Library

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Failure is not an option.

Summary: It seemed like a pretty good career move, and for the most part it was. Demi Moore will never top any rational list of great actresses, but as her career stalled in the mid-1990s she had enough internal fire and external physicality to be just right for her title role in "G.I. Jane". Her character's name isn't Jane--it's Jordan O'Neil--but the fact that she lacks a penis makes her an immediate standout in her elite training squad of Navy SEALs. She's been recruited as the first female SEAL trainee through a series of backroom political maneuvers, and must prove her military staying power against formidable odds--not the least of which is the abuse of a tyrannical master chief (Viggo Mortensen) who puts her through hell to improve her chances of success. Within the limitations of a glossy star vehicle, director Ridley Scott manages to incorporate the women-in-military issue with considerable impact, and Moore--along with her conspicuous breast enhancements and that memorable head-shaving scene--jumps into the role with everything she's got. Not a great movie by any means, but definitely a rousing crowd pleaser, and it's worth watching just to hear Demi shout the words "Suck my dick!" "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Summary: While its title may be superfluous, "Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World" is a beautifully filmed journey into "the islands of the tortoise." Located due west of Ecuador, the Galapagos islands are full of gorgeous scenery and exotic wildlife. And this 150-minute documentary shows it all, thanks to stunning cinematography shot from all viewpoints--the air, sea and, of course, land. The collection is both soothing and exhilarating as it allows viewers to peek in on mating albatrosses (which are monogamous), penguins fishing, and surprisingly graceful giant tortoises swimming in the ocean. The filmmakers also manage to capture a ferocious volcanic eruption that is amazing in its clarity. The problem with many documentaries lies in the narration. A documentary filmmaker hits the jackpot when he is able to get someone like Sigourney Weaver, whose crisp narration fits in beautifully with the sweeping footage in "Planet Earth". While Tilda Swanton lends a relaxing quality to "Galapagos", her voice at times is a bit too lulling to hold the viewer's interest. The writing also borders on melodramatic, with talk of the simmering sea and such. With visuals as stunning as this, hyperbole is unnecessary. Charles Darwin has described the Galapagos as a world within itself, and it is said that the islands were one of his inspirations for his book "The Origin of Species". While the film doesn't clearly explain why the Galapagos are unlike any other place on earth, it does showcase a destination that is unlike what most of us know. "--Jae-Ha Kim"

Languages: French

Sound: DTS

Comments: Joe Kingman had the perfect game plan to win the championship... but first, he has to tackle one little problem.

Summary:

Languages: English

Summary: Watching "Ganges", one might be inclined to hit the pause button every now and then so as to ponder and absorb the images that have just passed by, so breathtakingly beautiful is nearly every frame of this extraordinary film. This is the kind of production that was born to be viewed in High Definition, and one that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the groundbreaking "Planet Earth". But while both series were made by the BBC, there are notable differences between the two. For one thing, "Ganges" is considerably shorter (its three parts total about two and a half hours); for another, while its focus is largely on nature and wildlife, it has a much more prominent human presence (no surprise, considering that the river wends its way through India, the world’s second most populous nation, and that nearly a tenth of all people on Earth live within the Ganges’ basin).
Regarded as a goddess, described as the nexus of the natural and spiritual worlds, and variously known as "The Daughter of the Mountains," "The River of Life," and "Ganga Ma" (Mother Ganges), the river begins in the Himalayas (the exact source is uncertain; four sacred sites are visited by Hindu pilgrims). Fed by numerous streams, snowmelt, glaciers, and rain, it makes its way westward across the plains of the Indian subcontinent, passing through Rishikesh, Varanasi (known as the holiest city on the river), the teeming metropolis of Calcutta, and the forbidding delta forest known as the Sunderbans before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Along the way, we see an astonishing variety of animals: snow leopards, hawk-like lammergeiers with their ten-foot wingspans, langurs and macaques, mahseer (the world’s largest carp, weighing up to 50 kilograms), peacocks, otters, cranes, tigers, rhinos, and on and on. Meanwhile, the Hindu reverence for nature is constantly apparent--especially in a village where deadly cobras roam freely in the streets, virtually ignored by the residents (who consider themselves virtually immune; bites are frequent, but no one seems to die from them, a strange anomaly in country where twenty thousand people are killed by snakes every year). The cinematography is never less than gorgeous, whether it’s a closeup of a rhododendron or a panoramic mountain vista; frequent use of time-lapse photography only adds to the grandeur (cf. an incredible sequence depicting the arrival of the summer monsoon). Expertly narrated by Sudha Bhuchar, "Ganges" combines bravura technique and sheer artistry to create a genuinely inspiring viewing experience. Extras include a "making of" mini-doc and deleted scenes. "--Sam Graham"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: "Gangs of New York" may achieve greatness with the passage of time. Mixed reviews were inevitable for a production this grand (and this troubled behind the scenes), but it's as distinguished as any of director Martin Scorsese's more celebrated New York stories. From its astonishing 1846 prologue to the city's infernal draft riots of 1863, the film aspires to erase the decorum of textbooks and chronicle 19th-century New York as a cauldron of street warfare. The hostility is embodied in a tale of primal vengeance between Irish American son Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his father's ruthless killer and "Nativist" gang leader Bill "the Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis, brutally inspired), so named for his lethal talent with knives. Vallon's vengeance is only marginally compelling; DiCaprio is arguably miscast, and Cameron Diaz (as Vallon's pickpocket lover) is adrift in a film with little use for women. Despite these weaknesses, Scorsese's mastery blossoms in his expert melding of personal and political trajectories; this is American history written in blood, unflinching, authentic, and utterly spectacular. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Esperanto, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Thai

