True Grit (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + DigitalCopy)

This True Grit is a great film. A beautifully made western in a time when western films regardless of quality are a rarity. I will start off with a complaint though…somebody correct me if I’m wrong…but I could not find the movie trailer with Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” soundtrack. This is a great trailer and should have been included with the DVD.

The Socia Network

The Social Network is a breakneck paced drama about the genesis and evolution of Facebook and the people who were elevated to iconic status (namely Mark Zuckerberg) and those who were betrayed and left behind in the process. Yet it is so multifaceted and complex that it actually benefits from repeat viewings not only to appreciate the accomplishments of the creative team involved, but also to absorb the full scope of the tragedy that lies beneath its ultra sleek surface.

Pirates of the Caribbean : On Stranger Tides

Very often, the dollar signs in a studio executive’s eyes prove to be too powerful a draw, leading them to offer huge sums of money to stars to reprise their roles. A director is found who can, at the least, maintain the status quo and not kill the lucrative franchise. And a sequel is born. But sequels are almost always a case of diminishing returns, both financially and creatively. Such is the case with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films I hoped the series was killed by the critically panned third installment, but it made a bounty of cash. And before you could say “Davy Jones’ Locker”, Johnny Depp was offered a huge sum of money (I heard rumors of $40 million), a new director was brought on board (Rob Marshall, director of “Chicago”, “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Nine”) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer was able to offer Disney an almost certain money maker for Summer, 2011. This should help make up for his recent duds “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time“.

Legends of the Fall – Special Edition (1995)

Legends of the Fall is an easy movie to love. It stars one of the most charming men working in film today. It also stars a man regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation. It is beautifully shot and very well acted; filled to the brim with sentiment and grace and an ending so emotionally gut-wrenching you’ll be unable to hold back the tears.

Lawrence of Arabia (Single Disc Edition) 1962

I actually own Lawrence of Arabia on VHS. It’s a two tape set. I prefer the two tape set because the original movie was done with an intermission. I haven’t seen the one disc version, but I hope it includes the intermission. The first half of the movie is drastically different from the second half. I’ve watched the first half maybe five times. I normally only watch the second half. I’ve seen that at least a hundred times.

Glory (1989) movie summary

I wanted to like this film. After all, the story of the 54th Massachusetts, the first black regiment in the Union Army and its courageous assault on the formidable defence works of Fort Wagner, is a great one and a major step forward for the blacks of the USA. However, I found the whole thing to be rather bloodless and, well, lacking fire in its belly. I have no idea what the real Col. Shaw was like, but I can’t imagine the character as played by Matthew Broderick being terribly inspirational. I thought it was overall a poor acting performance, redeemed slightly at the end as he confronts the likelihood of his death in the assault on Fort Wagner. Morgan Freeman plays a version of his wise old uncle act and even the usually excellent Denzel Washington I found not particularly impressive.

Black Hawk Down (2002)

This movie does the best job of any movie yet made in showing the chaos and confusion of a modern urban military battle. The constant automatic weapons fire sounds like the clinking of gravel on a tin roof, and is a continuous background presence. The rocket propelled grenades fired from the wrecked urban landscape wreak havoc on helicopters, and the piles of burning tires in streets create a nightmare of navigation.