Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  Despite its meager but complimentary review-of-sorts in the Reception section of this movie's Wikipedia write-up, the truth is, it's hard to find a review of this movie, let alone a positive review. This surprises me because I saw the movie sometime between its release in theaters and 1993, on home video, and I still remember it, still remember enjoying it, so much so that, when I was reminded of it a few days ago when ordering The Infernal Affairs Trilogy, I decided to purchase a copy.
    Regarding the all-over-the-map reviews of this movie, metacritic collates a score of "generally favorable reviews". The Los Angeles Times has a muddled write-up, praising some aspects of the movie while excoriating others, as does the WAPO review attached to the title of this post.
    I was introduced to this movie by my next door neighbor in Seattle who managed (and, later, owned) a video rental store. I was riveted. So was she, I might add, although she'd seen the movie more than a few times. I have not seen this movie since. I've been reminded of it a lot throughout the intervening years, just not when I was renting or buying videos. Now, that situation has been corrected, I'm pleased to say. I'm really looking forward to Richard Gere's delightfully smarmy performance of a disgustingly smarmy cop.
    Once I receive the movie and watch it, again, I'm sure I'll be back, so, consider this post under construction.
  Update 11/15/22:  I've been watching this movie throughout the night, on again, off again. I was not disappointed! It is full of thrilling suspense. The acting is solid. The storytelling is point-by-point and leaves no holes through which the watcher might fall at the end. The entire movie is rather like looking at a crooked smile. When you turn away you're still a bit on edge, but you know the crookedness is "right", the only way, really, it could be. I remembered my first watch of it as deeply satisfying, and, just so, it was, again. And, man, I gotta tell ya, those late 80's-early 90's clothes and hair styles! What a treat! I'd forgotten that's what people who were considered part of "the professional class" wanted to, and did, look like back then! I'm glad I obtained this movie. I'll definitely be watching this again.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Richard Gere	Ofc Dennis Peck	Andy García	Sgt Raymond Avilla	Nancy Travis	Kathleen Avilla	Laurie Metcalf	Sgt Amy Wallace
  Annabella Sciorra	Heather Peck	William Baldwin	Ofc Van Stretch	Faye Grant	Penny Stretch	Elijah Wood	Sean Stretch

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1990
    Directed by Mike Figgis.

Labels: action4, andy-garcía, detective1, laurie-metcalf, loose-cannon-cop, neo-noirB, popcorn-and-soda7, richard-gere

# posted by gail @ 15:35    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Infernal Affairs
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Andy Lau	Sr Inspr Lau Kin-ming	Edison Chen	Young Lau Kin-ming	Tony Leung	Chan Wing-yan	Shawn Yue	Young Chan Wing-yan

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2002
      Directed by Andrew Lau, Alan Mak.
  
  
  • Infernal Affairs II
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Anthony Wong	Wong Chi-shing	Eric Tsang	Hon Sam	Carina Lau	Mary Sam	Francis Ng	Ngai Wing-hau

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2003
      Directed by Andrew Lau, Alan Mak.
  
  
  • Infernal Affairs III
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Andy Lau	Sr Inspr Lau Kin-Ming	Edison Chen	Young Lau Kin-Ming	Tony Leung	Chan Wing-Yan	Shawn Yue	Young Chan Wing-Yan

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2003
      Directed by Andrew Lau, Alan Mak.
  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film series.
    Release Date: 2002, 2003
    Directed by Andrew Lau, Alan Mak.

