End of the Year Blowout

Periodically in Rolling Stone magazine, Peter Travers will do a bunch of shorthand reviews.  In the interest of December 31, here are three quick ones with the proverbial 5 lines:

Hobbit:  Battle of the Five Armies

Like a 10 hour Ironman triathlon, the franchise started strong but slowed significantly at the end.  Even having seen the first 2 movies and read the book, it was hard to follow.  The CGI of the fighting was impressive, but what's a battle without blood.  An animated action flick.  More Bilbo needed.

* *


Wild

Reese Witherspoon is Cheryl Strayed, a woman beset by her obsessive/compulsive desires.  To escape or perhaps to find herself, she sets to hike the Pacific Coast Trail by herself.  As with any single woman, she has her share of near misses and crowning moments.  The scenery and basic premise is similar to Into the Wild but it becomes its own story.  Easy to describe but there's a lot more to it.  Highly recommend.

* * * *


Birdman

Michael Keaton plays Riggan, who is an 80s star famous for his superhero movies (did I mention Michael Keaton?)  In an effort to reinvent himself, he sets to produce and star in a Broadway play What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.  Truly a Producers style flop in the making, it is a  stream of consciousness inside of Riggan's head.   More imaginary than real, but it mixes things up so you never really know.  Strong performances by Edward Norton and Emma Stone make it worth seeing.

* * *

Big Eyes

Today, Christmas Day, was a good day to see a movie with Sarah.  I had seen the trailer but didn't know much about it.  Sometimes that is best.

Margaret (Amy Adams) is a young woman on the run from an unpleasant past.   The movie opens as she takes her daughter fleeing from a past life.  They end up in San Francisco, where she hopes to put her art to some use.   At a sidewalk show, she meets Walter Keane (Christopher Waltz) who appears to be a more established artist.  After a whirlwind courtship, they get married and settle into working their art.

Walter has a knack for promotion and when he makes his first sale, the fact that it is signed KEANE he gives the impression that he Walter did it and not his wife Margaret Keane.  A whirlwind phenom grows and the two are caught in a lie of her doing the art and he selling it and getting the credit.  They split the money as husband and wife, so no harm, no foul, right?

That would be a short movie.  But tension builds and the story must resolve.  It winds up with a suitable courtroom ending to this mystery.

Taking an old story set in the 60s and making it fresh - very much like a movie from last Christmas Saving Mr. Banks.  But this is not a Disney movie.  Directed by Tim Burton, its like a PG -13 form of Disney, with drinking and family violence.   Are you sure Walt would've done it this way?

* * * of 4

A Christmas Story (1983)

This has evolved into a modern day classic thanks to cable TV.   It's even in the National Film Institute of historically significant films.  I knew some basic plot points, but only the Cliff Notes version, like a book you were supposed to read but didn't.

 It was high time to watch it - after all, Christmas is just around the corner.

Ralphie and his brother Randy live with their mother and father in a 1940-ish time.  Not broke enough for the Depression, not prosperous enough for the 50s, no mention of W W II.  In a little town in Northern Indiana.  It is Christmastime and all Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun.  He sets about to get his parents to buy it, but in a roundabout way.  The excuse he constantly hears:  "You'll shoot your eye out!"

Ralphie has other problems as well.  His parents seem to fight on a regular basis.   His mother is a somewhat ineffective in dealing with his father, never referred to as Dad but simply The Old Man. He get picked on at school.  He's not above lying about things to cover up the fears he has.

There are some interesting subplots:  the school bully,whose name Farken.  His parents fights over the leg lamp and the furnace.  The trip to see Santa Claus in the department store.  I won't give away the ending.

Made me think after watching:  why so popular?  I'd say it was the dual sides of his parents - on one hand they seem strict and aloof to this child - but they also show a very loving side to him and his brother.  Told from the child's point of view, it's not a completely rosy look at growing up.  Definitely some truth there.   

