The Ninth Configuration (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)Roger Ebert once said that Casablanca was the sort of movie that improves upon multiple viewings, because the first time we see it we're too involved in the plot, too concerned about what is happening and why; seeing the movie again gives us the chance to appreciate the nuances. Those comments certainly apply to The Ninth Configuration.
The plot is a good one, and people who enjoy thrillers and mysteries will find enough action and plot twists in the film to rival Hitchcock's best works. But what makes this movie so special are the terrific performances (by Stacy Keach, Scott, Wilson, and Ed Flanders), the witty dialogue, and the religious undercurrents. Too often movies treat religious belief with sentimentality or scorn, but the Ninth Configuration deals with faith and doubt in with a deftness and dignity that isn't patronizing to either side.
It's the sort of movie that you immediately want to talk about with someone...which could be difficult since so few people have seen it. Case in point: I host a movie party every Thursday night. Every time a new member joins, I ask him or her to compile a short list of movies that he or she has seen but thinks others haven't but should. These lists serve as our guide for film selections, and the attendees love movies and have broad tastes. But not one of them had seen The Ninth Configuration. My father recommended it to us, and we watched it last October, and thus far it remains the club's hands-down favorite, beating out classics such as The Sting or The Lion in Winter. Many of them have passed the title along to friends, who have also enjoyed the newly discovered gem. And it has provoked hours of conversation among us.
I can't think of a movie that would appeal so well to the casual viewer, the mystery lover, the film buff, the occasion bible study group for that matter.
Many movies are worth seeing. This one is worth owning.

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A stunning meditation on God\'s existence in a form that might be best described as Catch 22 meets Spellbound, the film received 3 Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, and won the award for Best Writing against a field of nominees that included Ordinary People, The Elephant Man and Raging Bull.

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The Postman (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)It is difficult to review a film that you like, when every professional critic has slammed it. On the other hand, I have to believe I am not alone in my tastes, so, here is some praise for "The Postman", Kevin Costner's cinematic version of the great book of the same name, written by David Brin.

After the success of "Dances With Wolves", it's pretty clear that Costner has been trying to recapture that epic feeling. But where "Water World" was silly to the point of being a caricature of a sweeping drama, "The Postman" avoids the trap. The nemesis, General Bethlehem is played seriously by Will Patton and the situation in general is believable if not completely explained.

I admit there were a few moments that were too heavy handed, the most memorable when the Postman gallops back to snatch a letter from a boy's hand. Even so, I can forgive a little over enthusiasm when it is mixed with a stirring tale. I know that during times of war, rhetoric is grist for the mill and so, the character's obsession with the American way, is understandable, given that it no longer exists.

You see, civilisation has fallen. It's implied that nuclear weapons were used, perhaps even biological weapons. Whatever the cause, people survive precariously, huddled together in fortified towns dreading the next visit of the Holenist army. A band of thugs created during the last days of the war and now led by General Bethlehem towards some nebulous vision, who's only constant is that Bethlehem will be the one in power.

Enter stage left, an unlikely hero. Kevin Costner's character may have a name but it is not revealed during the film. At first he is known as Shakespeare because he is a wandering loner who is sometimes driven to produce one man, one mule, productions of the Bard in the hopes of winning a meal from his audience. His aimless existence is abruptly ended when he is roughly drafted into the Holenist army.

From the first he stands out from the crowd of beaten hopeless recruits and so is singled out for special torments and duties. The army life is brutal enough without having earned the enmity of your squad leader. One thing leads to another and escape presents itself for Shakespeare. Without food or any other protection he stumbles on the remains of an old mail van and spends a night huddled in its dubious warmth, kept company by the body of a US Postal worker.

Whether by chance, destiny or foresight, he dons the guise of a postman and scams his way into a local town. "The mailman's here. Lock up your dogs." So long starved of civilisation, the bedraggled townsmen clamour for news of the world, the government, the future. He has little choice but to answer their questions, with creative and plausible fictions. It is here that the wheels of fate start turning.

The idea he has created, of a new America, is too big for one man to control. The film takes us on a steamroller ride headed straight towards the Holenist army. People with hope demand action. The desire for action creates leaders. Leaders are often forced to carry out the will of the people despite a lack of talent, desire or knowledge.

In this case, a young man, self named Ford Lincoln Mercury, forces the Postman to become a symbol of civilisation and eventually the symbol of resistance. Ford's passion and his actions are resisted for a long time but eventually the Postman comes to share the myth. One man can stand up to tyranny, especially with the help of a few courageous friends and the trust of one strong willed woman.

