The Bubble (aka Fantastic Invasion Of Planet Earth) (1966)

A plane carrying two passengers, a man (Michael Cole) and his pregnant wife (Deborah Walley), is forced to land in a mysterious remote town. The locals shuffle through the streets like bread dead automatons, captive within an impenetrable dome that encapsulates the town. Written and directed by Arch Oboler (BWANA DEVIL). The first 3D film in 12 years (the last was released in 1954), It was filmed in the new Space Vision 3D system which used a one camera system rather than the old two camera, two projectors system of the old 3D. Overlong at an almost two hour running time because of the 3D gimmicks used that padded out the movie while the narrative stopped in its tracks. The 3D is very effective but 3D hurts my eyes and I switched to 2D after about 20 minutes. The script itself is pedestrian with cliched dialogue and characters. Characters roaming around town gets boring after awhile. It takes them awhile to figure out what's going on (the audience is ahead of them) and finally do something about it. For 3D junkies only. With Johnny Desmond, Barbara Eiler and Virginia Gregg.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1960)

Set in 1792 during the French revolution, a French actress (Maureen O'Hara) is married to a British fop (Michael Rennie). Their marriage is strained because she resents her husband's shallow, dandyish lifestyle and he has become estranged because of her part in the death of a French aristocrat. Based on the classic novel by Baroness Orczy and directed by Marc Daniels (THE POWER AND THE GLORY). A faithful if drab rendering of the oft filmed Orczy novel. The best known version is the 1934 movie with Leslie Howard in the title role. Broadcast live for television over two nights, this earnest version doesn't have the budget or resources for a proper swashbuckler. Still, the performances of Maureen O'Hara and Michael Rennie are imposing. With William Shatner, Zachary Scott, Tim O'Connor and Reginald Denny.

25th Hour (2002)

Set in the aftermath of 9/11, a drug dealer (Edward Norton) has 24 hours before he is sent to prison for seven years. In his last day on the outside, he tries to reconnect with his father (Brian Cox) and his two best friends (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper) and then there's his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson), who may or might not have tipped off the cops. Based on the novel by David Benioff (who adapted his novel for the screen) and directed by Spike Lee (SUMMER OF SAM). Lee's DO THE RIGHT THING may be his CITIZEN KANE but 25TH HOUR may be its equal. It's a beautifully sustained piece of work that is a love letter, warts and all, to Lee's beloved New York City. Benioff's novel was written before the 9/11 tragedy but Lee has added the resonance of that event to the movie. There's an achiness that weaves itself throughout the film and not just with Norton's protagonist. Norton is wonderful here and his unfiltered "f*ck" diatribe is a standout piece of acting. Raw and intense, both ugly and beautiful, it's sticks with you. With Anna Paquin and Tony Siragusa.

The Fatal Hour (1940)

The body of an undercover policeman is recovered in the San Francisco Bay, the victim of an executions style murder. His good friend, a police captain (Grant Withers), asks a famous local detective Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) for help in solving the killing. But there will be several more murders before the case is solved. Based on the Mr. Wong character created by Hugh Wiley in a series of short stories and directed by William Nigh (STRANGE CASE OF DR. RX). The fourth entry in the Mr. Wong detective franchise. Asian detectives were popular in the 1930s and if Mr. Wong wasn't as notable as Charlie Chan or Mr. Moto, it might be because they were poverty row productions courtesy of Monogram pictures. This one isn't too bad and the mystery is interesting enough to hold the attention of diehard murder mystery fans. Curiously, unlike the Chan and Moto movies, very little attempt is made to have Karloff look Asian. With Marjorie Reynolds, Frank Puglia, Lita Chevret and Charles Trowbridge.

Battle Beyond The Stars (1980)

A young man (Richard Thomas) scours the cosmos to recruit mercenaries from different planets and cultures in order to save his peaceful home planet from the threat of an evil tyrant (John Saxon). Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami (WHEN THE WIND BLOWS). If the plot sounds familiar, it's because it's an uncredited version of Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) which was previously remade as a western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960). It's low budget science fiction that was spawned in the wake of the massive success of STAR WARS (1977). On its own derivative terms, it's an amiable Saturday matinee action/adventure movie. Just don't expect any originality or style. The film was a beginning for many talents that would go on to bigger things: James Cameron (AVATAR) did the art direction, John Sayles (LONE STAR) did the script and James Horner (TITANIC) did the faux John Williams score. The large cast includes George Peppard, Robert Vaughn, Sam Jaffe, Lynn Carlin, Jeff Corey, Sybil Danning, Darlanne Fluegel, Marta Kristen and Richard Davalos.

Catch 22 (1970)

Set on an island off Italy during WWII. An Air Force bombardier (Alan Arkin) is committed to flying dangerous missions but after watching his friends die, he seeks a means of escape. Based on the novel by Joseph Heller and (over) directed by Mike Nichols. An admirable failure. Heller's novel was a satire but it wasn't as painfully obvious as this film adaptation. As if he were afraid we wouldn't get that it was a satire, Nichols directed his cast to give absurdly exaggerated performances to clue us this was a satire. When Anthony Perkins gives the most restrained performance in the movie, you know something's amiss. Alan Arkin's Yossarian comes across as legitimately paranoid when he should be the most sane character in the narrative. It's not a bad movie, just a disappointment and there are still good moments in the film, just not enough of them. The massive cast includes Orson Welles, Richard Benjamin, Jon Voight, Martin Sheen, Paula Prentiss, Bob Newhart, Martin Balsam, Charles Grodin, Art Garfunkel, Bob Balaban, Jack Gilford, Buck Henry. Elizabeth Wilson and Olimpia Carlisi.