Labels: §5, Criterion5, detective1, neo-noirB

# posted by gail @ 11:05    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I am still trying to get through this one. I've started it several times and within a half hour I stop it and go on to something else. I'm not sure why, but I remember telling one of my sisters the first time I tried to watch it, primarily because, at the time, it was one of her son's favorite movies and I like to keep up with my nieces and nephews like that, that "Dark" was certainly an appropriate word for the movie and I hoped to get through it. It's weird, too, because I like dark stuff, bloody stuff, violent stuff, and I love a lot of Christopher Nolan's work. And yet ... maybe I'll try again tonight.
  Update 1/17/2021:  I now have two copies of this movie, the second of which came in The Dark Knight Trilogy.
  Update 6/1/2022:  After having spent some time watching The Dark Knight Trilogy twice, I have changed my opinion of not only this movie but the entire trilogy and, I think, this particular movie rivals the first, Batman Begins, as my favorite of the trilogy. I don't know how I could not have been smitten, during my first attempted viewing, with Heath Ledger's portrayal of Joker. Perhaps it was the lack of a back story that caused a lag in my appreciation.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Christian Bale	Bruce Wayne/Batman	Michael Caine	Alfred Pennyworth	Heath Ledger	Joker	Morgan Freeman	Lucius Fox
  Gary Oldman	James Gordon	Aaron Eckhart	Harvey Dent/Two-Face	Maggie Gyllenhaal	Rachel Dawes	Richie Coster	Chechen

  
    Originally published in this journal on 081416.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2008
    Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Labels: christian-bale, christopher-nolan, heath-ledger, maggie-gyllenhaal, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirB, super-hero2

# posted by gail @ 12:55    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  The first time I saw this I stumbled across it on cable. I thought it was another movie I'd seen and loved, Body Heat. It wasn't, but I loved it anyway.
    I wouldn't consider it spectacular, as some do, and the pairing of DeNiro and Pacino was hyped all out of proportion to the lack of relationship their characters had. Additionally, when I perused the list of actors, it was difficult not to consider that this script might have been a bit of a dump for actors who were out of work and scrounging, at the time it was cast. But, I'm glad I own it. I'll watch it again. Good rainy day movie.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Al Pacino	Lt. Vincent Hanna	Robert De Niro	Neil McCauley	Val Kilmer	Chris Shiherlis	Jon Voight	Nate
  Tom Sizemore	Michael Cheritto	Diane Venora	Justine Hanna	Amy Brenneman	Eady	Ashley Judd	Charlene Shiherlis
  Mykelti Williamson	Sgt. Bobby Drucker	Wes Studi	Lt. Sammy Casals	Ted Levine	Det. Mike Bosko	Dennis Haysbert	Don Breedan
  Natalie Portman	Lauren Gustafson	Hank Azaria	Alan Marciano	Danny Trejo	Trejo	Jeremy Piven	Dr. Bob

  
    Originally published in this journal on 081416.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1995
    Directed by Michael Mann.
  

Labels: al-pacino, gang-movie, neo-noirB, robert-de-niro, wes-studi

# posted by gail @ 11:59    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Love it, love it, love it. I'm glad I own a copy. I was thrilled when I noticed that this movie was in the collection. It's one of the reasons I bought the collection. When I watch it I even remember my reactions when I first saw it in the theater.
    Although I was my mother's companion by that time, I did not take her to see it with me. I asked her, but she refused, and I wasn't surprised. She never appreciated crime drama of any kind, let alone grisly crime drama. That's just who she was.
    Roger Ebert also christened this movie as one of his Great Movies.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Brad Pitt	Det. David Mills	Morgan Freeman	Det. Lt. William Somerset	Gwyneth Paltrow	Tracy Mills	Kevin Spacey	John Doe
  R. Lee Ermey	Police Captain	Richard Roundtree	D. A. Martin Talbot	Richard Schiff	Mark Swarr	Mark Boone Junior	Greasy FBI Man

  
    Originally published in this journal on 081416.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1995
    Directed by David Fincher.

Labels: morgan-freeman, neo-noirB

# posted by gail @ 11:41    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I have two copies of this movie: one is the normal presentation with no special features. The Criterion version is loaded with interesting, thoughtful goodies. I bought the stripped version without realizing Criterion was as fascinated with the movie as I am. Once I realized that a Criterion version exists, well, I needed those special Criterion features. It was worth it. I may pass the plain version onto someone in my family. We'll see. In the meantime, if one of them blows up, I always have the other! Which is good, because this movie always holds my interest, no matter how many times I see it. What a way to find out what people really think of you, and to figure out how to care about that!
  Update 6/9/2022:  This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Michael Douglas	Nicholas van Orton	Sean Penn	Conrad van Orton	Deborah Kara Unger	Christine/Claire	James Rebhorn	Jim Feingold
  Peter Donat	Samuel Sutherland	Carroll Baker	Ilsa	Armin Mueller-Stahl	Anson Baer	Anna Katarina	Elizabeth
  Charles Martinet	Nicholas' Father	Mark Boone Junior	Private Investor	Tommy Flanagan	Solicitor/Taxi Driver	Spike Jonze	Airbag EMT Beltran

  
    Here is the Wikipedia write-up on the film.
    Release Date: 1997
    Directed by David Fincher.

