PENELOPE (Toronto International Film Festival, Release Toronto, Canada 2006)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.1|5.0 Starsìììì

Penelope—good story, worth watching—has a wonderful moral to the story that reveals itself in such a way that one does not feel ‘talked down to’ or ‘preached to’. It’s honest. The acting is great. There are some sweet comedic scenes. It’s a great ‘new’ fairy tale with a freshness of its own.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Generations before this story begins, the town witch (Michael Feast) places a curse on the blue-blood Wilhern family to the effect that the first girl born into the family will look like a pig until someone of her own kind falls in love with her. Generations later, the Wilhern family finally produce a daughter, Penelope (Christina Ricci), who, true to the curse, has a pig’s snout and pig’s ears. Her mother, Jessica (Catherine O’Hara), hides Penelope until she is old enough to marry, but suitors are repulsed by her pig face. The story is on as Penelope works through her misfortune, finds herself, and chooses to live a full life despite her appearance.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Mark Palansky. Thank you to Executive Producers Christian Arnold-Beutel, Chris Curling, Danny Greenspun; Robin Greenspun, Dylan Russell, and Andrew Molasky for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Franklin Wilhern (Richard E. Grant), Penelope’s Great Grandfather (Nick Prideaux), Jake (Michael Feast), Wanda (Ronni Ancona), Edward Vanderman (Simon Woods), Leonard Wilhern (Paul Herbert), Doctor (Simon Chandler), Lemon (Peter Dinklage), and Young Penelope (Andi-Marie Townsend).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a heartfelt story for everyone to reflect upon and is worth a ticket.

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Ben Meyers

CORPSE BRIDE (Theatrical Release USA 2005)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Corpse Bride—typical Tim Burton style, a little weird and differently blended—uses stop motion animation to its highest advantage. The story line is great, the voices well chosen, and all in all it succeeds on every level for entertainment value.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Victor Van Dort (voice of Johnny Depp) plans to marry Victoria Everglot (voice of Emily Watson). With both his parents’, William Van Dort (voice of Paul Whitehouse) and Nell Van Dort (voice of Tracey Ullman); his future inlaws, Finis Everglot (voice of Albert Finney) and Maudeline Everglot (voice of Joanna Lumley); and Pastor Galswells (voice of Christopher Lee) present at the rehearsal, he finds himself unable to get the vows right. So, the Pastor sends Victor out of the church and tells him to not come back until he can get his vows right. Victor retreats to the woods, finally gets his vows correct, and puts the wedding ring on a limb sticking out of the ground.  The limb begins coming out of the ground as a skeleton hand and soon the body of a woman appears and drags Victor to a place that looks like hell; but, in this hell the dead live happily ever after. The skeleton that has dragged Victor into this place is mostly bones and some flesh. She tells Victor that she is the Corpse Bride (voice of Helena Bonham Carter) and that she was left for dead by a fiancé in the world of the living and has been consigned to live in the Land of the Dead. Through a series of circumstances, Victor agrees to drink a death potion to stay with her. The dead then return to the Land of the Living to finalize the deal; but, at the last minute, the Corpse Bride has second thoughts and gives Victor another chance to live a life with Victoria Everglot.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Directors Tim Burton and Mike Johnson for their directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jeffrey Auerbach and Joe Ranft for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Barkis Bittern (voice of Richard E. Grant), Elder Gutknecht (voice of Michael Gough), Black Widow Spider/Mrs. Plum (voice of Jane Horrocks), Maggot/Town Crier (voice of Enn Reitel), General Bonesapart (voice of Deep Roy), Bonejangles (voice of Danny Elfman), Emil (voice of Stephen Ballantyne), and Solemn Village Boy (voice of Lisa Kay).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The story can, at points, be slow and a bit boring as if it is more in love with itself than with entertaining its audience.

