Seven Samurai / Magnificent Seven

Kurosawa's (Ran) masterpiece. Written and directed by him in 1954. A poor Japanese village is under attack by bandits and a group of Samurai with no masters join together despite the fact they are outnumbered. All in all, I say: SEE IT

The 1st remake starring Brynner (King & I), McQueen (The Great Escape), Bronson (Once Upon a Time in the West), Wallach (Cocoon), and Coburn (The Great Escape) all starred. Gunfighters help a Mexican village. I love this western. All in all, I say: SEE IT

A 1998 remake starring Close (Without a Trace), Biehn (Terminator), and Perlman (Beaiuy & the Beast) star. This was a 22 episode tv series. IMDb writes, "When an Indian village is threatened by ex-Confederate soldiers, several villagers head out to seek help. They recruit seven men, each with unique skills, who return to the village and take on the raiders. Following this, the men take up residence in a small town, making their skills available to those in need.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Washington (Training Day), Pratt (Jurassic World), Hawke (Training Day), Lee (RED 2), and D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket) all star. They try to save a small western town from an evil man who wants to mine the area. There is more character back story which is nice. The gun play is decent. All in all, I say: SEE IT

The Night of

Turturro (Unstrung Heroes) is a lawyer who happens upon a young kid accused of murder. It's takes the audience through all steps from all sides. Williams (The Wire) is in prison - he is subtle. I got bored at some scene. OZ was better for prison stuff. Some of the lawyer stuff is good. Turturro is what makes this. There are 8 episodes on HBO GO. All in all, I say: SEE IT

My Horizontal Life

A bio by Handler - the comedian. Mainly about her sex life - and I'm listening to it. She doesn't narrate this so it's just not as good as the last one. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Get a Job

Cranston ((Breaking Bad) and Harden (Pollack) do a great job - they add class to this classless film. It tries too hard. It's messed up as far as writing and editing. Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) is nothing special. Teller (Allegiant) is nothing special too. All in all, I say: SKIP IT - I got it on Netflix.

Geeking Out

Geeking Out is a 30-minute talk show hosted by Kevin Smith and Greg Grunberg. They provide a current look at pop culture through a fanboy lens and feature celebrity interviews, discussions and segments out of the typical studio setting. - IMDB

It's not bad - it's not great. If you're a geek you might enjoy it. All in all, I say: TRY IT

Van Helsing

Yes, it is what you think it is. An ancestor of the original vampire hunter. Her blood turns vampires back into humans. There has been an apocalypse of sorts and vampires are taking over. Cubitt (Medium) has a small role in the first couple of episodes. Heyerdahl (Hell on Wheels) seems to never have problems finding a job in Canada on the Syfy channel. Scarfe (Ties that Bind) is the main character. All in all, I say: SEE IT - the action isn't bad.

MacGyver

Anderson (SG1) is secret agent, scientist of a kind who can help solve global issues and get out of tight spaces. It's a classic. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Till (X-men) was NOT the correct choice for this re-boot filmed in GA. It needed to be a black, Canadian female. If you're going to re-make do it right. I didn't like the pilot at all. All in all, I say; SKIP IT

Pitch

The first female pitcher in the major leagues. The pilot goes back and forth between past and present. Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell) is a fellow player. Consuelos (Queen of the South) is the manager of the team. Larter (Heroes) is her manager. Beach (The Bounce Back) is her father. All in all, I say: SEE IT - until it becomes a soap opera.

The Good Place

Bell (Veronica Mars) has ended up in The Good Place rather than The Bad Place after her death. Danson (Cheers) greets her and welcomes her to the neighborhood. There are a few problems however - Bell wasn't supposed to be there and this is turning The Good Place upside down. It's funny. All in all, I say: SEE IT

A Perfect Day

Del Toro (Traffic), Robbins (Dead Man Walking), Thierry (Legend of 1900), and Kurylenko (Salty) all star.  They are aid workers in former Yugoslavia during the conflict. It follows them and issues they have operating with the UN and the home military - they spend an entire day trying to find rope to get a body out of a well. The acting - script - was amazing. I really loved this film. I got it on Netflix. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Sweet Tomatoes

Good but it's salad. It's a buffet I've been to near Gwinnett Mall. It's about $12 a person. Did I mention it's salad. All in all, I say: SKIP IT - because it's salad.

Falling Water

It's creepy. 3 people dreaming about each other's unsolved issues. I don't know how much longer I will watch because it's so weird. It has to become clear soon what is going on or I'm out. Lee (Hawaii 5-0) stars. All in all, I say: WAIT - let me watch more and if I feel stronger about it you can stream it.

