Taking place within a future apocalyptic wasteland, Denzel Washington plays the titular Eli and he's traversing through this wasteland with an all-important book (hence the title)...along with a super-sharp machete blade, shotgun, killer instincts, and car battery-powered IPod Classic.  Things get hairy once he arrives in the wrong town where the local villain Carnegie (Gary Oldman) wants to take possession of this mysterious book.  And what results is an increasingly violent stand-off between Eli and Carnegie's small army of marauders lead by Redridge played by the late, great Ray Stevenson.  Along the way, Eli takes in a sort-of-protégé Solara played by Mila Kunis.  Directed by Allen and Albert Hughes (Menace II Society, Dead Presidents), this bleak action thriller borrows a LOT from The Mad Max Saga but it has a strong enough cast to keep things interesting....   

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
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Twenty years ago, Two-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK, Wall Street) finally had the opportunity to direct the grand-scale historical epic which he and several of his directing peers (Scorsese, Kubrick) had been trying to helm for decades.....the story of Alexander the Great who once lead a MASSIVE Macedonian Empire which at one point comprised around half of the land mass in the Eastern Hemisphere during ancient times.  He lived one hell of a life conquering much of the ancient world and here he is played by Colin Farrell (In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Penguin) whose casting DID raise some eyebrows at the time of release....especially given that he portrayed this character with his heavy Irish accent.  And beyond that, Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie (Girl Interrupted, Salt, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) was cast as his mother Olympias....even though she was only one year older than Farrell at the time.  Beyond that, the stellar cast also includes Val Kilmer, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Hopkins, and the late, great Christopher Plummer among several others.  Also co-written by Oliver Stone, this would also be THE last big budget film he would helm as the $150 million production was not only a commercial flop but also destroyed by critics at the time of release.

And yet....a few years later, Stone was able to release his own extended "Director's Cut" on DVD (and eventually Blu-Ray) which is considered by many (himself included) to be a far superior version of this story as it includes 40 additional minutes of footage including some extended action sequences.  So in reviewing THAT version of this film, let's find out if Alexander DID in fact live up to his title. ;) 

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Acclaimed independent filmmaker Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Tangerine) both wrote and directed this dramedy about a Brooklyn sex worker/exotic dancer named Ani (Mikey Madison) who one night meets a wealthy young Russian named Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) at her club.  She dances for him and apparently they hit it off SO well that within a few days, they decide to get married in Vegas.  They soon return to Ivan's enormous waterfront mansion to begin married life when suddenly, some unexpected guests (Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Yura Borisov) come calling.  Well not exactly guests....they actually work for Ivan's father who is VERY powerful and none too pleased about his son getting impulsively married like this.  At the request of Ivan's father, they also begin to take steps towards ending this short-lived marriage....and needless to say, Ani has some things to say about that.  And from there, things just get crazier and crazier....

Ever since unexpectedly winning the highly prestigious "Palme d'Or" award back in May, this film has received a steady stream of acclaim and additional awards attention to the point where it is now considered one of the front-runners for this year's Oscar race, especially Mikey Madison (Once Upon a Day In Hollywood) who is very likely to win Best Actress at the Oscar's next year for a performance which has many convinced that she is on her way towards becoming a movie star!  Let see if it lives up to the hype...... 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
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The Griswalds Are Back!  Only this time, they're staying home for Christmas in this third entry of the highly popular "National Lampoon's Vacation" which started in the early '80s.  Chevy Chase once again returns as the enduringly hapless Clark Griswald while Beverly D'Angelo also returns as Ellen Griswald, his long-suffering wife.  And for the third film in a row, their children Audrey (Juliette Lewis) and Rusty (Johnny Galecki) are played by ENTIRELY different actors.  They also have loads of extended family visiting including in-laws played by Randy Quaid, Doris Roberts, EG Marshall, Diane Ladd, William Hickey, John Randolph, and Miriam Flynn.  Of course with a full house, loads of holiday chaos ensues including rogue squirrels, dried-out turkeys, and super-charged cats!  Celebrating its 35th Anniversary, let's revisit this beloved holiday comedy directed by Jeremiah Chechick and both written and produced by the late great John Hughes. 

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Coming out more than sixteen years after its beloved predecessor (2001: A Space Odyssey), this might have been the very first "Legacy Sequel."  Also whereas the first film was directed by the late great cinema legend Stanley Kubrick, this one was helmed by journeyman director Peter Hyams (Running Scared, Capricorn One, Timecop) who in tandem with the author (Arthur C. Clarke) of the original source material was determined to craft a more conventional story as opposed to the ground-breaking 1968 classic which was much more abstract in it structure and tone.  

