Collection ID 553
Director: Richard Marquand
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: Lucasfilm   Release date: 1983   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French (USA)
Summary: Han Solo is imprisoned by Jabba the Hutt, the Empire is building a new Death Star, and Luke hasn't finished his Jedi training.
My Rating:
My Review: The third movie of the original series. Character wise, this is one of my favorite Star Wars movies. Luke and his father (not Darth Vader) battle against the emperor. Luke reveals the truth about their ancestry to Leah. Han is rescued by his friends. The only sour part of this movie was the Ewoks. They foreshadowed something much more sinister to come in a later movie.

Collection ID 1046
Director: Richard Marquand
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: Lucasfilm   Release date: 1983   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French (USA)
Summary: Han Solo is imprisoned by Jabba the Hutt, the Empire is building a new Death Star, and Luke hasn't finished his Jedi training.
My Rating:
My Review: The third movie of the original series. Character wise, this is one of my favorite Star Wars movies. Luke and his father (not Darth Vader) battle against the emperor. Luke reveals the truth about their ancestry to Leah. Han is rescued by his friends. The only sour part of this movie was the Ewoks. They foreshadowed something much more sinister to come in a later movie.

Collection ID 1689
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Studio: Lucasfilm   Release date: 2015   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: 30 years after the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire, Rey, a scavenger from the planet Jakku, finds a BB-8 droid that knows the whereabouts of the long lost Luke Skywalker. Rey, as well as a rogue stormtrooper and two smugglers, are thrown into the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the daunting legions of the First Order.
My Rating:
My Review: (Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi) Written by far too many people, including: J.J. Abrams. Based on the characters created by George Lucas. Directed by J.J. Abrams. Starring an enormous cast including: Harrison Ford (as Han Solo), Mark Hamill (as Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (as Princess Leia), Adam Driver (as Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (as Rey), John Boyega (as Finn), Oscar Isaac (as Poe Dameron), Andy Serkis (as Supreme Leader Snoke) and many others. This movie takes place nearly 30 years after the rebel forces have defeated the 'Empire', but evil yet lives, and it has been resurrected in the First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke and his apprentice Kylo Ren. Rey (a scavenger girl) and Finn (a defected stormtrooper) are caught up in the Resistance search for the missing Jedi, Luke Skywalker. The movie was superbly produced, an excellent achievement in technical execution of stunts, special effects, CGI (note that the Maz Kanata character (voiced by Lupita Nyong'o) is completely CGI), editing (sound and visual), and music (the score was outstanding), made the film a great in the post Empire trilogy (the Skywalker Saga). The movie was a great kick-off to this new trilogy, but I felt that it was a bit too ambitious. Too many characters and break-neck pacing; with an inordinate amount of physicality (running). I'm sure that the physicality was used to imbue the new cast (Adam Driver/Kylo Ren, Daisy Rider/Rey, John Boyega/Finn) and the franchise with a new spirit of action. While the movie sill carries an old cast of characters (Harrison Ford/Han Solo, Mark Hamill/Luke Skywalker, and Carrie Fisher/Princess Leia), the days of these actors running the halls of a Star Destroyer are pretty much over, but the franchise needs some new energy and these action scenes bring that energy - Still, the pacing is unsettling and harms the storytelling aspects of the movie. Jamming all those new characters into a new movie also hurts the movie by not giving enough attention, detail, time to tell their personal stories. While I personally loved the movie, I think that a lot of nostalgia results in a higher rating than the movie deserves otherwise. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 1620
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures   Release date: 2017   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Jedi Master in hiding Luke Skywalker unwillingly attempts to guide young hopeful Rey in the ways of the force, while Leia, former princess turned general, attempts to lead what is left of the Resistance away from the ruthless tyrannical grip of the First Order.
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 388
Director: Rupert Wainwright
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Thomas Kopache
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)   Release date: 1999   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: A priest from the Vatican is sent to Sao Paulo, Brazil to investigate the appearance of the face of the Virgin Mary on the side of a building. While there he hears of a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding tears in a small town outside of the city. Meanwhile, a young woman in the U.S. begins to show signs of stigmata, the wounds of Christ. The priest from the Vatican links up with her and cares for her as she is increasingly afflicted by the stigmata. Her ranting and raving finally begins to make sense to the priest who starts to question what his religion has stood for for the last 1900 years.
My Rating:
My Review: Stigmata - 1999 (Horror, Supernatural, Religion) Stigmata is a Christian religious term/phenomenon that refers to the spontaneous appearance of wounds which correspond to the wounds that Christ suffered while/when he was crucified. In this movie; Directed by Rupert Wainwright, starring Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathon Pryce and others, an atheist begins to exhibit ‘Stigmata’ - The woman has no idea what is happening, and doesn’t believe that the wounds are religiously significant. The Vatican hears about the event, and they send a ‘Myth Buster’ to dispel the rumors and denounce the woman as a Fraud. As the woman’s ‘symptoms’ become more significant the couple begin to realize that something more is happening than simple fraud or an odd natural phenomenon. The movie is visually stunning, but the story is a bit heavy handed and muddled at the same time. The priest - who is also a scientist has his faith tested. The woman - an atheist - is used as the vehicle for a spiritual test. The unorthodox presentation of these religious themes makes for some interesting themes. It’s a pretty good supernatural thriller with some horror elements. The portrayal of the Vatican as a bureaucratic and uncaring gigantic ‘corporation’, more interested in the church’s image than true faith is typical of Hollywood and detracts from this movie. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 1111
Director: Rupert Wainwright
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Thomas Kopache
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)   Release date: 1999   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: A priest from the Vatican is sent to Sao Paulo, Brazil to investigate the appearance of the face of the Virgin Mary on the side of a building. While there he hears of a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding tears in a small town outside of the city. Meanwhile, a young woman in the U.S. begins to show signs of stigmata, the wounds of Christ. The priest from the Vatican links up with her and cares for her as she is increasingly afflicted by the stigmata. Her ranting and raving finally begins to make sense to the priest who starts to question what his religion has stood for for the last 1900 years.
My Rating:
My Review: Stigmata - 1999 (Horror, Supernatural, Religion) Stigmata is a Christian religious term/phenomenon that refers to the spontaneous appearance of wounds which correspond to the wounds that Christ suffered while/when he was crucified. In this movie; Directed by Rupert Wainwright, starring Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathon Pryce and others, an atheist begins to exhibit ‘Stigmata’ - The woman has no idea what is happening, and doesn’t believe that the wounds are religiously significant. The Vatican hears about the event, and they send a ‘Myth Buster’ to dispel the rumors and denounce the woman as a Fraud. As the woman’s ‘symptoms’ become more significant the couple begin to realize that something more is happening than simple fraud or an odd natural phenomenon. The movie is visually stunning, but the story is a bit heavy handed and muddled at the same time. The priest - who is also a scientist has his faith tested. The woman - an atheist - is used as the vehicle for a spiritual test. The unorthodox presentation of these religious themes makes for some interesting themes. It’s a pretty good supernatural thriller with some horror elements. The portrayal of the Vatican as a bureaucratic and uncaring gigantic ‘corporation’, more interested in the church’s image than true faith is typical of Hollywood and detracts from this movie. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 261
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott
Genre: Crime
Studio: 20th Century Fox   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): German (USA)
Summary: A former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a police conspiracy in 1999 Los Angeles.
My Rating:
My Review: A thriller set in a dystopic future. Set in 1999! On the verge of the new millennium, LA is the scene of perpetual civil unrest. Arson, murder, and a riotous disaffected populace are set to explode. The protagonist discovers the trigger. The rape and murder of a friend sends him reeling into a mystery that could turn this seemingly hostile LA into a scene of total revolution. This movie contains some very limited sci-fi elements, but the real story is a thrilling murder mystery, and the political ramifications behind this catalyst. This movie was very sexy, glitzy and pop culture centric. The music was excellent, especially the live acts. A dark prediction of a dystopic future - ahead of it's time in many ways.