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Ben Meyers

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (Theatrical Release USA 1950)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.1|5.0 Stars ìììì

Cheaper By The Dozen—it’s one of the cleanest films on the market with a simple story worth watching at least once. The acting is unbelievably good with Clifton Webb as Frank Bunker Gilbreth. No fault found due to the age of this film’s original production year. It has not lost its entertainment value nor has it lost its touch with how to display and reveal genuine human kindness.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Frank Bunker Gilbreth (Clifton Webb), an efficiency expert, and his wife Lillian Gilbreth (Myrna Loy) raise 12 adorable children while building a family legacy.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Walter Lang his directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producer Darryl F. Zanuck for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Ann Gilbreth (Jeane Crain), Deborah Lancaster (Betty Lynn), Dr. Burton (Edgar Buchanan), Ernestine Gilbreth (Barbara Bates), Mrs. Mebane (Mildred Natwick), and Mrs. Monahan (Sara Allgood).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Buy a ticket. This is great for everyone to see, no bad stuff, just straight up clean.

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Ben Meyers

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (Theatrical Release USA 2002)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.7|5.0 Stars ìììì

My Big Fat Greek Wedding—high comedic value—zeros in on romance with a vengeance and completely succeeds. The film’s cast outstandingly performs with realistic acting on par with Cairo Time and Zero Dark Thirty. Director Joel Zwick pulled every ounce of entertainment value out of the script while completely catching Greek-American culture in a refreshingly new manner. The film deserves every award it gets. It's likable from the ‘go’ point. There are some sex scenes that place it in adult category for entertainment.

Movie Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), a Greek-American girl, needs to get her life started. At thirty years of age, Toula takes double handfuls of courage and finally begins to make changes in her life to land herself a husband, a family of her own, and a good college education.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Joel Zwick for his efforts in directing this film. Thank you to Executive and Co-Executive Producers Paul Brooks, Mark Hufnail, Jim Milio, Melissa Jo Peltier, Steve Shareshian, and Norm Waitt for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Gus Portokalos (Michael Constantine), Toula Portokalos at age 6 (Christina Eleusiniotis), School Girl (Kaylee Vieira), Greek Teacher (John Kalangis), Maria Portokalos (Lainie Kazan), Toula Portokalos at age 12 (Marita Zouravlioff), Athena Portokalos at age 15 (Sarah Osman), Car Pool Friend (Petra Wildgoose), Car Pool Friend (Melissa Todd), and Yiayia (Bess Meisler).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a not-to-be-missed classic worth both your time and money.

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Ben Meyers

THE PARENT TRAP (Theatrical Release USA 1961)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.8|5.0 Starsìììì

The Parent Trap—lovable and innocent film. They just don’t make these the same anymore. The innocence is there. Great acting accompanied with superb portrayal of storyline makes this film just plain enjoyable for the whole family. Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara work well together; the chemistry is terrific. Hayley Mills plays the double script for both twin sisters. She performs so well that you think it’s two different girls acting two different parts. The rest of the cast are a compliment to the main actors.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Susan Evers (Hayley Mills) meets Sharon McKendrick (Hayley Mills), at summer camp. They soon find, after they are forced to room together by the camp host, that they not only look alike but are indeed sisters. They work a plan to put their Mother, Maggie McKendrick (Maureen O’Hara), and Father, Mitch Evers (Brian Keith), together again. Part of the plan is switching places so that each girl can experience the parent that they missed during their childhood years.

Additional Thanks

Best Work for Director David Swift. Thank you to Producer Walt Disney for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Charles McKendrick (Charles Ruggles), Verbena (Una Merkel), Reverend Doctor Mosby (Leo G. Carroll), Vicky Robinson (Joanna Barnes), Louise McKendrick, (Cathleen Nesbitt), Miss Inch (Ruth McDevitt), Hecky (Crahan Denton), Edna Robinson (Linda Watkins), and Miss Grunecker (Nancy Kulp).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Definitely. The film is a superb portrayal of Hayley Mills and a real treat for the whole family. Brian Keith is a great contrast to Maureen O’Hara.

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Ben Meyers

SUPER SIZE ME (Theatrical Release USA 2004)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Stars ìììì

Super Size Me—a documentary meant to be an eye opener and, yes, it’s worth your money—tells about changes in the fast food industry and school lunch rooms. The film has some sexual references, but is mostly okay for the teen/adult audience. This film attempts to address the question: Is America’s love for ingesting fast food the main reason behind its populations’ burgeoning weight?