Labels: carroll-baker, Criterion1, michael-douglas, neo-noirB, suspense1, thriller1

# posted by gail @ 13:41    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  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

# posted by gail @ 11:55    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Part of Warner Brothers 4 Film Favorites collection. This is the other one-of-two in this collection that I had seen and enjoyed, in the theater, in fact, in Seattle, with a friend. Michael Keaton's portrayal of the apartment scam psycho is delicious. The story was, and is, fun, novel and creepy. I wouldn't have bought it if I hadn't gotten it so cheaply and serendipitously, but I'm glad I own it. The four movies in the collection are this one, Diabolique, The Crush and Copycat.
  Update 6/2/2022:  This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Melanie Griffith	Patricia Palmer	Matthew Modine	Drake Goodman	Michael Keaton	Carter Hayes/James Danforth	Mako	Toshio Watanabe
  Nobu McCarthy	Mira Watanabe	Laurie Metcalf	Stephanie MacDonald	Luca Bercovici	Greg	Tippi Hedren	Florence Peters

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1990
    Directed by John Schlesinger.

Labels: drama6, folk-horror, laurie-metcalf, matthew-modine, mystery1, neo-noirB, popcorn-and-soda2, thriller2

# posted by gail @ 20:47    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
  
  
  
  
  
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Al Pacino	Det. Will Dormer	Robin Williams	Walter Finch	Hilary Swank	Det. Ellie Burr	Maura Tierney	Rachel Clement

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2002
    Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Labels: al-pacino, christopher-nolan, neo-noirB, police-procedural, psychological2, robin-williams, thriller2

# posted by gail @ 01:14    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    This film was remade by Christopher Nolan, starring Al Pacino, and released in 2002, to excellent reviews.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Stellan Skarsgård	Jonas Engström	Sverre Anker Ousdal	Erik Vik	Bjørn Floberg	Jon Holt	Gisken Armand	Hilde Hagen

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1997
    Directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg.

Labels: §3, neo-noirB, police-procedural, thriller2

# posted by gail @ 17:24    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Iconic movie. Iconic acting performances. Iconic sets. Iconic lines. Iconic set pieces. Iconic photography. Despite PC quibbles throughout the years from feminists and LGBTQ activists regarding Foster's and Levine's characters, this movie has been assured, as well, an iconic role in filmography for the ages. It set standards for a variety of production values in film entertainment that, in many cases, haven't been superceded.
    Myself? I found it even more involving and enjoyable than any previous viewings; that's right, I'm not sure whether I've only see it once before, or more. There have always been bits of it I haven't been able to release from my mind, though, which is why I finally obtained the movie and am glad I did. To me, this is one of those one-of-a-kind productions that I refer back to when watching other movies of the same genre. Although, come to think of it, as far as the horror genre goes, there is one other that stands alone, for me, and to which I compare others in this genre: Midsommar. In my mind, these two movies stand, side-by-side, atop sub-categories in horror all their own.
    What a delight it was to watch this movie again! What a delight it will be to know I can watch it, yet again, any time I want!
    I thought I remembered a final scene in which Lecter is on a plane seated next to a young boy and shares some liver pâté with him, presumably from his latest victim. Missing this scene in this movie bothered me so much that I looked it up. Turns out, it's in the sequel to this movie, Hannibal, a 2001 production, and it wasn't pâté Lecter shared, it was brains, presumably Krendler's. I watched this movie and, as well, enjoyed it, but not enough to be driven to obtain it. At least, though, I solved the mystery of my memory of a "missing" scene.
    In 2001, Roger Ebert reconsidered his 1991 3.5 star review of this movie, rewrote the review, recalibrated it to 4 stars and assigned Silence of the Lambs Great Movies status.
    This edition features a second disc loaded, I mean, loaded, with special features, including a three part documentary with Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster about several aspects of making the movie. Way to steal my heart! I can't wait to go through them!
  Update: 4/27/2022:  BTW, I haven't yet cracked the special features on the second disc of this particular dvd presentation of this movie. If there's anything noteworthy that I'm provoked to write about, I'll add my comments, later.
  Update: 4/28/2022:  I watched all the special features for this edition last night, well over two hours of material. Many of the special features were recorded a decade or more after the initial release of the film. All the special features were worth a watch. Many of them focused on the relationships between the actors as they worked, including their surprise at and appreciation of their colleagues' bit tricks, so to speak, and their ability to encourage each others' performances with these acting tics. There was also quite a bit of eye-opening, appreciative comment on Jonathan Demme's process and procedure, as well as detailed commentary on his adaptation of the book into a movie. I love special features like this, that delve into the techniques used by actors and crew during the filming of movies. If you've got the "Collector's Edition" of this movie and you're fascinated by movies, don't ignore the special features about this movie!
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Jodie Foster	Clarice Starling	Anthony Hopkins	Hannibal Lecter	Ted Levine	Jame Gumb	Scott Glenn	Jack Crawford
  Anthony Heald	Frederick Chilton	Brooke Smith	Catherine Martin	Diane Baker	Ruth Martin	Chris Isaak	SWAT Commander

