Collection ID 1283
Director: E. Elias Merhige
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Carrie-Anne Moss, Harry J. Lennix, Kevin Chamberlin
Genre: Drama
Studio: Paramount Home Video   Release date: 2004   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In SUSPECT ZERO, FBI Agent Tom Mackelway finds himself caught in a cat-and-mouse game with a brutal serial killer, and all clues point to a renegade agent "gone native." Trained by the government to use his psychic abilities to track and capture other serial killers, the renegade is killing other serial killers and claims to be in pursuit of the ultimate serial killer, a man he calls Suspect Zero. As Mackelway becomes increasingly obsessed with his suspect, he must decide what happens when pursuer and prey come face to face – and if rational justice or primal revenge will prevail.
My Rating:
My Review: An excellent crime drama. A serial killer is on the loose, abducting hundreds of children, someone who murders completely at random. Who is this 'Suspect Zero'? An original murder mystery? I don't think I've seen this plot before. Ben Kingsley provides a stellar performance, while the others pale in comparison. The story is great, the props were fantastic. The art direction was superb. It could have had a little more character development. Trying to figure out what was going on was something of a challenge, but the ending wasn't much of a surprise. Very well executed. The plot was very tightly woven, and this movie could lead to a television series. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 833
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen
Genre: Drama, Horror, Musical, Thriller
Studio: DreamWorks   Release date: 2007   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Italian (USA, UK)
Summary: In the Victorian London, the barber Benjamin Barker is married to the gorgeous Lucy and they have a lovely child, Johanna. The beauty of Lucy attracts the attention of the corrupt Judge Turpin, who falsely accuses the barber of a crime that he did not commit and abuses Lucy later after gaining custody of her. After fifteen years in exile, Benjamin returns to London under the new identity of Sweeney Todd, seeking revenge against Turpin. He meets the widow Mrs. Lovett who is the owner of a meat pie shop who tells him that Lucy swallowed arsenic many years ago, and Turpin assigned himself tutor of Johanna. He opens a barber shop above her store, initiating a crime rampage against those who made him suffer and lose his beloved family.
My Rating:
My Review: Tim Burton directs this adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim's musical. The screenplay (for this version) was written by John Logan. The cast included Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower and others. Unfortunately, Tim Burton didn't get Danny Elfman to do the music for this movie. The story is a classic, tragic, tale of love and retribution - But, it's a Broadway musical! I haven't seen the original, and this is one of four remakes. This film adaptation of a Broadway musical included plenty of singing and some 'nearly' dance numbers. The camera did more dancing than the actors. In certain scenes the camera movement was done to give a sense of dancing when the actors weren't really dancing in the least. The story is a tragic affair of love, corruption, jealousy and retribution. It takes place in London of the mid-late 1800s. A young man and his loving family (wife and daughter) are separated by an evil and corrupt judge. Abusing the power of his office, this servant of the law abuses the blind ladies trust when he has the man incarcerated in order to have a chance with the man's wife. The rest is a greek tragedy of musical proportions. There's a lot of singing, dancing (see above), moralizing, and blood! Buckets of blood. This barber's return to fleet street is accompanied by a copious amount of bloodletting. It's hard to love this movie. The direction and acting were excellent, as was the choreography and set work. The costumes and makeup were outstanding as well. The music was very good (not as good as Danny Elfman would have made it). Unfortunately, the bloody rampage was entirely too authentic. It's all too easy to flinch when the screen shows full weighted bodies dropping head first onto the floor of a slaughter chute twenty feet below. The rivers of blood are extremely realistic in production and effect. It's disturbing, yet morbidly fascinating. An impressive accomplishment and a fantastic musical.

Collection ID 1631
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen
Genre: Drama, Horror, Musical, Thriller
Studio: DreamWorks   Release date: 2007   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Italian (USA, UK)
Summary: In the Victorian London, the barber Benjamin Barker is married to the gorgeous Lucy and they have a lovely child, Johanna. The beauty of Lucy attracts the attention of the corrupt Judge Turpin, who falsely accuses the barber of a crime that he did not commit and abuses Lucy later after gaining custody of her. After fifteen years in exile, Benjamin returns to London under the new identity of Sweeney Todd, seeking revenge against Turpin. He meets the widow Mrs. Lovett who is the owner of a meat pie shop who tells him that Lucy swallowed arsenic many years ago, and Turpin assigned himself tutor of Johanna. He opens a barber shop above her store, initiating a crime rampage against those who made him suffer and lose his beloved family.