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Morgan Spurlock decides to eat nothing but McDonald’s fast food for 30 days to measure the effect on his weight and his health. He stops his usual exercise routine and completely switches from a healthful dietary routine to a completely fast food diet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  He gains 24 and ½ pounds in 30 days, suffers from bouts of depression and decreased libido, and finds personal energy severely depleted. Three doctors and a nutritionist record the state of his health at the beginning of the diet. The internist recommends stopping the experiment before the 30 days completes due to Spurlock’s rapidly deteriorating health.

Additional Thanks

Great work for Director Morgan Spurlock. Thank you to Executive Producers Joe Morley and Heather Winters for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Morgan Spurlock as Morgan Spurlock and Alexandra Jamieson as Morgan Spurlock’s girlfriend.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The film seems informative, but this experiment does not follow good scientific procedure, has an exceptionally small sample size (one person), and may not portray the whole story truthfully. It is unknown whether Morgan Spurlock’s sugar/fat intake follows the average pattern of a McDonald’s customer or if his diet follows a higher sugar/fat intake than the usual McDonald's customer. Because the experiment has not followed usual scientific study processes, the conclusion becomes flawed, irrelevant and classifies the film as a propaganda film that seems to serve other interests.

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Ben Meyers

FLUBBER (Theatrical Release USA 1997)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.2|5.0 Stars ìììì

Flubber—a terrific Robin Williams film produced by Disney­—comically tells its story with Christopher McDonald as the perfect pick for the antagonist to the character Robin Williams portrays.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Forgetful Professor Philip Brainard (Robin Williams) plans to marry Dr. Sara Jean Reynolds (Marcia Gay Harden); but, as a workaholic and able scientist, he forgets the day, works though his wedding day, and invents/perfects a green rubber substance that will be among the great inventions of the day. Because this is not the first time he has missed his wedding day, his fiancé becomes unforgiving and gives in to the temptations of Wilson Croft (Christopher McDonald) and his ready proposal of marriage. Professor Brainard’s task becomes: win back his fiancée, save the local school from bankruptcy, and reveal his invention to the world.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Les Mayfield. Thank you to Executive Producers David Nicksay and Bill Ryan for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Wesson (Ted Levine), Smith (Clancy Brown), Chester Hoenicker (Raymond J. Barry), Bennett Hoenicker (Wil Wheaton), Martha George (Edie McClurg), and Weebo (voice of Jodi Benson).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This is among the best of clean entertainment that can be enjoyed by the child and adult alike. It’s well-acted, fun, and worth a watch.

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Ben Meyers

HELLO DOLLY! (Theatrical Release USA 1969)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.1|5.0 Stars ìììì

Hello Dolly!—great classic—worth a watch to see Barbara Streisand as Dolly, a matchmaker, singing and sending her vibrancy throughout every scene as she woos the stiff and difficult Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau)  into matrimony. It’s smart, witty in dialogue and story. The music is more than terrific. The film provides a great entertainment piece. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia 

Storyline

Horace Vandergelder hires a matchmaker to help him find a woman who can manage all the tasks unique to his home and to his position as owner of a hay, feed, and hardware store. Unknown to him, the matchmaker, Dolly Levi, has set her own sights on the goal of being his new wife.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Gene Kelly. Thank you to Executive Producer Ernest Lehman for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrews), Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford), Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin), Minnie Fay (E. J. Peaker), Ermengarde (Joyce Ames), and Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The movie is a fun romp through Yonkers while employing the talents of Matthau and Streisand at their best.

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Ben Meyers

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (Theatrical Release USA 1998)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.7|5.0 Stars ìììì

The Prince of Egypt—the Biblical story of the Exodus from Egypt—is an animated musical that takes the viewer on a journey that covers the Moses story from his saving by a royal queen to his leading the Israelite people to the base of Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. The script is phenomenal. The film is inspirational. The portrayal of story is superb.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Moses’ (voice of Val Kilmer) mother, Yocheved (voice of Ofra Haza), secretly evades Egyptian soldiers sent to kill Hebrew babies and sets her baby into the Nile River where he is found by Egyptian Queen Tuya (voice of Helen Mirren) and adopted as her own son. The Queen names the baby Moses. Moses is raised in the royal houses along with his older step-brother, the eventual King of Egypt Pharaoh Rameses (voice of Ralph Fiennes).

