X: The Unheard Music (WT Morgan, 1986)

I first saw this film at the Majestic Theatre in Madison in 1986. It is a great film that gives insight into this seminal punkabilly band who ended up in the hands of former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek. X is one of those bands that was cool to be into in part because they were "X." So many of their lyrics still echo in my head. Songs with interesting titles, "Your phones off the hook but you're not," "Johnny hit and run Paulene," "White Girl" are all cleverly crafted rock classics. Think Johnny Cash/June Carter gone punkabilly and you've got X. Today the band tours as The Knitters doing, ironically, music that is very much in the Johnny/June vein. This film captures a classic band in their heyday leaving no doubt as to their place in punk and rock history.

Rope (Alfred Hitchcock, 1948)

It has been probably ten years since I last sat down and watched Hitchcock's "Rope" starring Jimmy Steward, Farley Granger and John Dall. This film is an interesting experiment. Other than the establishing shot for the opening titles, the entire film takes place inside of one apartment in what seems to be one continuous shot. The film occurs in near real time--the film characters live out just over 2 hours in this 80 minute film. The film begs numerous questions about human superiority, and the rights of those who own intelligence over those who may not be so inclined. Who decides who is intelligent and who is not; who is superior or inferior; who should live and who should die? Is this a realm for man to even step into? What happens when man decides to play with natural order? Brandon (John Dall) "The good Americans usually die young on the battlefield, don't they? Well, the Davids of this world merely occupy space, which is why he was the perfect victim for the perfect murder. Course he, uh, he was a Harvard undergraduate. That might make it justifiable homicide." Brandon see murder as an art: "I've always wished for more artistic talent. Well, murder can be an art, too. The power to kill can be just as satisfying as the power to create. " The dialogue in this film is sharp. Keep your ears peeled because so many one liners worthy of discussion fly past. This short film about an upper crust dinner party has plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting in a way only Hitch could do.

X-Men: The Last Stand (Brett Ratner, 2006)

I was a huge X-Men comic book fan back in the day when Wolverine and Kitty Pride first came on the scene. It is interesting to see how Dr. Xavier's band of mutant heroes translates to the world of film. Patrick Stewart actually makes a good Xavier. In this installment the Kelsey Grammer appearance was a bit odd. On the other had with Famke Janssen as Jean Grey/Phoenix it is as if she leapt out of the comic book. There's a lot of drama in this episode with limited spurts of "adrenaline-fueled fun" (as the New York Daily News quote appears on the box). I was actually surprised at how much having read the comics, albeit 20 years ago, came in handy. I wonder if the average movie viewer would have enough of the back story to know about Rogue, Kitty Pride and others who make more brief appearances in the hallways of Xaviers school. I think it's time now to introduce The New Mutants.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Tim Story, 2007)

This one was fair. It's rated PG for some of the violence evoked from superheroes fighting their arch nemesis. Other than that it is fairly tame and probably fine for older kids. The movie brings back the fantastic foursome who have become paparazzi-chased stars as well as world-saving heroes. This time the threat to the world comes from a force out there in the universe that could readily devour planet earth. Not only do you get the Fantastic Four but you get the Silver Surfer and Doom as well. There's this whole wedding drama that weaves in and out of the movie that gets a bit sappy at times. Not as good as the first, but did feature some good action sequences; and some interesting effects with the Silver Surfer.

Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)

"In space no one can hear you scream." Ridley Scott's original Alien film was not the balls to the wall horror thriller that later films in this series came to be. I'd actually place this film more in the category of 2001: A Space Odyssey or Solaris (take your pick of the 1972 Tarkovsky version--which is excellent--or the 2002 Steven Soderbergh version--which was good). The cinematrography of Alien is tremendous. The architecture of the ship is amazing. H.R. Giger's design of the alien is really incredible and the ability to transfer that to the screen. Such very powerful patterning and us of textures. Such a melding of metallic with organic features. The cast is great: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt. One worth revisiting nearly 30 years later.

