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Directed by John Marbuy. Starring: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson, Kelly Lynch, Jennifer Jason Leigh Mackenzie Phillips. Drama/Sci Fi Synopsis: A Gulf War veteran who believes that he has already died and is the guinea pig in a secret scientific experiment that allows him to experience time travel as he has met a young girl by chance and soon after meets her again as a grown woman with whom he is in love

The Jacket is one of those films that is almost impossible to describe or review with any intelligence unless you have a lot of time. So, in the interest of the precious time that 'net surfers have, I will get right to the point.

Its really good. 

Oh, you want just a little bit more than that? Ah, yeah, I can see where you're coming from on that. O.k., I'll give it a shot.

The film starts with Marine Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) in Kuwait in the Gulf War, where he is shot in the head by a child...as the narration of Starks tells us, this was the first time he died.  Well, when you get that scene and narration in the first two minutes of the film, you know it's going to be different...and a little challenging.

Next, we see Jack walking down the country back roads of his native Vermont-apparently recovered, we're not sure, but this is part of the story. Jack meets a young girl and her intoxicated mother (Kelly Lynch Road House) broken down by the side of the road and gets them going. Jack's Good Samaritan act is not returned by the next guy who he meets while hitch hiking. This young cuss gets pulled over by a cop, shots the cop and frames Jack for the murder. Jack, who is not impressing folks that his bread is quite done, gets sent to an institution for the criminally insane, where he is put under the care of a hard bitten doctor (Kris Kristofferson), his borderline sadistic nurse (Mackenzie Phillips), and a sympathetic therapist (Jennifer Jason Leigh) .

O.k., to make a long story short, Kris is more into the punitive thing than the rehabilitation, so he has Jack put in a corpse drawer for hours on end. Sounds ugly, but its funny, when Jack is in the drawer (referred to, as you might guess, as the jacket due to his being tied completely down) a funny thing happens....he is out and about and walking around again. Its not long after that that he meets a young woman (Keira Knightley) who is, in fact, the young girl who Jack just met recently..in his mind. But she is years older and her mother is deceased.

Well, there is quite a bit to chew on here, but the big question is "what's happening?" Is Jack really in the present or is he really in that jacket in the year 1992? Or is it both? I must say that I don't think the point of this film is to play on all of the delicious riddles that come with time travel stories. They are there, particularly when Jack meets his doctor and therapist in 2004, posing as Jack Stark's "uncle", as the real Jack Starks is deceased. But I think the main point is what Jack tries to do with his life with the knowledge he has. For those of you who love "open endings" to films that give you the opportunity to figure it all out, The Jacket is the mother of all open endings. There are several ways you could go.

The acting is brilliant. Adrien Brody (The Village, Oxygen) is superb in the incredibly difficult role of Jack. Jennifer Jason Leigh should patent the role of the big hearted, but flawed and vulnerable, character because no one does it better. I have never seen Kristofferson this evil and I loved it. And it was nice to see Mackenzie Phillips (One Day at a Time) though I must admit that I did not realize it was her until the special features. (Which are excellent, by the way.)

Keira Knightley is really good in not getting blown off the screen by Brody, who has the talent to make the others disappear. I'm not damning her with faint praise, either. This British actress scores-big time- in the role as the hard bitten rural girl who believes Jack when no one else does.

The only drawback for me was that, for a film set in New England, you don't hear that accent at all. I'm no native, but four years in New England did educate my ear to the regional dialect and the actors, as far as I could tell, didn't even try it. But, that's small potatoes for an excellent and thought provoking film.

Don't you think? 

One of the best movies I've ever seen. I guess I could just stop there with my thoughts, but I probably should say just a little more. So, I will.

It can be really tricky to evaluate a movie that many of us will or have seen for the first time years or decades after its release, especially when it is a 'futuristic' movie, made at a time when the 1980s and 1990s seemed far, far off. I think the way to look at this type of flick is not to 'judge' it in the sense of what we know now happened, but in the sense of the view of what people 40 years ago thought the near future might hold for us.