Additional Thanks

Best Work for Directors Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells. Thank you to Executive Producer Jeffrey Katzenberg for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Tzipporah (voice of Michelle Pfeiffer), Miriam (voice of Sandra Bullock), Aaron (voice of Jeff Goldblum), Jethro (voice of Danny Glover), Seti (voice of Patrick Stewart), Hotep (voice of Steve Martin), Huy (voice of Martin Short), Rameses’ Son (voice of Bobby Motown), and Young Miriam (voice of Eden Riegel).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The best Bible story ever told. Good rendition of Moses’ story. Worth your money.

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Ben Meyers

ARE WE THERE YET? (Theatrical Release USA 2005)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.4|5.0 Stars ìììì

Are We There Yet?—good film—uses the talents of Ice Cube, Philip Bolden, Aleisha Allen, and Nia Long to tell the story. Great script, well portrayed and comical.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Nick Persons (Ice Cube), who works at a collectible sports store in Portland, Oregon, finds the woman of his dreams—Suzanne Kingston (Nia Long); but, Suzanne has two children and Nick Persons doesn’t like children. He almost decides to forego Suzanne when he sees her two children in the distance: Lindsey Kingston (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin Kingston (Philip Bolden). But, with some encouragement from his best friend and fellow worker, Marty (Jay Mohr), and his imaginary friend, baseball player bobble head Satchel Paige (voice of Tracy Morgan), Nick takes the leap and begins courting Suzanne Kingston. Eventually circumstances lead Nick into volunteering to take the two children on a road trip from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, Canada.  The trip turns into a comical adventure as the three get to know each other through a series of serious misadventures.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Brian Levant. Thank you to Executive Producers Derek Dauchy and Todd Garner for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Frank Kingston (Sean Millington ), Al (M.C. Gainey), Carl (Henry Simmons), Car Dealer (Ray Galletti), Nick’s Pal on the street (Viv Leacock), Shoplifter (Casey Dubois), Shoplifter (J.B. McEown), Basketball Player (Kenyan Lewis), Basketball Player (Daniel Cudmore), Basketball Player (Adrian Holmes), and Lady Airport Cop (Nancy Robertson).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a child and adult share movie and worth the ticket as it provides genuine chuckle power throughout the film.

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Ben Meyers

GENERATION IRON (Theatrical Release USA 2013)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.1|5.0 Stars ìììì

Generation Iron—a body building documentary—does not have the grit or enjoyment factor that other physical training documentaries such as Pumping Iron include. This film is too much about the lives of body builders rather than about body building. It tends to show body building as not at all fun, but a competitive bullying sport that focuses on devising ways to beat the opponent rather than establishing camaraderie within the sport. Unlike the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger Pumping Iron documentary that shows hard work and dedication to body building while balancing that work with a genuine love of the game, this film seems to focus on virtual egoism where real fun is lost to competition.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The film shows how several bodybuilders live, how they survive, what they do to pay the bills, and how they come together to compete for the 2012 Mr. Olympia Championship.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director and Writer Vlad Yudin. Thank you to Executive Producers Robin Chang, Jerome Gary, David J. Pecker, Eric Welder, and Jim Manion for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Himself), Mickey Rourke (Narrator voice), Michael Jai White (Himself), Lou Ferrigno (himself), Busta Rhymes (Himself), Ian Mercer (Himself), Kai Greene (Himself), Valery McCaffrey (Herself), Phil Heath (Himself),and Dennis Wolf (Himself).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It does what a documentary is meant to do—provide information.

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Ben Meyers

BERNIE (Los Angeles Film Festival, Los Angeles California USA 2011)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

Bernie—comedy with a black twist—bases itself on the true story of Bernie Tiede, a mortician, who murders a wealthy town resident whom he has befriended. Actor Matthew McConaughey outstandingly portrays the character Danny Buck.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

