. His only evidence: a small boy who's seen too much..."

Probably one of the more underrated films in the resume of Harrison Ford, and possibly one of his better roles. Ford plays John Buck, a cop who is forced to protect a young omish boy and his family from his corrupt police colleagues.

Once again, its Ford against the world on this one... and yet, we always know he'll come out on top. Even against all odds, Harrison not only gets the girl, but captures all the criminals as well. The idealistic characters Ford portrays are consistent throughout his portfolio and this one is no exception.

A bonus in this film is the casting of Kelly McGillis, one of the hotter women of the mid-80's, the representation of attractive women of that era. This was before the days of botox or implants, women of the 80's were hot mainly because they were voluptuous or were strong willed. In this case, McGillis accomplishes both feats, despite the fact that she is cast as a shy, omish woman. However, seek out her roles in the Accused or Top Gun, and many men who grew up watching McGillis rank her high on the hottest women of the decade.

Its a breath of fresh air to see Danny Glover as a villain in this movie, something he reprised in a later role in Switchback (1997). Despite his type casting from his Lethal Weapon days, I actually believe Glover depicts a better villain than a protagonist. Although his role is limited in this film, you really believe that Ford is outmatched by Glover's abilities.

What made this film popular back in the day is the acting prowess of unknown child actor Lukas Haas as Samuel Lapp. For years afterwards, Haas was never fully cast to his potential - although his best role was in the television movie, the Ryan White story... one that is both touching and powerful due to the actual events that inspired his character. It would be a treat to watch this movie again in my lifetime as it was compelling back in 1989 and its definitely Haas' greatest role to date.

In the end... as with 99.9% of Ford's films - Ford gets his man... gets the girl... and is the hero. As a big fan of the Ford films, one cannot complain about this outcome. Astutely, my wife has pointed out that almost all of his films end this way... unfortunately, I have to admit - she's right!