Movie Night: Duck Soup.

Review #085: Duck Soup.

Cast
Groucho Marx (Rufus T. Firefly), Harpo Marx (Pinky), Chico Marx (Chicolini), Zeppo Marx (Lt. Bob Roland), Margaret Dumont (Mrs. Gloria Teasdale), Louis Calhern (Ambassador Trentino of Sylvania), Raquel Torres (Vera Marcal), Edgar Kennedy (Lemonade vendor), Edmund Breese (Former President Zander), and Edwin Maxwell (Former Secretary of War) Directed by Leo McCarey.

Review
This is a classic comedy film, pure and simple. It was underrated in the 30's, but it has developed a rating of highness as time goes by. Things get better as they grow old, and new people like myself will like the first time they see it. It's funny to the last. My favorite scene is the mirror scene as it just makes me giggle as the scene progresses. I recommend it for comedy buffs as it is a comedy all around. Happy New Years.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Tootsie.

Review #084: Tootsie.

Cast
Dustin Hoffman (Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels / Emily Kimberly / Edward Kimberly), Jessica Lange (Julie Nichols / Nurse Charles), Teri Garr (Sandra "Sandy" Lester), Dabney Coleman (Ron Carlisle, The Soap Opera Director), Bill Murray (Jeff Slater, Michael's Room-Mate), Charles Durning (Leslie "Les" Nichols, Julie's Father), Sydney Pollack (George Fields, Michael's Talent Agent), George Gaynes (John Van-Horn / Dr. Medford Brewster), Geena Davis (April Page), Doris Belack (Rita Marshall), Lynne Thigpen (Jo), and Estelle Getty (The Middle Aged Woman) Directed by Sidney Pollack.

Review
This is one of those classic comedies that always leaves a imprint on you, if not a memory of it. This was my first time watching it, and I feel the film works well. The acting is good, so good for Jessica Lange that she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, actually the whole thing got Oscar Nominations all aroung the board, winning just one. The film is balenced as it is a good film to watch all around.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Iron Giant.

Review #083: The Iron Giant.

Cast
Eli Marienthal (Hogarth Hughes), Vin Diesel (The Iron Giant), Jennifer Aniston (Annie Hughes), Harry Connick, Jr (Dean), Christopher McDonald (Kent Mansely), and John Mahoney (General Rogard) Directed by Brad Bird.

Review
This film is based on The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes. Now then, this film is a Dis-No wait, it's a Warner Bros Animated film. This film is beautifully animated, with a good story and good lessons to go along with it. This is the start for Brad Bird, who would go on to win 2 Best Animated Feature Oscars for Pixar (The 2 films I just listed) The robot is really cool looking, it is the main attraction that gets the screen-time, but the beauty of the film is that it makes you wait for it, savoring the fun for all. It's a throwback to the 50's, with Duck and Covers, the style, and other little stuff in there. A recommended film. This starts Season 2 (Which lasted from December 20, 2011 - December 19, 2012)

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Christmas with the Kranks.

Review #082: Christmas with the Kranks.

Cast
Tim Allen (Luther Krank), Jamie Lee Curtis (Nora Krank), Dan Aykroyd (Vic Frohmeyer), Julie Gonzalo (Blair Krank), M. Emmet Walsh (Walt Scheel), Elizabeth Franz (Bev Scheel), Erik Per Sullivan (Spike Frohmeyer), and Cheech Marin (Officer Salino) Directed by Joe Roth.

Review
It feels...not fitting for this film review to be the season finale of Season 1 of reviewing films here on Movie Night. Oddly enough, this film was based off a John Grisham novel, Skipping Christmas. Anyway, this film tries to sell us on the Kranks, and I personally feel the film makes the neighbors a little too crazy, as they just don't leave the Kranks alone. It's more fun to see the neighbors losing then to see the actual ending (The last few minutes tries to make Luther look like a jerk, who (of course) warms up but it feels like a cliche, which is full in this film) The film has decent acting, as Curtis and Allen work well together. But the film feels so...Off. It tries so hard to work everything up to be funny and heartwarming, yet the film just doesn't fall into place. You never feel like you should care at all about why they are skipping Christmas, because you just can't care about any of this. No one comes off as sympathetic, because no one seems natural in their motivations.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Maltese Falcon (1941).

Review #081: The Maltese Falcon.

