Hidalgo

** out of 8
DVD released in 2005
Length of movie - approx 2hours 19 minutes
How long did the movie seem to take? - 3.5 hours
Extra features on DVD - Don't know...just watched the movie.

What a sappy Disney movie. Produced by Touchstone, I thought I was back in the 60's watching some bad Dean Jones feature. Based on the "true" story of Frank Hopkins, this had some potential to be an interesting period piece. Instead, it turned into a happy horse story only a junior high girl could love (or my wife Amie.)

Viggo Mortenson isn't much of an actor. He survived The Lord of the Rings trilogy because Aragorn isn't really supposed to talk much. In this movie, he was the leading role, but still had no real personality! And could he get the marbles out of his mouth. Boomhauer has better diction. From this point on, I will not view Mortenson as a positive indicator for a movie.

The photography was nice, but I'd rather see Lawrence of Arabia. It had a much stronger story line, was far better directed, and deserved every minute of its 3.5 hours plus. Hidalgo should have been condensed to 90 minutes. The effects were hokey and the indian mirages were silly.

I won't ruin the climax of the movie, but think Disney!

Don't waste your time on this one.

Next up...The Sopranos, Season 1 Disc 3.

The Sopranos Season 1 Disc 2

*** out of 3.5
DVD released in 2000
Length of episode - approx 58 minutes - 4 episodes
Extra features on DVD - Don't know...just watched the shows.

The Sopranos just get better with each episode. The more we learn about Tony and his family, the more believable it all becomes.

Nancy Marchand deserves special mention in this series. My first memories of Nancy Marchand was from Lou Grant in the 70's. She was the very prim and proper owner of the newspaperin that show. She was the epitome of WASPy grace and old momey. Now, in The Sopranos, she is a mean spirited Italian matriarch of the mafia family. She truly delivers a memorable performance.

Next up...Hidalgo

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

DVD released in 2006
Viewed 9/17/06
********* out of ten
Length - 102 minutes
Seemed like 2 hours

This is a sleeper. I never heard of this title, but the premise was fresh, the acting was good, and the devices were funny. Hiding behind the guise of a murder mystery, this movie takes shots at grammar, LA and all of its fakiness, and most film plot devices.

Robert Downey Jr., for all of his personal flaws, is a good actor. His comic timing and delivery creates the drive for this movie. I was less enamoured by Val Kilmer's "Gay Perry" role, but he still turns in a yeoman's job. I've never heard of Michelle Monaghan but it was fun watching her walk around in skimpy clothing. It's always good to see Corbin Benson get another character role as well.

This is a great relationship comedy with interesting shots at Hollywood throughout. For an evening of light entertainment, RENT THIS.

Sopranos - The Complete First Season - Disc 1

DVD released in 2000
Viewed 9/13-14/06
*** out of four
Episode lengths - 58 minutes
Extra DVD features - audio commentary from the creator...I didn't listen to it


This is my first chance to see the critically acclaimed Sopranos. Unfortunately, after 6 seasons on HBO, I had a fairly good idea of what the show was about. However, the production and acting quality were so top notch, this DVD made for excellent viewing.

I find HBO series to be an odd mix of theatrical production and television series. Perhaps it is the 58 minute story lines combined with the cinematic directing. Maybe it's seeing a television series with profanity and nudity. Sopranos has that same odd feeling. Regardless, this family relationship show does an excellent job of transposing daily trials and tribulations anybody experiences onto a major player in New Jersey organized crime. Like most productions I enjoy, this transposition is both disturbing, and funny.

Gandolfini and Falco play their characters naturally and believably. What treat to see Nancy Marchand one more time. She is one of the great character actresses. The music isn't too overplayed, the emotions are wonderfully underplayed, and the direction is clean. It never seems rushed, it never seems slow (except for the first episode.)

While you might think watching Analyze This eliminates the need to see The Sopranos, they are completely different productions. The Sopranos takes the time to really develop relationships and pull the viewer into the plot. Analyze This just had two good actors in one bad movie.

These four episodes were so good, we're getting disc 2.

Sexy Beast

**** out of 4.5
DVD released in 2001
Length of movie - approx 89 minutes
How long did the movie seem to take? - approx 89 minutes
Extra features on DVD - Don't know...just watched the movie.

This movie was recommended by a co-worker, and it shows what kind of twisted minds I work with. This seedy gangster flick is a British Pulp Fiction. The violence is disturbing, the language is oppressively profane, the nudity and sexual content is raw. A truly delightful film.

This movie is generally classified as drama, but the ironies and dark humor make it more of a dramedy. Think Fargo, Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill, but not that slick. And that's the appeal for me. The rawness of Ben Kingsley's performance gives this a definite British edge.

When I understood the dialogue, it was great. Lots of rapid patter English gangster lingo, in a dialect that would make Professor Higgins double over with revulsion. Unfortunately I didn't understand a quarter of it because my hearing's going, and the accent is so thick.

The soundtrack was suitably fast paced with a deep pulsing that disturbed Rikki, our mostly deaf dog. The photography was beautifully stylized, using an interesting revolving door shot, and odd perspective shots, like a camera embedded in a boulder rolling down a mountainside (probably digital, but still interesting.)

Kingsley does a fantastic job portraying a brutal nutso gangster. But the real story is buried in the relationship between the retired crook Kingsley is trying to recruit for one more job, and his wife. The ultimate plot ends up being a romantic tale of enduring love, all wrapped up in debauchery, violence, crime, evil intentions, and one of those old British "great caper" robbery scenes.

This is not a date movie. Some scenes are disturbing. Don't watch with your children unless you want to be arrested. But if you want a beautifully crafted, well acted movie that uses a wry sense of humor to transport you into a different world ...watch this movie.

Next up...The Sopranos, Season 1.