 Who doesn't recall a Christmas story of their own?

* * * * of 5

Trouble in Paradise (1932)

Prior to 1934, Hollywood had a more free hand in its movie making.  After what was considered to be a spate of violent movies, and in keeping with that Depression era, Wickedness must be Punished view, the Hayes Codes came in.  No sex, no violence, no bad guys winning.

Getting just under the wire was Trouble in Paradise, directed by Ernst Lubitsch.   Two jewel thieves (Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall)  seek a big score by way of the rich and lovely Madame Colet (Kay Francis).  I'd call her the Geena Davis of that day - big and tall.

Lots of interesting techniques used for the story telling.  Time lapse shots with a clock in the hallway.  Sexual innuendo with lots of coming in and out of hotel rooms.  And the classic shadow silhouette on the bed.

Good dialogue too:  "A bird in hand in worth 2 in jail".  "There's more sex appeal coming on the first of the month".  Spoiler alert - they get away with the heist.  Don't see that so much in the successor genres  - To Catch a Thief, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Ocean's 11, the Sting and many others.  The Heist movie is still alive and well all these years later. 

* * * 1/2

Dumb and Dumber To

For dumb movies, they have gotten smarter since Dumb & Dumber came out in 1995.  The Farrelly Brothers are mainstream comic directors and have the resume to show.  And with the rise of the dumb comic character (Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianikis) the clueless duo is not as dumb as we thought.

Harry (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd (Jim Carrey) meet 20 years later.  Lloyd has been in a mental institution but makes a swift recovery to show that is was just a joke on Harry.  They find out that Harry has a daughter and seek to meet up with her, leading to yet another road trip, this time to El Paso for a KEN conference.  Nice touch.

On the way to the Mexican border, they have some new adventures.  It's a Farrelly project thorough and thorough, reminiscent of There's Something About Mary with a touch of the mystery of the Hangover.  Decent company to be included in - As good as the original, all these years later.


* * *

Interstellar

If you were going to make a movie about Relativity and time travel, you'd start with a few building blocks.  You'd get some good science and data to start with:  check.  You'd get some great visual effects and sounds:  check.  You'd get Christopher Nolan to direct this galaxy/mind bending concept;  check.

You'd also pencil in a budget of $165 million to land some A-Listers like Matthew McConaghey, Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon (yes!)  That's a good formula.

McConaghey plays Cooper, a dust bowl farmer at some bleak future date.  As the old joke goes, It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here.  For a guy raising 2 kids as a single parent, his heart is not really in it.    He does have a slightly closer relationship to his androgoneously named daughter Murph.

As the dust is piling up, Murph and Coop discover a Jumaji-style puzzle that leads them to a secret launch site.  Coop just happens to be ... a trained astronaut.  How convenient!  No time to waste - an awesome jump cut to a rocket launch and, we're off.

Once in space, their mission is to travel through a wormhole to another galaxy, avoid the Black Hole named Gargantuan and minimize the effects of relativity, which is slowing down time for them while the people Left Behind age quicker.  Time is an expendable supply, like food and water.   Lots of monologue-ing as Coop pilots thorough space about the important of children, leaving a legacy, etc.   Kind of like another driver monologue

As with Inception, there's not much need explaining the plot because you probably wouldn't follow it any better.    Suffice it to say, travel to another dimension is a long trip.  Settle in for the 2:49 run time and enjoy the ride.  Here, there and everywhere.

The whole premise was very Speilberg-ish:  the quest to return home (ET), and the realistic future (Minority Report) .  Of course, the main parallels are to 2001:  A Space Odyssey which are quite clear.    Good company to be in.

* * * 1/2 of 4

The Company Man

Who says creativity is not valued in our society?  This is a trailer for an FBI training film on the dangers of Economic Espionage.  It looks like it had a sufficient budget to make it.  Interesting how our tax dollars are spent.

Note the geeky sap and his equally square wife gleefully fingering the cash before it all comes crashing in.



