Rebel Without a Cause

1955  NR  DRAMA  1h 51min

CAST— James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, William Hopper, Rochelle Hudson, Corey Allen, Edward Platt, Dennis Hopper, Nick Adams

MUSIC— Leonard Rosenman  DIRECTOR— Nicholas Ray

     Another dose of high strung melodrama from the days of yesteryear. James Dean is the new kid in town, no friends to turn to when the going gets tough, a family with whom he never gets along with, etc. When he tries to join the local clique he’s violently rejected by the young ruffians (now laughable in their efforts to remain cool). The rejection becomes even stronger when he participates in a stunt that kills a popular tough. It becomes evident that the pressure to fit in is felt, not only by himself, but by new friends Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, as well. Dean remains a victim of his own familial prison but becomes a beacon of hope to his friends (the constant turmoil is tearing him apart!). Considered a classic, but judge for yourself. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— **

Trailer Unavailable

     Rebecca

1940  NR  DRAMA  2h 10min

CAST— Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Judith Anderson, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, Gladys Cooper, Florence Bates, Leo G. Carroll, Melville Cooper

MUSIC— Franz Waxman  DIRECTOR— Alfred Hitchcock  BASED ON— Rebecca (novel), by Daphne du Maurier

     To the delight of audiences and critics alike, Hitchcock weaves a captivating web of suspense and melodrama. The story is simple yet fascinating: a young woman marries an older widower, who is still grieving the loss of his first wife, Rebecca. Upon arrival at his ancestral home things begin to turn sour: the head housekeeper, one Mrs. Danvers, played to eerie perfection by Judith Anderson, resents her from the very beginning. She begins a one woman campaign to sabotage the new marriage, and destroy the new bride’s sanity in the process. Just who was Rebecca? How could she cast such an all-encompassing spell over all those around her? Top-notch performances, terrific direction, expansive design, powerful to the last. Oscar-winner for Best Picture, Best Cinematography.

OUR RATING— ***

REMADE AS— Rebecca (1979/1997)

     Rear Window

1998  NR  DRAMA/TELEVISION  1h 29min

CAST— Christopher Reeve, Daryl Hannah, Robert Forster

MUSIC— David Shire  DIRECTOR— Jeff Bleckner  BASED ON— It Had to be Murder (story), by Cornwall Woolrich

     A modern re-working of the classic Hitchcock film Rear Window (1954) falls short of greatness. Quadriplegic architect Christopher Reeve has little to do but work on his designs and stare out the window, which becomes his pastime of choice. He begins to peer into other apartments and begins to notice a few new faces around him. One in particular is an abused wife that he begins to become attached to. When she is suddenly gone one day he grows suspicious of her husband. With the help of friends and a few electronic gizmos Reeve sets up a twenty-four hour surveillance on this apartment, hoping to catch some clue as to the whereabouts of the missing woman. Could she finally have had the guts to leave this volatile relationship… or is the answer something sinister? Minimal update has zero thrills and no suspense, even by TV movie standards. Stick with the original.

OUR RATING— * ½

ORIGINAL— Rear Window (1954)

Trailer Unavailable

     Rear Window

1954  NR  SUSPENSE  1h 52min

CAST— James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Judith Evelyn, Ross Bagdasarian

MUSIC— Franz Waxman  DIRECTOR— Alfred Hitchcock  BASED ON— It Had to be Murder (story), by Cornell Woolrich

     Finally there’s a film for the voyeuristic perv in all of us. Rear Window gives us a glimpse into the life of a photographer, wheelchair-bound, who does nothing all day but people watch. Across his back courtyard there lay other apartment buildings and the denizens therein. On a scorching summer day windows are open all around the courtyard, including the windows of a husband and wife who seem to be at the end of their matrimonial ball ‘n’ chain. Later our photographer friend begins to suspect something when the husband starts to haul away suitcases in the middle of the night, ship out huge trunks, and clean wickedly sharp blades until they’re nice and shiny. The photographer spills the story to his day-nurse and to his girlfriend, who start to join him in his campaign to discover the truth. The story is fun at the start but quickly becomes monotonous as the photographer does the same window-shopping day after day. It’s not as if it’s his fault, though. He has a broken leg. What’s your excuse? Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ** ½