My Rating:
My Review: Tim Burton directs this adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim's musical. The screenplay (for this version) was written by John Logan. The cast included Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower and others. Unfortunately, Tim Burton didn't get Danny Elfman to do the music for this movie. The story is a classic, tragic, tale of love and retribution - But, it's a Broadway musical! I haven't seen the original, and this is one of four remakes. This film adaptation of a Broadway musical included plenty of singing and some 'nearly' dance numbers. The camera did more dancing than the actors. In certain scenes the camera movement was done to give a sense of dancing when the actors weren't really dancing in the least. The story is a tragic affair of love, corruption, jealousy and retribution. It takes place in London of the mid-late 1800s. A young man and his loving family (wife and daughter) are separated by an evil and corrupt judge. Abusing the power of his office, this servant of the law abuses the blind ladies trust when he has the man incarcerated in order to have a chance with the man's wife. The rest is a greek tragedy of musical proportions. There's a lot of singing, dancing (see above), moralizing, and blood! Buckets of blood. This barber's return to fleet street is accompanied by a copious amount of bloodletting. It's hard to love this movie. The direction and acting were excellent, as was the choreography and set work. The costumes and makeup were outstanding as well. The music was very good (not as good as Danny Elfman would have made it). Unfortunately, the bloody rampage was entirely too authentic. It's all too easy to flinch when the screen shows full weighted bodies dropping head first onto the floor of a slaughter chute twenty feet below. The rivers of blood are extremely realistic in production and effect. It's disturbing, yet morbidly fascinating. An impressive accomplishment and a fantastic musical.

Collection ID 519
Director: Jeb Stuart
Starring: Claudia Stedelin, Ian Nelson, Brent Hinkley, R. Lee Ermey, Walt Goggins
Genre: Action
Studio: Pacific Western   Release date: 1997   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: FBI agent Dennis Quaid tries to catch a serial killer who kidnapped his son.
My Rating:
My Review: Written and directed by Jeb Stuart (in his directorial debut), this movie featured Dennis Quaid, Danny Glover, Jared Leto, Ted Levine, R. Lee Ermey, William Fichtner, and others. This movie is filmed in the Rocky Mountains. In and around the area west of Boulder, Colorado. Fantastic location shots - Winter in the Rockies. The movie is a serial killer murder mystery. There isn't much in the way of mystery (for the viewer), but there's plenty of thrills. Danny Glover plays a local man, a former railroad worker. Jared Leto plays a young man, a hitchhiker. Dennis Quaid plays the obsessed FBI agent, a man who won't give up. R. Lee Ermy plays the local cop, a man seeking justice above political aspirations. When Glover picks up Leto, the deception begins. As one man plays the other, the audience quickly deduces who the real killer is, but it's not the audience that's being deceived, it's the protagonists. As the killer lays a increasingly complex trail of duplicity, the stakes begin to rise as the body count increases. The pacing is excellent, the characters rich and fully developed. The casting was not what you would expect, but the acting by Glover, Leto and Ermey was great. The acting by Quaid, not quite so. There's also a bit of action aboard a train. As it twists and winds it's way through the wintry wilderness, killer and FBI agent fight for their lives aboard this last chance express. Excellent writing and direction. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

Collection ID 1224
Director: Jeb Stuart
Starring: Claudia Stedelin, Ian Nelson, Brent Hinkley, R. Lee Ermey, Walt Goggins
Genre: Action
Studio: Pacific Western   Release date: 1997   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: FBI agent Dennis Quaid tries to catch a serial killer who kidnapped his son.