In the words of FBI Assistant Director Randall Coleman,

This spring, the FBI released a new threat awareness film dramatizing the risks of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets to the American economy. Called The Company Man: Protecting America’s Secrets, this 37-minute film is based on a trade secrets case recently investigated by the FBI. In the real-life case, a group of conspirators tried to recruit a veteran employee to steal the trade secrets they needed to build a competing plant in China. The film will raise the awareness of audiences about the threat of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets and help organizations understand the indicators to watch for so they proactively detect attempts by insiders and foreign agents to illicitly acquire trade secrets and intellectual property. These showings will also encourage viewers to report suspicious activity to the FBI, and help the SPCs build relationships with contacts in local industry and academia. Copies of The Company Man DVD have been shipped to the FBI’s network of SPCs, who are showing the film and handing out educational materials during in-person screenings. The SPCs answer questions from audience members and are available for short discussions about economic espionage and theft of trade secrets afterwards.

Trainspotting (1996)

A nice quirky comedy about heroin addicts -  not words you hear in the same sentence often.  But it works.  Reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs - it could have been made on a stage.    Another one from the lost decade of the 90s.

Much of the action takes place in an apartment or a hotel room with a very stripped and vivid design.  Director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) has some fun as well with his "toilet scenes"  While the movie has a central theme of the delight of drug use/abuse, it operates at a level slightly outside of reality, just like the drugged characters.

My favorite part was the extended riff on the bad part of being Scottish - "we've been colonized by Wankers"

Worth a look * * 1/2

Fifty Shades of Grey

Just in time for Valentine's Day 2015

Freedom '90

This old music video was directed by David Fincher.  An early work, but the themes and visual effects are very strong.  Kind of like Pearl Jam, how did I sleep through all of this in the 90s?

Pearl Jam 20

If anyone knows a good music story, it's longtime Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe.  Also a noted filmaker, he combines his talents to show the history of Mother Love Bone, better known to you as Pearl Jam.    It's a nice review of the 90s, reminded me of a 30 for 30 episode.

Not so much of the Grunge/Seattle scene is here.  That's where they started but not where they ended up.  There's a nice growth arc of the band, showing their coming into their own, with the help of a mentor, Neil Young.

The different personalities come out with the band members:  Stone & Jeff (the original 2), Matt the drummer, Mike on guitar and of course Eddie Vedder on vocals.  And there's a nice tribute to the original Mother Love Bone vocalist, Andy Wood.

Gone Girl

With the contrived roles of husband and wife here, it's not easy to see if this is a serious study or a satire or fictionalized version of life.  The serialized blog-ishness of the diary coupled with the Amazing Amy subtext certainly makes a case for the latter.  Based on the book by Gillian Flynn, a writer for Entertainment Weekly, definitely gives it a breezy feel.

But throw director David Fincher at it and it all comes together well.  His cinematic touches of the watchful cat (Tyler?), the whisky glass, the foreboding shed, were very Fight Club like.  Nice.

Rosamund Pike as Amy is the perfect Ice Queen.  As a friend would say, she must be really good in bed for a man to want to be with her.  Two mean actually.  Ben Affleck plays the Michael Douglas type of husband and Neil Patrick Harris the hapless has-been.  Reality TV plays a major character a well.  Find Amy!  Call 1-855-4-AMY-TIPS!

The movie is an improvement on the book with the stronger roles of Margo, Tanner and Detective Boney.  I also liked the visual gothic shadows and the general fatness of middle America.  Real life in the Heartland is no walk in Central Park.

* * * * of 4

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Kind of like a classic book, you know the high points of this movie, but have you ever seen it?  It came out at a good time in the 60s.  Probably would be a good movie to see on LSD.




The two most striking things about this movie are the audio and the visual.    The space visuals I expected.   You can see how it influenced Star Wars movies.  The prop visuals were even better:
  the colored spacesuits, the Deadmaus helmets, the coffins in hibernation, the unblinking eye of HAL 9000.