青春残酷物語 (aka Cruel Story Of Youth) (1960)

Set in postwar Tokyo, an angry disenfranchised youth (Yusuke Kawazu) rapes a young girl (Miyuki Kuwano) and they become lovers. He uses her to lure older men and then beats them up and steals their money. Written and directed by Nagisa Oshima (IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES). One of the main examples of the so called Japanese "new wave", it's a perfectly crafted movie but too often heavy handed and obvious. While Oshima seems to want to turn a spotlight on the cynicism and marginalization of Japan's youth, his execution is as much of a sermon as a preacher in a pulpit. Its downbeat finale is like a 1940s Hollywood movie where the protagonists are punished for their societal transgressions. Still, it's worth a look. With Yoshiko Kuga and Fumio Watanabe.

The Wagons Roll At Night (1941)

When an aggressive lion escapes from a traveling circus, a store clerk (Eddie Albert) captures the lion and becomes a local hero. The owner (Humphrey Bogart) of the circus hires him to become a part of the carnival and eventually he becomes a lion tamer. But when the new lion tamer falls in love with the owner's kid sister (Joan Leslie), he turns vicious. Based on the novel KID GALAHAD by Francis Wallace and directed by Ray Enright (CHINA SKY). The novel was previously filmed in 1937 under its original title and again in 1962 as a vehicle for Elvis Presley. It's watchable but easily the weakest of the three adaptations of Wallace's book. The original novel and films had a boxing setting and the changeover to a traveling circus does the movie no favors. It feels contrived rather than organic. The best performance in the movie comes from Sylvia Sidney as Bogart's ill treated girlfriend with a heart of gold. WAGONS was squeezed in between the two Bogart classics that made him a star. After HIGH SIERRA and before THE MALTESE FALCON. With Sig Ruman and Clara Blandick.

Digger (2026)

An aging oil magnate (Tom Cruise) extracts oil from Greeland and Alaska. But he repeatedly ignores warnings about the methane beneath the Greenland field. He learns that an explosion in the Greenland fields have dislodged an ice shelf the size of Maryland, sending it to Europe where it will cause a massive tsunami. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (BIRDMAN). Reviews haven't been middling, they've either been praises or pans and not much in between. Certainly a polarizing film. I LOVED IT! Original, daring, quirky, topical, provocative and anchored by a career best performance by Tom Cruise. I suspect posterity will be very kind to this movie in the ensuing years. A black comedy with a razor's edge pitched with high energy. No subtlety here, just a raging stylized frontal attack. I think Warner Brothers miscalculated only in that this is an art house film, not a mainstream movie and that's exactly how they're pitching it. The multiplex crowd are bound to be disappointed. With John Goodman, Sandra Huller, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg, Riz Ahmed and Sophie Wilde.

Night World (1932)

Set in a swanky nightclub owned by an affable racketeer (Boris Karloff). In the course of a single evening, he is double crossed by his unfaithful wife (Dorothy Revier), an alcoholic socialite (Lew Ayres) finds romance with a hard boiled chorus girl (Mae Clarke), the black doorman (Clarence Muse) fears for his wife's life as she clings to life in a hospital and a beat cop (Robert Emmet O'Connor) foils trigger happy mobsters. Directed by Hobart Henley (BAD SISTER). An odd but satisfying pre-code drama with no real plot to speak of, just a group of disparate people getting through the night. For some it means romance, for others betrayal and tragedy (six characters die by the finale). It's an early precursor to those Altman films like NASHVILLE and SHORT CUTS where a group of diverse characters' lives run parallel and eventually fate connects their destiny. Unusual for its era in that an African American character isn't condescended to but is an equal part of the human web. With George Raft, Hedda Hopper, Russell Hopton, Dorothy Peterson and Louise Beavers.

The Love Trap (1929)

A chorus girl (Laura La Plante) is fired from her job, cornered by a sleazy lothario (Robert Ellis) and evicted from her apartment all in a single day. She's rescued by a handsome Prince Charming (Neil Hamilton) who turns out to be a wealthy businessman. Love and marriage follow but the husband's uncle (Norman Trevor) recognizes her from a wild party he attended and trouble follows. Directed by William Wyler (BEN-HUR). In 1929, Hollywood was transitioning from silent to sound. This effort is a hybrid of both. The first 40 minutes or so is a silent film with an underscore. The remaining film is a full blown talkie. It's a middling romantic comedy, not especially memorable and gives no indication that director Wyler would be one of the most acclaimed directors of 20th century cinema. Laura La Plante was a major star in silent movies but she never made the transition to the talkies. I don't know why her voice was fine and she's very appealing but her career was pretty much over by 1935. With Jocelyn Lee, Clarissa Selwynne and Rita La Roy.

The Count Of Monte Cristo (1958)

A young sailor (Hurd Hatfield) is falsely accused of treason and unjustly imprisoned for 18 years. He escapes and flees to the island of Monte Cristo to recover a hidden treasure told to him by a fellow prisoner (George Voskovec). Now wealthy, he returns to Paris to get his revenge on those who conspired to send him to prison. Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas and directed by Sidney Lumet (NETWORK). A compressed one hour and 17 minute version of the Dumas classic performed live on CBS. It can never capture the richness and details of the thousand plus pages of the novel. But for what it is, it moves along swiftly (too swiftly) and it all seems rushed but it's such a compelling story that it continues to hold your attention. The acting is quite good especially Torin Thatcher and Colleen Dewhurst as a royal prosecutor and his ambitious wife. With Elizabeth Sellars, Ina Balin, John Colicos and Max Adrian.