The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

My View:  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012) After the birth of their daughter, Renesmee, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) gather up the Cullen Vampire clan to protect their child. Irina (Maggie Grace) feels that Renesmee, whose miraculous birth, is a threat to the Volturi, so they set out to kill the child. Now the ultimate battle is about to go down. This isn’t saying much, but this is the best Twilight film. It has the usual beginning of any of the Twilight films, lots of setup with very little action, lots of corny scenes between Bella and Edward (that even my audience full of Twihard fanatics laughed at), and if you haven’t seen any of the other Twilight films, don’t start with this one as you will be completely confused. I thoroughly enjoyed the big battle sequence near the end, but there is a major flaw with this film (that I can’t discuss without giving out spoilers) that really ruined the ending for me.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Website

My View:  Lincoln (2012) As the Civil War continues, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) is determined to pass the 13th amendment and battles Congress as well as his own cabinet to abolish slavery. The film is only about the last few months before Lincoln’s second term is to start, so don’t expect a lot of setup from this film as it expects that you know most of the history of the Civil War and of Lincoln, himself. Daniel Day-Lewis is incredible in this performance, though it does take a little getting used to his voice, which is sort of high pitched. The rest of the cast does a remarkable job, including Sally Field as Mary Todd, David Strathairn as Secretary of State Seward and Tommy Lee Jones as Congressman Thaddeus Stevens. I really enjoyed the performances of James Spader and John Hawkes, as they try and muster votes for the amendment by just about any means possible. The film is beautifully shot, and its score fits perfectly with what we are seeing on the screen. Steven Spielberg has done a great job in capturing one of our country's  most trying times.  My Rating: Full Price   Lincoln Website

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

#`13 Best Film

North By Northwest (1959) In this classic Alfred Hitchcock film, Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, a New York advertising executive who is mistaken for a government agent by some foreign spies. As he travels across the country, he meets a woman on a train, Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), who begins to help him with his quest to find out why he has been targeted. The film contains many of the iconic Hitchcock scenes, including the crop-duster scene where Thornhill is attacked by a dusting plane, and the film concludes with a major battle on top of Mt. Rushmore between Thornhill and the bad guy. Grant is at his absolute best, and there is a great deal of chemistry between him and Eva Marie Saint.   My Rating: I Would Pay To See it Again   North by Northwest Info

Forgotten Film:  Silver Streak (1976) A mild-mannered book editor (Gene Wilder) takes a cross country train trip. While on the train, he thinks he sees a murder committed, but there isn’t any evidence and no one believes him. He decides to investigate on his own and becomes the next target of the killer. This is a very funny film with superb performances by Wilder and, in a smaller role, Richard Pryor. Jill Clayburgh plays the romantic interest of Wilder, and their meeting on the train is one of my favorite romantic/flirting scenes between two leads in all of movies. The dialogue in this film is witty and fast, and while some of the comedy is a little over the top, it still makes for a highly enjoyable film.   My Rating: Full Price  Silver Streak Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Arthur Christmas (2011) I liked this animated film about Santa, who is getting ready to retire, and his two sons, one of which will follow in his footsteps. The humor in the film plays to both adults and kids, and the storyline is perfect for the holidays.  My Rating: Full Price   Arthur Christmas Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Lincoln: Facial Hair Artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Zero Dark Thirty (2012) Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow brings to the screen the story of the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his eventual death by SEAL Team 6. Chris Pratt, Jessica Chastain and Joel Edgerton fill out the cast on this highly anticipated film.   Zero Dark Thirty Website

Until Next Time!