The audio was very original.   It was at many times a silent movie.  It could have easily been done in the silent era.  That was powerful, especially when interspersed with the heavy breathing of the astronauts in space.  You can almost hear their heartbeats.

The story was somewhat nonliner and hyperlinked.  The crew psychology, the death of a computer, the lost in space, the apes, the Starchild.  Very abstract at times.

It's a mark of a good movie that we see now  how ahead of its time it was then.


* *  * * * Classic

Life Itself

This is a combination of a biopic as well as a reality show about the film critic and writer Roger Ebert, who died this year.  Available On Demand now.  Directed by Steve James of Hoops Dreams fame, which is perfect for a combo of Chicago and reality.

Roger had thyroid cancer and had his lower jaw removed.  In the movie, you can see through his mouth back to the bandages on his neck which cover the hole where he receives his nutrition.  Shocking at first, after the film goes on, you get used to seeing it.  He uses voice recognition and computer writing and blogging to communicate.

As an experienced writer, he takes to the new form like its an old hand, which it really it.  We see his growing up and writing starting at a young age.  We see his film career and the two-edged sword of his TV partnership/professional rivalry with Gene Siskel  Like two brothers who don't like each other.

Very well done as it gives an insight into the personality of Roger Ebert.  It makes you like him and also know some of his faults at the same time.  A very fine tribute to a man who made a great contribution to American society.

* * * *
"Two Thumbs Up!"

Grumpy Cat movie - Worst Christmas Ever

Now here's a movie I can really get behind!  Grumpy Cat Christmas movie!  Out this December on Lifetime cable TV.

Scarface

Before we saw this movie, my friend Mark said "Everyone else has probably seen it on DVD".  That's why only 10 people were in the theater.  You could say this wine was a little past its prime.

When it was released, this movie was considered shocking in its violent depictions.  On reviewing today, it wouldn't even get an R rating except for the cartoonish mounds of cocaine.  Al Pacino plays Tony Montana a Cuban emigre out to make a quick buck in Miami in the 80s.  The quickest route is thorugh crime which does pay, at least for a while.   A star is born, he goes up, you know the rest.

For a movie about Cubans in South Florida, there were NO Hispanics in this movie.   It seemed very dated.  Like other Brian De Palma films it sought to shock (Carrie, Blow Out) but upon viewing it falls a little flat.  Don't bother.

* *

November Man

If the movie has the word "Man" in it, it's likely a giveaway of a shoot-em-up and November Man is no exception.  Pierce Brosnan stars as Devreaux who is the prototypical spy in retirement (Red, Taken) called back for "one last job".  Set in some mysterious corner of the world, forces of evil must be dealt with using many car chases, shootouts, dead bodies and female hostages as possible.

Devreaux has left the force after a bad incident with his trainee Mason.  Devreaux is called back into action to track down the killer of the mother of his child who is undercover in Russia.  In his search for "Mira Filipova" he encounters social worker Alice who may know something about Mira.

There's a few interesting plot points:  the father/son relationship between  Devreaux and Mason and the father/daughter relationship between Devreux and Alice which is much more interesting that his actual on screen father/daughter relationship.

With the chase aspect of this movie and characters always on the run from the good/bad guys, there's quick directing to create a sense of urgency which adds a little to the mix.  In the end, it's a typical action movie - Brosnan, as Bourne.

* * 1/2 of 4

The Rewrite - releasing this fall?

A rom-com movie about the movies - classic Hugh Grant  (can you believe I just said that?)

Boyhood

You've got to give Richard Linklatter credit for ambition - this film took 12 years to make using the same main characters as they age.  It's a true coming of age story for the child actors Ellar Coltrane and the director's real life daughter, Lorelai Linklatter.  The dad might as well be family as well, Ethan Hawke.  Mom is Patricia Arquette.