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour 3D (Bruce Hendricks, 2008)

This one is for those of you who might read this blog and have daughters who are fans of the illustrious Hannah. I got up early this morning and reserved tickets through "Fandango" for a morning showing of this highly-hyped Disney concert movie event. The tickets for the movie, while a fraction of actual concert ticket/parking/t-shirts/snacks cost, were still nearly that of what I paid to see the Police in 1985--of course the police today are about 10-20x what I paid back then so I'm not sure where I'm going with that remark. Anyhow, a few notes... First on the 3-D. Wow! 3-D is not the 3-D of the days when you had one red lens and one blue. The glasses actually look more like Jake and Elwood Blues sunglasses. And the process is pretty amazing. The 3-D did work for the concert video and there were several previews for other movies coming out using the same technology. As far as concert moves go. My favorite is still the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" which I remember going to and having everyone on their fee dancing. This was not the case with little girls and their dad's at 10:50 in the morning. It reminded me a bit of Madonna's "Truth or Dare" (1991) concert film except Madonna is a better singer, dancer, actress whose entourage and band were much better as well. But, to make a daughter happy, I can recommend this one and let you know it's mildly entertaining and the band is pretty rockin'

The Bridge (Joris Ivens , 1927-28, 11 Min, Silent)

Ivens presents every facet of one bridge in Rotterdam.Bridge ultra wide. Bridge wide. Bridge medium. Camera man (various angles). Tracks on bridge. Front view from train entering and traveling through bridge. Side view from train. Looking down from train onto water. Looking down at pilings. View of train from tracks. View of bolts on top of bridge and the steam that emits from the train and floats up. Looking up while riding on train.. View of steel beams coming together. Another view moving through bridge looking up through the “X” beams. Med wide shot, side view from a distance train crossing bridge moving left to right. Wide shot looking through steam stacks on boar towards bridge. Cable car passing. Top of bridge peeking out behind. Pilings from below. Bottom beams from below to pilings to water. Shots of beams to support brackets. Train passing tilt up to towler. Guide wides. Bolts. Man ascending ladders and walkways. Shot looking down from up in tower.

Castro Street (Bruce Baillie, 1966)

Blue swirling and industrial noise. Lamplights. Smoke from a refinery or factory. Sound of industrial machinery. Passing wires. Piping from a commerce city. Train moving. Chicks. Train sounds. “Rail Road” crossing sign. Train. Person walking. “3463” Steam release. Movement right to left. Smokestack in red while something is passing. Sound is such a major component of this film. Certainly not a film that is easy to. Southern Pacific 3463 out in a field. Negative image of the conductor. An orchestral loop. Yard. Riveting (literally). Swirls of smoke. Pipes. And constant movement. Layers of textures. Words from the sides of trains. Most movement is side to side. One shot about 2/3 way through is long tracking shot moving up. Followed by distorted blue and then cemebt. Man with hat. Rig. Flute sounds. Blue sky and workers, distorted as if through a spoon. Bell ringing. More layers of trains. What stands out is not the subject. “Good loving” Shapes. (Did Quay Brothers borrow from this look?) Man walking in inverse. Sign for “Castro Street.”

Ringu (Hideo Nakata, 1998) & Jisatsu saakuru/Suicide Club (Sion Sono, 2002)

I recently watched a pair of Japanese horror/suspense films (Suicide Club, Ringu) and found it interesting at how many characteristics in common. For example, the VICTIMS in both movies were school aged girls and boys. In both films there was a CURSE (though not necessarily labeled as such) which is channeled through electronic media: in Suicide Club a pop band sends messages subliminally through the TV, PCs, and CDs - the mysterious originator of the curse communicates through cell phones; in Ringu the curse is transmitted through TV via VHS – the mysterious originator of the curse also communicates through a phone. There is an originator of the CURSE in both films who is/was a child or children. Adults are ultimately drawn into the curse because their own children or relatives are victims. In both films there is an apparent resolution which turns out to be false. A solution is found in the real world that is false; why - because the issue is truly a spiritual one. SPIRITUALITY does come into play in both films but is not played up. There is a sense that there is a dark or otherly realm where these curses, if you will, stem from. EVIL is not the term that is used in either film. Actually there seems to be some sympathy for whatever deity might be causing the curse - definitely this is so in Ringu. SUPERSTITION does come into play. Each film opens with children telling superstitious tales which turn out to be true. Curses, boogie men and secret societies seem to exist because the children first, and later the adults, start to believe. What I am left wondering is... What is the deeper spiritual fuel (in Japanese culture) for these superstitious tales? How do Japanese look at technology in spiritual terms? Both of these films portray the channeling of spirits through technology. While no direct references to Buddhism are made in either film there is certainly and underpinning of spiritual unrest which leads to a break in the peace. Any insights you have are welcome. What is also interesting with Ringu is that it was later adapted by Hollywood and has enjoyed an immense cult following. I have not seen this version. I assume it has all the accutraments of recent American horror films. Ironically, the Japanese film Ringu has no blood and gore to speak of; in fact most of the suspense scenes are reliant on music and lighting.