In that way, when I look at A Clockwork Orange, I see a time when people felt, or feared, that crime and violence would become pervasive in society and that society would find a way to fight back that, at some level, might be just as bad as the violent crime itself.

Now, the story is set in London, but to me, the only thing that makes this story different than one that could have been set in any large American city is the accents of the actors. We are never told precisely what year its supposed to be, but its obvious the film contemplates the not too distant future. The cinematography and feel of the flick are vintage 70s, bright and loud colors, garish wardrobes, the whole nine yards. When you couple that feel with the attempt to look futuristic, you get a flick that, visually at least, you won't soon forget.

Our protagonist and narrator is Alex (Malcolm McDowell Blue Thunder) , a ne'er do well youngster (you'll have to suspend disbelief here to buy McDowell, nearly 30 at the time of this movie, as being young enough to still be in school) who lives with his parents and pretty muich spends all of his waking hours-mostly at night-roaming the streets with his gang of hoodlums where they commit crimes, petty and violent, battle rival street gangs, and find time for a little fornication (referred to in passing by Alex as "the old in out, in out").

All is going along swimmingly until, as these things tend, there is dissension in the ranks. Alex is the leader of the gang but one of his underlings, Georgie, has designs on the job not least because of the way Alex picks on another member of the gang, the less than mentally astute Dim.(There is a fourth member but, in any version of the film I have ever seen, he does not have a speaking role...let me know if any of you have seen anything different) Alex manages to quell one attempted coup d'etat but its a hollow victory as the rest of the gang soon betrays Alex by assaulting him and leaving him helpless at the scene of their most horrific crime.

Well, betrayal is bad enough, but a long prison terms is even worse and things do not look particularly sunny for Alex in prison, until he learns of a new scientific experiment which claims to "cure" the impulse for violent or criminal behavior. If Alex successfully completes the treatment, not only will he be cured of his violent hooliganism, he will be rewarded with early parole!

Now, that is just too good to be true so Alex jumps at the chance (who wouldn't). There is just one thing. While Alex is enduring the treatment by, among other things, being forced to look at constant loops of violent scenes with his eyes secured so he's unable to close them, he is inadvertently programmed to become sick when listening to Beethoven.

What makes this so cruel is that Beethoven, as we learn early in the film, is Alex's favorite, he listens to the glorious classical music from the early scenes of the film, sometimes almost to the point of seeming ecstasy.

Now that he is cured, Alex is released from prison, but the reality of his current situation soon hits him. You see, Alex becomes physically ill every time he has a violent urge or attempts a violent action, even in self defense. And, of course, you know about his favorite tunes.

It couldn't be worse for Alex because his first few days out of prison are the epitome of getting what's coming to you. See, Alex's parents not only reject him from coming home, but they have taken in a boarder, a figurative if not literal replacement son for the one who caused them so much pain. That would be difficult for any child to come to grips with, no matter how bad he or she had been, but poor Alex can't even bash the guy in the mouth, though he tries. And it gets worse.

As luck would have it, he soon runs into an old drunk who he and his buddies assaulted back in the good old days. Well, now is the time for revenge, and the old drunk has plenty of old drunken friends. Poor old Alex can't fight back so he does what any citizen in distress would do, he calls for the police. Two officers respond, but they are less than sympathetic because, well, Georgie and Dim have moved on since Alex has been away. And last, but not least, Alex-battered, bruised, cold, and wet-makes his way to a home...which happens to be one where he previously had participated in the sexual assault of the wife and physical assault of the husband.

Revenge will be sweet.

Listen, it is hard to describe this movie, as my poor attempt was only meant to give those of you who have not seen it a rough idea, but understand that there are so many levels to it. What it is ultimately saying is, of course, up to the viewer, but there are issues of violence in society that are still topical today, and probably will be decades from now. 