Like an actual boyhood, this movie has some of the unpleasant parts of growing up in chronological order:  divorce(s), first everythings, moving, fighting, and rejections.  Not to mention a variety of hairstyles and clothing styles.  The prop techs didn't have too much to do:  the period pieces work well with the Harry Potter craze, when the Astros were better, and the Bush and Obama campaigns.  If you've been conscious the past 12 years, it will be like a trip down Memory Lane.

All soaring ambition aside, the movie falls a bit flat.  Mixed with some of the most heartfelt feelings are those times where it just seems like there is drama made for the movies.  Perhaps everyone might see each of these a little different.  For example, I identified with the "car speech" but not with the stepfather role.  Others with a different life history might feel the opposite.

The locations were nice, being set in Houston and San Marcos.  It had a nice Texas feel to it.  And of course, I loved the scene at the Butler 3 Par Course in Austin.

As you might say about growing up in general, Boyhood is a long story that is not always so interesting.

* * 1/2

Updated release dates - Fall 2014/ RIP Robin Williams

Night at the Museum 3 - December 19

Mockingjay Part I [Hunger Games 3] - November 21

Horrible Bosses 2 - November 26


                                      

Lots of sequels - yes

Some of the last chances to catch Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Williams.

And M-----rf----r Jones too.

A Most Wanted Man

With the untimely death of Philip Seymour Hoffman this year, his filmography is coming to a close.  This is one the last ones so it was worth a watch just for that.  PSH  playes the lead detective Gunther in Hamburg, Germany seeking to infiltrate the local Muslim community to prevent another 9/11.  The lead copy notes that inter agency strive led to 9/11 intelligence failures.

Based on a John Le Carre story, it plays in 1970s feel.  The Jackal here is Issa (Grigoriy Dobrygin) who is vaguely Chechen/Armenian/Russian - the Tsarnaev of Hamburg.  He even wears the hoodie for menacing looks.  He of course finds his way to the beautiful attorney Rachel McAdams who with her heart of gold will help him access funds from a Swiss-like banker, played of course by Willem Dafoe.

As you can tell, the various ethnic stereotypes are alive and well and on full display here.  Suspend a little disbelief and it's a somewhat enjoyable whodunit.  But not much more than that.

* * 1/2 of 4

Guardians of the Galaxy

Just like with my old comic book collection, there were big names, and there were other more offbeat titles that were a little harder to follow.   Guardians of the Galaxy would be the latter.  But like the comics themselves, who says you have to have a masterpiece?  It's a comic book!

Chris Pratt gets his turns as a leading role as Quinn/Star-Lord.  His origin story starts as a young boy a la Batman.  He winds up more as a Hans Solo/Indiana Jones gun for hire and is tasked with finding The Orb.  He even refers to it as the "Arc of the Covenant/Maltese Falcon thing".

Along the way, he picks up as cohort Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Groot (Vin Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautisa).  They works a Fantastic Four vibe - another middle of the stack comic made into a movie.  The fearsome foursome concept even owes a bit to another groups of 5:  Scooby-Doo.  Zoinks!  (same writer James Gunn for both movies)

The movie goes a little long to include the origins but is light on its feet, doesn't take itself too seriously, and finishes as you expect it should.  Perfect for a summer diversion.

* * * of 4

Coming Soon - for the "More Mature Moviegoer"

Of course these will be in limited release - see them if and when you can

New Woody Allen movie starring Emma Stone

Magic in the Moonlight  (limited release 7/25, wide 8/15)

Spy thriller with the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman

A Most Wanted Man (limited release 7/25)

Guardians of the Galaxy - Opens August 1

Looks original-ish

Sex Tape

Jason Segal is capable of doing much better (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You Man) but mucking around here with Cameron Diaz as an over the hill couple still thinking that they are fabulous.

