The DVD Next Door

The Sundance Film Festival is coming up and this article lists some of the movies to look forward to.  This article says that moviegoers may see more of the Sundance films due to the writer’s strike. 

Persuasion is coming out on DVD, as well as a slew of older movie titles according to this NY Times piece.  Today Netflix emailed the announcement that unlimited viewing online is starting for most members. This feature applies to limited online library containing films from all genres as well as TV shows. 

There’s one word that comes to mind in this 2006 film – campy. The acting isn’t that good, the plot is pretty thin and there’s nothing else holding this together. It wasn’t quirky enough to keep my attention and none of the characters were engaging enough to do that either. It’s about a suburban housewife who figures out she was abducted by aliens. Unfortunately it made me wish they abducted me before I ever put this into my DVD player.  So I have to give this movie one twizzler. 

Netflix is offering unlimited viewing to subscribers of its movies and TV shows online with the 8.99 plan and up.  This is a great deal in light of the writer’s strike since it’s a good chance to catch up on those shows you haven’t seen. In other news, last night Ernest Borgnine hosted a Golden Globes party – imagine attending that!  The awards were subdued in light of the writer’s strike. 

This Australian family film is a gem. It’s about a young girl whose imaginary friends cause a stir in a small town (which I can’t explain without giving away the plot). I watched it with two female friends who both loved it because it was so creative and whimsical. I give it four twizzlers. 

Helen Mirren plays a terminally ill woman who decides not to  commit one more murder before she dies. You see – she is a trained assassin.  But when asked to kill a woman who is pregnant, she refuses. Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Mirren’s paramour (who is also a trained assassin) while he flirts on the side.  He and Mirren wind up going on the run with the pregnant woman. This may all sound as if there’s a plot, but not really. It’s all rather bizarre and strange and I’m wondering if it might have been more enjoyable if I played the scenes in a different order – just for the heck of it. However I don’t think it would matter. I give this film one twizzler.

Since today’s movie reviews are about dancing, I checked the latest Dancing with the Stars news. Seems that they’re on an Olympic kick and may ask Nadia Comaneci of gymnastic fame to compete. Nadia, who was unceremoniously fired from Trump’s Celebrity Apprentices last night, is apparently eager to dance and available.  Michelle Kwan, an Olympic skater, says she’s not quite ready for the show. In sadder news, Christopher Bowman, an elite skater, died at the age of 40 this week. Bowman had a difficult history including drug use, but hopefully will be remembered for what he contributed to the skating world, which included several national titles and  Olympic wins. You can see him skate at the 1991 Nationals here. Bowman was also a child actor and played the role of Benjamin in Little House on the Prairie. He recently played the role of an assistant coach in the upcoming movie Down and Distance, not yet released and still in production.

A kid from the wrong side of the tracks in Baltimore is sent to do community service at an elite ballet school, where he meets a ballet dancer. In an unbelievable plot twist, he is talented enough to  pair up with her for a competition, but complications ensue before they are able to dance as a team. As a friend put it, this movie didn’t have much of a plot, but the dancing was fun to watch. I give it two and a half twizzlers. 

In this film highlighting dance, Antonio Banderas plays a classical dance instructor who offers free lessons at an urban high school. The kids are forced to participate as a form of detention at first, but slowly are enticed into dancing, adding their own style. There is the inevitable dance contest at the end and other formulaic add-ons, but all in all this movie is a good watch, entertaining and has some real eye candy dance scenes if you like that. I give it three twizzlers. 

This animated film is done in black and white, which is quite beautiful, especially in a few shots where there is rainfall. It’s set in Paris 2054. The story line is interesting – includes the kidnapping of a research scientist and it’s all about secrets – which makes for a fast paced script. In the futuristic society there are billboards that are animated and talk,  good fights evil – and sometimes that’s not such a clear distinction. I recommend this 2006 stunner for anyone who likes the genre and give it four twizzlers.