Mitt liv som hund (My Life As A Dog)(Lasse Hallström,1985)

This is a films about the need for nurturing and comfort in our lives. It is a film which revolves around the life of a boy; but the focus comes back to the women in his lives. The common symbol that ties all women together is breasts. Breasts represent womanhood with the young tom girl; sexuality with the woman at the glass blowing plant; nurture with the mom; comfort from the aunt and the old woman. The boys mother hides her breasts under layers of clothing and blankets as she gets sicker and removes herself more and more from her boys’ lives and thus no longer offering food (the boys in fact prepare her meals); companionship (she only reads to herself); comfort (she cannot take the time to listen without going into a coughing fit). Breasts come up in odd places: a milk pitcher made at the plant has two breasts on it; a local artists fashions a sculpture that is supposed to represent motherhood but is ultimately banned from the town square because it shows the woman’s…breasts; the old man is titillated (no pun intended) when the boy reads ads for brassieres from a department store catalog. The other symbol that is subtler in this film is that of the dog. The boy is actually forced to part with his dog when he goes to live with his uncle and aunt. He then takes on some qualities of the dog he has lost: loyalty, love, companionship. There are two realms in the movie. The realm of “death” represented by the dying mother; the social workers; the older brother with his toy gun; the boy’s girlfriend who seeks connection in all the wrong ways. This realm represents a dysfunctional approach to living. It is a realm where dogs offer comfort – not breasts. The other realm is that of “life” in the village with the uncle and aunt where work stops in the town to watch a man ride a unicycle on a tight rope; it’s a realm where people get caught up in soccer games and where imaginations of children and adults are allowed to soar. It is also a land of breasts – but no dogs.

GNN Battle Ground: 21 Days On Empires Edge (Stephen Marshall, 2004)

This documentary produced by the Guerilla News Network proved to be very insightful and well balanced. I really expected something heavy with violence and language and leaning heavily to the left. Instead I found a documentary which wove together several compelling stories out of Iraq in such a way that both my 12-year-old and I could find several points of discussion. I think it’s important that we discuss this war with our children and this movie offers a great place to start.

Forbidden Planet (Fred M. Wilcox, 1956)

Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Prospero’s Books (Peter Greenaway, 1988) Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Edward Morbeus (aka Prospero). Leslie Nielsen as Commander John J. Adams.

The Prisoner (1967)

I first stepped into the world of the Prisoner in 1987 watching the entire series back-to-back in cafeteria at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Back then I would have said this show was pretty “trippy.” More recently my sons have gotten hooked on this classic British television program. These are meant to be watched in sequence. Warning: you can’t watch just one.

Merci pour le chocolat (Claude Chabrol, 2000)

This is a murder mystery unlike any I have seen. There is an intense focus on the characters at hand. The film examines the intertwining of the lives of a pianist, his wife, their son, his (possibly) estranged daughter and her mom. They all have their own quirks and psychosis. And somehow a past murder steps into the films present to threaten two of the characters at hand.

World According To Sesame Street (Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Linda Hawkins, 2006)

Somewhat propagandistic, yet interesting look into the process of launching Sesame Street programming and curriculum into another culture. This film focuses on the launch of programs in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. The film shows how different cultural values, political ideologies and warfare impact how and where Sesame Street hits the streets.

The War Game (Peter Watkins, 1965)

The cold war is over, but that does not make this movie any less riveting. We can watch movies like Atomic Cafe and laugh at the old "run, duck and cover" newsreels. Peter Watkins while showing the ridiculousness in the notion that ducking under a table in a nuclear war would offer much protection; it also shows the dire consequences of how quickly society would fall into anarchy in such a situation. Maybe in the context of so many of our war strewn landscapes today this rings more true.

