That Evening Sun

Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Mia Wasikowska, Barry Corbin, Dixie Carter, Walton Goggins -- About a man (Hal Holbrook) who "escapes" from a nursing home and goes back to the farm where he did his whole life's work. Once back there, he discovers a strange family (Ray McKinnon, Carrie Preston and Mia Wasikowska) living, all though he owns the deed to the place. He moves into the "sharecropper's cabin" and plots to take the farm back. In the end, he gets rid of the tenant but he goes back the nursing home. Very confusing. I would rate it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009 - PG-13)

Boogie Woogie

Heather Graham, Amanda Seyfried, Christopher Lee, Charlotte Rampling -- An art dealer tries to con a recluse into selling him an oil painting worth millions. The backdrop is the contemporary London art scene. It definitely is "R" rated. I thought about cutting the film off, but I wanted to see where then next scene would lead. All in all, I decided it needed a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

God Grew Tired of Us

Panther Bior, John Bul Dau, Daniel Abol Pach -- Part of the "Lost Boys" contingent that came to America after war broke out in their homeland of Sudan. A documentary. Interesting. I would rate it a 3 out of 5 stars. (2006 - PG)

Holy Rollers

Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, Ari Graynor -- An Hasidic Jew gets into drug smuggling in the late 90s. Based on a true story, a Brighton Beach native makes the trip from Amsterdam to New York using other Hasidic Jews to smuggle "Ecstasy". Very interesting. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Robin Hood

Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max von Sydow, William Hurt, Mark Addy -- A much better addition of Robin Hood then I could possibly imagine. Much better than "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".(Which starred Kevin Costner) Although I still like "The Adventures of Robin Hood" starring Errol Flynn better, the characters in "Robin Hood", particularly those the "Merry Men", were spot on. I especially liked FriarTuck. I would gave it a good, solid 4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - PG - 13)

Winter's Bone

Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes -- Set in the modern-day Missouri Okark Mountians, a young girl (Jennifer Lawrence) sets out to find if her father is dead or alive. It was very confussing. In the end, her father is indeed dead. The one thing I got out of it was bond her father took when he was released from jail. The bondsman was going to take her house if the father was still alive. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Oceans

A nice Disney movie about...... the oceans. Some real good footage, but I wished I'd seen it on IMAX. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan. Kind of like the TV series of the same name. (As seen on the Discovery Channel) I would rate it 3 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2009 - G)

Please Give

Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Sarah Steele, Rebecca Hall, Amanda Peet, Josh Pais -- A chick flick. A Woody Allen movie without Woody Allen (Writer/Director Nicole Holofcener). A woman and her family live next door to a 90 year old woman and her granddaughters. The husband has an affair with one of the grandkids. And if your wondering, the granddaughter is almost 30.That was it. $250 for a pair of jeans? I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

True Grit

John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin, John Fielder -- A stubborn young woman (Kim Darby) hires a drunken US Marshal (John Wayne) to track down her father's killer. I watched it because an updated version is coming out in December. I had forgotten what a wonderful film it was. I would rate it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (1969 - G)

Smokin' Aces

Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Chris Pine, Curtis Armstong, Jason Bateman, Wayne Newton -- Despite all the stars in it, it was still a terrible movie. (Although "Smoking Aces 2" was an even worse movie.) A mob boss puts a hit out on an entertainer (Jeremy Piven). Come to find out, the mop boss is actually the entertainer's father. He wants his heart to replace the one that he has. All the stars in the universe could not hold this one together. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2006 - R)

Take

Minnie Driver, Jeremy Renner, David Denman -- The story Ana (Minnie Driver) and Saul (Jeremy Renner) and how their lives intersect for one moment. Basically, he is a lowlife gambler who kills her kid during a robbery attempt. I didn't get two things. 1) how her kid dies and 2) why is she towing that trailer around with all her kid's things in it. Okay job for first-time director Charles Oliver. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2007 - R)

Manson: My Name is Evil

Gregory Smith, Kristen Hager, Ryan Robbins -- Loosely based on the trial of Leslie Van Houten and apparent love of someone on the jury with her. Originally titled "Leslie: My Name is Evil" but I guess they thought that Manson's name would sell the movie. It was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Not one person I recognized. I thought it was okay, but not anything spectacular. It was a Dark Comedy. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

