The Movie Journal

  The Hard Way (1991) I suppose The Hard Way is a better movie than I initially gave it props for. Yes, the plot is formulaic to the point where you are saying, “Are there any more ideas left in Hollywood?” I predicted nearly everything that happened, yet…I had fun. This action/comedy, which stars James Woods and Michael J. Fox as unlikely buddies, has lots of energy reminiscent of screwball comedies from the days of Old Hollywood. Both Fox and Woods work off one another and Daniel Pyne’s/Lem Dobb’s screenplay allows both actors some room to say and do crazy stuff. Admittedly, some of the lines are hilarious. The final half of the movie is about crazy action and special effects that rarely wants to let up. Think about the Mt. Rushmore scene in North by Northwest and change the setting to Times Square. As a New York resident, I think it is fun to see everyone’s favorite tourist destination get leveled in some crazy action sequences. In an era where action films were at their best, t...

  The Doors (1991) If you spoke to any hard-enthused hipster from the 1960’s, you would learn what a legend Jim Morrison, the frontman of the rock’n’roll band The Doors, was. He was known for his onstage antics and he lived the life of the pill and the bottle until his untimely death at the age of 27. He left behind an amazing catalog of songs that people still listen to today. “The End” is an incredible rock song that became meaningful to me. For a long, long time, people have been trying to capitalize on this myth. Enter Oliver Stone, the man behind the hard-hitting Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July . Stone, for a long time, tried to make a biographical film about Morrison. I can’t say I was particularly pleased with the final film. Stone indulges in Morrison’s dark side for the entire time and makes him seem to be some crazy loon. Val Kilmer himself is electrifying as Morrison. He looks like and even sounds like Morrison. Unfortunately, he was let down by a shallow script, ...

  Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 15 "Will You Take My Hand? February 11, 2018  I seemed to like the season finale, “Will You Take My Hand?” better than most folks. Hope and inspiration has always been a cornerstone of this franchise and the episode, mainly towards the end, takes advantage of those feelings to deliver hopeful speech after speech. While well-intentioned, it does feel grating but it is necessary to have these speeches. People also didn’t seem to like the absolute ending with the arrival of Christopher Pike and the U.S.S Enterprise , the only ship I have some familiarity with. Do we need to tread familiar ground? For me, I do not mind it. I want more adventures with Pike and the crew! I liked the visual scope of the episode. We were treated to an exploration of Qo’nos, the home planet of the Klingons. I was not surprised about the seedy, underground look. The creature design is also exemplary. I liked the character development of Burnham throughout the ep...

  Singin' in the Rain (1952) In one of the earlier films that Hollywood has made about itself, there is no other adjective that can be used to describe 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain except for delightful. When Gene Kelly stepped outside, oblivious to the rain, to joyfully declare his love for a gal, a big smile arose on my face. This lamppost scene is an iconic scene that every movie lover knows about. I have no idea why it took me so long to see the movie, but better late than never! For one hour and forty-three minutes, I was in a state of joy watching Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds work their magic. Considering this an Arthur Freed production, you are pretty much guaranteed that there will be great music, lavish sets/costumes, and pitch-perfect dance choreography. The music certainly wasn’t new (as most of them were older Freed songs), but the song versions from this movie are certainly the most memorable. When I think about the title song, “Singin’ in the Rain,” ...

  The Silence of the Lambs (1991) “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”  If you so happen to be drinking a glass of chianti (or anything for that matter) when starting The Silence of the Lambs , you might want to think again. I have seen so many movies during my lifetime. I have seen enough crime thrillers with blood, guts, and then some so that I would be accustomed to anything that any filmmaker would throw at me. This 1991 film, that gave its credence to crime procedurals, still unnerves me every time I watch the movie. Anthony Hopkins delivers the creepiest, most villainous performance out of anyone that has ever been on screen…seriously. I even have goosebumps just writing these words. His presence is only known for about sixteen minutes, but his shadow exists even if his actual character is not around. The way Hopkins uses his voice, sounding like Katherine Hepburn trying to creep someone out, is unnatural and ch...