You might think this is a curious statement about a movie featuring one onscreen murder, at least two rapes of females-not counting the depictions of attempted ones-and one brutal assault on two elderly people, but this film is, in many places, funny. This is primarily by McDowell's sardonic narration, but other characters, most notably the Adolph Hitler lookalike prison guard, provide some guilty laughs as well.

The dark humor is laced throughout the film. It might also be a little disconcerting to see scenes of violence with Beethoven or Gene Kelly's "Singin' In The Rain" as the score, but it does work. The only way this type of thing could work, in my opinion, is with the genius of a director like Kubrick. (Full Metal Jacket Eyes Wide Shut)

Some of you may know this film was originally released as an "X-rated" movie, before the X rating was co-opted totally by porno films. My research into it shows that the film was widely protested both here and in the U.K., but what is interesting is that the most of the protest here was based on the abundant nudity and sexual content, while over there it was primarily the violence.

For you younger pups who cut your teeth on the Saw movies, you probably won't blink at the violence in the movie, as it is not as graphic as what you see today, but very casual, which likely makes it more disturbing for many.

Malcolm Mcdowell is wonderful as Alex and I can't help but think his performance was so indelible that is the primary reason he seems to have primarily only played characters with slightly unstable and/or violent tendencies (Caligula The Barber), you also will see an outstanding performance from Patrick Magee as the victim of Alex who takes out the most evil revenge. Just for fun, Julian(David Prowse)-the the big bodyguard of Magee's character-is the one who is actually in the Darth Vader costume in Star Wars, though the voice we all know is that of James Earl Jones. 

I know not everyone will like or even understand this movie, but I just think all serious film buffs should make sure they see it once. And I'll bet most will want to see it again.  

Directed by Karyn Kusama. Starring Charlize Thereon, Martin Csokas, Johnny Lee Miller, Frances McDormand.  Synopsis: A futuristic movie based on an MTV cartoon, resistance fighter Aeonflux resists against the ruling Goodchild Dynsasty in the last city on Earth in the 25th century. 

In talking about this movie, I need to tell you two things: 1) I'm not a big Sci-Fi fan 2) I am a Charlize Thereon (Monster) fan. I say that not because I am a reviewer who is under the mistaken impression that people I do not know even remotely care about my personal opinions, but so you can keep that in mind when reading what I have to say about this movie.

The only reason I picked up this film was because of Charlize, and I know the men reading this are snickering, the women frowning, but I really wanted to see her take on an action hero role. And, she does it very well.

The story is set in 2415 in the only city on Earth to have survived a plague of 2011, the survivors being the recipients of an antidote created by a scientist named Goodchild, the patriarch of the ruling Goodchild dynasty. Although the city is neat, beautiful, and serene on the surface, there is an unease and mistrust of government that most citizens cannot put their finger on. The resistance movement is dedicated to the overthrow of the Goodchild dynasty, and Aeonflux (Charlize Thereon) is one of the most able bodied and effective resistance fighters. She seeks to avenge the murder of her sister as well as carry out her duties for the resistance as given to her by the resistance leader (Frances McDormand). However, she is hampered in this by her strange feelings for one of the Goodchild descendants who now rules in the 25th century, Trevor Goodchild (Martin Csokas).

It is difficult to talk in depth about the plot of the film without giving away the movie's twist, but I will say that it involves the repercussions of an issue that is here and on the table, so to speak, for those of us living in the early twenty-first century. 

I think sci-fi fans will be pleased with the look of the movie, the futuristic and pristine look and feel of the city, as well as the emphasis on the beauty and preservation of nature. Also, there are the obligatory sci-fi effects, we see a fellow resistance fighter (also female, as all of the fighters seem to be) who has had a "modification" which replaces her feet with hands, giving her and advantage in her duties, the ability of Aeonflux and the other resistance fighters to meet with their leader via some sort of telepathy, which also allows them to converse with each other during this time, as well as the futuristic weapons.

