Hairspray: What a fun, delightful movie with lots of good songs, dance, charm, and a meaningful story of how outcasts can overcome.  I enjoyed the John Waters original and this one adds to it with the strong songs and dance.  I can't remember a movie I've seen in a long time where I smiled the whole time watching it.  Nikki Blonsky is so good in her first role as Tracy with all aspects of the performance and Elijah Kelley is another standout, with the talent of a young Sammy Davis, whom he slightly resembles.  All the pros from John Travolta is cute drag to Christopher Walken in a rare musical comedy role to Michelle Pheiffer in a return to musical role are terrific as are the rest of the young cast.  I can recommend for most ages.  Seen 8/18/07
HAPPY, TEXAS:  Is a good-natured tale of two escaped convicts who steal an RV and end up disguising themselves as gay talent pageant consultants. Steve Zahn is hilarious as the country car thief who reluctantly teaches the little girls to perform their musical number. William H. Macy gives a sweet performance as the local sheriff, who has a crush on the other convict, who himself has a crush on the pretty lady bank president.  It all makes sense in the end and has lots of chuckles.  movie seen 10/29/99
RECOMMEND: We're No Angels  is the amusing tale of two escaped convicts played by Robert DeNiro and Sean Penn who disguise themselves as priests.  These two actors do a great job playing the hapless, very funny losers who end up doing good and heroic deeds (despite themselves).

Happy Feet: Is the delightful cartoon about a little penguin who cannot sing a "heartsong" as demanded by the Emperor penguin group, but who expresses himself in dance, making him an outcast.  I found myself tapping along through the movie, which is light on storyline, but strong musically.  It is a sweet companion piece to "March of the Penguins" and is helping to spur the penguin craze right now.  Small kids may find a couple scenes pretty scary, but at the end, little kids were dancing in the aisle, so that's a good sign.  I give a strong recommend.
seen 11/24/06
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Is a very credible sequel to the smash hit original.   The cast is all back from the original, including Richard Harris in his delightful final film performance.  The chemistry between the kids is there, along with the humor, there is more action, though this is a much darker and scarier film than the first.   (And if you have a problem w/snakes or spiders, not a movie to sit through.)   The million kids in the theater thoroughly enjoyed it, as I must confess, did I.   Although I never got the mania for the books, I am beginning to understand, since I am looking forward to the next movie to find out what happens next.  No doubt this is a winner and box office winner.     movie seen 11/16/02   
RECOMMEND: The Goonies is an adventure story of kids going on a treasure hunt through mysterious caves with a gang after them.  It is frequently outrageous in storytelling, but is ultimately entertaining and fun.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: It took me three tries to finally see in this IMAX (sold out, then cancelled showing), but it was worth seeing.  Harry is chosen for competition in an extreme wizard competition involving contestants from other schools.  It has dragons and mermaids and a scary maze and he finally meets his nemesis, Lord Voldemort, played with delicious creepiness by Ralph Fiennes.  It is fun to watch the same kids growing up on screen and seeing them deal with the confusion of the girl/boy relationships, attending their first dance.  It is darker and less "fun" then the other installments, but is a natural progression in the story-telling, and worth seeing. (One of these days, I need to read the books to see what I've been missing.)  seen 12/16/05
RECOMMEND: The First Olympics: Athens 1896 is a TV movie about the establishment of the modern Olympics, which highlights the creation of the American team and how they prepared for the games.  There are some nice performances, in particular by David Caruso, as an athlete from the other side of the tracks.  I am sure the movie isn't high in realism, but I did enjoy it.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: This is the fifth episode to be filmed and it is definitely the most "grown-up" of the series with the oft-told battle between good and evil being central.  New characters are introduced, most notably being Luna, played with a touch of strange wisdom by Evanna Lynch, and Delores Umbridge, played by Imelda Stauntun with a deliciously evil smile.  I saw it in IMAX 3-D and the 3-D portion was particularly exciting with well-done action scenes.  Over-all I did enjoy it, though I must admit I found some of the scene changes rather abrupt, as if some rough cutting was done.  I've never read the books, but I understand that this episode is missing several key parts, which may explain its somewhat rough editing.  Despite that reservation, I can give it a recommend.  Seen 7/14/07
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Is the darkest and most ominous of the series, but I found it the most satisfying of the series so far.  The plot twists at the end pull the story together nicely and the three kids have grown in their performances.  (And it never hurts to have the ever interesting Gary Oldman in the movie.)  The neatest feature is the Hippogriff, a creature that combines an eagle and a horse; its excellently done.  A high recommend and commendation on keeping a series fresh and interesting.  movie seen 06/07/04  
RECOMMEND: Tarzan Escapes! is the third in the series with Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan.  The series was unfortunately becoming worn-out and formulized by this time, actually using film from the earlier films.  The first two were the best in establishing the characters and the attraction between Jane and Tarzan, but by the third the censors had Jane well-covered and the tree-house had become Disneyfied.  But, my childhood delight in the series does continue even with this less-worthy episode.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: I have never read the books, so had no preconceived views of how the picture should look or how close to the book it should be.  I enjoyed the story of the orphaned boy who discovers he is a wizard and in learning to use his powers, also finds his new "home" in friends and teachers at the school.  Daniel Radcliffe is solid as Harry Potter and is ably supported by Rupert Grint, playing Ronald 'Ron' Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, his two best friends.  The cast is filled out by many wonderful pros, including John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, and Maggie Smith.  The sets and technical aspects are terrifically executed, but they don't take away from the heart of the tale.  The downside is the slowness and length of the movie, which quite honestly, had the younger children in the theater, rustling around.  But, it is easy to see the appeal of the books and the extraordinary success of the film.  movie seen 11/21/01   
RECOMMEND: As I watched "Harry Potter", I thought of many other movies it resembles, such as "Wizard of Oz" and "The Secret Garden", but, frankly, Star Wars does seem to be the godfather of "Harry Potter".  The story of the orphaned boy who finds new friends and discovers the powers inside of him is just too close not to be recognized.  I don't know if it was accidental or not, but George Lucas should be asking for a cut of the profits, I doth believe!