REMADE AS— Rear Window (1998)

     Ray

2004  PG-13  DRAMA  2h 32min

CAST— Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Dashon Howard, Larenz Tate, Richard Schiff, Regina King

MUSIC— Craig Armstrong  DIRECTOR— Taylor Hackford  BASED ON— True events

     Here we have the incredible true story of a man who changed the face of music and pop culture, smashing through the color barrier of the 1950s and 1960s, touching people with his talent, heart and emotion. The name of this man is Ray Charles Robinson (better known minus Robinson, of course), and his life story unfolds in this gripping drama with great direction, excellent performances, and set to great songs by Ray Charles himself. After losing his sight at a tender age, young Ray’s mother, a poor southern sharecropper, taught him never to let anyone treat him as someone with a disability, but instead, to live life with pride and dignity. Sadly, that’s easier said than done, and Ray finds that out as a blind man trying to make his way in a seeing-man’s world. Ray is an amazing pianist, playing with any group he can, from jazz to country, but when he finally gets a job in Seattle that has a future, the story of Ray Charles really begins. His talent moves him through life, though it’s barely enough to keep him alive. He falls into the trap of drugs (among other things), which hampers him from fully enjoying life, even though he has a loving, long-suffering wife and children waiting back home. As Ray takes everything that life has to throw at him, he walks through it all with a song or two and a sharp wit. He has a record contract and everything that comes along with it, but he finally comes to the point, many years later, that he realizes that life shouldn’t be complicated with avoidable troubles. This area is where the heart of the film truly lies. Ray is forced to confront his demons head-on, and we’re along every painful step of the way. After all is said and done, the true highlight is the Oscar-winning performance of Jamie Foxx, one of the best in years. His performance is so good, in fact, that for the two and a half hours of the film’s duration, he is Ray Charles, in every way. This film is destined to become a classic. Oscar-winner for Best Sound. DVD contains both theatrical and extended versions.

OUR RATING— ****

     Rat Race

2001  PG-13  COMEDY  1h 52min

CAST— Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Lovitz, Rowan Atkinson, Cuba Gooding, Jr., John Cleese, Kathy Najimy, Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Seth Green, Vince Vieluf, Lanai Chapman, Paul Rodriguez, Wayne Knight, Dave Thomas, Kathy Bates, Dean Cain

MUSIC— John Powell  DIRECTOR— Jerry Zucker

     Lame-brained, often lowbrow series of misadventures of an all-star cast in a somewhat shoddy comedy. John Cleese plays the owner of a Las Vegas casino who offers six gamblers a once in a lifetime opportunity: whoever opens a certain locker in Silver City, New Mexico first walks away with $2,000,000. From here on it’s a scramble to see who it’s gonna be; will it be the uptight family man; the estranged mother and daughter; the con-artist brothers; the ex-referee; the narcoleptic tourist; the nervous attorney and his newly acquired love interest? The writers really went all out in determining which stereotypes to portray, but you have to give the editors credit for chopping this hodgepodge apart and putting it back together again. Harkens back to It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) but isn’t half as fun. The best line isn’t even spoken: “You… should… have… bought… a… squirrel!”

OUR RATING— **

     Ratatouille

2007  G  ANIMATED  1h 51min

CAST— Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano

MUSIC— Michael Giacchino  DIRECTOR— Brad Bird

     Another Disney/Pixar co-venture that falls short of greatness. The idea sounds like a candidate for a winner: a plucky young rat finds that he’s not suited for a rat-like existence; he was born to be a chef. After infiltrating a high-class Parisian restaurant he helps a low-class janitor become a world-renowned culinary master. Sounds worthy of a few chuckles, right? Wrong. The animation is fine, of course, but really what good are talking rats if they only speak through nine percent of the movie? Oscar-winner for Best Animated Feature.