L.A. Story (1991)   Many movies have been influenced by New York culture. New York is the big East Coast city that has been a setting for movies time after time. Why not give another city its due respect? That is what screenwriter and lead actor Steve Martin thought. His comedic takes on Los Angeles is spot on, at least according to my LA friends. I may not live in California. Heck, I have never been there. But some of the dear people in my life herald from this area, so I found comedic value. Sure, they played up the comedy with the freeway shootout and socially acceptable mugging bit. It’s relatable comedy. I think New Yorkers will love the scenes with Patrick Stewart as the Maitre D at this upscale French restaurant. The food culture in both cities rings very true, even to this day more than thirty years after the movie was released. When people visit LA or Hollywood for the first time, people expect to be in seventh heaven. Martin wants people to keep their ideas in check with ...

  White Fang (1991) If you are craving an animal film, may I recommend Randal Kleiser’s White Fang ? It is based very loosely from the famous Jack London novel as the filmmakers took certain liberties which may have been for the best. The source material was mainly a comparison between dogs and humans with humans falling short of our favorite four-legged friends. This movie, on the other hand, is more of a human story. A story about the friendship of man and dog. It is a heartwarming thing watching this young man and this wolf-dog develop a deep relationship. This is the best part of the movie, watching the two creatures save each other. When the dog saves the human from a massive bear attack, I actually believed the dog could take on the bear. Look at the size of those massive fangs! The story itself is fairly predictable. I knew what was going to happen and how the film was going to end. The script could have been better. Thankfully the film works because of Kleiser’s confident d...

  Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 14 "The War Without, the War Within"  February 04, 2018 “The War Without, The War Within” is a decent episode that answers some hardpressed questions, yet also asks some more. It has the feeling of a Star Trek episode especially when Stamets uses science to come up with an idea on how to grow all the spores at once. The performances were fantastic all across the board. Jayne Brook had lots to work with as Admiral Cornwell had many important scenes. Michelle Yeoh continues to have the most impressive scenes as I continue to find Georgiou fascinating. She is involved in yet another twist, but this time she has to pretend to be the “real” Georgiou to lead a mission to the Klingon’s home planet of Qo’noS. The visuals remain very strong as that has been the case each episode. I was not as enamored with the writing. The melodrama between Tyler and Burnham…is tiring. He even goes as far to say that Michael is partly to blame. Seriously? Wri...

  Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 13 "What's Past is Prologue" January 28, 2018 “What’s Past is Prologue” (whose title is taken from a Shakespeare play), is a very fun episode. It can be labeled as a finale of sorts, because it is the final episode in the Mirror Universe. The events that occurred in this episode leads to a surprise ending. Courage and bravery are some of the themes at play here, especially considering this world is led by the fascist Terran Empire that only exists to subjugate non-humans into slavery and other horrible things. The chemistry between Sonequa Martin-Green and Michelle Yeoh continues to be one of my favorite things about this series. There was even a nice little twist for the Empress as she is taken back to the real world of our heroes. The action remains strong, even if people believe there is too much action for a Star Trek series. Honestly, I do not mind. And we say our farewells to Lorca who meets his maker from the hands of the ...

  City Lights (1931) This is how you do a comedy that is timeless and heartfelt. Then again, Charlie Chaplin was a legend when it came to making these types of films. The Little Tramp is such an iconic character, even to this day, nearly a century after the Tramp was born in the mind of Chaplin. Chaplin knew how to work with the silent film format to deliver a moving, yet hilarious film. I never knew a silent film would be capable of having me bowled over in laughter. Yet, here we are. There is a reason why critics lauded City Lights as Chaplin’s best film. I still think Modern Times is slightly better, but this 1931 feature is right up there. Some of the scenes are just so funny. My favorite sequence, which I am sure others can agree, is the boxing sequence. The Tramp uses a weird choreography to befuddle his opponent and the referee…while having the audience laugh their minds out. I also adored that spaghetti sequence. Finally, when compared to earlier films, Chaplin uses roman...