Even the name is misleading.  For starters, no one under the age of 30 will likely know or care what a "Tape" is.  And for a movie about (married) sex, there is none to speak of.  Just a cookbook approach with all of the excitement of following a recipe.  Even a noted nudist like Jason Segal just get a butt shot of two.  And you know you won't see any topless scenes from Cameron Diaz (...yawn).  Does the world really think she is so desirable? (The Other Woman - another 1 star movie)

Ironically, one of the main supporting characters is Rob Lowe, he of his own sex tape fame in ... wait for it...1988.  26 years ago!  Last century!

Perhaps this premise could work with younger actors (under 26?).  But then, they might not care if the world saw them having sex or if the video was leaked.  And in return, we don't care about the people (pretending) to have sex here.  Not funny, not sexy, not shocking, and certainly not fabulous.

* of 4  (don't even bother trying)

St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

An underrated film of the youthful 80s, overshadowed by its Brat Pack predecessor the Breakfast Club, St. Elmos' Fire is a good example of the Yuppie in that decade.



You might recall (or not) that Yuppie is an acronym for Young Urban Professional, popularized by the Yuppie Handbook which of course was an offshoot of the Preppy Handbook.  If you don't know about either, you're not from the 80s.  The Yuppie is a city dweller, upwardly mobile, and in the words of Queen, I want it all and I want it now.

They're the 7 best friends, just graduated from Georgetown, making their way in the big city.  At its wisecracking, underemployed best, it's a clean spiritual predecessor to the tv show Friends and the influence is quite direct in retrospect.  The Jewishness, the spoiled rich kid, the clueless Lothario.  Rob Lowe probably has the biggest role as Billy who laments that you can't get "Out of hand" in the real world, and his struggles are the biggest but also the smallest as he's just too dumb to care.  Kind of like the real Rob Lowe.

A forgotten character was that icon of 80s womanly perfection, Andie McDowell as the out of reach love interest of Emilio Estevez.  As she's not part of the pack, she's the most adult character here.  The other women, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, Demi Moore (chubby and blond) are all relatively helpless, ineffective, and used to various ends by the men here.  Like I said, it was the 80s and feminism was somewhat dormant at that point.

In the end, this movie is more about looks than substance.  The D.C. settings in the fall were lovely, the characters beautiful, the music moving, the costuming spot-on, the smoking glamourous, the bar scenes rocking.  Like I said, it was the 80s.

Jersey Boys

Like a copy of a copy of a copy, eventually even the best things fade upon repetition.  Take some great music of the 60s and 70s, check.  Layer a good story with the music and make a super successful Broadway musical, check.  Take the same stars from Broadway and make a movie.  ...Check.

Surprisingly, I have talked to people that didn't know Jersey Boys was a Broadway show.  It's a Sinatra-esque story of the tough Jersey kid with pipes of gold who escapes the Mob influence but never quite leaves it all behind.  Frankie Castilucci becomes Frankie Valli, and puts a band together with his buddies.  Things really take off when Bob Gaudio joins and the Four Seasons are born.  Hit after hit ensues, but their lives devolve into a Behind the Music story.  With our heroes survive and thrive?  Did I mention it was a Broadway show first of all?

Like many a good story, there are moments when you ask, Did that really happen like that?  Was Joe Pesci their good buddy?  How did they get the name the Four Seasons?  Was Gyp Di Carlo their mentor?  Could a handshake deal survive all those years?  That's a strength of the movie.  And if you can't believe that, you're not from Jersey.

* * * of 4

Star Wars (1977) Bar Scene

I was reminded of this scene recently - upon further study, the bar is called the Mos Eisley Cantina.

In a sign O' the times then, the response to "Droids Not Allowed" was a meek acceptance on both Luke and C3PO's part.  Don't think you'll see that in Episode VII due December 2015

Upcoming Christopher Nolan movie - Interstellar

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Matthew McConaghey and Anne Hathaway

Out November 7 2014

Easy Rider (1969)

On July 4 I was looking for an American story and found one in the star spangled gas tank and helmet of Captain American in Easy Rider.   And its a darker look at America that is typical.



Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) set off on a motorcycle road trip after scoring a bundle on a drug deal.  They "head out on the highway" with the money concealed in the gas tanks. This modern day pony express route takes them from L.A. to New Orleans and further east.  We're not quite sure where they are going.  Maybe they aren't either.

 

Passing through the old west, we have several mashups of these modern day cowboys interacting with the old cowboys:  Changing a tire/changing a horseshoe, taking in the scenery of Monument Valley (that most iconic old west location), meeting the frontier families.

As they pass further south, they meet up with George (Jack Nicholson) who serves as a guide of sorts to the dark side of Small Town America.  Its another contrast of this American footballer v. the cyclists.  This rises the tension to a Deliverance level as they go through and are chased out of various places.

They wind up fittingly in New Orleans where there is a nice dream/nightmare sequence which kind of fits the 60s vibe.  Most of the movie there is a sense of foreboding that a change is in the air.  A strength of the movie is how the story is pushed along by the nice cinematography by Lazslo Kovacs.  The proverbial Road to Nowhere.

* * 1/2 of 4

Batman (1989)

Batman has been, and continues to be controversial.  Perhaps like his comic criticisms "Take off that mask" - "a vigilante" - the idea of a hero with a violent dark side makes him part hero and part villain.


The storyline here plays pretty straight to the origins in Detective Comics No. 27.  Bruce Wayne takes the persona of Batman to avenge the deaths of his parents in the dark Gotham City.  Crime runs rampant due to the insidious influence of the Joker, played somewhat ad libbed by Jack Nicholson.

At the time it was made, it was considered very dark, as compared to other movies.    It's really somewhat cartoonish, with the Lost in Space special effects and the Willie Wonka-sets distinctive of other Tim Burton movies.  It reminded me of another dark but comic 80s movie set in a dysfunctional NYC - Ghostbusters.

Kim Basinger does a good turn as Vicky Vale, the Lois Lane of Bruce Wayne's existence.  Michael Keaton is servicable, better at Bruce Wayne than Batman.  Of course this show is really Jack Nicholson's - as I recall, he had top billing on the movie - Nicholson** Keaton  ** BATMAN.

The end scene running up a narrow square staircase is straight out of Vertigo - in fact it had a lot of common themes of secret identity, being another person and struggles of good v. evil.  Guess who wins?

Kudos to the Paramount Theater in Austin for showing this as part of the Summer Classics series.

* * * of 4

Edge of Tomorrow

They say the hook of a movie is the first 20 minutes.  But in this first 20 minutes, you're left scratching your head a bit.  Better give this 40 minutes.  The hook will set then.

Tom Cruise plays Major Cage an American officer assigned to Universal Defense.  A great European War is unfolding against a faceless enemy from outer space.    His UDF general orders him to combat, somewhat unwillingly.  Amid the D-Day like horror, he discovers an unknown strength upon glimpsing the Full Metal Bitch, Rita, played by Emily Blunt.

Suffice to say without giving more away, Cage travels back in time and relives the moment.  It's not quite so scary the second time.  Rita is the Sgt. York of the UDF, a veteran whose courage under fire cannot be doubted. Between the 2 of them they've seen a weakness of the enemy that only they can exploit to win the war.  But to get there requires a level of understanding that even they dont' know exactly how to achieve.

You'll note many different movie allusions here - and they're all good movies, so this does built in a positive way:

Inception - time travel, different level, video game progression

Saving Private Ryan - the aforementioned D Day scene

Alien - the faceless enemy, the strong female lead

Black Hawk Down - fighting the losing battle

Tom Cruise gets top billing but Emily Blunt is the real star here.  She's no damsel in distress.  In the future when wars are fought by both sexes, you'll want the Ritas on your side.

This one might be worth seeing a second time in 3D.

* * * *  (increased from * * * 1/2 on second review)