A mortician named Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) prides himself in preparing corpses for proper burial. After Mrs. Marjorie Nugent’s (Shirley MacLaine) wealthy husband dies, Bernie Tiede befriends her by showering her with flowers, chocolates, and regular visits. She develops an abnormal, possessive, controlling attitude toward Bernie and becomes increasingly demanding of his time and personal life. Before long Bernie finds himself in the position of Mrs. Nugent’s constant companion. As Bernie descends into the assumption of servile attendant to Mrs. Nugent’s every whim, he becomes increasingly frustrated. The unhealthy relationship proceeds to its final climax when Bernie murders Mrs. Nugent and hides her body in her freezer. The rest of the film explores Bernie’s extravagant scattering of her wealth to needy town residents before he is finally accused, tried, and convicted of murder. The unexpected twist in the story is the community response to Bernie’s trial.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Richard Linklater. Thank you to Executive Producers Michael Bassick, William T. Conway, John Paul DeJoria, Donald Fox, Alex Gudim, Lissa Gudim, Ken Hirsch, Johnny Lin, Duncan Montgomery, Darby Parker, Jack Selby, John Sloss, and Jack Gilardi, Jr. Additional characters/cast include: Scrappy Holmes (Brady Coleman), Lloyd Hornbuckle, (Richard Robichaux), Don Leggett (Rick Dial), Sheriff Huckabee (Brandon Smith), Reverend Woodard (Larry Jack Dotson), Molly (Merrilee McCommas), Carl (Mathew Greer), Townsperson (Marjorie Dome), Townsperson (Tim Cariker) Townsperson (Fern Luker), Townsperson (Jack Payne), Townsperson (Sonny Carl Davis), Townsperson (Chris Humphrey), and Townsperson (Ann Reeves).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film presents an interesting study on non-premeditated murder.

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Ben Meyers

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Theatrical Release USA 1993)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

The Nightmare Before Christmas catches the typical Tim Burton creativeness and presents a classic animated adventure that completely captures the imagination with its strange, peculiar unusualness. This film relies on a filming technique called stop-motion animation where figures are re-positioned to create the illusion of movement when each figure’s new position is filmed in sequence. It is a treat to see this effect as it lends a heightened surreal atmosphere to the movie.  Kudos to Director Henry Selick for catching all the nuances of a Tim Burton story.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Skeleton Jack Skellington (voice Chris Sarandon) has run Halloween Town’s annual Halloween show for years. This year he really does not desire to run the annual festivities and wanders into a forest where he opens a door into a very different world: Christmas Town. Completely impressed with the uniqueness of Christmas Town, he endeavors to bring its flavor into Halloween Town, but the residents of Halloween Town are unable to grasp the meaning and spirit of Christmas Town due to their long-held environmental filters that focus on the meaning of Halloween. Jack tries to bridge the two worlds only to discover that his own holiday has its own place and value.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Henry Selick for his directing efforts. Thank you to Producers Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Jack Skellington singing voice/Barrel/Clown with Tear Away Face (voice of Danny Elfman), Santa Claus (voice of Edward Ivory), Sally/Shock (voice of Catherine O’Hara), Evil Scientist (voice of William Hickey), Mayor (voice of Glenn Shadix), Lock (voice of Paul Reubens), Oogie Boogie (voice of Ken Page), and Big Witch/WWD (voice of Susan McBride).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This offbeat Tim Burton story shows extreme creativity and unique animation that earns itself the right of purchased tickets. Add to that the value of a good story line and you have a ticket worth buying.

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Ben Meyers

BARTON FINK (Theatrical Release USA 1991)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.7|5.0 Starsìììì

Barton Fink—another story presented by the Coen brothers—teams John Turturro and John Goodman together in an offbeat comedy that is sure to place it at the top of the cult film list. There are some sexual references and sex scenes. Besides that, the script boils over with talent uniquely presented. It stands in its own class. Watch for Steve Buscemi in the film.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Barton Fink (John Turturro), a stage writer from New York, gets called to Hollywood to write a movie script on boxing. He is checked into a low-grade hotel room where the walls are so thin that you can hear people through the walls on both sides of the room. Barton complains to Chet (Steve Buscemi), the desk clerk, about one of the noisy neighbors, insurance salesman Charlie Meadows (John Goodman) who promptly appears at Barton Fink’s door with profuse apologies and an offer of a free drink. Barton Fink cannot write the assigned movie script and, in desperation, seeks the aid of W.P Mayhew (John Mahoney), supposedly one of the best writers in the country. Barton finds that this writer is not only an alcoholic, but is having an affair with secretary Audrey Taylor (Judy Davis). When Barton Fink finds the secretary is the real writer of the last W.P. Mayhew books, he invites her to his hotel to get ideas for writing the boxing movie script. She stays overnight. When Barton Fink awakes in the morning, the secretary is lying next to him, brutally murdered. In desperation, Barton Fink turns to his noisy neighbor Charlie Meadows for help and the show is on.