Picking up nine years after the events of that first film, we follow Dr. Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider) who planned that previous mission of the USS Discovery to Jupiter where those onboard discovered the mysterious "Monolith."  Dr. Floyd is determined to find out what exactly transpired so he hitches a ride with a Soviet mission there commanded by Captain Tanya Kirbuk (Helen Mirren).   And what they eventually encounter and discover is...."something wonderful?"  Also along for the ride are John Lithgow, Bob Balaban, and Elya Baskin in an epic sci-fi adventure which might not approach the majesty of its predecessor but actually holds up better as pure entertainment, now forty years after it was first released in theaters. 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
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This is the semi-autobiographical musical story of Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), a legendary choreographer/director struggling with various addictions as he juggles developing a new stage musical and editing a film he has directed.  And it was directed by legendary choreographer/director Bob Fosse (Cabaret, Lenny) who at the time was dealing with many of the struggles when he wasn't winning multiple Tony Awards and Oscars.  It was a true passion project which also attracted a passionate response as it did well at the box office, received mass acclaim, and was also nominated for multiple Oscars including for Best Picture.  Scheider was also nominated for Best Actor that year, leading a very talented cast including Ann Reinking, Leland Palmer, Cliff Gorman, Ben Vereen, and Jessica Lange.  Jam-packed with several sequences which can be described as sad, sexy, sordid, and joyous, it was quite the original cinematic experience....IT'S SHOWTIME FOLKS!

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What happens when the acclaimed and idiosyncratic director of JFK, Natural Born Killers, and The Doors attempts to direct a conventional sports drama about his favorite sport?  Multiple Oscar-winner Oliver Stone showed us back in December 1999 that the result would be clearly anything BUT conventional!  And he had quite the cast for this epic tail of a few weeks in the life of the fictional Miami Sharks, a professional football team at a crossroads.   They have a hot-headed new owner (Cameron Diaz) trying in to rein their beleaguered veteran coach (Al Pacino) and have also just lost their veteran quarterback (Dennis Quaid) to a severe injury so they have to replace him with a third string quarterback (Jamie Foxx) with something to prove.  And what results is a wild 160 minutes of big budget football insanity jam-packed with game-related violence, debauchery, and VERY loud arguments!  Also included in this stacked cast are James Woods, LL Cool J, Jim Brown, Aaron Eckhart, Matthew Modine, John C. McGinley, Lela Rochon, Lawrence Taylor, Elizabeth Berkley, AND the late great Charlton Heston. :) It's time to make a run for the Pantheon Cup....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
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Fifty years ago, recent Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola returned to write and direct what was likely one of the most highly anticipated sequels in the history of cinema.....and barely two years after the original film (The Godfather) had set the world by storm not only setting box office records but winning several Oscars including Best Picture.  How could any film live up to that?  Well in the opinions of most who saw it, THIS one did! 

Returning are stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, and John Cazale among several others in this next chapter of The Corleone Saga with Al's Michael now leading one of the most powerful crime families in the country.  And this time around, he's expanding his empire further by working out a deal with powerful kingpin Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) to expand operations into Cuba.  Of course, several complications ensue including an attempt on Michael's life which arouses suspicions towards every one around him.  From there, things don't go exactly as planned as Michael's fear and paranoia take him into unexpected directions.  Along the way during this 3+ hour epic, Coppola also presents us with the origins of Michael's father Vito now played by Robert Deniro.  We follow Vito's story from an orphaned kid travelling from his homeland of Italy to New York City and eventually growing into adulthood, building a criminal empire.  Considered by many to be even better than its predecessor, this would go on to win six Oscars including Best Picture.   

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STRENGTH AND HONOR!

The legendary Sir Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) returns to Ancient Rome to direct this long-awaited sequel to his Best Picture-winning, blockbuster smash from twenty four years ago, Gladiator.  This continuation takes place around sixteen years later as the legacy of the both Maximus and the late Emperor Marcus Aurelius has seemingly waned.  Rome is now even more corrupt with two childish, manic twin emperors (Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger) now running things as the Roman Empire has stretched itself even thinner under the military leadership of General Acacius (Pedro Pascal)....with bloody, increasingly elaborate gladiator games taking place in the Coliseum now as important as ever!

And into this brutal arena, A Hero Will Rise. :) His name is Lucius and he's a slave played by acclaimed up-and-coming actor Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal (Aftersun, All of Us Strangers) while the promoter who owns and controls him is Macrinus played by multiple Oscar-winner Denzel Washington.  Also still in the mix and returning from the first film is Lucilla played by Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo, Wonder Woman) who seems to recognize this strapping young fighter who's staking Rome by storm....and what results is another swords-and-sandals epic somewhat similar to the first one, only THIS time featuring....sharks? :P  

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Forty years ago this December saw the release of the most popular AND influential action comedies of all time.  This was star Eddie Murphy's immediate follow-up to his two breakout hits the previous years, 48 Hrs. in '82 and then Trading Places in '83, only THIS time he was the sole star above the title for the first time.  And Eddie did not disappoint with this fish-out-of-water comedy about a Detroit cop named Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) who travels across the country to Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his best friend.  Even though that might not SOUND like the set-up for an comedic film, Murphy's gift for improvisation and a game supporting cast (John Ashton, Judge Reinhold playing two local cops whom he teams up with in Beverly Hills) bring a lot of humor to the proceedings regardless, along with a clever Oscar-nominated script from Daniel Petrie Jr and top-flight helming from director Martin Brest whose follow-up would be the even better Midnight Run four years later.  What results are memorable characters, quotable lines, and of course a kicking soundtrack including an iconic synth score from Harold Faultemeyer.  The Heat IS On!

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