Designated Survivor

It's not like his 25 character. This guy is on the President's cabinet - as head of Housing. He is chosen to not attend the yearly State of the Union when everyone is killed in a bomb during the speech. There is another story along side his - Maggie Q (Stalker) is an FBI agent who is investigating the bombing and whatever else might be going on. Penn (Deadbeat) also stars as a speech writer. All in all, I say: TRY IT

Jim 'N Nicks

It's a barbecue place - problem - all the sauces have dairy in them. All the bread has dairy and most of the actual meals. There is very little I can eat there. All in all, I say: TRY IT - if you don't have allergies. Warning - expensive.

Speechless

Bowie (Big Bang) and Driver (About a Boy) are parents to several kids. She moves them to a new house and a new school with a new helper for her child that can not speak - speechless. All in all, I say: SEE IT It's a quick half hour show.

The Enemy

Book 8 in the Jack Reacher series. This one is a prequel attempting to explain why he left the military and left being an MP. It is a very convoluted plot with like three different things happening at the same time. It was too drawn out for no reason - there was too much detail in areas where it wasn't necessary. This one wasn't well written. I cared little for it. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Meet the Hitlers

A documentary that looks at the Hitler name and what it represents in modern day times. There is a mentally disturbed guy in Germany - no relation. A family from Ohio - no relation. A Nazi who has been in the news - no relation. And three brother - relation - last living relations of the real Adolf - they made a pact to end the line with them - they have no kids - no family. They changed their name and refuse to talk to journalists. It's interesting - All in all, I say: SKIP IT unless you like documentaries. It is on HBO or SHO

Forsaken

Sutherland (MASH) and Sutherland (Young Guns) together again with Moore (Very Good Girls), Cox (RED), and Wincott (24: Live Another Day). Kiefer is a retired gunslinger who never returned home after the war, but wants to make a new start years later. He arrives in town only to have to put on his guns again for a local bad guy. I was hoping for more gun play, but I's thinking he's just not as fast as he use to be so they down played & saved it till the very end. It seems like it's based on a true story maybe. It's slow. All in all, I say: SKIP IT - I saw it on HBO or SHO.

Bridget Jones's Baby

Same cast as the other two with an addition ( Dempsy from Grey's). Zellweger's face looks messed up in this - it looks like she had a stroke. It's a clever screenplay with some good laughs. It's exactly what you would expect from this character, this author, and this cast. Thompson (Sense & Sensibility) was a great addition as the doctor. All in all, I say: RENT IT when it comes out & only if you have seen the other two - otherwise - SKIP IT

Triple 9

Affleck (Lewis & Clark), Harrelson (Zombieland), Ejiofor (The Martian), Mackie (Signal Hill), Winslet (Titanic), Paul (Breaking Bad), Gadot (Wonder Woman), and Reedus (TWD) all star. Filmed in ATL, it's the story of some dirty cops who need to pull a job of Jewish, Russian Mafia types - the start making mistakes and some good cops get caught in the cross fire. All in all, I say: RENT IT - I got it on Netflix.

I Capture the Castle

A British film about two girls coming of age in a run down castle with their father who is a struggling writer. Garai (Dominion) and Byrne (Bridesmaids) play the sisters. Nighy (Love Actually) is the father. A very young Cavill (Superman) is a love struck handy man. Blucas (Buffy) and Thomas (Sons of Liberty) are visiting brothers that get the girls involved in a love triangle of sorts. All in all, I say: SKIP IT  - I wasn't satisfied with the ending.

How to be Single

Comedy that takes place in New York. Young women figuring out who they are and what they want. Johnson ( Fifty series), Wilson (Pitch Perfect), and Mann (Knocked Up) all star. Wayans Jr (Happy Endings) and Holm (Mindy Project) also star. I love the scenes between Lacy (Girls) and Mann - they are really well done. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Very Good Girls

Fanning (Please Stand By) and Olsen (Civil War) are best friends coming of age. They both fall for the same guy played by Holbrook (Weightless). It has some good minor characters. It has a good screenplay. It flows nicely. It's not a bad, quiet teen movie. All in all, I say: STREAM IT - on Amazon. Gregg (SHIELD), Moore (Striptease), Dreyfuss (Stand By Me), Sarsgaard (Jarhead), and Shipka (Mad Men) all star.

