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.

The Voices (2015)

A factory worker (Ryan Reynolds) struggles with schizophrenia and is under the care of a psychiatrist (Jacki Weaver). However, he refuses to take his medications which causes him to hear voices. Two voices in particular, his amiable dog and his malicious cat who represent his good side and his evil side. Directed by Marjane Satrapi (PERSEPOLIS). An unnerving black comedy about a batshit crazy serial killer. I think I have a decent sense of humor yet somehow I couldn't find anything comical about serial killers and a lot of the scenes are downright distasteful. All that aside, I can appreciate what director Satrapi was aiming for and she hits it more often than not. Ryan Reynolds is excellent, managing to make his schizo both skin crawling and empathetic. The movie does a disservice to the women in the film. They're either deceptive, gullible or dumb. But if they weren't, there wouldn't be any movie, would there? The serial killer and the talking pets seems to be ripped off from Spike Lee's SUMMER OF SAM (1999), a far better film. My main complaint is the musical number that ends the film, it's misguided and silly and not as clever as it thinks it is. With Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton and Ella Smith.

Rich In Love (1992)

Set in South Carolina, a housewife (Jill Clayburgh) up and leaves her family to start a life of her own. Her husband (Albert Finney) has difficulty at first adjusting but eventually moves on while the youngest daughter (Kathryn Erbe) wants things to go back the way they were. Based on the novel by Josephine Humphreys and directed by Bruce Beresford (DRIVING MISS DAISY). A coming of age story that has a bit more bite than the usual type although its "happy" ending seems too pat to be credible. But I like how the film let Jill Clayburgh hold on to what she wanted rather than sacrifice her personal happiness for her family. The acting is quite good with Albert Finney especially plausible as a retired man clinging to the past but eventually opening up to a new relationship. The discreet score is by Georges Delerue in his final film score, he died before the movie was released. With Ethan Hawke, Alfre Woodard, Piper Laurie, Suzy Amis and Kyle MacLachlan.

Il Magnifico Cornuto (aka The Magnificent Cuckold) (1964)

A happily married businessman (Ugo Tognazzi) succumbs to the sexual advances of one of his more open minded female friends (Michele Girardon). Having committed adultery, he now becomes paranoid with the notion that his wife (Claudia Cardinale) is also committing adultery. This obsession consumes him and his jealousy threatens to destroy his marriage. Based on the play LE COCU MAGNIFIQUE by Fernand Crommelynck and directed by Antonio Pietrangeli (ADUA ET LE COMPAGNE). A diverting Italian comedy that eventually turns sour as it heads past the two hours plus finish line. Jealousy is an ugly emotion and while it can be mildly amusing in a comedy for awhile, watching a man destroying his once happy marriage because of his unfounded suspicions soon becomes highly unpleasant. The movie never addresses his hypocrisy as his own adulterous affair is somehow seen as a "men will be men" moment. Tognazzi is fine and Claudia Cardinale is movie goddess-y beautiful. With Gian Maria Volonte, Bernard Blier, Jose Luis De Vilallonga and Brett Halsey.

Give Me A Sailor (1938)

Two brothers (Bob Hope, Jack Whiting), both in the Navy, are in love with the same girl (Betty Grable). But her quirky sister (Martha Raye) is in love with Whiting so Hope schemes with the wallflower sister to get Whiting to notice her and get Grable for himself. Chaos ensues. Based on the play LINGER LONGER LETTY by Anne Nichols and directed by Elliott Nugent (THE CAT AND THE CANARY). One of Hope's lesser vehicles but the real "star" of the movie is Martha Raye, who gets top billing over Hope. The wise cracking Hope persona hadn't been fully developed yet and he's only fitfully amusing. There's a few musical numbers sung by Raye and Grable (who had to wait two more years for her own superstardom) but they're forgettable and seem there mostly to pad the movie's running time. For Hope completists (like me) only. With Clarence Kolb and Nana Bryant.