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay: Is Cheech and Chong meet Dumb and Dumber, but I must confess they have a certain kind of appeal despite the excess of raunchy (ok, yeah, maybe that is the appeal??).  In a nutshell, the boys are taken off a plane as terrorists and after escaping go on a road trip to prove their innocence.  All the while, of course, they run into weirder and weirder situations with various degrees of amusement, humor, and hilarity.  And the best part is Neil Patrick Harris back for more outrageous scenes playing "himself".  (Smartest move he ever made was appearing in the first flick, as it landed him his current TV gig.)  I can't say this movie will appeal to a broad audience - more like the young "Bro" audience I was sitting with - and it is definitely a hard R rating, but I did smile enough to give it a limited approval recommend.  Seen 4/25/08
THE HAUNTING:  There are bits and pieces of an entertaining ghost movie here, but the sum of the parts is pretty bad.  The house is properly spooky, but it ultimately was like being at the Haunted House at Disney World.  The unstructured plot, overloaded special effects,   and sleep-walking performances of the actors eventually sunk the movie.  Once only has to remember Robert Wise's fine originally 1963 filming of this book to see how to do it correctly.  There is much to be said for being subtle.  movie seen 7/24/99   
RECOMMEND: The Uninvited is wonderfully spooky 1944 film that doesn't use special effects to make it eerie.  And there is a love story involving the star, Ray Millian, and twists and turns to the plot that make it enjoyable to watch. 
HEARTBREAKERS: Is a funny farce about female con artists who seduce men into marrying them, then through foul means, force a generous divorce settlement.   Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt play the mother and daughter team who work on Gene Hackman, Ray Liotta, and Jason Lee with hilarious results.  The audience truly roared with laughter throughout the whole film.  (Gene and Ray were particularly terrific!)  movie seen 3/24/01    
RECOMMEND: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is basically the same story, only with the gentleman taking the wealthy women for a ride.   Michael Caine and Steve Martin turn in amusing performances as the scoundrels.
HEARTS IN ATLANTIS: There is mystical tone to this Stephen King coming of age tale of a young boy, growing up in an unhappy home, who comes under the tutelage of a wise, older man.  Young Anton Yelchin memorably plays the boy and Anthony Hopkins is magical as the mystery man.  The performances lift this movie above its deja vu feel.  movie seen 8/31/01  
RECOMMEND: The Boy With the Green Hair is a fable about a war orphan who wakes up one morning with green hair and becomes ostracized by the community.  Dean Stockwell plays the boy and the adorable Pat O'Brien is the wise grandfather.
Hidalgo: You know a picture's in trouble, when the best actor in it is the horse.  It is the story of long distance rider, Frank Hopkins played with laconic irony by Viggo Mortensen, who for the money enters a famous race in Saudi Arabia.  Instead of concentrating on the race, the story is full of idiotic plot twists and over the top special effects and. worse, the pace is too slow.  Its too bad, as the potential was there, but just didn't come together.  movie seen 03/05/04    
RECOMMEND: The Black Stallion Returns : is the sequel to the wonderful "The Black Stallion" that has Alex in the Arabian desert in a horse race.  It doesn't have the magic of the first, but there's enough action and adventure to satisfy.