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Confidently conceived and brilliantly executed, "Gattaca" had a somewhat low profile release in 1997, but audiences and critics hailed the film's originality. It's since been recognized as one of the most intelligent science fiction films of the 1990s. Writer-director Andrew Niccol, the talented New Zealander who also wrote the acclaimed Jim Carrey vehicle "The Truman Show", depicts a near-future society in which one's personal and professional destiny is determined by one's genes. In this society, "Valids" (genetically engineered) qualify for positions at prestigious corporations, such as Gattaca, which grooms its most qualified employees for space exploration. "In-Valids" (naturally born), such as the film's protagonist, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), are deemed genetically flawed and subsequently fated to low-level occupations in a genetically caste society. With the help of a disabled "Valid" (Jude Law), Vincent subverts his society's social and biological barriers to pursue his dream of space travel; any random mistake--and an ongoing murder investigation at Gattaca--could reveal his plot. Part thriller, part futuristic drama and cautionary tale, "Gattaca" establishes its social structure so convincingly that the entire scenario is chillingly believable. With Uma Thurman as the woman who loves Vincent and identifies with his struggle, "Gattaca" is both stylish and smart, while Jude Law's performance lends the film a note of tragic and heartfelt humanity. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: 4-Track Stereo

Comments: Clint Eastwood is the man in the middle of The Gauntlet

Summary: Phoenix cop Ben Shockley is well on his way to becoming a derelict when he is assigned to transport a witness named Gus Mally from Vegas. Mally turns out to be a belligerent prostitute with mob ties and incriminating information regarding a high-placed figure. Shockley's suspicions are aroused and the betting line against Mally testifying begins to climb when the transport vehicle is bombed and Mally's house is literally shot to pieces. The pair must face the truth about those they trust, as well as their own inner strengths, as they fight their way to Phoenix, finally using an armored bus to run a gauntlet of hundreds of police armed with high-powered weaponry.

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: It's better than the 1994 remake starring Kim Basinger and husband Alec Baldwin, but this 1972 thriller relies too heavily on the low-key star power of Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, and the stylish violence of director Sam Peckinpah, reduced here to a mechanical echo of his former glory. McQueen plays a bank robber whose wife (MacGraw) makes a deal with a Texas politician to have her husband released from prison in return for a percentage from their next big heist. But when the plan goes sour, the couple must flee to Mexico as fast as they can, with a variety of gun-wielding thugs on their trail. MacGraw was duly skewered at the time for her dubious acting ability, but the film still has a raw, unglamorous quality that lends a timeless spin to the familiar crooks-on-the-lam scenario. As always, Peckinpah rises to the occasion with some audacious scenes of action and suspense, including a memorable chase on a train that still grabs the viewer's attention. Not a great film, but a must for McQueen and Peckinpah fans. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: DTS

Comments: Long ago he made a deal to save someone he loved.