Collection ID 972
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott
Genre: Crime
Studio: 20th Century Fox   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): German (USA)
Summary: A former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a police conspiracy in 1999 Los Angeles.
My Rating:
My Review: A thriller set in a dystopic future. Set in 1999! On the verge of the new millennium, LA is the scene of perpetual civil unrest. Arson, murder, and a riotous disaffected populace are set to explode. The protagonist discovers the trigger. The rape and murder of a friend sends him reeling into a mystery that could turn this seemingly hostile LA into a scene of total revolution. This movie contains some very limited sci-fi elements, but the real story is a thrilling murder mystery, and the political ramifications behind this catalyst. This movie was very sexy, glitzy and pop culture centric. The music was excellent, especially the live acts. A dark prediction of a dystopic future - ahead of it's time in many ways.

Collection ID 334
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock
Genre: Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures   Release date: 1951   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English, French (US version only) (USA)
Summary: You'd like your wife killed, wouldn't you? I'll do it for you if you'll kill someone for me, and since we're strangers we'll be free of suspicion.
My Rating:
My Review: A somewhat obscure Hitchcock film. The acting by Robert Walker (as Bruno the twisted socialite psychopath), Farley Granger (as Guy Haines the tennis pro) and Ruth Roman (as Guy's gal on the side) didn't do the best job of acting, but the story certainly makes up for it. The story is a classic Hitchcock tale of drama, deception and deadly consequences. Bruno and Guy meet by chance aboard a commuter train. The two socialites strike up a conversation and soon discuss their trite personal dramas. Nagging wife, over-demanding father - Bruno confesses that he wants his 'never satisfied' father dead; Guy gives up his secret desire to be rid of his current wife so he can marry the woman he truly loves. When Bruno suggests that they swap murders - 'You do mine, I do yours'; Guy shrugs it off as a ridiculous suggestion. Until… You guessed it, Guy's wife ends up dead - Strangled just outside a 'Tunnel of Love' The movie is a bit slow at times, but it heats up quickly and the last half hour is outstanding. The best acting came from Robert Walker, but the direction was the driving force behind this movie. Excellent pacing, suspense and camera work. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 1070
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock
Genre: Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures   Release date: 1951   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English, French (US version only) (USA)
Summary: You'd like your wife killed, wouldn't you? I'll do it for you if you'll kill someone for me, and since we're strangers we'll be free of suspicion.
My Rating:
My Review: A somewhat obscure Hitchcock film. The acting by Robert Walker (as Bruno the twisted socialite psychopath), Farley Granger (as Guy Haines the tennis pro) and Ruth Roman (as Guy's gal on the side) didn't do the best job of acting, but the story certainly makes up for it. The story is a classic Hitchcock tale of drama, deception and deadly consequences. Bruno and Guy meet by chance aboard a commuter train. The two socialites strike up a conversation and soon discuss their trite personal dramas. Nagging wife, over-demanding father - Bruno confesses that he wants his 'never satisfied' father dead; Guy gives up his secret desire to be rid of his current wife so he can marry the woman he truly loves. When Bruno suggests that they swap murders - 'You do mine, I do yours'; Guy shrugs it off as a ridiculous suggestion. Until… You guessed it, Guy's wife ends up dead - Strangled just outside a 'Tunnel of Love' The movie is a bit slow at times, but it heats up quickly and the last half hour is outstanding. The best acting came from Robert Walker, but the direction was the driving force behind this movie. Excellent pacing, suspense and camera work. I give it a 4 out of 5.