OUR RATING— **

     Rasputin and the Empress

1932  NR  DRAMA  2h 1min

CAST— John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Ralph Morgan, Diana Wynyard, Tad Alexander, C. Henry Gordon, Edward Arnold, Jean Parker

MUSIC— Herbert Stothart  DIRECTOR— Richard Boleslavsky

     Blending fact and fiction, this tale of Rasputin, the “Mad Monk” of Russia, depicts a chilling atmosphere during the dark days leading to World War I. As Czar and company prepare for imminent war, the prince lies dying of a rare blood disorder. The doctors are unable to help, so the cavalry arrives, in the form of a creepy, dark-clad figure named Rasputin, who takes on the guise of a holy man. After hypnotizing the boy into a false sense of wellness, Rasputin slithers his way into the lives of the Czar and his family, becoming a prominent member of pre-communist Russia. Only a member of the bureaucracy sees through the deception, though his warnings fall on deaf ears. He makes it his mission to rid the monarchy of this corruption, waging a one man war against a darkness that looms over his country. Though the facts tend to get swallowed in sensationalism, the film packs solid entertainment, especially in Lionel Barrymore’s role as the wicked Rasputin, who becomes a real baddie in this often overlooked gem from the ‘30s.

OUR RATING— ***

     The Rare Breed

1966  NR  WESTERN  1h 37min

CAST— James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith, Juliet Mills, Don Galloway

MUSIC— Johnny Williams  DIRECTOR— Andrew V. McLaglen

     Here lies a Western with a heart. James Stewart plays an experienced cattle man who agrees to guide an English Hereford bull from point A to point B. But the catch is that its former pampering owners, two proper British ladies, are along for the journey. The bull is shown contempt and compassion throughout their trek as the humans learn to respect one another. Simply a by-the-books drama with more gush than gun play. An over the top performance by Brian Keith is simply irritating. Take it or leave it.

OUR RATING— **

Trailer Unavailable

     Ransom!

1956  NR  DRAMA  1h 49min

CAST— Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, Leslie Nielsen, Juano Hernandez, Alexander Scourby, Juanita Moore, Robert Keith

MUSIC— Jeff Alexander  DIRECTOR— Alex Segal

     Engaging study of a family’s emotional struggle dealing with the kidnapping of their eight year-old son. The kidnappers demand $500,000 ransom; but when the police explain that it’s a fifty/fifty chance even with payment, the boy’s father refuses to pay, making him an object of scorn to the media, the public, even his family. The film keeps the tension fairly tight throughout the film, marred only by an abrupt and questionable ending. Leslie Nielsen hands in a fine performance as a cocky journalist who soon begins to realize that there’s more to this story than just sensationalism. Later remade with Mel Gibson in the Glenn Ford role.

OUR RATING— **

REMADE AS— Ransom (1996)

     Rango

2011  PG  ANIMATED  1h 47min

CAST— Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant, Ray Winstone

MUSIC— Hans Zimmer  DIRECTOR— Gore Verbinski

     Wow. An absolute triumph of animation from start to finish. Meet Rango, thespian extraordinaire, as chameleonic on stage as he is in design. This little lizard knows how to walk the walk and talk the talk. But when he’s stranded in the desert with no audience he is lost. When he wanders into the aptly named town of Dirt he steps into character as a gunslinger who’s seen and done all. He is soon elected sheriff in this thirsty burg whose residents are desperate for a hero. Rango and his newfound friends search the desert for a water supply but their mission is fraught with danger, riddled with bullets and full of funny. A throwback to the Westerns of yesteryear yet delivered with modern style. The design is like an anti-Finding Nemo (2003); whereas Nemo was all colorful aquatic beauty, Rango is at the other end of the spectrum, showcasing beautiful desert vistas and a unique, grotesque spin on wildlife (what the heck are some of these things?). Thirsty yet? Final note: though aimed at the kids this film does contain mild language and violence, so heed the PG. Extended version also available. Oscar-winner for Best Animated Feature.