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Set in the near future after a catastrophic war which has destroyed the government, a traveler finds an old mail bag and starts delivering it.Genre: Feature Film-Action/AdventureRating: RRelease Date: 8-FEB-2005Media Type: DVD

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Broadway Danny Rose (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)After my first viewing of Broadway Danny Rose, I was extremely dissapointed. I just didn't "get" it. I did not think it was about anything, and that it contained none of the humor, wit, and philosophical musings about life that Woody had so perfectly achieved before and since (see Annie Hall or Hannah and Her Sisters). I couldn't have been more wrong.
I decided to watch the film again, to determine exactly what about it that so many people loved so much . I was truly mystified. But during that second viewing, I really began to soak in the message about the lovable "loser" Woody plays, not to mention the fact that I couldn't stop laughing! How could I have missed this stuff before? This is Woody at his most subtle best, in a masterpiece comparable and perhaps even surpassing Manhattan (another one that took me a few times to appreciate).
Bottom line: if you are looking for pure slapstick, watch Bananas or Sleeper. If you are looking for a deep, thought-provoking drama, watch Crimes and Misdeameanors. But if you are looking for a subtle charmer that deals with the little problems of life in an original, compelling way, watch Broadway Danny Rose (and Manhattan).

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A Broadway agent/comic gets into trouble with the Mafia while he is trying to get his client's career back on track.Genre: Feature Film-ComedyRating: PGRelease Date: 7-SEP-2004Media Type: DVD

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Forrest Gump (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)Forrest Gump is a rare movie that succeeded on all levels. It was a box office smash ranking among the top five highest grossing movies of all time. But it was also a critical darling, garnering across the board praise and a truckload of awards. The movie became a cultural phenomenon, spawning cook books, quote books, a top ten soundtrack album and lines like "stupid is as stupid does" and "life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" have permeated our dialect. The movie has a nostalgic, feel good vibe thanks to the dimwitted Forrest's trek through 60's and 70's touchstone events. Underneath all those warm feelings lies a darkness. Bad things happen to just about everyone Forrest comes in contact with. His best friend Bubba is killed in Vietnam, his other friend Lt. Dan loses both his legs, his mother dies of cancer and his beloved Jenny dies of AIDS. Even the famous people Forrest comes across meet with disaster, President Kennedy & John Lennon are assassinated, George Wallace is shot and Elvis Presley dies young. There are superb performances all around. Sally Field is feisty as Forrest's mama, Mykelti Williamson is funny as Bubba, Gary Sinese as Lt. Dan is a perfect rough edged foil to Forrest and Robin Wright as Jenny portrays the confusion that young people of the times felt perfectly. While all those performances are of high quality, Forrest Gump is Tom Hanks' tour de force. He is utterly brilliant as Forrest. He is in virtually every scene of the movie and never once does he fail to astound. He becomes Forrest and makes you care what happens to him. Mr. Hanks deservedly won his second consecutive Best Actor Oscar for the role and cemented himself as the best actor of his generation and one of the best of all time.

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FORREST GUMP - COLLECTOR'S EDITION - DVD Movie

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Life is Beautiful (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)Put the children to bed, unplug the phone, get out the tissues and refuse to watch this movie with anybody who likes to talk during a movie. You will be blown away.
Holocaust and comedy. Two words never spoken in the same breath before "Life is Beautiful." To smiply label this movie as such, would do it injustice. Every emotion comes into play during the viewing. You soon begin to empathize with Roberto Benigni as he portrays a father trying to keep the harsh realities of a German concentration camp from his young son. Benigni protects his son with two weapons that the German's could not seize: Humor and Imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and yes I cried. But I also laughed and smiled.
I recommend the Sub-title version of the movie. After five minutes the reading becomes natural and the depth to which you become involved with the movie is well worth it.
I so enjoyed the music in this movie, that I purchased "Tales of Hoffman" by Offenbach. The second playing of this piece in the movie will not allow you to maintain dry eyes.

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An inspired motion picture masterpiece, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL was nominated for 7 Academy Awards(R) -- winning 3 Oscars, including one for Best Actor Robert Benigni. In this extraordinary tale, Guido (Benigni) -- a charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colorful imagination and an irresistible sense of humor -- has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for his young family. But then, that life is threatened by World War II ... and Guido must rely on those very same strengths to save his beloved wife and son from an unthinkable fate! Honored with an overwhelming level of critical acclaim, this truly exceptional, utterly unique achievement will lift your spirits and capture your heart!