Charlize drives the film, of course, and if you don't empathize with her character, you will not be interested in the film because it is not clear until the last fifteen minutes or so what is really going on. Fortunately, I believe you will because Charlize, again, reinvents herself and you believe she is a sleek, agile, and acrobatic resistance fighter even if the last time you saw her was playing the dowdy, hard drinking, chain-smoking serial killer in Monster. More importantly, you empathize with her feelings of frustration and angst, and appreciate her hidden feelings for the poster child of the hated government (Martin Csokas). Csokas was unknown to me prior to this film, but he also does a very good job, as it is important to buy and understand his character ot fully  appreciate the conclusion, especially as it relates to his more nefarious brother, Oren Goodchild (Johnny Lee Miller)

I think a big part of appreciating this film will be whether or not you are familiar at all with the MTV cartoon. I was not, and so I focused more on the story itself, without having to critique whether or not they stayed true to the character. The DVD contains several neat special features, and you will see some clips of the cartoon, which seems to be grittier, more violent and more sexualized than the PG-13 movie version.

The last thing I would say is that this is a film that has to be seen in one sitting to be fully appreciated, in my opinion. The plot is too vague and abstract for you to do the "watch- a- few minutes- then- do something else and come back to it later or tomorrow thing". Fortunately, it is a relatively short film and fast moving, so resolve to see it through when you begin watching it.

Directed by: Frank Miller. Drama, Action, Fantasy. Starring: Gabriel Mecht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johannson, Eva Mendes, Louis Lombardi. Drama

SYNOPSIS: THE SPIRIT GOES AGAINST THE OCTOPUSS, HIS ARCHENEMY AND THE EVIL GENIUS CRIME LORD OF THE CITY, LITTLE DOES HE KNOW HE HAS VERY MUCH IN COMMON WITH OCTOPUSS.

Well, o.k. Wow. Not sure how I really feel about this one. Strong feelings both ways, actually. (Guess I have to be a little clearer than that, don't I?) The thing is, I'm not really positive about how to accurately tell you what I thought about this one. Did I like it, you might ask? It was o.k. Did I think it was a good movie? Nope, can't say that. Did I think it was a bad movie? Nope, can't say that. Was it mediocre, you might then ask? (Impatiently) Can't say that, either.

O.k., here goes. Visually, its stunning. Those of you who like the "comic book come to life" effect that worked so well in Sin City & Max Payne will want to check this one out on visual effect/cinematography alone. I do think the preoccupation with the color red is a little over the top, but that was kind of the point.

But, alas, when you get right down to it, this flick, its impressive cast notwithstanding, is just not as good a flick as Max Payne and its not even close to being as good as Sin City.

The chief problem, in my humble opinion, is the story. And what is wrong with the story, you might ask?

Well, there wasn't much of one. Or at least one that can be easily discerned, followed, or is very interesting. Now, having said that, I will say that there are some very good scenes. And, when you have actors like Samuel L. Jackson (Basic, 187) playing the arch enemy Octopuss along with Scarlett Johansson (Just Cause, Black Dahlia) playing his faithful sidekick, you're going to walk out of the theater or eject the DVD with some indelible, if slightly ridiculous, images in your mind.

The sight of the two of them dressed in Nazi garb, for example, while they explain their wicked plans and attempt to use the Spirit (Gabriel Mecht) for the evil deed is something that is hard to describe.

As is most of the movie, as I've said before. It is probably appropriate that such a visually stunning movie has not one, but two, stunning cast members in Johansson and the Spirit's childhood flame gone bad (Eva Mendes, The Women, Stuck On You) ( I know, ladies, I know...that is just the male point of view. But, its the only view I've got. I realize some of you probably won't mind looking at Messrs. Mecht or Jackson during the flick) But, once again, an actor like Ms. Mendes is not only visually stunning, but very talented and, in my view, once you see her in this flick you will not think of it as one of her better performances.