OUR RATING— *** ½

     Rampage

2018  PG-13  ACTION  1h 47min

CAST— Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Joe Manganiello

MUSIC— Andrew Lockington, Damjan Jovanovic  DIRECTOR— Brad Peyton  BASED ON— Characters appearing in Rampage (video game)

     One no longer needs to jostle other arcade patrons in order to enjoy the destruction of Rampage; it’s now gotten the big screen treatment and it’s just as one would expect. The crew of a space station has been working on illegal genetic research when their experiment unexpectedly destroys everything in sight. One crew member saves the genetic material and manages to use the escape pod only to perish in flame… but the material she saved makes its way to Earth. Meanwhile, meet Davis, a bulky yet somewhat sentimental primatologist whose best friend is an albino gorilla (with blue eyes) named George whom Davis once saved from poachers. Now the two share an unbreakable bond and a twisted sense of humor. But all that will soon change. As the space debris plummets to Earth some lands in Wyoming, some in the Everglades, with the final piece landing smack dab in the middle of George’s enclosure. Curious, George (or would that be Curious George?) inspects this debris and is contaminated by the nasty genetic mixture within, as are a gray wolf in Wyoming and an American crocodile in the Everglades. What ensues is these three creatures going on a destructive rampage, all headed for Chicago, where Energyne, the investment team behind the illegal genetic experiments, have activated a beacon that will cause the creatures to instinctively hone in and send them into a foaming frenzy, enraged at the beacon’s signal. As the three creatures tear through the country the military is ineffective at stopping them… but just maybe Davis’s newfound partner, a former Energyne geneticist, might have a means to stop the aggression. Now with the help of a chilled out George, Davis may be able to lend a hand in bringing the pain to these larger than life mutations. A pretty silly cash grab by Warner Bros., using a bankable star in what amounts to a rather average Godzilla-like clone, minus the corny charm. Overall, fans of the game series will probably go on their own frustrated rampage over this movie, but newcomers will no doubt appreciate it more.

OUR RATING— **

     Raising Arizona

1987  PG-13  COMEDY  1h 34min

CAST— Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter

MUSIC— Carter Burwell  DIRECTOR— Joel Coen

     Here is a truly weird, funny and original comedy starring Nicolas Cage as a bumbling ex-con named H. I. married to an over-dramatic ex-cop, played by Holly Hunter. When this odd couple find out that they are doomed to remain childless, life pretty much stops for them. Until they hear about a furniture store tycoon’s wife giving birth to quintuplets. So they hatch a plan to kidnap one of the quints. Who’s gonna miss just one, anyway? That’s where the film really takes off as the two wannabe parents stumble to achieve a normal life. The premise is pretty clear, but it’s the assorted characters that give it its weird charm. There’s H. I.’s supervisor, his stupidly funny escaped con friends (one of which is played by John Goodman), and the terrifyingly filthy bounty hunter hot on the trail of the new “parents”. The film gives us some memorable moments (the Huggies/getaway scene is a great example), but it also gives us a bit of heart to go with it. Don’t misinterpret that: This is not a warm ooey-gooey baby movie. What it is is a glimpse into the life of some truly different film characters. But, then again, they’re probably no different from the people living right next door to you. You know, that weird couple with the kids?

OUR RATING— ***

     Raiders of the Lost Ark

1981  PG  ADVENTURE  1h 55min

CAST— Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliot

MUSIC— John Williams  DIRECTOR— Steven Spielberg

     Here’s where it all began! The first film made of the ever popular Indiana Jones series, and it’s a winner. Harrison Ford dons his now famous fedora on the adventure that everyone fell in love with. Evil Nazi agents are on the prowl, looking for the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, so that they can gain its (fictional) power and take over the world… or something. It’s Indiana Jones to the rescue as he tries to unlock the mysteries surrounding the location of the ancient Ark before the Nazis do. The plot isn’t completely clear or logical, but that matters not. This is not an accurate history lesson on the Ark of the Covenant.  This is a rousing adventure that gives you everything it can in its time frame, so get ready to experience the thrill of the first film in the epic Indiana Jones saga. Final note: The detail on the Ark is nicely done, looking as it is described in the Biblical book of Exodus. Oscar-winner for Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects. AKA Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ****

PRECEDED BY— Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

FOLLOWED BY— Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)