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Star Trek: The Motion Pictures DVD Collection (Motion Picture/ Wrath of Khan/ Search for Spock/ Voyage Home/ Final Frontier/ Undiscovered Country/ Generations/ First Contact/ Insurrection/ Nemesis) (1991) Review

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(More customer reviews)In 1966, a TV show writer/producer named Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) had an idea for a futuristic sci-fi TV series in which humanity has united, achieved faster-than-light interstellar space travel and joined other worlds in the "United Federation of Planets". The show, known as "Star Trek", was on the air for a mere three years, but thanks in part to the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, in syndication the show gained a huge audience and fans began to gather at "Star Trek" conventions. With so much interest growing in "Star Trek", producers at Paramount (which obtained the show from Desilu Productions) considered reviving the TV series in the late 1970's, but opted instead to produce a big-screen feature-length film.
In 1979, the first film, called "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", was produced and reunited the entire cast from the cancelled series: Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Lt. Commander/Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard H. 'Bones' McCoy (DeForest Kelley, 1920-1999), Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (James Doohan, 1920-2005), Lt. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Keonig), Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) and Doctor (formerly Nurse) Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett, who is Gene Roddenberry's widow). Directed by the Oscar-award winning director Robert Wise (1914-2005), the film opened to throngs of waiting fans, but sadly, the film's story (inspired by an episode from the original series) was not well received.
Three years later in 1982, the second film entitled "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn" opened in theaters. Based upon an original series episode that guest-starred Ricardo Montalban as the villian Khan Noonien Singh, this film was hailed by fans and remains to this day one of the most popular of all of them. Though the character of Spock died at the end of this film, the third film released in 1984, "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock", saw his character return because his body at the end of the second film had been left on a newly formed, man-made planet. The next film released in 1986, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home", was another very popular film in which the entire original crew travels back in time to current-day Earth in a captured Klingon ship. Unfortunately, the fifth film released in 1989, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier", is regarded by many as being the worst "Star Trek" film ever produced. Directed by William Shatner, the film's story features Spock's long-lost brother (Laurence Luckinbill) taking over the new Enterprise starship in order to find what he believes is the Garden of Eden, but instead finds an irritated alien entity that had been dumped there by someone else. The sixth film produced in 1991 and entitled "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" was the final film starring the entire original cast and featured an interesting story involving the Klingons wanting to create a peace treaty with the Federation.
With so much interest in the franchise again, Paramount decided in 1987 to produce an entirely new "Star Trek" TV series featuring a new cast, which would form the crew for the latest version of the starship Enterprise set about 100 years after the time of Kirk. The cast included Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Lieutenant/Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Lieutenant Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby, first season only), Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn), Commander Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Lt. Commander/Commander Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), the android Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), the boy Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) and the frequently recurring character Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg). The new TV show, named "Star Trek: The Next Generation", ran for seven complete seasons between 1987 and 1994.
Four additional big-screen films were then produced starring the cast from "Star Trek: The Next Generation", except for the characters portrayed by Denise Crosby and Wil Wheaton. The first of these films was released in theaters in 1994 and was entitled "Star Trek: Generations". It also included three original cast characters (Captain Kirk, Scotty and Pavel Chekov) to link the "Next Generation" with the original cast. Many fans were disappointed with the film, but I enjoyed it. The second of these "Next Generation" films was released in 1996. Entitled "Star Trek: First Contact", most people enjoyed the excitement of this film's story that featured a deadly cybernetic enemy known as the Borg that had been discovered during the "Next Generation" series. Controlled by the powerful Borg Queen (Alice Krige), the Borg travel back Earth's past in order to stop the father of warp drive, Dr. Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), from testing humanity's first-ever warp-powered ship that allowed Earth to make its first contact with an alien species, the Vulcans.
The third film featuring the "Next Generation" cast was released in theaters in 1998. Entitled "Star Trek: Insurrection", the film was not received as well by fans as the previous film, but was entertaining. The final film produced to date in 2002, "Star Trek: Nemesis" featured an alien species that had yet to be shown in any big-screen film, the Romulans. Unfortunately, this film's poor performance in theaters was due to a somewhat lackluster story. Whether or not Paramount will ever produce another film based upon "Star Trek" is currently unknown, but if another one is produced, it would more than likely feature another completely new cast of characters.
Overall, I rate the complete "Star Trek - The Motion Pictures DVD Collection (Special Edition)" DVD set with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who has not yet purchased any of the special edition "Star Trek" films on DVD. Thank you Gene Roddenberry, wherever you are, for creating such a wonderful universe of characters and stories in "Star Trek".

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