MacGruber

Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer, Powers Boothe, Maya Rudolph, Ryan Phillippe -- I could only stand about 45 minutes of it and then I had to turn it off! On Saturday Night Live he gets rubbed out in about 15 seconds. An hour and a half long movie expanded on that, it still had the dumbest stuff imaginable. Watch it if you dare! I would rate it 1 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Leaves of Grass

Edward Norton, Richard Dresfuss, Susan Sarandon, Tim Blake Nelson, Keri Russell, Josh Pais -- Another film with pot in it! Edward Norton plays a dual role as a college professor, Bill Kincaid, and his pot growing brother, Brady. Bill goes back to Oklahoma and finds his brother leading a nefarious lifestyle. Part comedy and part tragedy, it shows that you should not take work as a orthodontist. From a Walt Whitman work of the same name. I would give it a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

Babies

A documentary about.... babies. They trained the camera on four different babies from around the world. One is from San Francisco, one is from Namibia, one is from Mongolia, and the last one is from Tokyo. I sure am glad that I did not waste my time and money to see it in the theater. I was bored with it after 10 minutes. I would rate it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - PG-13 {the only reason it was PG-13 was they showed an African woman's breasts})

Lonely Hearts

John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Salma Hayek, Laura Dern -- I watched it again. I think it is one of those movies that you watch only once. I still gave it high marks, but Cathy Bates would have been much more convincing in the role of Martha Beck. Hayek was too good-looking for the part. Although I would still rate it rate it 3 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2006 - R)

Good

Viggo Mortensen -- That is the only name I recognized in the entire ensemble. Viggo Mortensen plays a Nazi. He had an neurotic wife, two small children who were brats, and a mother suffering from dementia. He wrote a book on the humane ways to kill another human being. Then he went to Treblinka or Daukau (I'm not sure which one it was) and saw his work being put into practice. An hour and a half later, it was over. Thank God! I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. (2008 - R)

The Experiment

Forest Whitaker, Adrein Brody, Maggie Grace -- Kind of like "Lord of the Flies" but in prison. Despite the A-List stars, it was rather disappointing. I would only give it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

The Honeymoon Killers

Tony LoBianco, Doris Roberts, Shirley Stoler -- A "B-Movie" about the real-life Lonely Hearts murders starring Tony LoBianco ("The French Connection" and "The Seven-Ups") as Ray Fernandez, Shirley Staler as Martha Beck, his wife, and Doris Roberts (the mother in "Everybody Loves Raymond") as her best friend, Bunny. I guess they didn't have much money because the crimes happened in the late 40's and yet the piece was shot in the late 60's. It was alright as far as "B-Movies" go. I thought a much better one was "Lonely Hearts" starring John Travolta and James Gandolfini. I would rate it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (1969 - R)

Ondine

Colin Ferrell, Alicja Bachleda, Alison Barry -- An Irish fishermen (Colin Ferrell) named Syracuse reels in a mysterious woman (Alicja Bachleda). His daughter (Alison Barry) is convinced the mysterious woman is a "selkie", a mythical sea creature. He begins to take the woman on board while he is fishing, and mysteriously the nets always full. Is the mystery woman a selkie or just a woman who has lost her memory? You will have to see it to find out. I would rate it 4 1/4 out of 5 stars. (2009 - PG-13)

Temple Grandin

Claire Danes, David Strathairn, Catherine O'Hara, Julia Ormond -- Although she is autistic, Temple Grandin (Claire Danes) went on to enter private high school, followed by a bachelors degree at Franklin Pierce College, an M.S. at Arizona State, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. A glimpse of those dealing with autism. Her work in animal husbandry leads the nation. And I am not talking about fish, I am talking about beef cattle (and more humanely ways to do the jobs at the slaughterhouses). I would rate it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - NR)

Me and Orson Welles

Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay -- A movie concerning me (Zac Efron) and Orson Welles (Christian McKay), concerning the 1937 opening of the play "Julius Caesar". I thought it was excellent. I thought Christian McKay stole the show, and I was impressed with Zac Enfron. I would rate it 4 1/4 out of 5 stars. (2008 - PG-13)

After.Life

Liam Neeson, Christina Ricci, Justin Long -- Not one of Liam Neeson's or Christina Ricci's better works. And as far as Justin Long's performance... not there. Liam Neeson plays a funeral director who talks dead people. Christina Ricci is one of is charges. As the time for the funeral approaches, you're not sure that she is dead. Skip it! It's too long and boring. I would rate it 2 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