The Name Of The Rose (der Name der Rose) (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1986)

I had high expectations for this film adaption of the Umberto Eco book. My wife and I had both been recommended the movie by two different people. The movies features Sean Connery as William of Baskerville a monk and Sherlock Holmes figure along with a very young Christian Slater as his understudy-slash-Watson. The murder mystery is set in historical church. It was an alright movie.

Mothlight (Stan Brakhage, 1963)

How does one explain a Brakhage film ? To today's multiplex moviegoer the short films which make up a lifetime's work may elicit a response like, "What kind of drugs was he on?" But this kind of response fails to get the point of Brakhage's corpus of films. Stan Brakhage made personal documentary films. Stylistically, many would label his films surreal or avant garde, but that which he was striving for was very organic and personal. How doe one capture the feeling of being drunk on film? (Desistfilm, 1954) How does one express the joy of making love to one's wife? (Wedlock House: An Intercourse, 1959) How does one capture the pregnancy and birth of a first child? (Window Water Baby Moving, 1959) What happens to bodie when we die? (The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes, 1971) What kind of film does one make before they die of cancer? (Comingled Containers, 1997; Love Song, 2001) Brakhage films deal with the very personal. The parts of life we don't usually like to talk about. Sometimes they are also childlike and whimsical. Remember as a child pressing your fingers so slightly against your closed eyes and seeing the dizzying array of colors that are produced. Stan would try to replicate these spots and blotches of closed eye visions in many of his hand-painted films. For him, the film was more like his canvas and he took painstaking measures in addressing each frame. If you watch one of these films on DVD you can stop and goe frame-by-frame to see what I mean. Stan worked with a number of film formats including IMAX film which offered a larger canvas to work with. For Stan film was very tactile. Something to be held. Projection and environment became integral parts of the film. He would meet regularly with friends and filmakers who would share their silent films whose soundtracks would be made up of children playing, crying, people talking, guitars strumming, music playing in the background. Films were meant to be shared, discussed, enjoyed with friends. Mothlight (1963) falls in the whimsical or curiosity seeking category. For this film Brakhage collected bits of moths which had been zapped by a buglight along with grass and other yard particles. No camera was used - rather the bits where assembled using tape - roughly the width of 16mm film. Projecting the light through these bug bits and grass strips gives one a sense of how film flows through the camera. This film flows with its battery of wings and things for just over 3 minutes which in film terms would be around 4500 frames. I remember seeing this film in a number of classes and at special Brakhage film showings on the University of Colorado campus or at the Public Library in Boulder Colorado where Stan at which Stan was usually present. Brakhage films remind me of the personal nature of film. Really of any artistic media. We often get clouded by the mass marketing of movies, music and art; that we lose track of the original intent and purpose. Personal expression of emotions, of intellect and of worship. For Brakhage, and others like him, film was an attempt to capture not just their personal vision, but their search for meaning, for God, for transcendence.

Bridge to Terabithia (Gabor Csupo, 2007)

Like the recent remake of Charlotte's web, this book to screen adaptation fell a bit flat for me. The development of the main characters, Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (Anna Sophia Robb), was a bit weak. I think their relationship could have been developed a bit more, particularly through their romps in Terabithia; however, we never get a full sense of their fantastical adventures until the very end of the movie when Jesse builds the bridge and brings his sister, May Belle (Bailee Madison) over to the land to play. While billed as an adventure akin to the Chronicles of Narnia, this film certainly falls short and any true glimpses of the magical land until the very end.

Rest in Pieces: A Portrait of Joe Coleman (Robert-Adrian Pejo, 1997)