My Rating:
My Review: Written and directed by Jeb Stuart (in his directorial debut), this movie featured Dennis Quaid, Danny Glover, Jared Leto, Ted Levine, R. Lee Ermey, William Fichtner, and others. This movie is filmed in the Rocky Mountains. In and around the area west of Boulder, Colorado. Fantastic location shots - Winter in the Rockies. The movie is a serial killer murder mystery. There isn't much in the way of mystery (for the viewer), but there's plenty of thrills. Danny Glover plays a local man, a former railroad worker. Jared Leto plays a young man, a hitchhiker. Dennis Quaid plays the obsessed FBI agent, a man who won't give up. R. Lee Ermy plays the local cop, a man seeking justice above political aspirations. When Glover picks up Leto, the deception begins. As one man plays the other, the audience quickly deduces who the real killer is, but it's not the audience that's being deceived, it's the protagonists. As the killer lays a increasingly complex trail of duplicity, the stakes begin to rise as the body count increases. The pacing is excellent, the characters rich and fully developed. The casting was not what you would expect, but the acting by Glover, Leto and Ermey was great. The acting by Quaid, not quite so. There's also a bit of action aboard a train. As it twists and winds it's way through the wintry wilderness, killer and FBI agent fight for their lives aboard this last chance express. Excellent writing and direction. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

Collection ID 1653
Director: Ross Katz
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Tom Aldredge, Nicholas Art, Blanche Baker, Tom Bloom
Genre: Drama, War, TV Movie
Studio: HBO Films   Release date: 2009   Rated: Not Rated   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In April, 2004, casualties mount in Iraq. At Quantico, choices focus on increasing troop strength or only replacing casualties. Lt. Col. Michael Strobl crunches numbers. Stung by his superior's rejection of his recommendation because he lacks recent combat experience, Strobl volunteers for escort duty, accompanying the remains Pfc. Chance Phelps, killed at 19. From Dover to Philadelphia by hearse, from there to Minneapolis and on to Billings by plane, and then by car to Phelps' Wyoming home - person after person pays respects. Kind words, small gifts, and gratitude are given Strobl to deliver to the family on this soul-searching journey. What are his own discoveries?
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 1654
Director: Ross Katz
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Tom Aldredge, Nicholas Art, Blanche Baker, Tom Bloom
Genre: Drama, War, TV Movie
Studio: HBO Films   Release date: 2009   Rated: Not Rated   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In April, 2004, casualties mount in Iraq. At Quantico, choices focus on increasing troop strength or only replacing casualties. Lt. Col. Michael Strobl crunches numbers. Stung by his superior's rejection of his recommendation because he lacks recent combat experience, Strobl volunteers for escort duty, accompanying the remains Pfc. Chance Phelps, killed at 19. From Dover to Philadelphia by hearse, from there to Minneapolis and on to Billings by plane, and then by car to Phelps' Wyoming home - person after person pays respects. Kind words, small gifts, and gratitude are given Strobl to deliver to the family on this soul-searching journey. What are his own discoveries?
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 687
Director: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Albert Magnoli
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher, Jack Palance, Brion James
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros.   Release date: 1989   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: The polar opposites, Ray Tango, a suave and sophisticated police officer, and Gabe Cash, his overzealous long-haired partner, are a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo who work tirelessly to bring down their arch-nemesis, the ruthless drug lord, Yves Perret. However, when Perret manages to incriminate the pesty team with falsified evidence, Ray and Gabe will soon end up in a maximum-security prison, where an almost endless parade of inmates previously incarcerated by them, are waiting for their captors impatiently. Now, more than ever, Tango and Cash need to put their differences aside to come up quickly with a good plan, not only to escape the jail's walls but also to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all. Of course, that's easier said than done.
My Rating:
My Review: Tango & Cash: (1989 - Action, crime, drama) Starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russel, this cop buddy movie is very light entertainment. Two cops are at the top of their game in L.A. Tango (played by Stallone) and Cash (played by Russel) are a thorn in the side of one particular crime syndicate. Tango and Cash are wreaking havoc on the criminals business, and he's determined to set a trap for both cops. As they blindly stumble into the trap, the bullets begin to fly in this non-stop action debacle. With copious amounts of explosions, giant monster trucks, gratuitous titty shots, and some horrible one-liners, our two super-cops blast their way through this poorly written script in order to take down the evil Jack Palance. Other notable actors - Teri Hatcher, Jack Palance, Brion James and James Hong. An action flick that lacks any solvent plot. Stallone and Russel together in a prison shower scene? Who thought that one up? What about the scene where Russel escapes from a night club by shaving his legs, dressing in drag and pretending to be a biker dyke? 2 out of 5.

