17 Again

2009  PG-13  COMEDY  1h 45min

CAST— Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Matthew Perry

MUSIC— Rolfe Kent  DIRECTOR— Burr Steers

     Ah, those teenage years! If only we could revisit those glory days. Well, Matthew Perry has the chance to do that. With his life falling down around him he wishes that he could have lived up to his potential. When he gets sucked into a mysterious vortex he reemerges as his teenage self, played by Zac Efron. His dorky best friend (played by scene stealer Thomas Lennon) helps him to realize that this is his second chance to make right. But how? He soon sees that his children, now teenagers, as well, and his wife are not the image of stability either. As the new kid on the block he begins to mend his broken relationships, all while trying to pass as a normal teen. It isn’t easy being a man-child. Taking a familiar formula, as seen in many films of the past (Freaky Friday [1977], 18 Again! [1988]), this teen comedy follows a predictable pattern. Best suited to kids who’ve never seen these earlier pictures.

OUR RATING— ** ½

     Seven Samurai

1954  NR  DRAMA  3h 27min

CAST— Toshio Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Ko Kimura, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki

MUSIC— Fumio Hayasaka  DIRECTOR— Akira Kurosawa

     Throughout history man has struggled to protect his people by facing incredible odds, regardless of the risk involved. Centuries past, in Japanese culture, there was a certain class of warrior known as the Samurai, trained to fight with dignity and honor. This film chronicles the adventures of seven such Samurai, a ragtag team of characters ranging from the honorable to the jolly, from the quiet to the comic. When a small village is in danger of losing their crops to a band of roving marauders, the Samurai are recruited for protection. When they arrive they realize what easy targets these poor farmers are, so combat training is soon under way.  Bring it on, bandits! The only drawback to the film is its length, running at about three and a half hours, but it’s worth viewing for the camaraderie between the players and the exciting battle sequences throughout. Domo arigato. In Japanese with English subtitles.

OUR RATING— ** ½

REMADE AS— The Magnificent Seven (1960)

     7 Faces of Dr. Lao

1964  NR  FANTASY  1h 40min

CAST— Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, Arthur O’Connell, John Ericson, Kevin Tate, Argentina Brunetti, Noah Beery, Jr., Minerva Urecal, John Qualen, Lee Patrick

MUSIC— Leigh Harline  DIRECTOR— George Pal  BASED ON— The Circus of Dr. Lao (novel), by Charles G. Finney

     Here’s an odd one. Tony Randall plays six fantastic characters (plus a cameo of himself sans make-up) in this weird Western fantasy. In the small frontier town of Abalone a tiny circus comes to visit, fronted by a 2,000 year-old stereotypical Chinaman named Dr. Lao (Randall). In his circus are six exhibits featuring characters from myth including Medusa and Pan. During his stay in Abalone he unites lovers and cleans up corruption, all while using illusive philosophy and various accents. Not for every taste; suitable for the curious.

OUR RATING— **

Trailer Unavailable

     Seven Chances

1925  NR  COMEDY  56min

CAST— Buster Keaton, T. Roy Barnes, Snitz Edwards, Ruth Dwyer, Frankie Raymond, Jules Cowles

MUSIC— Silent  DIRECTOR— Buster Keaton  BASED ON— Seven Chances (play), by Roi Cooper Megrue

     Buster Keaton delivers again in this nail-biter of a comedy. Keaton is a small-time businessman who stands to inherit a whopping $7,000,000… providing he marries by 7:00 PM on his twenty-seventh birthday. Tonight, in other words. He has seven whole hours to tie the knot otherwise the deal is kaput. After numerous proposals and just as many rejections it seems he’s doomed to remain a bachelor. Until, that is, his business partner runs an ad in the paper offering first dibs to any female to show for an impromptu wedding. That’s when things get crazy. Women of all shapes and sizes stampede the city seeking their hopeful groom while he runs in terror through all manner of life threatening obstacle. Starts out kinda slow but when the action starts you’d better hang on. Go, Buster, go!

OUR RATING— ***

REMADE AS— The Bachelor (1999)

     Sergeant Rutledge

1960  NR  WESTERN  1h 41min

CAST— Jeffrey Hunter, Woody Strode, Constance Towers, Billie Burke, Carleton Young, Juano Hernandez, Willis Bouchey, Mae Marsh, Hank Worden, Jack Pennick

MUSIC— Howard Jackson  DIRECTOR— John Ford

     Another exceptional Western from director John Ford, this time a mystery on our hands. A young girl has been raped and murdered, her father also killed. Seen leaving the scene of the crime was a black cavalry officer, played by Woody Strode. After being detained he neither confirms nor denies the charges against him. But Strode proves his meddle when heading back to fort; Apaches are on the warpath, and his instincts help to save the very troop that will take him to trial. A courtroom drama, told in flashbacks, this tale contains plenty of action and suspense, not to mention a comical performance by a prudish Billie Burke. A real gem.

OUR RATING— ***

     The Sentinel

2006  PG-13  ACTION  1h 48min

CAST— Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, Kim Basinger, Martin Donovan, Ritchie Coster, Blair Brown, David Rasche, Paul Calderon, Gloria Reuben

MUSIC— Christophe Beck  DIRECTOR— Clark Johnson  BASED ON— The Sentinel (novel), by Gerald Petievich

     Michael Douglas laces up his running shoes for this thriller that uncovers a secret within the United States Secret Service. Douglas is a Secret Service veteran, a legend to his coworkers. But if word got out that he’s been sleeping with the First Lady he may wanna start filling out job applications. Anyway, there’s a rumor that someone’s plotting to kill the President and Douglas is suspected of being involved. To prove his innocence he goes on the lam to find those setting him up, staying two steps ahead of Secret Service agent (and former friend) Kiefer Sutherland and newbie Eva Longoria. All too predictable, though mildly entertaining for the duration.

OUR RATING— ** ½

     Send Me No Flowers

1964  NR  COMEDY  1h 40min

CAST— Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Hal March, Paul Lynde, Edward Andrews, Patricia Barry, Clint Walker

MUSIC— De Vol  DIRECTOR— Norman Jewison  BASED ON— Send Me No Flowers (play), by Norman Barasch and Carroll Moore

     Rock Hudson and Doris Day join forces yet again for this all-out laugh riot that proves laughter truly is contagious. Hudson plays a raging hypochondriac who, after misdiagnosing himself, believes his days to be numbered. Long-suffering wife Day has no clue as to his worries, yet to best friend Tony Randall he spills all. Hudson feels pity for his poor wife, who will soon be without the protection of a husband; he begins to set in motion a plan that will find a suitable husband for Day, without her knowledge or consent. This plan eventually backfires, of course; much to his horror, much to our delight. Co-starring the ever affable Paul Lynde as an over enthusiastic cemetery plot salesman; Randall’s performance as the sympathetic inebriate steals the show. Your funny bone won’t know what hit it.

OUR RATING— *** ½