Movie #713 ..........................."National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"

Movie #713 "Christmas Vacation" (National Lampoon) --- believe it or not, I've never really sat down and watched this before, but I can safely say I didn't miss much. I had seen the Europe vacation one (with Wally World) and found that moderately amusing, but this one, not so much. It never caught my interest to sit intently to watch it --- it was on in the background while I was wrapping gifts and cleaning for company. I had heard that lots of people have the lines memorized, so I wanted to see what the Hubub was all about -- I'm not the audience --- when a film crosses the stupid line, I don't think it is very funny --- and that's what happened here. I'm sure lots of families can enjoy it together, and for that reason, it serves a purpose, and Chevy Chase is always fun to watch for a while, but I don't need to see this again real soon --- not even again next Christmas. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 1989 PG-13 97 minutes Hapless Clark, exasperated Ellen and their ever-changing kids take on Christmas in this holiday classic. As usual, all their good intentions can't save them from disaster ... or Cousin Eddie, whose surprise visit throws them into disarray. Cast:Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cody Burger, Ellen Hamilton Latzen, William Hickey, Mae Questel, Sam McMurray, Nicholas Guest, Nicolette Scorsese, Brian Doyle-Murray, Natalia Nogulich Genre:Slapstick, Cult Comedies, Comedy

Movie #712 ........................."Two Weeks"

Movie #712 "Two Weeks" is one of the movies that I think will be removed from the streaming list at the first of the year, and netflix said I would like it, and they were right, I did. There was some controversy over this one because it is about Sally Field dying in the course of the film, about 2 weeks, with her kids sitting around and waiting. As a result, it is very tense and sad, but it has lot of humor, and some people don't think it is a laughing matter---I enjoyed watching all the interactions of the brothers and sisters in an extremely sad situation/family tragedy. And the cast is very competent, esp. Sally Field, who handles the stressful part well. If it's true a good movie takes you to places you've never been before or ever want to be, this is an example of the latter --- I liked it! I give it 3.9 stars out of 5 Two Weeks 2006 R 99 minutes When four grown siblings return to their hometown to say farewell to their dying mother, the brief stay they anticipated instead turns into an agonizing two weeks in this indie tearjerker based on director Steve Stockman's personal experience. Cast:Sally Field, Ben Chaplin, Tom Cavanagh, Julianne Nicholson, Glenn Howerton, James Murtaugh, Clea DuVall, Michael Hyatt, Susan Misner, Jenny O'Hara Genre:Indie Dramas, Tearjerkers, Indie Comedies, Drama

Movie #711 ........................."Another Thin Man"

Movie #711 "Another Thin Man" is the third installment of the famous William Powell/Myrna Loy Thin Man series, of which I am a huge fan. I had not seen this one, that I can remember, but it turns out it is my least favorite. The little baby was cute, but they keep passing him around. They did put him into the movie as much as they could, and that was a nice addition to the series. And I must say, Nick has a lot of close shaves in this one, one in particular that was quite surprising, and the ending has a nice twist, but the secondary people aren't as interesting as they usually are --- I was too easily swayed away from watching it as I was viewing this movie the other night. I recommend the others first --- but it is always fun to watch a thin man movie! 3 stars out of 5. Another Thin Man 1939 NR 105 minutes Upper-crust private eyes Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) -- along with faithful canine Asta -- return for a third installment of the popular series. They're invited to spend the weekend at the estate of munitions mogul Col. Burr MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith). After MacFay's ex-associate issues a death threat, Nick and Nora go into sleuthing mode when someone carries it out. But all is not what it seems in this stylish and entertaining whodunit. Cast:William Powell, Myrna Loy, C. Aubrey Smith, Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, Patric Knowles, Tom Neal Genre:Classic Comedies, Screwball, Classic Thrillers, Classics

Movie #710 ........................."Dzango Unchained"

Movie #710 "Dzango Unchained" -- this will be short and not sweet --- I thought this movie would never end -------I've liked some of Tarantino's work in the past (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Inglorious Bastards)but this one is at the bottom, to me. Why? It lacks a moral compass --- I don't feel I learned anything watching this --- I didn't find it very humorous, I didn't find it entertaining (unless buckets of blood titillate you, you might not, either), the "n" word was said way beyond what I could stand, Kerry Washington's character was a hysterical, helpless woman, therefore a waste of a good actress (haven't we seen enough of that through the years?),and why do we need to see a film where whites enjoy killing blacks and blacks enjoy killing whites?(haven't we seen enough of that, too?) In fact, this movie seemed terribly appropriate to show at Christmas season, and in the wake of the shooting in Connecticut --- I ask: HAVEN'T WE SEEN ENOUGH BLOOD AND SHOOTINGS? I guess according to Tarantino, we haven't --- and for what reason is it all shown here? We know about man's inhumanity to man --- why do we need to see it from one scene to another to another. Nope, walked out of this one --- watched the end from the sidelines, but I thought it would never end. That being said, I am not the target audience here --- spaghetti westerns + horror genres are at work, and I find both unsettling for my eyes and stomach. I give it 2.5 out of 5 star Django Unchained 2012 R Accompanied by a German bounty hunter, a freed slave named Django travels across America to free his wife from a sadistic plantation owner. Quentin Tarantino directs this modern-day spaghetti Western. Cast:Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Michael Parks, Don Johnson Genre:Drama

