If Ever a Wiz There Was

I cannot wait for my children to be old enough to enjoy viewing the ultimate classic "The Wizard of Oz." What a wonderful memory from childhood. I watched it every year on television. I believe it was broadcast around Thanksgiving each year. Now you can own a DVD of this treasure and watch it whenever you want. I just want to wait until the children are at age when they won't have nightmares about the Wicked Witch and the flying monkeys. I remember having bad dreams as a child. While I loved the movie, I would turn my head away when I knew the Witch would appear, or cover my ears so I wouldn't hear her cackling. She was truly evil in my eyes. But Dorothy was someone to admire. She had the beautiful hair and the adorable dog, Toto. And best of all, she had these gorgeous, shiny red shoes to wear. With the click of her heels, she was transported back to her real life among her family and friends. Dorothy may have been a long way from home, and seeking a way to return, she learned a valuable lesson about appreciating one's lot in life.
The appeal of "The Wizard of Oz" lies in its colorful characters, like Dorothy,Tin Man, Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion (my personal favorite), the Wizard of Oz, Glenda the Good Witch, the Munchkins, Auntie Em and others. Dorothy had the adventure of a lifetime as she followed the yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz who would help her return to Kansas. Along the way she met people who would help her achieve this objective. Who can forget the beautiful songs that accompany them along their journey like "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "We're Off to See the Wizard," and more. It's simply a classic and appropriate for most ages (except young children who frighten easily). You never outgrow movies with magical characters in a magical land. View it today, with or without children!

"Ghost" is a Beautiful Love Story

I love romantic love stories, so when I heard "Ghost" was a tale of love between a man and a woman I was all for it. It didn't occur to me that the "Ghost" referred to one of the main characters who ends up murdered early on in the movie. What a bummer. I love happy endings, which you could argue there was in this movie. But to me, a happy ending shows the couple riding off into the sunset. However, I decided to give "Ghost" a chance, and was pleasantly surprised. The premise of the story is one of greed and deception, which results in the untimely demise of Sam (Patrick Swayze), one half of the beautiful, loving couple. He was betrayed by his close friend and colleague, Carl, who Sam believed was a loyal and honest friend. Sam has the code to the accounts at the bank which Carl needs in order to launder money. A "mugging" occurs to retrieve Sam's wallet which has the code, but ends tragically. Sam is now a ghost and discovers that Carl is desperate to get the code and believes Molly (Demi Moore), Sam's girlfriend, has it in her apartment. Sam has to protect her but cannot find a way to communicate with her now that he's a ghost.
In steps Whoopi Goldberg as Oda Mae Brown, a "spiritualist." She is able to hear Sam, and he convinces her to help him protect Molly. Goldberg is absolutely perfect as the disbelieving and unwilling sidekick/partner to Swayze. There are some great scenes between Swayze and Goldberg as he persistently seeks her help. In the end, Molly believes that Sam is present even though she cannot see or hear him. There is a beautifully touching scene when the two say good bye. And of course,the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Despite the fact that Sam and Molly are separated forever, you walk away with a feeling that everything will be all right. It's worth checking out, especially to catch Goldberg at her best.

Time to Revisit Cult Classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"

Many years ago during my college years I was introduced to the cult classic "The Rocky Horror Show." I was told nothing about the story, so my imagination ran wild with images of a monster movie, which terrify me. Boy was I in for a surprise. It seemed all my peers had seen this movie multiple times, could quote lines from it, and knew all the scenes involving "audience participation." I didn't know this was an interactive movie. What a sheltered life I led in my quiet, rural community. So twenty years ago I was introduced to this bizarre, somewhat disturbing but highly entertaining musical. You can only appreciate it in a large movie theater with dozens of young people who know the cues and can pass this knowledge on to the next generation. I wonder who and why it started in the first place. Now, on to the story..... A young couple named Brad and Janet seek shelter in Dr. Frankenfurter's castle in the middle of the night after their car breaks down. They discover a mad scientist who has created the perfect man and some mysterious servants. It's an evening filled with songs, like the ever popular "Time Warp." We're not sure if the men are really men and the women are really women and what their roles are, but it doesn't matter. The audience makes the musical worth the experience because the story and characters are literally out of this world. I highly recommend revisiting this classic and relive the fun of your college years. I don't think any movie produced since "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" can come close to this farce. So I say, "Dammit Janet!" let's do the "Time Warp" again!

The Third and Final Indiana Jones Surpasses Them All

I've reviewed the first two Indiana Jones movies, and after watching the third of the series, the "Last Crusade" is the best of the lot. Like "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the story is full of mystery and adventure set against the backdrop of the evil Nazi empire. It's a race against the bad guys who seek the power of the Holy Grail, the cup which Christ was said to have used at the Last Supper, for their dastardly purposes. In this movie, we meet Jones' father, Dr. Henry Jones and gain some insight into young Indy's childhood. We also learn how he developed the fear of snakes and his expertise with the bull whip. The banter between Ford's and Connery's characters are fun to watch. You really believe they're father and son. Their relationship is strained to being with, but their reunion becomes more complicated as Jones tries to rescue his father from the clutches of the Nazis in Berlin. No easy task for sure. As we saw in "Raiders," those with evil intent, are not destined to possess the treasures of God. In the climactic scene, Jones must retrieve the correct Holy Grail in order to save his father's life. He chooses well, of course, but it is not the destiny of the Nazi Empire to acquire it as the grounds around the holy site is destroyed. The Nazis don't realize or refuse to acknowledge that no one is allowed to remove the cup from its final resting place. Throughout the movie we see Jones traipse through Europe to find his father with his Egyptian sidekick Sallah, as well as museum curator Marcus Brody. Unraveling the mystery behind the Holy Grail and the path to its resting place make this movie exciting and put you on the edge of your seat. Casting Sean Connery as Jones' father was brilliant. He has the perfect temperament to be the curmudgeony, yet charming Dr. Henry Jones. I highly recommend "The Last Crusade" as worth spending your hard earned money on a ticket and popcorn.