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date:1991
    Directed by Jonathan Demme.

Labels: anthony-hopkins, detective1, dramaF, gender-bender, horror2, jodie-foster, mystery2, neo-noirB, psychological2, suspense3, thriller2, violence4

# posted by gail @ 12:29    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  9/17/21:  Just a note before continuing on to watch the last movie in this trilogy: Although I don't think I've watched the third movie before, I kind of get the feeling, from having just watched this one that this second movie is, essentially, a connector between the first and the third. Although events take place, decisions are made and actions are taken, one of which is very important to the second and third movies, this movie, I think (and I'll confirm or refute this after having watched the whole trilogy) appears to have no story and minimal character development. I think this movie was made as a background construction to hold the third movie in place. I'll let you know, later, if I figured this right. [Update 9/18/2021:  Yes, I figured this right.]
    Not, mind you, that I didn't enjoy it. Information is always a personal delight, with or without narrative, for me. But, you know, I can't imagine having watched this as a stand-alone movie and gotten any satisfaction from it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Noomi Rapace	Lisbeth Salander	Michael Nyqvist	Mikael Blomkvist	Lena Endre	Erika Berger	Peter Andersson	Nils Erik Bjurman
  Per Oscarsson	Holger Palmgren	Georgi Staykov	Alexander Zalachenko	Sofia Ledarp	Malin Eriksson	Annika Hallin	Annika Giannini

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2009
    Directed by Daniel Alfredson.

Labels: action3, detective1, father-daughter-dynamics, journalism, neo-noirB, revenge1, super-hero2, suspense3, thriller2, violence4, women's-movie2

# posted by gail @ 17:11    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  With this movie, the last of the Lisbeth Salander Millenium Trilogy, Lisbeth Salander clearly enters super-hero status, at least in my opinion.
    What are her super powers? Her intellect, her anger and her personal agency.
    Yes, it takes a village, as a prominent, actual super-villian of our own time was fond of saying, while showing that she not only did not believe in the village, she abhorred the village residents and was all too eager to spit on them and relegate them to classless status.
    Lisbeth Salander was not particularly fond of the residents of the village, either, but, while she is, essentially, fond of no one, she was willing, in this particular trilogic adventure, to work with them, those, at least, who she felt could be trusted, to secure her freedom and, often, theirs. She was also more than willing to condemn and seek the incarceration or death of those who hated the villagers and worked against them. Thus, she was trusted by all who sought to help her or simply noticed her on the street and only begrudgingly and fearfully villified by those who sought her destruction.
    Excellent trilogy of movies about a powerful, yet oblique, woman. Most women are oblique, unfortunately. Their societies tend to make them so. All women, however, are powerful, in part because of their obliquity.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Noomi Rapace	Lisbeth Salander	Michael Nyqvist	Mikael Blomkvist	Lena Endre	Erika Berger	Annika Hallin	Annika Giannini
  Sofia Ledarp	Malin Eriksson	Jacob Ericksson	Christer Malm	Georgi Staykov	Alexander Zalachenko	Aksel Morisse	Dr. Jonasson

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2009
    Directed by Daniel Alfredson.

