In this epic tale of Australia’s pre-WW2 Northern Territories, you will abosolutely fall in love with the aboriginal child, Nullah (Brandon Walters). His water tower episode is gripping, the stampede scene is unforgettable, and his departure for the mission tearful. Nicole Kidman is not bad as the stiff but resilient Lady Ashley, and Hugh Jackman plays his usual stud self as Drover, the untamable cowhand. Romance, action, greed, spirituality…even a little humor (Nullah in the tree!)...this film has something for everyone, including a half a zillion references to the “Wizard of Oz,” pun fully intended by director Baz Luhrman.

Memorable answer to the question “What is entertainment?” Funny in a thoughtful way. Lots of star power, too, in this Jim Carrey/Danny DeVito collaboration.

Martin’s reprise as Inspector Clouseau is not quite as funny as the original, neither his nor Sellers’, but still very laughable. The scene with the Pope is a real gut-splitter. John Cleese does Dreyfuss well, although the part is limited. Andy Garcia plays the Italian detective perfectly, complete with a bit of butt grabbing. But my favorite new element in this episode was Lili Tomlin, trying to teach Clouseau how NOT to be a racist, male chauvanist xenophobe, and his reactions. Quite entertaining.

I actually didn’t see the DVD version, but I couldn’t find the 3D-IMAX version listed on All-Consuming, so I am posting here.

Half Blood Prince is yet another chapter in the HP saga, and it continues the tradition of darkly filmed sequences and lots of special effects, with the same trio of once-young actors. Romantic interludes punctuate this installment (some of which are quite funny) as the forces of evil gain sway over Hogwarts. Without giving anything away, it has its surprises, and sets up the 7th and last episode very well.

I’m sure the special features on the DVD will be worth watching, but I was disappointed (again) in the use of 3D at the theater. Only the first twenty minutes were filmed for 3D viewing, hardly the height of action. Also, the full IMAX format wasn’t employed.

Nonetheless, this is a good movie to see on the big screen if you have the option. It had me jumping out of my seat with a start on at least two occasions, and laughing out loud on several others. Quite entertaining.

A bit of a morality play. Lots of blood is shed in the name of God/Allah. Well acted by Bloom and Neeson. The war scenes are pure Ridley Scott. See it, for sure.

It’s species vs. species (humans vs. bugs) in this tongue-in-cheek space adventure movie. Cliche all the way, with cheap prop spaceships blowing up and plenty of paraplegics to remind us that intergalactic warfare is no laughing matter. The concept of “citizen” vs. “civilian” is interesting, and a bit scary. But this movie is not to be taken seriously, please.

I was not a big fan of Batman Begins, but TDK made me like it more, because it gave BB direction. This was less dark than BB and more in keeping with the earlier Batman series films (focusing on an evil nemisis), which I thoroughly enjoyed when they came out. The special effects were excellent, as was the acting, esp. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. What I did not like about the DVD was the lack of special features and the length…153 minutes is just too long.

This is the granddaddy of Private Eye television series. Somehow, Blake Edwards managed to cram an entire whodunit into 25 minutes of filming, with an ongoing love story as a subtheme, and he did it in B&W. Most episodes include a song, too, usually crooned out softly by Edie Hart (Lola Albright), whose dialog is as crisp today as it was in 1958. Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens) is ice-cold cool when it comes to business, but with a soft side. Police Lt. Jacoby is no bumbler, and he has a love/hate relationship with Gunn. Some things you’ll see in the first season, but not in TV nowdays: beatniks, no search warrants, lots of unlocked doors, Mothers (a home-style bistro), cars with fins, skinny neckties, and cigarettes—lots and lots of smoking. In one of the episodes, Gunn is caught by a baddie and has to raise his hands at gun-point, but he never drops his cigarette. And of course, there is the wonderful Grammy-winning theme by Henry Mancini that everyone knows, even if they never saw the actual show. Very much worth watching in a retro sort of way. Season II is also available on CD, released by A&E television in 2002.

Loved the way the music worked, with some clever twists to convey different meanings to some songs. All in all, I thought it was very well executed…artistic, as many have pointed out. But there is a very serious theme running through the entire film: Betrayal, and how we deal with it. At some point or other each character is betrayed and/or betrays another (or themselves). Jude’s father betrays his mother, Jude betrays his Liverpool girlfriend, etc., and of course, the U.S. government bretrays its citizens by sending their children off to a pointless war and radicals betray their own calls for peace by embracing violence and making bombs. Interesting to watch in any event. Cameo by Joe Cocker was way kewl…he still rocks.

Excellence through and through – well deserving of its Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture. Denzel Washington plays his role as the leftist teacher cum debate coach perfectly. Forrest Whitaker provides the perfect counterpoint, as the campus’s erudite man of faith. The lynch mob scene is bone-chilling. And that Harvard actually took on the challenge of debating small-town Texas, all-black Wiley College in the midst of the Depression and Jim Crow attitudes just shows why it is such a great university. Many stirring scenes, plus the DVD has a great special feature on the history behind the the story, including interviews with some of the actual debate team members.