Mecht is o.k. as the Spirit, a kind of cartoonish caricature of the good guy who can't be corrupted, is so honest it borders on being square, has spent a significant portion of his life in the gym, and has the gift (curse?) of being nearly impossible to kill...just like his arch enemy, Octopuss. But, I think that is just how the Spirit is supposed to come off.

What I'm saying is, I believe it is the story, not the performers. In fairness, I have to say that I know this flick is based on a comic, which I have never seen. So, possibly, those who are familiar with the Spirit in comic form will some, or much, to appreciate that went over my head.

If you're like me, and loved Sin City, and saw Miller's name as the director, I think you will be somewhat disappointed, if that is the only reason you want to see this flick: thinking it will be as good. Its important to remember, however, that although Miller got a director credit for Sin City, it was really directed by Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn), the director credit for Miller was just an acknowledgement of Miller granting movie rights for his successful graphic novel.

I'm not putting down Miller. I just don't think this flick worked very well and I'm sure some of those involved were disappointed, though I don't know of any of them saying it publicly.

But, I wouldn't stamp this as one to avoid at all costs. Lets be honest, seeing Samuel L. going way (and I do mean way) over the top in an over-the-top role, or seeing Ms. Mendes or Ms. Johansson move around the film in the epitome of sultriness notwithstanding one-dimensional and silly roles, is not exactly the worst way to spend a couple of hours if you love flicks.

Not to mention, you may see something in The Spirit that your old pal here missed.

Hell, you just might even really like it.

Directed by Robert Lee. Starring Jeff Fahey, Erika Eleniak, Jessica Amlee, Britney Irvin. Synopsis: A scientist and his young pair of researchers determine that there is going to be a catastrophic shift in the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a shift of the polar extremes and resulting in absolute zero in most balmy and tropical places near and south of the equator...and it is going to happen soon.

When a campy, made for TV cable flick has a title like Absolute Zero, its almost too easy to make a lot of wise a** and cutting put-down remarks on how cheesy the movie was by incorporating several variations of the term "zero" into the review. To do that would be low brow, insensitive, and kind of juvenile in the pursuit of a chuckle or two at the expense of a serious, well thought out review.

So, I guess I'll just get started.

No, seriously, this is not a very good movie, although some of you may have seen it in your local video store with multiple copies available in the new release section, which can-sometimes-indicate that it might not be too, too bad. Well, not in this case, although I want to go on record right now and say its not completely horrible, so yours truly will not relegate it to the "Duds" category, because the seasoned movie watchers among you might just have an idea going in that you are not going to be watching top tier stuff and, if you go into not expecting Citizen Kane, or even The Towering Inferno, you might be able to enjoy some aspects of the film.

As you will suspect from the box cover, this is one of those catastrophic-in-nature movies that reflects the unthinkable change in nature. The more cynical among you will think that this is just a low budget rip off of The Day After Tomorrow, and I will admit that the thought crossed my mind as well. They are careful in the film not to refer to the coming calamity as another Ice Age, referring to it as that theoretical scientific condition known as "absolute zero". I don't know if this is legitimate science or not, it made for o.k. theater. (Although I'm quite sure that this condition, if it could occur, wouldn't happen over the period of a couple of days)

Jeff Fahey plays the scientist who first sounds the alarm, based on his observation of some curious weather patterns and his findings on a research trip to the North Pole (in which all of his buddies were killed due to an extreme and deadly shift in the weather, and Jeff was last seen huddling up with his dying pal in a cave when a terrifying CGI storm that destroyed the command post was rolling in. My thought in this scene was "I wonder how he is going to get out of this one?". Well, we fade to black and in the next scene he is back in his office in sunny Miami. You've got to love a script that doesn't sweat the small stuff in details)

Well, when he gets back he sounds the alarm but, as will surprise no one, the higher ups don't believe him, or if they do, they think this big shift is centuries in the future and every one is more worried about securing government funding in the present to ward off this disaster.

Sorry, guys, absolute-freakin-zero is not coming in the 23rd century, its coming later today, and boy does it hit Miami hard. The only people listening to Jeff and his two student researchers are an old professor buddy of his and the prof's wife (Erika Eleniak. Under Siege ), who just happens to be an old flame of Jeff's.