Labels: action3, detective1, neo-noirB, revenge1, super-hero2, suspense3, thriller2, violence4, women's-movie2

# posted by gail @ 17:07    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  You'll notice that this Lisbeth Salander movie and the other two are listed out of sequence on this side of my journal. That's because I'll not be receiving the third until next week. I don't know why. According the the Post Office, they're all originating from the same facility, but, I guess, not shipping at the same time. Oh well. I'm waiting until I have all three, sometime next week, to watch them all, back to back, in order, in a Lisbeth Salander revelry. I've not seen any of the other Salander movies, only the ones in the Millenium series in which our heroine is played by Noomi Rapace. I've also read all those books, but no more. Perhaps I'll develop a hankering for the other Salander movies, and books, by the time I get through these. I've seen the first, and I have vague memories that make me think I've seen the second, at some time, perhaps at someone else's home, which is always a dicey exercise for me, since, it never fails, when you watch a movie at someone else's house you are also obligated to listen to their commentary and engage in polite visitation rituals, which, inevitably, take place while the movie is playing. Now, dear reader, do you understand why I have my own movie collection?!?
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Noomi Rapace	Lisbeth Salander	Michael Nyqvist	Mikael Blomkvist	Lena Endre	Erika Berger	Sven-Bertil Taube	Henrik Vanger
  Peter Haber	Martin Vanger	Peter Andersson	Nils Bjurman	Marika Lagercrantz	Cecilia Vanger	Ingvar Hirdwall	Dirch Frode
  Björn Granath	Gustav Morell	Ewa Fröling	Harriet Vanger	Michalis Koutsogiannakis	Dragan Armansky	Annika Hallin	Annika Giannini

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2009
    Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.

Labels: action3, character-study, detective1, journalism, neo-noirB, revenge1, super-hero2, suspense3, thriller2, violence4, women's-movie2

# posted by gail @ 17:03    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    This movie was originally listed in the post Movies I've Seen, Do Not Own but Can't Forget. I own this movie, now. Here is the commentary I wrote for it in my wish list post: "Okay. This is yet another of my juicy fetishes. I love the story: corruption galore, even within the best of the characters. Laurence Fishburne: come on, how can you resist this character of his?!? [How can you resist anything done by Laurence Fishburne?!?] And Goldblum's rendering of Jason, and the way the pair plays off one another, oh, my, my! This movie, for me, falls into the same category as the Equalizer movies and the John Wick movies. Although I enjoy all of them, I have to say, I favor this one because the character is not squeaky clean, like Washington's McCall, nor is he on a sacred rampage, like Reeves' Wick. In fact, at the end of the movie, you are left wondering about the content of Stevens' character. I can't help but think that Fishburne, Goldblum and their fellow actors had loads of fun making this movie."
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Laurence Fishburne	DEA Agt. Russell Stevens Jr./John Hull	Jeff Goldblum	David Jason	Yvette Heyden	Nancy Jason	Charles Martin Smith	DEA Agt. Gerry Carver
  Victoria Dillard	Betty McCutcheon	Gregory Sierra	Felix Barbosa	David Weixelbaum	Chino	Glynn Turman	Russell Stevens Sr.
  Arthur Mendoza	Anton Gallegos	Clarence Williams III	Dt. Taft	Roger Guenveur Smith	Eddie	James T. Morris	Ivy

  
    Here is the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
    Release Date: 1992
    Directed by Bill Duke.