Cast
Humphrey Bogart (Sam Spade), Mary Astor (Ruth Wonderly/Brigid O'Shaughnessy), Gladys George (Iva Archer), Peter Lorre (Joel Cairo), Barton MacLane (Lieutenant Dundy), Lee Patrick (Effie Perine), Sydney Greenstreet (Kasper Gutman), Ward Bond (Detective Tom Polhaus), and Jerome Cowan (Miles Archer) Directed by John Huston.

Review
This is a classic film that should be watched at least once by people who like film. Yes, that's my first line. And it's truthful straight down to the last period. The acting is good, especially from Bogart. The film has a style to it that helps the film makes its case for a good film, if not already from the acting. The story's good, making you interested in it for the entirety of the film. This film is the stuff that dreams are made of...

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Hunt for Red October.

Review #080: The Hunt for Red October.

Cast
Sean Connery (Captain 1st Rank Marko Aleksandrovich Ramius), Alec Baldwin (Dr. Jack Ryan), Scott Glenn (Commander Bart Mancuso), Sam Neill (Captain 2nd Rank Vasily Borodin), James Earl Jones (Vice Admiral James Greer, CIA Deputy Director - Intelligence (DDI), Jeffrey Jones (Skip Tyler), Joss Ackland (Ambassador Andrei Lysenko), Richard Jordan (Dr. Jeffrey Pelt, National Security Advisor), Tim Curry (Dr. Yevgeniy Petrov), Peter Firth (Senior Lieutenant Ivan Putin), Ronald Guttman (Senior Lieutenant Melekhin), Stellan Skarsgård (Captain 2nd Rank Viktor Tupolev), Fred Dalton Thompson (Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Joshua Painter), and Courtney B. Vance (Sonar Technician Submarines Second Class Ronald Jones) Directed by John McTiernan.

Review
This film is great. Simply put, it has everything someone needs to be entertained, but learn something at least. Sean Connery is the main lead, overshadowing Baldwin, and he does a great job. Connery makes the film more big by his prominent preformance, taking some if not at least 70% of the film. The plot is good, not messed up or too hard. The film is the parallel to Top Gun, bringing light to submarines, yet this one is a better film, that would inspire sequels, but played by a different actor...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: A Christmas Carol (1984)

Review #079: A Christmas Carol.

Cast
George C. Scott (Ebenezer Scrooge), Frank Finlay (Marley's Ghost), Angela Pleasence (Ghost of Christmas Past), Edward Woodward (Ghost of Christmas Present), Michael Carter (Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come), and David Warner (Bob Cratchit) Directed by Clive Donner.

Review
This film is a classic of the Christmas season, as this version is considered the best version of A Christmas Carol by many. I can not argue that, really. Scott delivers Scrooge in such a good way, with the skills he has done in other films of his (Patton being one example), the atmosphere and pace are good, with everything fitting in well to the story. Donner does a good job directing, and he has some experience with A Christmas Carol adaptations before, as he was also the editor in (#076) Scrooge, which is also a good flick. All in all, A Christmas Carol (1984) is truly a Christmas classic and one of the best Carol films I've seen. Merry Christmas.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Addams Family Values.

Review #078: Addams Family Values.

Cast
Raúl Juliá (Gomez Addams), Anjelica Huston (Mortica Addams), Christopher Lloyd (Uncle Fester), Christina Ricci (Wednesday Addams), Joan Cusack (Debbie), and Jimmy Workman (Pugsley Addams). Directed by Barry Sonnenfield (#211- Men in Black, #212 - Men in Black II)

Review
This film is a entertaining sequel to the first film, as it delivers more fun and morbid humor, but not stale and tired ones, they're different ones that help make the film be itself. Once again, the acting is superb, with Lloyd, Julia, Huston, and Ricci being the large performances. The movie has that ability to be a good sequel that doesn't rely on old jokes, or an used story-line. It's a fine little movie, in conclusion.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Addams Family.

Review #077: The Addams Family.

Cast
Raúl Juliá (Gomez Addams), Anjelica Huston (Mortica Addams), Christopher Lloyd (Uncle Fester), Christina Ricci (Wednesday Addams), Dan Heyada (Tully), Elizabeth Wilson (Abigail), and Jimmy Workman (Pugsley Addams). Directed by Barry Sonnenfield.

Review
This film is based off the classic 1960s television show of the same name, which was based on the comic strip made by Charles Addams. Anyway, this film is a charm to watch. It has good acting (With good casting), with chilling visuals and an alright plot. The film is morbid fun with a good feel to it that doesn't violate or ruin the atmosphere of the film that makes this an alright flick to watch.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.