This documentary is not for the faint at heart. I had never heard of Joe Coleman until I saw this film, although his paintings look familiar. His life could be classified as an ongoing freak show. And yet his is a torn and confused life. Torn between the mythologized figures of his departed parents and a perverted perception of Jesus Christ. The image of Joe in his quietude, meticulously decorating his painting of murderer Ed Gein whilst surrounded by oddities usually reserved for Ripley's Museums and traveling side shows in his New York apartment says much about his person. How does a person become mired in the world of murderers, the macabe and masochistic tendencies? His story is presented in meticulous detail through his paintings. Each work of art that he produces is deeply personal. Coleman is vocal both in speech and in his work speaking out against the cancer he calls cities, sexual perversion, divorce and violence; and yet these are the very things which infect his own existence. In the movie Taxi Driver, Betsy (Cybill Shepard) calls Travis (Robert de Niro) a "walking contradiction." In many ways Coleman is this as well; and yet he is not - for he exists amidst the oddities. Ironically, Coleman played a de Niro look-a-like in a recent film. As a film the Coleman documentary flips between interviews, archival footage/photos, and staged sequences with Coleman as the star. There are several segments with Coleman and director Jim Jarmusch (Down by Law, Stranger Than Paradise) in a Catholic Church. I think the goal was to have the two discuss the role of faith and the church in Coleman's life. Unfortunately Jarmusch, sporting his Route 666 tee shirt, knows nothing about Catholicism, faith or Jesus Christ. The discussion on faith is thus lackluster, lowering itself to talk about spitting on church grounds and faked confessions. A better look into Coleman's own twisted perceptions of Christ can be found in his book the Man of Sorrows in which he illustrates a variety of apocryphal and Biblical texts to which he has chosen to ascribe. I found this portrait of an artist interesting because of the faith element in it. Coleman wants to be a Job-like figure who is tormented in life and yet retains some semblance of faith and belief. While his exploits push him to the fringe of darkness and despair; he still has a lingering attachment to the church. This dichotomy between corrupt and Christian; sacred and profane is something he portrays in his paitings (dad/mom; sinner/saint; skin/bones; naked/clothed) - and so Joe Coleman seems torn in life as well as on canvas.

Howl's Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004)

It is refreshing to see a film that is not 3-D computer animation. Although, ironically, some of the finishing audio work for the American release of this film was done by...Pixar. This film features some fascinating hand-drawn anime styled Japanese animation. The film meshes victorian style scenary with fantasy and futuristic elements. The story line has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing where things are going and how the story might end.

Jeux interdits/Forbidden Games (Rene Clement, 1952)

The film begins with Parisians fleeing their city as German planes bare down from the skies. A young girl chases after her dog not knowing that she will catch the eye of planes above. Her parents chase after her only to be gunned down. The girl opens her eyes after the smoke of the attack clears in the arms of her dead mother and embracing her dog, who is now dying as well, from the trauma of the incident. This movie lets us witness first hand the trauma of a child in wartime. The girl lands in the country home of another family where she comes to know a warped sense of God through her first encounter with a priest and the teaching of a young boy. She becomes obsessed with buying dead animals - of which there seems to be an endless supply. Ultimately she finds herself alone. Again. This movie wrestles with the WHY of life. It wrestles with loneliness. And somehow in the innocence of the two children bigger lessons of life are imparted. Forbidden Games reminds us today of a kind of childhood that has been lost in our own time. This is not a war film, but a war time film. Through it we can learn about those who are having to live through war times even today.

Forbidden Zone (Richard Elfman, 1980)

It was a recent viewing of Corpse Bride (Tim Burton, 2005) that actually stirred me to want to watch Forbidden Zone again. The last time I saw this film was probably 15 years ago. The common ties between the films: they both paint reality as hum drum and hades or some other dimension as being more colorful; and they both are scored by Danny Elfman who also makes a singing appearance in each. Forbidden Zone was actually directed by Elfman's brother. The film was meant to be a vehicle for the Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo to show off their theatrics. It is that. The film itself if cabaret, it's Caligari, it's swing (before swing was hip again), it's whacked, a bit perverse, allout bizarre, totally low budget, midnight movie kind of fare. This is not great film making, great plot or great cinema. It is interesting if you were ever a Oingo Boingo fan (especially some of the extras on the disc) or a Danny Elfman fan or just want to step on a low-budget traveling fair ride into "The Sixth Dimension" where King Fausto (Herve Villechaize - "da plane, da plane") and his robust commandeering Queen Doris (Susan Tyrrell) await you. If anything skip through to the music numbers as they romp through Cab Calloway, Josephine Baker and other cabaret classics. The film is rated R for language and some character clotheslessness.

