Tuesday, October 10, 2023
A Civil Action
- Commentary: Under construction.
I have a very vague memory of watching this movie and enjoying it, but I remember nothing about it. However, it was incredibly cheap when I stumbled upon it so, I decided, I can afford to take an inexpensive chance. In addition, I happened to notice, while prepping for this write-up, that the cast is loaded with extraordinary, star-quality actors. I can't wait for my second viewing, which I'm thinking will probably really be my first viewing!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role John Travolta Jan Schlichtmann Robert Duvall Jerry Facher William H. Macy James Gordon Tony Shalhoub Kevin Conway Kathleen Quinlan Anne Anderson Željko Ivanek Bill Crowley Bruce Norris William Cheeseman Peter Jacobson Neil Jacobs John Lithgow Judge Walter Skinner Dan Hedaya John Riley James Gandolfini Al Love Stephen Fry George F. Pinder Sydney Pollack Al Eustis David Thornton Richard Aufiero Denise Dowse Judge Constance Mullen Mary Mara Kathy Boyer
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by Steven Zaillian.
Labels: dramaF, john-lithgow, john-travolta, legal, robert-duvall, željko-ivanek
Thursday, June 09, 2022
The Bourne Classified Collection
- Commentary: Go ahead. Make fun of me. I don't care. I love this series of movies for just pure action thriller enthrallment. I even like the one without Matt Damon. I was introduced to these movies through a friend of mine who you wouldn't expect would like them, since she's not ordinarily a fan of spy action-thrillers. She nagged me, though, until I finally started checking them out of the library, one by one. It is these movies that hooked me on action-thrillers. I don't know why I developed a taste for them late in life but, well, I did, and I'm enjoying the hell out of the flavor.
They are all personal guilty pleasures. Not much more to say about these movies that hasn't already been said, except I understand there's another in the theaters and I can't wait until it hits DVD. Well, I can wait until the price drops. There is even a slot in the collection's case for that DVD. You can bet I'll be filling it.
Update 6/2/2022: This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
The movies in this collection are:
The Bourne Identity
Did you know there is a 1988 version of this film (same name), a TV Mini Series starring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith? Although IMDb rated it a bit lower than this one, it wasn't a ratings slouch. If you read the comments, you'll notice that almost everyone liked to loved it; some even preferring it to the Matt Damon/Jeremy Renner franchise.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matt Damon Jason Bourne/David Webb Franka Potente Marie Kreutz Chris Cooper Alexander Conklin Clive Owen The Professor Brian Cox Ward Abbott Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Nykwana Wombosi Gabriel Mann Danny Zorn Julia Stiles Nicolette Parsons
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2002
Directed by Doug Liman.
The Bourne Supremacy
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matt Damon Jason Bourne Joan Allen Pamela Landy Brian Cox Ward Abbott Franka Potente Marie Kreutz Julia Stiles Nicolette Parsons Karl Urban Kirill Marton Csokas Jarda Oksana Akinshina Irena Neski
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2004
Directed Paul Greengrass.
→ joan-allen
The Bourne Ultimatum
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matt Damon Jason Bourne Julia Stiles Nicolette Parsons David Strathairn Noah Vosen Scott Glenn Ezra Kramer Paddy Considine Simon Ross Édgar Ramírez Paz Albert Finney Dr. Albert Hirsch Joan Allen Pamela Landy
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2007
Directed by Paul Greengrass.
→ joan-allen, david-straithairn
The Bourne Legacy
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jeremy Renner Kenneth James Kitsom/Aaron Cross Rachel Weisz Dr. Marta Shearing Edward Norton Col. Eric Byer Stacey Keach Mark Turso Dennis Boutsikaris Terrence Ward Oscar Isaac Outcome #3 Joan Allen Pamela Landy Albert Finney Dr. Albert Hirsch David Strathairn Noah Vosen Donna Murphy Dita Mandy Željko Ivanek Dr. Donald Foite Shane Jacobson Mackie
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2012
Directed Tony Gilroy.