Additional Thanks

Best work for Directors and Producers Joel and Ethan Coen. Thank you to Executive Producers Ben Barenholts, Bill Durkin, Jim Pedas, and Ted Pedas for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Jack Lipnik (Michael Lerner), Ben Geisler (Tony Shalhoub), Lou Breeze (Jon Polito), Garland Stanford (David Warrilow), Detective Mastrionotti (Richard Portnow), Detective Deutsch (Christopher Murney), Derek (I.M. Hobson), Poppy Carnahan (Meagen Fay), Richard St. Clair (Lance Davis), Pete (Harry Bugin), Maitre D’ (Anthony Gordon), and Stagehand (Jack Denbo).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film, for the mature adult audience, once again shows how the Coen brothers understand casting, timing, and presenting entertainment that is entirely fresh and new.

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Ben Meyers

ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (Theatrical Release USA 1987)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.4|5.0 Starsìììì

Adventures in Babysitting—one of the better teen/adult films Hollywood has produced—contains some sexual references and partial nudity; but, also contains a considerable number of chuckles. Actors and actresses Elizabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, and Anthony Rapp perform well together.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Chris Parker’s (Elisabeth Shue) boyfriend stands her up and she decides to take an evening babysitting job with the Anderson family. While she is babysitting, her friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller) calls and pleads for help. Brenda ran away from home, is stuck in a bus station, has no money, and wants to go home. Brenda is being harassed by an elderly homeless man while another younger man keeps flashing a gun at her. Chris needs to help her friend, but feels conflicted because she is responsible for the safety and well-being of the Anderson children. The Anderson children suggest they tag along on the rescue. Chris agrees and the adventures begin as the babysitter and her charges enter a less than desirable neighborhood on the other end of town.

Additional Thanks

Great work for Director Chris Columbus. Thank you to Producers Debra Hill and Lynda Obst for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Daryl Coppersmith (Anthony Rapp), Joe Gipp (Calvin Levels), Sara (Maia Brewston), Dawson (Vincent D’Onofrio), Brad (Keith Coogan, Dan (George Newbern) Pruitt (John Ford Noonan), Graydon (Ron Canada), Bleak (John Davis Chandler), Mr. Anderson (Dan Ziskie), Janitor #1 (Allan Aarons), Nurse (Marcia Bennett), Janitor #2 (Rummy Bishop), and Cleminski (David Blacker).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film is good comedy for both the teen and the adult audience.

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Ben Meyers

TRACKS (Toronto International Film Festival Toronto Canada 2013)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.2|5.0 Starsìììì

Tracks turns into a good Australian story that credits the directing and script writing abilities of John Curran and Marion Nelson respectively. It’s often difficult to tell this type of story well and hold audience attention. While there needs to be more filming and story line before Mia Wasikowska arrives at the Indian Ocean to round the story to its proper fullness, the effort as a whole does not flag and moves along nicely. The film sets in stone the fact that Adam Driver and Mia Wasikowska make a good acting team.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

A young Australian woman (Mia Wasikowska) decides to camel trek across the Australian desert to the Indian Ocean, a distance of 1,690 miles. She befriends National Geographic photographer, Rick Smolan (Adam Driver), who tracks her effort.

Additional Thanks

Great work for John Curran. Thank you to Executive Producers Andrew Mackie, Richard Payten, and Xavier Marchand for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Young Robin (Lily Pearl), Publican (Philip Dodd), Publican’s Wife (Fiona Press), Ada (Daisy Walkabout), Kurt (Rainer Bock), Gladdy (Felicity Steel), Sallay (John Flaus), Chilpi (Ian Conway), Evan (Evan Casey), David (David Pearce), Jenny (Jessica Tovey), Tolly (Darcy Crouch), and Peter (Brendan MacLean).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film’s casting is outstanding. Mia Wasikowska’s acting is above average. Adam Driver perfectly portrays National Geographic photographer, Rick Smolan. Great work for all involved.

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Ben Meyers