Finding Nemo 3D

Family Faire:   Finding Nemo 3D (2012) This is an animated classic adventure that involves the father and son clown fish, Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Alexander Gould). After Nemo is taken by a human diver, Marlin must make a dangerous journey to try and save his son. I consider this film one of the best animated films that Disney/Pixar has put out. It has humor, warmth and is overall an outstanding adventure film. But I didn’t find that the 3D added anything to the viewing experience of the film. In fact, the 3D kind of took away from the brilliant colors and wonderful animation that made this film such a gem to watch originally.  By the way, there is a very funny short at the start of the film named Partysaurus Rex, featuring Rex from the Toy Story films.  He gets to redo his image into a party animal by joining the gang of toys that come to life when water is added to the bathtub.   My Rating: 3D: Cable, Film itself:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Finding Nemo 3D Website

Indiefest:  Arbitrage (2012) Hedge fund manager Robert Miller (Richard Gere) has a number of secrets that are threatening to bring down his world. Now, he makes the one mistake that could cost someone their life and could ruin everything he has worked for. What makes this film worth watching is the outstanding cast, including Susan Sarandon as Miller wife and Brit Marling as his daughter and heir apparent in the company. The biggest problem with this film is that you are asked to root for a very unlikable person in Miller, he appears to be a great father/husband at first but we learn that it's all a façade. You almost get to the point of wanting to see Miller’s world come crumbling down.   My Rating:  Cable    Arbitrage Website

Indiefest:  Searching for Sugar Man (2012) I first saw this fascinating film at the L.A. Film Festival. The film is about a little-known early 70′s singer called Rodriguez, who cut two albums in the U.S. that were soon forgotten. One of the albums became a huge hit in South Africa. Due to its songs about changing the system and became an inspiration to many of South Africa’s musicians who were trying to start a campaign to end apartheid. Remarkably, Rodriguez never knew of his success because he had given up the music business to work as a manual laborer in construction. Part of the appeal of Rodriguez was the legend that he had committed suicide on stage in protest. In the mid 90′s, a South African reporter and a music fan decided to track down any information on the artist.  What they found surprised and shocked them. This is one of the best documentaries I have seen in the past year. It perfectly uses Rodriguez’s music to highlight the story with interesting interviews and an intriguing use of animation to recreate scenes in the past that builds an interesting story and makes this a film to be enjoyed. This is a great film that celebrates a long lost musician who was never appreciated in America but became an important musical figure for so many people he never knew.   My Rating: Full Price     Searching For Sugar Man Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

#15 Worst Film

The Conqueror (1956) John Wayne in truly horrible makeup and one of the worst mustaches ever on screen is the Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan. What makes this film so bad is that half the cast, such as Wayne, tries to look Asian. Yet, the other half doesn’t even come close, such as the romantic interest for Wayne, Susan Hayward. The dialogue sounds as if the cast is part of a bad Shakespeare high school production. Even the specials effects are horrible. At one point a spear is thrown and you can see the guide wire that it’s running on. One sad note about this film, it was shot near a nuclear testing ground and a number of the cast and crew later developed cancer, including Wayne, Hayward and the director of the film, Dick Powell.   The Conqueror Info

Forgotten Film:   Pretty Poison (1968) Anthony Perkins plays Dennis, a young man who has just been released from a mental institution. He meets Sue Ann (Tuesday Weld), a high school cheerleader and in order to impress her he convinces her that he is with the CIA and is about to go on a mission. Sue Ann gets him to take her on the “missions” and they start a life of crime. But Dennis is in way over his head and doesn’t realize it until too late that Sue Ann is just using him for her own agenda. This is a strange, but brilliantly written film that has many twist and turns. Perkins is his usual creepy self and Weld is just gorgeous in a role where we see that she isn’t quite the all American girl we thought she was.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Pretty Poison Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) I didn’t like this film about the retelling of the old Snow White legend. Mostly because I didn’t think Kristen Stewart was up to the lead of the film. She isn’t as beautiful as Charlize Theron (who plays the evil queen) who she is supposed to surpass as the fairest of the land and she never looked comfortable in the fight sequences.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Snow White and the Huntsman Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Here Comes the Boom (2012) Kevin James stars as a high school biology teacher who wants to become a Mixed-Martial Arts fighter. Selma Hayek plays his love interest, so it’s a true story right?    Here Comes the Boom Website

Weird Credit: From the credits of Arbitrage: Stand In Male

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Argo (2012) Ben Affleck stars and directs this film based on the true story of six Americans that were freed from Iran during the 1970s Iranian Hostage Crisis. Affleck plays a CIA agent who comes up with a plan to rescue them using the story-line that they are Canadian Film makers.    Argo Website

Until Next Time!