The Leaving

6 kindergartners are taken from their school not too long after a horrible school shooting. The entire community is devastated and waits and searches for over 10 years. Then they all come back - all but one... They don't have memories, but snippets of things that may or may not be real. Each chapter is a different teen and the book is divided by days. It was really good until the very end - I didn't like the ending. It felt convenient. All in all, I say: READ IT

Blood Father

Richet (Assault on Precinct 13 remake) directs in this not so Hollywood action movie starring Gibson (Get the Gringo) as a former biker gang member who has become clean & sober. Luna (Flatliners remake) is the son of a gangster who blames his young lover for his inability to NOT steal from his father's crime syndicate. Moriarty (Within) is Gibson's daughter who gets him sucked into the criminal life again. I was skeptical at first, but the film is gritty - well filmed - and the screenplay is really well written. It's a quick and fun movie. All in all, I say: SEE IT - I rented it on DirecTv OnDemand.

Money Monster

Foster (King & I) directs this movie about the financial crisis. Clooney (Tomorrowland) is a TV financial adviser of sorts. Roberts (Wonder) is his producer. British actor O'Connell (Tulip Fever) is a desperate man who wants answers - he wants to uncover a scandal. It is fast paced and well filmed. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Identicals

Too confusing and random to try to summarize. IMDb writes, "The organization Brand New-U identifies networks of IDENTICALS - people who walk like you, talk like you, but are walking through different, better lives - and helps their customers make a life upgrade: eliminating the better-life donor, and relocating their client to that brand new life. Slater seems to have the perfect life, the perfect job and the perfect girlfriend. But when Slater's girlfriend is abducted by Brand New-U, and a corpse left in her place, he is forced to become an Identical. As he moves through a series of parallel lives, he becomes more and more obsessed with finding his girlfriend, but what he must find in the end is himself." All in all, I say: SKIP IT - it was Amazon and it was too bad.

The Returned (movie)

Canadian movie starring Holden-Reid (Dark Matter). Zombies can be brought back with a special serum that has to be injected daily. Problem: supplies are running out. A doctor whose husband is a returned needs to find more serum. A radical group is going around and killing the returned. She and her husband seek help and refuge with friends - or are they? I watched it on Amazon. All in all, I say: SKIP IT - it had potential but was too slow and boring.

Not Since You

A group of college friends come back together after about 6 years or so for a wedding. The resolve some issues while they are on an estate in GA. Harrington (Dexter), Robertson (Murder in the 1st), Kane (The Librarian), and Rue (Less Than Perfect) all star. It's a good independent film. A good rental. I watched on Amazon. All in all, I say: RENT IT

Midtown

IMDb writes, "Midtown is based on the true cop stories of former NYPD cop turned improv comedian Scott Baker. The show features Scott and Tom Malloy, star of the film Love N' Dancing (Dir: Rob Iscove) and graduate of the famous IoWest Improv Training center in Los Angeles. The series features real cop banter, and is based on situational humor related to being a cop in the NYPD. All of the dialogue is unscripted, and relies only on the improv comedy talents of Baker and Malloy.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT - mostly they seem to just sit in a car and talk. I didn't laugh at all.

Sweet Forever

Amazon writes, "A riverboat explosion offers a welcome escape. A notorious riverboat gambler killed Rosaleen Archer's husband and Has taken her captive, forcing her to do unspeakable things. Convinced God hates her, Rosaleen looks to luck for help as she attempts to escape when the riverboat explodes. She awakens in the arms of a stranger who carries her from the riverbank to a new life and a fresh start, outwardly free of her past. Reverend Jacob Hale senses Rosaleen's innate distrust of God, but as she reveals her past to him, he understands. He finds himself irresistibly drawn to this lovely creature, but can love survive between them despite their differences? Can Jacob convince Rosaleen that God loves even her? Can Rosaleen ever escape the pain and shame of her past?". All in all, I say: SKIP IT - there was just too much back and forth. There were like three plots in one and it didn't seem necessary.

Always Ready

Amazon writes, "Semper paratus. Always ready. Caddie Lyle strives to live up to the motto of the Coast Guard--and her father's legacy--as she carries out rescue missions. But when she discovers other career opportunities and meets Guardsman Aven Holland, her heart begins to pull her in different directions. Aven is drawn to Caddie, too, but their duties allow little time together. As danger from Alaska's coast and a secret from the past threaten their newfound love, will they be ready to trust God for a possible future together". All in all, I say: SKIP IT - it was just too slow, too boring, and had too much god.