Hitch: Is an entertaining little film about a "date doctor" who fails his own advise when he meets his match in a gossip columnist.  Will Smith gets leading man status with his charming work as "Hitch" and Eva Mendas is feisty as the object of his affections.  The other storyline features a surprisingly adorable Kevin James, as the clumsy man madly in love with an heiress, played sweetly by Amber Vellata.  Although the film could use some time editing, it is a pleasant film with some big and little laughs and a very good heart.  The large audience agreed with the applause at the end.  seen 2/11/05 RECOMMEND: Pillow Talk is the first of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson films that was very hip in its day (think of the split screen tub screen where they play footsie together) that had sharp dialog and funny scenes as the characters fight falling in love.  Of course, its fluff, but like cotton candy fluff, fun once in a while.
The Hoax: Tells the true story of a writing hoax that I remembered so well in the early 1970's.  Clifford Irving (ably played with weaselly charm by  Richard Gere) plots a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes, figuring Hughes' well known eccentricity would prevent him from being found out.  It escalates into a massive fraud, that eventually ends in the last press conference of Howard Hughes denying everything by phone and the convictions of those involved.  The ties to Watergate add political relevance and give the story a bigger tableau than believed in the beginning.  Special kudos to Alfred Molina for his performance as  Irving's partner, who goes from being a comic figure to one of true pathos.  I can remember reading the serialization in Life magazine and thinking what a good read, so too bad Hughes didn't actually write his own story, would have been a heck of a story.  I give a recommend to this well-done story, that will have special interest for those who remember those times.   seen 4/29/07 

Some other movies about Howard Hughes:
The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977 - tv)
Melvin and Howard (1980)
The Rocketeer (1991)
The Aviator (2004)
Holes: is a solid family pic that is aimed at older kids.  I had never read, or honestly, heard of the book, so had no preconceived notions.  It is the story of a young man who by an accident is sent to a youth camp in the desert.  It turns out to be a real rat hole of a place where the boys have to dig a hole every day as "therapy".  But, this is a multi-layered tale that goes back generations and follows a family curse and story of a Western female bandit and how their stories all intertwine into the story of the kid.  I enjoyed the performances (Jon Voigt has a standout hilarious character and its nice to see Henry Winkler acting again) and I liked the mythical feel of the story of a young man who finds his dignity and self worth in a horrible situation. Strong recommend.  movie seen 4/18/03    
RECOMMEND: Boys Town was a big film in the 30's that told the "true" story of Father Flanagan and how he opened Boys Town for troubled youth that now appears very corny.   Of course, the Father is portrayed as saintly by Spencer Tracy, but Mickey Rooney has a more juicy part as the bad kid with the heart of gold. 
The Holiday: is basically a Lifetime movie put on the big screen.  Two young women decide to trade homes to deal with their pain with the men in their lives.  Of course, after some suffering and learning, they find love and live happily ever after.  Cameron Diaz overacts, but Kate Winslet adds charm to the movie with her character.  Her best scenes are with Eli Wallach as the elderly neighbor she takes under wing; they end up being the sweetest love story of the movie.  So, although I enjoyed the movie for what it was, it was a piece of fluff, soon to be forgotten.  seen 12/9/06
Hollywood Homicide: suffers from too many Hollywood jokes and zero chemistry between the performers.  Harrison Ford does his usual wry smile and has some amusing scenes and Josh Hartnett plays the cop who longs to be an actor (and apparently is still waiting judging by this movie and the god awful "Pearl Harbor") and there are some jokes that work, but in the end its the car chase and playing 'spot the Motown artist' that make the movie.  The chase is pretty exciting to watch, though high on the unreal scale (the photo represents part of the "chase"), but it does finally wakes you up at the end of the movie.  Judging by how many times I checked my watch to see when it would be over, I would call this film a miss.  movie seen 6/27/03  
RECOMMEND: Loose Cannons is definitely the worse cop buddy film I have ever seen and makes "Hollywood Homicide" look like Shakespeare in comparison.  Gene Hackman is the old pro who is saddled with Dan Aykroyd as a brilliant detective with mental problems.  What a waste of talent!
Hollywoodland: is a film noir look at the legendary death of George Reeves, TV's Superman.  An opportunist private detective (well played by Adrien Brody) is hired by Reeves' mother to prove the death wasn't a suicide as reported. He begins to see the parallels with his own hopeless life as he becomes more involved in solving the riddle.  The big surprise of the film is how good Ben Affleck is as George Reeves: he manages to capture the charm of the persona combined with the frustration of a failing career and life.  He is solidly supported by Diane Lane as the married woman who falls in love with him and keeps him financially during his lean years.  The movie is mired by an unsatisfactory ending that leaves you hanging, but I give it a recommend for the good performances and look at that period in Hollywood.   seen 9/8/06 
RECOMMEND: Mulholland Falls is a slick recent film as an elite squad of rough LA detectives in the 1950's investigating the murder of a beautiful young woman.  The plot twists and turns which in the end implicate the highest level of a government cover-up.  It is dark and seedy with a haunting quality to it.