Movie #709 .........................."Les Miserables " (2012)

Movie #709 "Les Miserables" --- Let me start by saying this is probably my very favorite musical, and I have had the great opportunity to get to see it 4 or 5 times in my lifetime. I know the songs well,I read the book (abridged, but that was fine!), I've conducted workshops for audiences pre-viewing the show,so let's say I have history, and definite attitudes about this one. The movie is not as good as the musical stage show --- surprise! surprise! What's missing? The idea that these people on stage work their butts off in three hours to go through hell and back in telling this epic story -- Jean Val Jean can sing "Bring him home" like Colm Wilkinson (who is incidentally playing the bishop in the movie -- nice touch) when I first saw it, Eponine joined Jean and Fantine in singing the death song; Javert needs to be able to sing well because he has some of the best songs to sing in the show, the signature marching on stage with the little kid on the shoulder waving the flag, Gavroche's full song of "Little People" and probably other things I missed along the way. That being said, what did I appreciate? Fantine --- this is truly Anne Hathaway's chance to pick up the Oscar because her parts shine through; she is absolutely wonderful; that the movie is a bit clearer in the lyrics, and story (because every time I have ever gotten a chance to see it, I'm so far away, and this was up close and personal)and best of all, by putting this great musical on film, it has made it accessible to so many more people --- and the music and story are deserving of that! Hats off to all involved for making this possible. I gave it 4 stars out of 5 Les Misérables 2012 PG-13 The musical version of Victor Hugo's epic tale of love and sacrifice, first produced for the stage in 1985, now receives the big-screen treatment. The bloody era of the French Revolution is the backdrop to Jean Valjean's long struggle for redemption. Cast:Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, Colm Wilkinson, Bertie Carvel Genre:Contemporary Movie Musicals, Dramas Based on Classic Literature, Romantic Dramas, Drama

Movie #708 ........................."Polar Express"

Movie #708 "Polar Express" was a bit of a disappointment to me. I thought it would be better. Don't get me wrong; I really liked the theme and the sentiment, but the journey on the way there was full of fits and struts ------the pacing seemed off. The movie was full of very intense, almost too much intensity, followed by very slow, and I mean very slow scenes. The kids are cute, esp. the main boy and the young girl, but after that, they seemed a blur. And the high point scene ran long, too. I did like the way it was filmed, but it would never take the place of any of the other classic christmas films for me. It was just okay. The Polar Express 2004 G 100 minutes A young boy's faith in the holiday spirit is revived after he makes his way by train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve in this warm-hearted computer-animated tale inspired by Chris Van Allsburg's award-winning children's book. Cast:Tom Hanks, Leslie Zemeckis, Hayden McFarland, Connor Matheus, Peter Scolari, Julene Renee, Chantel Valdivieso, Eddie Deezen, Christopher Coppola, Michael Jeter, Josh Hutcherson, Ed Gale, Nona M. Gaye, Mark Goodman Genre:Family Animation, Book Characters, Children & Family

Movie #707 ........................."Never Say Goodbye" (1946)

Movie #707 "Never Say Goodbye" is another predictable film --- that's two in a row. I could have written the script, it's that lame. But the reason it caught my eye as i was going past the station is the little girl playing Flip. I thought it was more a Margaret O'brien part and I had never seen this girl before in films and she was pretty watchable. She hooked me in, esp. when I saw her dad was Errol Flynn. I always equate Mr. Flynn with Robin Hood, so when I can see him in a romantic comedy, I find it a lot of fun --- he's such a charmer in his day, and his exwife in here is Eleanor Parker, quite a looker and her wardrobe is quite huge in this small film. Once again, I'm going to say what I just said in the older dramatic film I just reviewed --- there are so many more movie better than this one, that I'd skip it. But the three actor are quite winning in a mediocre film. Starring Errol Flynn and Eleanor Parker. 1946 - saw it on TCM Phil and Ellen Gayley have been divorced for a year, and their 8-year old daughter, Flip, is very unhappy that her parents are not together. Flip starts a correspondence with a marine, sending a picture of her beautiful mother as the author of Flip's flirtatious letters. When the marine shows up to meet his pen pal, Ellen takes the opportunity to make her ex-husband jealou