Labels: Criterion2, dramaD, laurence-fishburne, loose-cannon-cop, neo-noirB, police-procedural, violence3

# posted by gail @ 12:37    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  This is an endlessly interesting origin story for Batman. All the major characters that people Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy are introduced, including Batman as a boy and how, exactly, the death of his parents leads him to become Batman. No need to say anymore, except, I'm a fan of the entire trilogy.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Christian Bale	Bruce Wayne/Batman	Linus Roache	Thomas Wayne	Sara Stewart	Martha Wayne	Morgan Freeman	Lucius Fox
  Michael Caine	Alfred Pennyworth	Liam Neeson	Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul	Katie Holmes	Rachel Dawes	Gary Oldman	James Gordon
  Cillian Murphy	Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow	Tom Wilkinson	Carmine Falcone	Rutger Hauer	William Earle	Ken Watanabe	decoy Ra's al Ghul

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
    Release Date: 2005
    Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Labels: action2, adventure2, christian-bale, christopher-nolan, coming-of-age1, drama1, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirB, psychological1, super-hero1, suspense1, tom-wilkinson, violence1

# posted by gail @ 01:01    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  By now you should know that I like gangster movies. Not all, mind you, but the complicated ones, the touching ones, the ones that are created out of reverie rather than a desire for action. Thus, it shouldn't surprise you that this movie has made it into my collection. I rank it up there with my (so far) favorite three gangster movies of all time, Once Upon a Time in America, The Godfather (the first, although I love the second and like the third and always watch all three together, even though the third causes me to involuntarily cringe, at times) and, you'll never guess, or maybe you will, The Public Enemy. Now, I have a list of four favorite gangster movies.
    In all but one of the above movies (The Public Enemy) the primary action is emotional, not physical. The melodrama is understated, which is why I don't include Godfather III in this line-up, which is all melodrama. Considering this second point, why do I include The Public Enemy as one of my top four gangster movies? That one is all melodrama, as well. Mainly, I think, because I identify with Tom Powers, so the melodrama is beside the point. I've known people like him. Personally. I dealt with one last year. I don't identify with anyone, let alone Michael Corleone, in Godfather III, even though I identified with him in both The Godfather and The Godfather II. Finally, why, then, do I not include The Godfather II as one of my top gangster movies? It's not far below but I don't consider it a gangster movie. I consider it a family saga about the establishment of both the Corleone blood-related and business-related families.
    So, yes. This movie, American Gangster (this link is to the Wikipedia write-up of this movie), is detailed, involving, polished. There has been plenty of criticism of its accuracy. According to Wikipedia, "...Johnson described the real life Lucas as 'illiterate, vicious, violent, and everything Denzel Washington was not.'" Okay. The Frank Lucas in this film is "'almost noble'", which the real Richie Roberts contrasts with the real object of his law enforcement attention. I think that other character, the "real" Frank Lucas, would be a great subject for a great film, as well. In fact, that character is the subject of a great film: The Public Enemy. I have no quarrel with this, even as I really love Denzel Washington's gangster depiction. Every gangster is a person and every person is different. The character Denzel Washington played may have been different than the real Frank Lucas, but I like his characterization, this story. I think, frankly, after having seen Training Day, Denzel could play that Frank Lucas successfully, as well. That's a movie I'd definitely see and probably buy. Is anyone in the film community listening?
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Denzel Washington	Frank Lucas	Russell Crowe	Richie Roberts	Chiwetel Ejiofor	Huey Lucas	Josh Brolin	Det. Trupo
  Clarence Williams III	Bumpy Johnson	Lymari Nadal	Eva	Ted Levine	Lou Toback	John Hawkes	Freddy Spearman
  Ruby Dee	Mahalee Lucas	Cuba Gooding Jr.	Nicky Barnes	Armand Assante	Dominic Cattano	Ritchie Coster	Joey Sadano
  Idris Elba	Tango	KaDee Strickland	Richie's Attorney	Roger Guenveur Smith	Nate	John Ortiz	Javier J Rivera

  
    Release Date: 2007
    Directed by Ridley Scott.