→ joan-allen, željko-ivanek, david-straithairn
Jason Bourne
Update 2/5/2018: Yes, I purchased the fifth installment to fill the fifth slot in this collection, Jason Bourne, which surprised me. I actually expected it to be, well, more of the same. It was, but different. Interesting. Yes, I enjoy it as much as the first four. Yes, the purchase included a DVD copy, as well as a Blu-Ray copy. I may, later, pass the DVD copy off to someone who wants it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matt Damon Jason Bourne Tommy Lee Jones Robert Dewey Julia Stiles Nicolette Parsons Alicia Vikander Heather Lee Vincent Cassel The Asset Ato Essandoh Craig Jeffers Riz Ahmed Aaron Kalloor Scott Shepherd Edwin Russell
→ tommy-lee-jones
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2016
Directed Paul Greengrass.
Labels: §4, action1, adventure1, chris-cooper, david-strathairn, drama5, edward-norton, joan-allen, neo-noirB, oscar-isaac, political2, rachel-weisz, spy, super-hero2, thriller2, tommy-lee-jones, violence2, željko-ivanek
Friday, April 22, 2022
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Commentary: Under construction.
This is yet another movie that warranted two dedicated write-ups at Roger Ebert's website [the first review is linked to the title of this post, the second is immediately previous to this bracketed phrase] and several mentions in further articles about festival nominees and winners.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Frances McDormand Mildred Hayes Woody Harrelson Bill Willoughby Sam Rockwell Jason Dixon Abbie Cornish Anne Willoughby Lucas Hedges Robbie Hayes Željko Ivanek Cedric Connolly John Hawkes Charlie Hayes Peter Dinklage James
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2017
Directed by Martin McDonagh.
Labels: §4, detective1, john-hawkes, peter-dinklage, woody-harrelson, željko-ivanek
Friday, April 10, 2009
John Adams
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Yet another one of those teaching videos, for Mom. The Mention says it all. Yes, we made it through the entire series before she died. Yes, she was shocked and intrigued at the vaccination and breast cancer episodes; worthy of pauses and further discussion between us. During the breast cancer surgery (which wasn't completely displayed), she speculated, aloud, how lucky MCS (who is a breast cancer survivor) was that "we" weren't living during "those days". The surprising aspect of this was that my mother remembered that MCS had breast cancer several years ago.
Update 8/2/21: Well, Whad'ya know! The Washington Post is still allowing access to it's movie reviews, at least. Old ones, anyway. Thanks, WP! Just for that, I'll bold your reference and link to you!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Paul Giamatti John Adams Laura Linney Abigail Adams Stephen Dillane Thomas Jefferson David Morse George Washington Tom Wilkinson Benjamin Franklin Rufus Sewell Alexander Hamilton Justin Theroux John Hancock Danny Huston Samuel Adams Clancy O'Connor Edward Rutledge Željko Ivanek John Dickinson Ebon Moss-Bachrach John Quincy Adams Sarah Polley Abigail Adams Smith Andrew Scott William S. Smith Mamie Gummer Sally Smith Adams Samuel Barnett Thomas Adams Tom Hollander King George III
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2008
Directed by Tom Hooper.
Labels: david-morse, drama7, historical2, laura-linney, paul-giamatti, period3, political3, presidential, tom-wilkinson, TV1, war1, željko-ivanek
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Unfaithful
- Who's watched: Me, only
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: It took me a long time, and a great price, to decide to own this movie. I have to say, although, overall, for me, it's an enjoyable watch, especially considering the major change in Gere's "leading man" persona, I don't know, the story doesn't take it far enough for me. But, I was reminded of the aforementioned (in a "Mention") sex scene in some television compendium show of the 10 sexiest movie scenes in the last 100 years, I don't know, and this scene was one of them. I was reminded just previous to haunting our local DVD trade-in store. I had forgotten how riveting that scene is, and, a few others, as well.