Collection ID 1377
Director: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Albert Magnoli
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher, Jack Palance, Brion James
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros.   Release date: 1989   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: The polar opposites, Ray Tango, a suave and sophisticated police officer, and Gabe Cash, his overzealous long-haired partner, are a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo who work tirelessly to bring down their arch-nemesis, the ruthless drug lord, Yves Perret. However, when Perret manages to incriminate the pesty team with falsified evidence, Ray and Gabe will soon end up in a maximum-security prison, where an almost endless parade of inmates previously incarcerated by them, are waiting for their captors impatiently. Now, more than ever, Tango and Cash need to put their differences aside to come up quickly with a good plan, not only to escape the jail's walls but also to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all. Of course, that's easier said than done.
My Rating:
My Review: Tango & Cash: (1989 - Action, crime, drama) Starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russel, this cop buddy movie is very light entertainment. Two cops are at the top of their game in L.A. Tango (played by Stallone) and Cash (played by Russel) are a thorn in the side of one particular crime syndicate. Tango and Cash are wreaking havoc on the criminals business, and he's determined to set a trap for both cops. As they blindly stumble into the trap, the bullets begin to fly in this non-stop action debacle. With copious amounts of explosions, giant monster trucks, gratuitous titty shots, and some horrible one-liners, our two super-cops blast their way through this poorly written script in order to take down the evil Jack Palance. Other notable actors - Teri Hatcher, Jack Palance, Brion James and James Hong. An action flick that lacks any solvent plot. Stallone and Russel together in a prison shower scene? Who thought that one up? What about the scene where Russel escapes from a night club by shaving his legs, dressing in drag and pretending to be a biker dyke? 2 out of 5.

Collection ID 366
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Peter Boyle, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel
Genre: Drama
Studio: Columbia Pictures Corporation   Release date: 1976   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran works as nighttime taxi driver in a city whose perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge to violently lash out.
My Rating:
My Review: Taxi Driver is a powerful movie featuring Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, Cybill Shepherd as Betsy, 14 year old Jodie Foster as Iris, and many others. Robert De Niro was uncompromising as Travis Bickle, a war damaged cabbie. After returning from Vietnam, Bickle makes a living by working the night shift in a cab, cruising the grimy streets of New York City. Bickle takes the fares that others shun. Working to overcome his insomnia; something's driving Bickle as he cruises the streets of New York city. In a desperate attempt to make himself normal, he falls for a beautiful but untouchable campaign worker and things seem to go well; until Bickle's inability to relate under normal social conditions earns him a spurned lover and a split with the culture that once nurtured him. Reeling from the experience, Bickle acquires a gun and a plan. A plan that will make them all notice that he's a force of nature. On the way down, Bickle does his best to save some small part of his humanity by pulling Iris off the street. Iris is a 12 year old street prostitute, a symbol of corruption and innocence at the same time. Bickle befriends Iris, and does his best to pull her away from the corruption that's sure to ruin her life the way that war destroyed his. This movie contains a huge amount of social commentary that seems lost on today's audiences. We've forgotten what war can do to soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors returning home from the horrors of our Vietnam. Thousands of veterans suffer from PTSD earned in Iraq and Afghanistan. All the media can see is damaged goods. They're bent on labeling them murderer's and gun crazy lunatics because the sensationalism sells more advertisement than sympathy or solutions. Apparently we're doomed to repeat all the mistakes we made coming out of Vietnam. With Afghanistan nearing the end of more than two decades of war, this movie reminds me that society really isn't ready for the return of our troops. The acting in this movie (by De Niro, Foster, and Shepherd) is outstanding, the writing and direction sublime. It's an urban tale that forces the viewer to confront the horrors of war without knowing what they're seeing. The violence in this movie is brutal and uncompromising, but it isn't glamorous or disguised as choreographed cinematography. It's clumsy, slow, confusing and deadly. No one's dodging bullets or diving through windows. It's gritty, final and fatal. An uncompromising vision of society, culture and man's frailty in the face of war. This classic film is a masterpiece of cinema. I give it 5 out of 5.