Summary: Gotta say, this is one lame take on the Ghost Rider tale.



I used to have a massive comic collection as a kid, and I've liked all three of the recent Spiderman movies and the last Superman, so it wasn't the subject matter that put me off, it was everything that followed.



Cliches that don't make any sense, atrocious special effects, lame dialogue and a storyline that made me leave the theatre are just a few of this movie's shortcomings. I'd say wait for the DVD or Bluray, but you don't have to wait anymore, and it's probably just as bad on the ol'HDTV as it was on the big screen.



Save your money and look elsewhere for movie night is this reviewer's recommendation :)

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Summary: "THE GODFATHER": Popularly viewed as one of the best American films ever made, the multi-generational crime saga The Godfather (1972) is a touchstone of cinema: one of the most widely imitated, quoted, and lampooned movies of all time. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino star as Vito Corleone and his youngest son, Michael, respectively. It is the late 1940s in New York and Corleone is, in the parlance of organized crime, a "godfather" or "don," the head of a Mafia family. Michael, a free thinker who defied his father by enlisting in the Marines to fight in World War II, has returned a captain and a war hero. Having long ago rejected the family business, Michael shows up at the wedding of his sister, Connie (Talia Shire), with his non-Italian girlfriend, Kay (Diane Keaton), who learns for the first time about the family "business." A few months later at Christmas time, the don barely survives being shot by gunmen in the employ of a drug-trafficking rival whose request for aid from the Corleones' political connections was rejected. After saving his father from a second assassination attempt, Michael persuades his hotheaded eldest brother, Sonny (James Caan), and family advisors Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) and Sal Tessio (Abe Vigoda) that he should be the one to exact revenge on the men responsible. After murdering a corrupt police captain and the drug trafficker, Michael hides out in Sicily while a gang war erupts at home. Falling in love with a local girl, Michael marries her, but she is later slain by Corleone enemies in an attempt on Michael's life. Sonny is also butchered, having been betrayed by Connie's husband. As Michael returns home and convinces Kay to marry him, his father recovers and makes peace with his rivals, realizing that another powerful don was pulling the strings behind the narcotics endeavor that began the gang warfare. Once Michael has been groomed as the new don, he leads the family to a new era of prosperity, then launches a campaign of murderous revenge against those who once tried to wipe out the Corleones, consolidating his family's power and completing his own moral downfall. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards and winning for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay, The Godfather was followed by a pair of sequels.
"THE GODFATHER PART II": This brilliant companion piece to the original The Godfather continues the saga of two generations of successive power within the Corleone family. Coppola tells two stories in Part II: the roots and rise of a young Don Vito, played with uncanny ability by Robert De Niro, and the ascension of Michael (Al Pacino) as the new Don. Reassembling many of the talents who helped make The Godfather, Coppola has produced a movie of staggering magnitude and vision, and undeniably the best sequel ever made. Robert De Niro won an Oscar®; the film received six Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1974.
"THE GODFATHER PART III": One of the greatest sagas in movie history continues! In this third film in the epic Corleone trilogy, Al Pacino reprises the role of powerful family leader Michael Corleone. Now in his 60's, Michael is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia)... but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. Francis Ford Coppola directs Pacino, Garcia, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Eli Wallach, Sofia Coppola, Joe Montegna and others in this exciting, long-awaited film that masterfully explores the themes of power, tradition, revenge and love. Seven Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: "It is the Alethiometer. It tells the truth. As for how to read it, you'll have to learn by yourself."

Summary: Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)



1. A governing body called the Magesterium sets the rules and tells people what to think and when to think it.

2. Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) and Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) aren't very good at following rules.