Smash Cut

Sasha Gray, David Hess -- It was so bad, it actually.... it was still terrible! Sasha Gray in one of the few roles where she kept her clothes on. Skip it. Horror with a certain "de savior ce qu'il". I would rate the film 2 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2009 - UR)

The Joneses

Demi Moore, David Duchovey, Glenne Headly, Gary Cole, Lauren Hutton -- The Joneses (Demi Moore and David Duchovey), living in an upscale neighborhood, attempt to make the neighbors consume more shit then they can use. Aided by "son" Mick, and "daughter" Jenn, they attempt to change the shopping habits of all they come in contact with. I really liked it and I highly recommend it. I thought that it had a good ending. I would rate it 4 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

Solitary Man

Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandon, Mary-Louise Parker, Jenna Fischer, Jesse Eisenberg, Richard Schiff -- Hey everybody, let's do an acting class with Michael Douglas. About a philanderer (Michael Douglas) and the road to ruin. It wasn't very good. Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito did a bunch of pictures in the mid-80s. At least those were good. I would rate it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Thierry Guetta, Space Invader -- Really cool documentary about what's going on in the "Street Art" movement of today. I think you should see it! What started out as a couple of guys coming in the middle of the night to tag your wall, has burgeoned to a entire art movement. The only thing I would have liked to see was more art. I saw another article about same thing about a year ago. It won't last long. These people are becoming rich quite fast. If you are interested in it, I would like to recommend it with a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - NR)

Addicted To Her Love

Daryl Hannah, John Patrick Amedori, Lizzy Caplan -- About a boy (John Patrick Amedori) working at a drugstore who decides to get pills for his friends. Awful, awful, awful! Daryl Hannah is the only one I recognized. If you'd like to see a good film about this subject, watch "Drugstore Cowboy" (1989) starring Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, and a young Heather Graham. I would rate this one 1 out of 5 stars. (2006 - R)

Idiocracy

Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Justin Long, Thomas Hayden-Church -- I loved this movie when it came out in 2006 - and I still love it! I rented it this weekend and watched it a couple of times. An Army experiment gone wrong. They were supposed to be a sleep for one year but ended up sleeping for 500. The world is a much stupider place in the future! Watch for Justin Long and Thomas Hayden-Church. Much better in the "R" rated version then on TV. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (2006 - R)

Unthinkable

Samuel L. Jackson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Michael Sheen, Stephen Root, Gil Bellows, Benito Martinez, Martin Donovan -- All the actors in the world could not save this film! An FBI agent (Carrie-Anne Moss) and a CIA spook (Samuel L. Jackson) have three days to break a subject (Michael Sheen) before three nuclear bombs go off in the United States. The first 15 minutes was exciting. The last hour and 15 minutes were sheer torture. I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. (2010-R)

Harry Brown

Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer -- A widower (Michael Caine) takes the law into his own hands after his "mate" gets brutally murdered by some street thugs. Check out the pot plants! I liked it, but it was panned by critics. Emily Mortimer plays a police detective. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (2009-R)

The Killing

Sterling Hayden, Vince Edwards -- A film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick. It's about a heist at the race track. It was very good. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (1956-NR)

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Jason Robards, Diane Ladd, Pam Grier -- It is the early 1900's. A carnival comes to town. The head of the carnival is actually the devil. He comes collecting souls. A father (Jason Robards) tries to prevent it from happening. Produced by Walt Disney. It wasn't very good. I would rate it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (1983-PG)

The Back-Up Plan

Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Robert Klein, Tom Bosley, Linda Lavin -- A guy (Alex O'Loughlin) and a girl (Jennifer Lopez) meet, fall in love, and start a family. Not necessarily in that order. A chick flick. I liked "Monster-in-Law" better. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2010-PG-13)

Longitude

Jeremy Irons, Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon, Brian Cox -- Two, two, two films in one. In the first one, takes place in the middle of the seventeed hundreds. It concerns a man (Michael Gambon) and his son inventing a time-piece that is super accurate. That is the only way that longitude (of latitude and longitude) is figured out. In the second one, it takes place just before World War II. It concerns a man (Jeremy Irons) who discovers the chronometers and sets about restoring them. Interesting! I would rate it 4 1/4 out of 5 stars. (2000-PG)