"Temple of Doom" Does Not Live Up to Expectations

"Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a critical and commercial success. Harrison Ford carried the mantle of "action hero" skillfully, reminding us of his earlier days as Han Solo in the Star Wars movies. As Jones, the treasure hunter, we were entertained by an interesting plot, exciting action sequences and colorful characters. I was anticipating a similar reaction to "The Temple of Doom," the prequel to "Raiders": an intelligent, coherent story with great banter between Jones and his sidekicks. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. What were Spielberg and Lucas thinking when they directed and produced this movie? The story unfolds a year before Indiana Jones encounters the Ark of the Covenant. He finds himself in a Shanghai night club attempting to trade an artifact for a diamond. The deal goes sour and Indy escapes with the nightclub singer, "Willie" and his sidekick Short Round. They board a plane which will eventually crash in the Himalayan Mountains. The threesome find themselves in a village with an evil ruler who's seeking the Sankara Stone. With this stone the possesser can rule the world. There are human sacrifices, gruesome rituals, idol worship, evil spells and other far fetched and distasteful scenes which turns one's stomach. If the point of this movie is to turn our stomachs, it clearly succeeded! While there are the usual exciting action sequences, especially the mine cart chase, it's not enough to boost the "plot" of this movie. Indiana Jones is much better showcased in an intriguing story with mystery and danger rather than wasting his time with a demi-God who believes in sacrifices and enslaving children. If there's another Indiana Jones movie, let's hope it will live up to the excellence of the first one.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: A Roller Coaster Ride of Thrills

Steven Spielberg has done it again. He's produced another film with a great story: lots of action and adventure. Right from the beginning you're drawn into the life of Indiana Jones, an archaeologist who hunts for lost artifacts. He's in the jungles of Peru seeking a golden idol, but many have lost their lives attempting to do so. Jones uses his wits to outmaneuver the various booby traps set in place to protect this treasure. He barely escapes with his life only to lose the treasure to his rival, Rene Bolloq. Jones returns home to his sedate existence as a college professor of archaeology. But before you know it, Jones is jetting to Nepal to seek his mentor Ravenwood, who possesses an artifact that will reveal the location of the Ark of the Covenant. The U.S. government is concerned that the Nazis will discover the Ark and exploit its power for their evil purposes. Jones is requested to check the situation out. It's a race between Jones and Bolloq, his rival and now an ally of the Nazis, to acquire the Ark. Along the way, Jones is reunited with his former love, Marion, Ravenwood's daughter. He also teams up with an Egyptian, Sallah, who helps Jones navigate through the local culture. In the end, Bolloq once again lets Jones do the dirty work of finding the Ark, then forcibly takes it from him. The Nazis discover a valuable lesson: do not interfere with Divine objects for they are holy and not for ordinary men to exploit. Jones knew this, and as a result survived to tell the tale, whereas the others did not. You'll love the thrill of seeing Jones getting into and out of various death defying moments. One scene shows Jones encountering snakes, lots of snakes. You wonder how much punishment one man can endure. Harrison Ford is perfect for the role of Indiana Jones. He's the intellectual action hero using brains and brawn to save mankind. A big round of applause for "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Get a Rush from Speed

I was skeptical about seeing this movie because I'm not one for explosions, car chases and gratuitous violence. I had seen the television advertisement touting "Speed" as a "sit on the edge of your seat" action movie. I had to admit I was curious to know how they would resolve their dilemma. Well I was pleasantly surprised, and I'll confess that the movie really did keep me on the edge of my seat. I kept thinking, how are they going to get out of this alive? Jack is the hero of the movie. He's one of those specially trained rescue, SWAT type law enforcement officers you hope is around if you're ever in trouble. The movie opens up with Jack and his team attempting to rescue people trapped on an elevator set to explode and plummet down 30 stories. The bad guy wants millions of dollars, otherwise he'll detonate the explosive. We see Jack and company rescue every single person, even the one person who's too paralyzed to move, seconds before the elevator drops. Phew!
Well, the villain in this movie is not thrilled about this rescue. Who is this psychopath? Someone who doesn't quit. He decides to rig a city bus with an explosive set to detonate if its speed goes below 50 mph. How long can this bus maintain 50 mph? What happens if they run out of gas? How is this rescue team supposed to remove the passengers without risking injury and keep the bus above 50? Jack manages to get on the bus and with his team watching his back, they eventually get everyone off the bus until it's Annie (who replaced the injured bus driver) and Jack. Along the way, we see the bus careen around corners, jump missing sections of the freeway and roar through residential streets until it ends up at the airport. The sequences of the rescue are awesome. Even though it seems unbelievable, you don't care because you're rooting for Jack to save the day and catch this very wily and crafty villain. Just when you think it's over, he still has a trick up his sleeve. Let's just say, he's a little disgruntled that Jack has foiled two of his plans. "Speed" is just the ticket if you're looking for an "edge of your seat" thriller. Keanu Reeves makes a great action hero, and Sandra Bullock is the perfect sidekick. And who can argue with casting Dennis Hopper as the nasty villain you love to hate.