3. In this world, a person's soul lives outside of their body in the form of an animal called a daemon.

4. Mrs. Coulter has one heck of an ugly soul, and a monkey on her back

5. Ashes to ashes is one thing, but when it's time for Dust it's a totally different matter

6. The Magesterium embarks on an ambitious "Save the Children" campaign

7. The result is an outbreak of separation anxiety and a bunch of missing kids

8. Lord Asriel sets off to get to the source of the Dust infestation

9. Mrs. Coulter tries to play Pygmalion with Lyra, but has her work cut out for her

10. Lyra is entrusted with the last surviving golden compass (alethiometer to those in the know) - no batteries required, but no instruction manual either.

11. Lyra sets off to find her missing friends with the help of the Gyptians (gypsies on water), witches (the pretty kind), an aeronaut (roguish Sam Elliot) and a cranky polar bear

12. A bear in need is a friend indeed

13. Bear fight!!!!!

14. Grand finale

15. Abrupt ending





I would recommend that you read the book before watching this, as the movie is merely a watered-down précis version and you'll have to fill in all the missing spaces yourself. What you'll get here is some average acting, but with lots of special effects and CGI for a very good viewing experience. Overall however, it's not so hot if you're going to be judging the book by its movie.



Book beats movie by a landslide. Rated: 3.5 stars







Amanda Richards

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: For his initial offering as director, Ben Affleck returns to the site of his first Oscar: South Boston. (He and Matt Damon shared the award for "Good Will Hunting".) Hot on the heels of his moving turn in "Hollywoodland", Affleck's Dennis Lehane adaptation marks one of the more seamless actor-to-filmmaker transitions in recent years. Ostensibly, a procedural about the search for a missing child, class and corruption emerge as his primary concerns. First off, there's low-rent private eye Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck, equally adept in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"). Then there's the girl's drug mule mother, Helene (Amy Ryan, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"). She and Patrick grew up in Dorchester, but he took a different path, setting up an agency with his girlfriend, Angie (Michelle Monaghan). Helene's aunt, Bea (Amy Madigan), hires the duo to augment the investigation, and they team up with Captain Doyle (Morgan Freeman) and Detective Bressant (Madigan's husband, Ed Harris). The authorities don't appreciate the interference, but Patrick knows how to get the local populace talking, and he soon finds there's more to the story than anyone could possibly imagine. Hard-hitting, but never soft-headed, the evocative end result proves Affleck has a flair for this directing thing and that his little brother can carry a major motion picture with aplomb. "Gone Baby Gone" belongs on the list of great Boston crime dramas, along with "The Departed" and "Mystic River", Clint Eastwood’s take on Lehane. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Kip Raines (Giovanni Ribisi) is a cocky young car thief working with a crew to steal 50 cars for a very bad man whose nickname is "The Carpenter." Being young and cocky, Kip messes up, so it's up to his big brother, Randall "Memphis" Raines (Nicolas Cage), to come out of car thief retirement and save him. With a cast that includes Robert Duvall, Angelina Jolie, Delroy Lindo, Cage, and Ribisi, it would be easy to say this story wastes all their talents--which it does, but that's not the point. This is a Jerry Bruckheimer film. A good story and complex characters would only get in the way of the action scenes and slow the movie down. No, "Gone in 60 Seconds" (based on the cult 1974 film of the same name) is not about the stars as much as it's about cars. Fast cars. Rare cars. Wrecked cars. All cars. Too bad director Dominic Sena ("Kalifornia") doesn't come across as more of a gearhead; he seems less interested in fast cars than fast cuts. But is this movie fun? Absolutely, and it's fun because it's so stupid. With pointless car chases and hackneyed dialogue in one of the most predictable plots of the year, "Gone in 60 Seconds" is a comic film that's not quite a parody of itself, but darn close. "--Andy Spletzer"

Languages: English

Sound: DTS

Comments: Because someone is dead doesn't mean they're gone.