Hotel Rwanda: Is the gut wrenching true story of Paul Rusesabagina who managed to save over a thousand people during the massacre of a million in Rwanda in 1994.  Don Cheadle plays him with dignity and strength, as we see him go from the slick wheeler-dealer who manages an elite hotel to the desperate wheeler-dealer who uses all his wits and skills to save the people who depend on him.  Nick Nolte adds strong support as the UN colonel who finds his hands tied to help, while the world ignores the situation.  It isn't just a good film, but an important one.  We must never forget the depths which human beings will sink and the pure goodness they can show when it is needed.  seen 2/05/05 
RECOMMEND: The Killing Fields is the obvious match to the movie in story and content.  Sam Waterson plays a reporter who is forced to leave behind his translator, played by Dr. Haing S Ngor, in his Oscar-winning performance, as Cambodia falls to the Khmer Rouge.  The horrors that follow are beyond comprehension.  I have only managed to watch this film once, but there is one scene that I can never forget (that is echoed in "Hotel Rwanda").  The ultimate sadness is that Dr. Haing S Ngor actually survived the Killing Fields of Cambodia, only to be murdered in a robbery in the United States. 
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS: I cannot say how much I anticipated this movie after such a luke warm movie year - I mean talk about perfect casting - Jim Carrey as the Grinch!   BUT...  it is rather like being served green eggs and ham.  There is a sour tone to the movie that offsets the wonderful body language and moves of Carrey.   I found the explanation that the Grinch was made fun of as a little boy as dumb and annoying as most of the new characters and some very tasteless jokes.   Taylor Momsen is adorable as Little Cindy Lou-Who and frankly the dog steals the movie as Max.  BUT...you cannot create magic with sets and makeup - either it happens or it doesn't.  So, although this movie will never be treasured as the book and cartoon have been over the years, savor Carrey's mugging and laugh at the little dog's cute poses.  movie seen 11/18/00  
RECOMMEND: Scrooged is Bill Murray's updated take on "A Christmas Carol".  There are some sharp pokes at modern television sensationalism and commercialism, with funny guest stars.   Not a great version, but has some fun and truth to it. 
Personal Side Note: while watching the newest "Grinch", I had to note that the story is actually another telling of "A Christmas Carol".  Wonder if Dr. Suess every paid Dickens any royalties?
The Hulk: has a great look to it thanks to Ang Lee's stylized filming that utilizes split screens to give the screen a cartoon magazine feel, but the storyline is pretty dark with no evidence of humor to lighten it up.  Jennifer Connelly plays the supportive girlfriend again and Nick Nolte eats the scenery up as the crazy father.  Unfortunately I found Eric Bana had no charisma in the role of Bruce Banner who becomes the Hulk; actually found the computer-designed Hulk had the more sympathetic part!  (And, yes, I did think the Hulk looked like a cousin of Shrek!!)  I have fond memories of the old series, starring Bill Bixby, who brought a sense of warmth to the Banner character and think that element is essential.  So a mixed review - enjoyed looking at it, but in the end didn't really care what happened to the people in the movie, so it engendered no emotional response from me.  (And if I was the Hulk, I'd be ticked off they gave me such short ole' legs!!)  movie seen 6/21/03   
RECOMMEND: Frankenstein is the quintessential story of the dire events that occur when man messes around with nature.  The famous 1931 filming by James Whale starring Boris Karloff is a true classic.  It has corny overacting combined with Whale's dark humor and was the start of the run of such movies at Universal.  Boris's makeup as the monster is what we have come to accept as "Frankenstein", though Boris would tell you that Frankenstein was the doctor, not the monster.  And the story takes on special interest when you realize that it was originally written by a woman, Mary Shelley,  in 1818.
HURRICANE:  Denzel Washington gives a virtuoso performance in the lead role of Rubin Carter, the boxer who was falsely accused of murder.  Despite the efforts of several celebrities over the 20 years he was imprisoned, it took the dedicated detective work of a young man and his three Canadian friends (and a federal judge) to free him.  The character of Carter who refuses on principle to submit to his captivity and his growth as a person over the years is wonderfully portrayed by Washington.  This film will anger you for the unfairness of his treatment, but ultimately uplift you in its display of courage and hope in the worst of circumstances.  My first movie of the year is definitely a winner.  movie seen 1/8/00    
RECOMMEND: I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang  is the classic 30's movie, starring Paul Muni as a man falsely accused of a crime and brutalized on a chain gang.  The end scene is particularly memorable as his face fades away and he returns to the run from the law.