Update 8/1/21: There was a link to the second mention, but in trying to correct it, I deleted it, didn't realize I deleted it, and saved this without the correction. I tried a few simple ways to recover it, but none of them worked. I also looked through my journals for it almost all of them and, frankly, I probably missed it. But I'm leaving it up there, without a link, to remind me, sometime in the future, I should try to recover the second mention of this movie.
Update 5/21/2022: I did finally, a while ago, find the link to the second mention. The reason it was so hard to find is that it wasn't in the general journals it was in this journal.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Gere Edward Sumner Diane Lane Constance Sumner Olivier Martinez Paul Martel Erik Per Sullivan Charlie Sumner Chad Lowe Bill Stone Dominic Chianese Frank Wilson Erich Anderson Bob Gaylord Michelle Monaghan Lindsay Kate Burton Tracy Margaret Colin Sally Željko Ivanek Det. Dean Michael Emerson Josh
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2002
Directed by Adrian Lyne.
Labels: drama8, erotic, mystery2, richard-gere, suspense2, željko-ivanek
Monday, November 14, 2005
The West Wing: The Entire Series
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: It took me a long time to decide to buy this series. When we watched it first run on TV I was never sure that Mom liked it. Finally, when the price dropped drastically and even more so at Costco, I picked up these seasons. To my surprise Mom was as fascinated with it in arrears as I am. We will probably and eventually purchase all the seasons, even the much maligned fifth and certainly the last season. Mom especially enjoys watching the episodes with the good subtitles and has mentioned that she "understands it a lot better" now that we can "rewind" when she doesn't catch something. When we watch this I am reminded how Mom still enjoys following politics even though she can't remember who the current president is and doesn't anymore care who it is.
I asked her, after we watched the first season on DVD, why she liked the show.
"It's like bartering in shops in Mexico," she said.
12/24/06 Update: You'll notice the designation has changed to "The Entire Series", rather than just seasons 1 & 2. I received the series this year as a surprise gift from a long time friend. It was an extreme surprise because he and I have never been known to exchange gifts, we rarely see each other, we don't email each other, we talk on the phone infrequently, and yet we remain bonded. He is one of the few people I know who is aware of my ambivalent interest in politics and my "secret" desire to become President of the United States. Truth is, I only vaguely remember talking to him about the series once, soon after it started, when Mom and I still lived part of the year in Mesa and, him living in Scottsdale, we spoke more frequently and occasionally visited one another. I do remember I was pretty excited about it, at the time we talked about it. So was he. He was recording the episodes. I wasn't, though. Funny thing, when I noticed that the entire series was available of a piece, I thought about buying it but since I already had the first two seasons and Mom and I hadn't watched it in awhile, I figured, well, maybe I should try it out on her again and see if I should collect the other seasons separately. I couldn't see spending the amount of money involved in purchasing the entire series when it would be cheaper for me to fill in the seasons. So, this was like one of those magical gift moments that blew me away!
Needless to say, I'll be turning the first two seasons in for credit at my usual search-for-bargains video store.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Martin Sheen Josiah Bartlet John Spencer Leo McGarry Bradley Whitford Josh Lyman Richard Schiff Toby Ziegler Allison Janney C.J. Cregg Janel Moloney Donna Moss Stockard Channing Abbey Bartlet Moira Kelly Mandy Hampton Joshua Malina Will Bailey Mary McCormack Kate Harper Alan Alda Arnold Vinick Jimmy Smits Matt Santos Rob Lowe Sam Seaborn Dulé Hill Charlie Young Kristin Chenoweth Annabeth Schott Lily Tomlin Deborah Fiderer
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the series.
Release Date: 1999-2006
Directed by, as usual, very few women, scattered throughout all seasons, mostly men.
Labels: aaron-sorkin, dramaA, dylan-baker, edward-james-olmos, female-director2, political4, presidential, TV2, william-devane, željko-ivanek