Ah, yes, the tried and true formula of boy meets girl/boy dumps girl/girl marries boy's best friend without boy knowing it/boy meets girl again/girl's hubby gets killed in scientifically impossible catastrophe/boy, girl, and girl's daughter survive in boy's office which is somehow built to withstand a condition no one thought possible two days before it happened/boy gets girl for good/ has been done many, many times, but never better than in Absolute Zero. 

By far, the standout performance in this one is Jessica Amlee, who plays the little girl and has an obvious screen presence and natural talent. That's not to put down the other actors, the script and ridiculous settings did not give them a whole lot to work with.

You might expect some awesome FX in this one like you saw in The Day After Tomorrow. Well, you will be disappointed. Although some of the CGI is not bad, there are others that are cheesier than a Wisconsin dairy farm. In addition to that, at times when they are not using CGI when showing us the devastation coming to Miami, they use the trick of a local newscast footage, which looks suspiciously like some of the footage you might see during the first snowstorm of the year in Albany. Clearly not Miami.

Look, if you've got nothing better to do or have an end of the world complex or love improbable reunions of lost love or if you are a member of that segment of the population who enjoys seeing Erika Eleniak no matter what...then check this out and be prepared to be slightly amused for a while. Otherwise, don't feel bad if you give this a pass, you haven't missed much.

Directed by Jonathan Demme. Starring Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schrieber, Jon Voight, Jeffrey Wright, Vera Farmiga, Kimberly Elise. Sci/Fi/Drama.  Synopsis: An Army officer with disturbing dreams after the Gulf War finds that his curious memories of one major incident are exactly the same as other soldiers who were there, particularly one former soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroics and is now on the short list for Vice President. But, is the memory real, or was it somehow planted in all of them for political purposes?

My first disclosure is that I have never seen the original of this film, which I know is considered by many to be a classic. Clearly, it is not a complete remake since it is modernized to the present day and the antagonists are not a foreign communist power but a seedy, greedy corporation...named Manchurian.

In this version of the story, a Gulf War combat veteran officer (Denzel Washington Inside Man) is doing public relations for the Army, in particular telling people about the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest. This is of particular relevance because one of the soldiers (Liev Schreiber The Omen) who served under him in Kuwait is no a representative from the State of New York who is a dark horse candidate to land a spot on the presidential ticket in the Vice-President slot.

He also happens to be the son of a very influential and manipulative Senator (Meryl Streep The Devil Wears Prada)  Now, all of this sounds just fine, but some of the other member of the unit who are still alive when their hero comrade makes his run for office realize that they share the exact same memories of that fateful night in Kuwait...and now share the same nightmares all these years later.

As you might predict, Denzel's character is the one who takes it the furthest, coming to believe that he and his fellow soldiers have been the victim of some kind of brain washing experiment, maybe even to put one of them into the White House.

I know this movie did not do as well as expected at the box office, given the Hall of Fame cast and the fact that the original film was such a classic. I don't know, maybe you can't go home again, but I don't think the story is dated in the way we might have thought if it had been released in, say, 1998, when the biggest threat to our security-at least publicly-was seen to be a oversexed Commander in Chief and a loose intern. No, the story is not dated and it works for me, with the required suspension of disbelief.

The performances of the actors is wonderful as you would expect. To me, the definition of "wasting time" is to actually spend minutes on a blog saying that Streep and Washington are outstanding as the leads...what else am I going to "tell" you? That the sun will rise in the East?

Schreiber is real good here, too, and he has to be, since the film really revolves around the viewer feeling some empathy for him, as he is not really the bad guy here. Who is? Well, I'm no spoiler, but I will give a hint to those who have not seen the film. The term "bad guy" should not be taken too literally.

So, I liked it, though I would be interested to hear the views of people who have seen and enjoyed the original with Frank Sinatra. That would be interesting.