The Last Song

Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston, Liam Hemsworth -- This time Miley Cyrus is a werewolf and terrorizes the town she is in. Justin Bieber plays a vampire with one thought in mind - kill the werewolf. Actually, I was making it all up. Miley Cyrus stars in a sickeningly sweet love story about a summer romance. Her father (Greg Kinnear) has cancer but doesn't let Miley or her brother know it. Definitely a chick flick, and actually a chick flick for 15-year-olds. Don't waste your time! Though the acting is okay. I would rate it 2 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2010-PG)

The Losers

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Jason Patric -- I had to watch it three times to make it all the way through to the end. A 12 year old boy's perfect movie. The rest of us - rather annoying. I won't tell you what the plot is, because it is that bad. Skip it. I would rate it 1 1/2 out of 5. (2010-PG-13)

Fido

K'Sun Ray, Carrie-Anne Moss, Dylan Baker, Billy Connolly, Tim Blake Nelson -- Aaaaahhhh- zombies!!! A boy (K'Sun Ray) gets a zombie. His father (Dylan Baker) is afraid of zombies. His mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) makes the zombie feel welcome. The End. I would rate it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2006-R)

Down to the Bone

Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon -- A depressing situation in which a mother is a cocaine addict and the steps that she takes in order to rid herself of the addiction. I thought it was maudlin, however I would still would rate it 3 1/4 out of 5 stars. (2004-R)

Operation: Endgame

Ving Rhames, Ellen Barkin, Zach Galifianakis, Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Corddry - It is Obama's swearing-in ceremony. Meanwhile, over at the CIA, the bloodletting begins - quite literally! I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2010-R)

A Prophet

Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup -- A guy (Tahar Rahim) is throw in to a French prison. The Corsican mafia rules the roost. The Godfather was played by Niels Arestrup. Yada, Yada, Yada. The end. It was in French and Arabic. I could not figure it out. I would rate it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009-R)

Running Scared

Paul Walker, Vera Farmiga, Chazz Palminteri, Cameron Bright -- A "comic book" style of piece that had a lot going on. I found it confusing. Similar to "Sin City" and "The Spirit". Violent with plenty of drug use and sex. I am sorry to see Vera and Chazz make such an awful movie. I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. (2006-R)

Greenberg

Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Jason Leigh -- A story that went on for an hour and three quarters but it felt like five hours to me. Don't rent this movie! Ben Stiller plays a carpenter trying to find work while stays in his brother's house (while the brother and his family go to Vietnam on vacation). While there he gets involved with his brothers family's personal assistant (Greta Gerwig). That's it. I would rate it 2 1/4 out of 5 stars. (2010-R)

Havoc

Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bijou Phillips, Laura San Giacomo -- A completely made up story about some rich white kids in Beverly Hills trying to act "Street". It was laughable! I'm sorry to see Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon-Levitt make such a poor production. I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. (2005-UR)

Blood Diamond

Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, Stephen Collins, Michael Sheen -- Chalk up another one in Leo's "Hit" category. This time Leo plays a diamond smuggler in Sierra Leone. A worker at the diamond mine (Djimon Hounsou) discovers a huge gem. He and Leo try to smuggle it out of the country. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. (2006-R)

Finding Bliss

Leelee Sobieski (Polly Hamilton from "Public Enemies"), Kristen Johnson (Sally from "3rd Rock From the Sun"), Matthew Davis (Warner from "Legally Blonde"), Denise Richards (Lt. Carmen Ibanez from "Starship Troopers") -- Absolutely abysmal!!! About a film school graduate going to work as an editor in a porn film so that she can make enough money to make the film she wants. For shame!!! I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. (2009-R)

Day Night Day Night

Luisa Williams -- The last two days of a female suicide bomber who sets her sites on Times Square. Made several years before the Faisal Shahzad (the Times Square bomber) incident. Disturbing! I really liked it, but I don't think I will go to Times Square anytime soon. I would rate it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2006-NR)

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Cillian Murphy, Orla Fitzgerald, Padraic Delaney -- About the Irish Republican Army back in the 20s. I thought it was awful "Left Leaning". It follows two brothers in the IRA and the turmoil that follows them. I would rate it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2006-NR)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Catherine Keener, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman, Joe Pantoliano, Max Van Ville -- A guy and his friends rescue his mother from Hades. In the end, he gets to meet his father. The End. A tweens guide to happiness. Like "Clash of the Titans" only better. I would rate it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010-PG)