Corpse Bride (Tim Burton, 2005)

Tim Burton's stylistic sense works well in the realm of stop-motion animation. I've always felt Danny Elfman has worked well with Burton from the musical angle. This film in particular recalls glimpses of Elfman's own film efforts in The Forbidden Zone (1980). There's not much for CGI here - rather everything is arduously produced in stop-motion. From this standpoint the film is nearly flawless. Truly tricking the eye into witnessing seemless movement from the figuirines which act upon the screen. Part of what helps is the music. Part of what helps is the great array of talent tapped for voice work - Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, Joanna Lumley, Albert Finney, Christopher Lee and so on. The film paints the world of the living as rather dull and dead; the world of the dead, on the other hand, is rather lively. The storyline is very Brothers Grimm-esque. It's not to "horror"-ble for kids and not to cartoony for adults. The animation is somewhere between Brothers Quay and Pixar - although no computers are used to craft the characters. And the experience is one worth repeating. Check it out.

Torst (Thirst, Igmar Bergman, 1949)

This film was recently released by Criterion as part of an Early Bergman collection. The acting troop is not full of the familiar Bergman faces - which is good. This is a film about stress and tension...in relationships, marriages in particular, at work, in our heads. The central figure is a young dancer who is travelling with her husband across war-ravaged Europe. Flashbacks reveal scenes when her first love reveals he is married. When the wife of this man calls on her. When she is forced to have an abortion which leaves her sterile. And we know she is injured in such a way that has affected her career in the ballet. Not an uplifting film. A film, in fact, I didn't think I liked. But a day later some of the issues and scenes are still running around in my head so maybe there is more to this film than I wanted to give it credit for. Definitely worth a view if you are a Bergman fan as it gives some insight into issues he brings out in later films. Gunnar Fischer is the cinematrapher. His style too has not yet fully developed and that shows in this film.

Ascenseur pour l'échafaud aka To the Elevator Gallows (Louis Malle,1958)

Louis Malle's debut feature Ascenseur pour l'échafaud is fantastic. I actually picked up the Miles Davis soundtrack many years back and never thought I'd find the film. Now it is out thanks to our friends at Criterion. The film is a murder mystery that has lots of twists and turns and lots of subtle action that you need to note on screen to fully get the complexity of the plot. The elevator is central to the plot and that's all I will give you. Jeanne Moreau is beautiful in here onscreen meandorings. Her counterpart on-screen, Maurice Ronet, launched into a career that spanned nearly one hundred films following this movie. The Miles Davis soundtrack fits perfectly. Definitely a movie I will watch again.

The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)

Ah, little lad, you're staring at my fingers. Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand/left-hand? The story of good and evil? H-A-T-E! It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low. L-O-V-E! You see these fingers, dear hearts? These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man. - Rev. Harry Powell, Night of the Hunter

This is a great film. The James Agee screenplay gives this a stage-like feel at times. Robert Mitchum is one scary dude as the Rev. Harry Powell - sadistic killer (wolf) in preacher (sheep) garb. This film has it's share of twists and turns. Silent film star Lillian Gish makes an appearance as Rachel Cooper. You've also got Shelly Winter who is brilliant. There's also plenty of humor to offset the implied violence by "Birdie Steptoe" and "Icey Spoon." I really like the scene where they are floating down the river and this Bjork-esque song kicks in like something out of von Triers "Dancer in the Dark."

Out of the Past (Jacques Toureur, 1947)

Robert Mitchum in his early years did some amazing work in films like this one. A young Kirk Douglass plays a back seat role to Mitchum's lead. The plot is a bit willy nilly, but the character interactions are what get you in this film. Whether it's the relation between Jeff (Mitchum) and "The Kid" or Mitchum's interactions with his two love interests. There are enough twists the first go around to keep you trying to figure out what's going on. There's enough subtle twists to make this fun to watch again and again.

Shaggy Dog (Brian Robbins, 2006)

I think kids movies are always much more fun to watch with kids. I just watched the Tim Allen remake of Shaggy Dog which also featured Danny Glover and Robert Downey, Jr. of all people. It was fun. Not great cinema. But that's not the point of these made-for-tv caliber films.

Oh Heavenly Dog (Joe Camp, 1980)

Interesting to watch this 27 years after initially catching it in the theatre. Interesting to watch this with my own kids and somewhat surprised at the use of profanity in this film. The cinematography was the big surprise in this otherwise "campy" comedy. Some beautifully of mostly rainy London street scenes. For those who saw this when it came out it makes for a nostalgic romp. For today's kids, they lost interest at times. Definitely not the high-paced adventure kids find today.