Summary: A criminal psychologist (Berry) awakens to find herself a patient in the institution where she works, with no memory of the murder she's accused of committing. As she tries to regain her memory - and her freedom - a vengeful spirit manipulates her.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Nearly three years after it was filmed, "The Great Raid" finally appeared as a welcome reminder that good old-fashioned World War II movies never go out of style. While lacking the scale, prestige, and pulse-pounding momentum of "Saving Private Ryan", this fact-based war drama benefits from a back-to-basics approach to realism and a rousing rescue climax that more than compensates for the slower passages that precede it. Adapted from the books "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan" and "Ghost Soldiers", it chronicles the five-day mission (in late January 1945) to rescue 511 American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. Under the direction of neo-noir specialist John Dahl ("The Last Seduction"), the film's three-part structure follows the raid mission led by Lt. Col. Mucci (Benjamin Bratt); the plight of the POWs at Cabanatuan, including malaria-stricken Maj. Gibson (Joseph Fiennes); and civilian resistance in Manila as carried out by real-life hero and Gibson's (fictional) would-be lover Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), whose effort to aid the POWs is vigilantly monitored by the enemy Japanese. In keeping with war-movie traditions, Dahl handles character and action with no-nonsense intelligence, favoring a slow build over pumped-up adrenalin. By the time the miraculous rescue is executed with critical assistance by Filpino guerillas, "The Great Raid" has earned its stripes, honoring the brave men who carried out the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Dutch, Korean, Arabic, Thai

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: In "Gridiron Gang", Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson once again displays far more cinematic charisma than one could expect from a former professional wrestler. Sean Porter (Johnson, "Be Coo"l), a football player turned juvenile detention counselor, wrestles with a seemingly insolvable problem: The vast majority of young men who leave detention fall right back into crime. Seeking a way to give these not-yet-hardened kids a taste of self-esteem and discipline, Porter persuades his superiors to let him teach the kids football--and then take on high school teams. Though based on a true story (documentary footage over the closing credits reveals that some dialogue was lifted straight from the real Sean Porter's mouth), "Gridiron Gang" is pure underdogs-overcome-adversity formula. A formula is not necessarily a bad thing; when executed with skill and commitment, fulfilling a classic story mechanism can be perfectly satisfying, and "Gridiron Gang" qualifies. But it's Johnson who carries it through, demonstrating--in the most unlikely of roles--a surprisingly gentle touch. Johnson manages to be manly without overbearing machismo, earning not only respect but empathy. --"Bret Fetzer"













Stills from " Gridiron Gang "(click for larger image)

















Beyond "Gridiron Gang" at Amazon.com










More Football Films






The Soundtrack








Films about Underdogs

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: "The Guardian" offers satisfying entertainment with a no-nonsense combination of Hollywood formula and good old-fashioned star power. While honoring the men and women who serve as rescue swimmers for the U.S. Coast Guard, this predictable yet appealing drama is a well-crafted showcase for Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, who bring welcome depth and dimension to their formulaic roles. It's basically "Top Gun" for the Coast Guard, with Costner playing a legendary rescuer haunted by recent tragedy and the impending break-up of his marriage, and Kutcher as the hot-shot recruit whose bravado is tested when Costner takes over a grueling 18-week basic training course, where a 50% attrition rate ensures that only the best will make the grade. There's nothing particularly inventive about Ron L. Brinkerhoff's screenplay, but it's intelligently written and well-directed (by "The Fugitive" helmer Andrew Davis) as it shows how seasoned veteran and troubled but talented trainee build mutual respect while sorting through the trauma of accidents that left each of them as sole survivors, tormented by self-doubt and guilt.
Bolstered by a strong supporting cast including Neal McDonough, John Heard, Sela Ward and Clancy Brown, "The Guardian" is a bit on the long side (137 minutes), but it never feels slow, and a romantic subplot (with Kutcher wooing a schoolteacher played by Melissa Sagemiller) blends nicely with thrilling ocean-rescue sequences incorporating a seamless blend of CGI and footage shot in a 750,000-gallon water tank. Music fans will welcome the scene-stealing appearance of veteran singer Bonnie Bramlett as the owner of a jazz/blues club near the training base, where "The Guardian" serves up yet another staple of its genre: the barroom brawl. Although Hurricane Katrina prevented "The Guardian" from being filmed in New Orleans in 2005, real-life footage during the closing credits makes it clear that the Coast Guard was essential in Katrina's aftermath, and this rousing drama pays overdue tribute to those who risk there lives (to quote the Coast Guard's motto) "so that others may live." "--Jeff Shannon"