Labels: action1, adventure1, biography1, denzel-washington, drama3, gang-movie, historical2, john-hawkes, josh-brolin, legal, neo-noirB, period2, ridley-scott, ruby-dee, russell-crowe, violence2

# posted by gail @ 11:33    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Definitely a guilty-pleasures movie for me!
    Love the "Hallelujah Chorus" sequence! Love the cinematography! Love the twisty-turny story! Love the final catch-him sequence! Love this pairing of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage!
    I watched this movie again a few days ago (it's one of those for which I get a hankering) and, as usual, laughed out loud in delight, even though I was watching it alone.
    Just an action gem! A John Woo masterpiece.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  John Travolta	Sean Archer	Nicolas Cage	Castor Troy	Joan Allen	Eve Archer	Alessandro Nivola	Pollux Troy
  Gina Gershon	Sasha Hassler	Dominique Swain	Jamie Archer	Nick Cassavetes	Dietrich Hassler	Harve Presnell	Victor Lazarro
  Colm Feore	Dr. Malcolm Walsh	John Carroll Lynch	Prison Guard Walton	CCH Pounder	Hollis Miller	Tommy Flanagan	Leo

  
    Just in case, the Wikipedia write-up for this movie is here.
    Release Date: 1997
    Directed by John Woo.

Labels: action1, drama4, joan-allen, john-travolta, me-favorite1, neo-noirB, nicolas-cage, popcorn-and-soda2, science-fiction1, suspense1, thriller1, violence2

# posted by gail @ 09:40    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I know, I know, what am I doing with this movie, relatively unknown, certainly a peculiar take on Christianity's final judgment doctrine, in my collection? Let me explain. I saw this movie when I was living in Seattle, when it premiered in the theater. I decided to see it after reading Roger Ebert's remarkable review of the movie, linked to the title of this post.
    No, I am not a believer, for all practical purposes I've never been, but I lived, in my teenage years, with a relative who became a rabid Christian fundamentalist and spent quite a bit of her time at home (which was, in those days, less time than she spent at church functions) trying to convert the rest of the family (which she never accomplished; an unusual defeat considering that the usually successful tactic of the church with which she was associated was to snatch the teens and badger them to convert their families). I was particularly affected, to the point of studying scripture, despite my lack of faith, and presenting her with an essay about how, if her beliefs were true, I was willing to be eternally damned. Some years later this relative renounced her belief, with her husband, whom she met in the church, and became a staunch atheist and Unitarian Universalist. I've remained an agnostic atheist with a fascination for religious rabidity and the media it inspires. This is my favorite movie of that genre. Notice all the labels I've attached to it. It affects me on several levels, of which I am reminded at least once a year since I obtained it.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Mimi Rogers	Sharon	David Duchovny	Randy	Kimberly Cullum	Mary	Darwyn Carson	Maggie
  Patrick Bauchau	Vic	James LeGros	Tommy	Will Patton	Deputy Foster	Sam Vlahos	Wayne

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1991
    Directed by Michael Tolkin.

Labels: adventure1, apocalyptic, bible-movies1, drama4, dream1, fantasy1, film-art1, haunting1, jesus-dvds, me-favorite1, neo-noirB, prophecy, spiritual1, suspense1

# posted by gail @ 08:42    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  This one is my treat, one of my trance movies. I don't know if Mom will ever see this movie. I think it would bore her. She does not find representations of the internal flights of one's mind interesting, not even if a story centers around them. She is a "what did they do", not a "what were they thinking" person. I think this is because she is such a quick study in regards to picking up on what people are thinking...but, considers that what a person is thinking is absolutely no excuse for bad behavior.
  Update 5/11/2020:  Per my above prediction, and my machinations, Mom never saw this movie. Frankly, if she's "out there somewhere", I think she would still feel that it would have been a waste to time to watch it. Go, Mom!
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Sean Gullette	Maximillian Cohen	Mark Margolis	Sol Robeson	Ben Shenkman	Lenny Meyer	Samia Shoaib	Devi
  Pamela Hart	Marcy Dawson	Stephen Pearlman	Rabbi Cohen	Ajay Naidu	Farouq	Kristyn Mae-Anne Lao	Jenna

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1998
    Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Labels: A24, darren-aronofsky, dramaB, dream1, film-art2, me-favorite3, mystery2, neo-noirB

# posted by gail @ 15:12    0 comments    email......this post