In Search of a Memory

1920s and 1930s a young woman runs away in search of a mother she's just discovered isn't dead. She meets a man running away from his criminal family. They fall in love at a carnival. They marry and live happily ever after. There are characters that aren't necessary. There are parts that go too quick and others that take too long. There is a ton of god stuff - I skipped. All in all, I say: SKIP IT - with some work it might make a good Hallmark movie.

Persuader

Reacher runs into a man from his past. Someone he thought to be dead - a murderer he attempted to kill while an MP in the military. The Dept. of Justice has an interest in this guy too because he may be the head of a drug or weapons cartel. Reacher gets in undercover - hooks up with a female officer - and saves the day. Some die - some survive - and then he's back on the road. All in all, I say: SKIP IT. There was way too much description for things that didn't matter. It seemed a little far-fetched. The bad guy didn't really seem all that evil. It kind of felt like a build for what the reader could predict would happen.

Better Things

Adlon and Louie C.K. created this together. He isn't in this, but she is the single mom with three girls. She is an actress in Hollywood. I giggled a few times, but the pace is too slow and the plot too predictable. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

A Date with Miss Fortune

The 2 screenplay writers of this NY independent film are also the 2 main actors in the film. He is a writer about to leave for London when he meets her. She is superstitious and Portuguese. The film goes back in forth between the night they met and the entire rest of their relationship. It's a cute, romantic rental. The one "name" in the film is Almeida (Queen of the South). It has some cute scenes - the ending is a little "off". All in all, I say: RENT IT - I think I saw it on Amazon

The Meddler

Sarandon (Feud) recently lost her husband, moved to LA, and discovered the Apple Store. The movie is about how she mends her relationship with her daughter who is a writer, and how she is able to move on from her husband's death. Byrne (Peter Rabbit) her daughter is trying to get over a relationship and get a tv series to be picked up.  Simmons (The Lake) is a new friend. It's an ok rental - low key - and a few parts that made me smile. All in all, I say: RENT IT

What Other Couples Do

Four couples get together for a dinner party. They are all writers of some sort in CA. Each is having their own issues. They decide to play 7 minutes in heaven and discover a lot about themselves and their relationships. All in all, I say: SEE IT - It would make a better play, but it's not bad.

Without Fail

Now, this is the one that should have been made into a movie. This was stellar - I know I have said this previously, but keep in mind this is the 6th book in the Jack Reacher series - this is the best yet. This book made me cry. I loved the plot. All in all, I say: READ IT - even if you aren't reading the series.

Clouds of Sils Maria

WHy? Why, I ask you do I still bother to see anything with Binoche (The 33)? Stewart (Twilight) actually didn't do bad acting wise - the screenplay just got on my last nerve. Moretz's (Hugo) character was just horrible. I'm guessing everything was some sort of metaphor, but who cares. BORING. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Small Wars

The 4th novella on Jack Reacher from Kindle for 1.99. Reacher becomes interested in a case off base in Georgia while he is temporarily stationed in one of the Carolinas. He's still heading the MPs. His brother is in this and we get some insight on him as a soldier, as well as, his relationship with his brother. All in all, I say: READ IT

Second Son

The 3rd Jack Reacher novella I read off Kindle for 1.99. This one is my favorite of all the short stories. He's a 13 year old kid and his family was just moved to Okinawa. He comes across a bully, a mystery, a girl, and we get insight into his parents and his brother. It's well written and paced. All in all, I say: READ IT

Not a Drill

The 2nd Jack Reacher novella I read from Kindle for 1.99. This one is more recent in the timeline. He hitches a ride with three hikers and an incident in on the trail happens. It's a little mystery. It didn't really seem to have a point to me. It didn't add anything to him as a character - I don't think. All in all, I say: READ IT - if you're reading the series.

Deep Down

A 1.99 on Kindle novella that takes place in the past - Jack Reacher's past. He is an MP and he is brought to DC to find a leak. He finds it - it was ok. It was the 1st novella I read of his. It could have been written a little better. Plot was kind of blah. All in all, I say: READ IT - if you are reading the series.

Echo Burning

Book 5 of the Jack Reacher series. In this one he is using his serious mental and physical abilities. I liked this one because it involved a lot more thinking - a puzzle to solve - more than usual. It was well written - it could have been a little shorter - there were some sections that weren't really needed at all to drive the story. I didn't entirely guess the entire ending which was a nice change of pace. All in all, I say: READ IT - if you have read the other four.

Wild Roses

A one season one hour drama/soap opera that takes place in Alberta, Canada on two ranches of two close families. McGregors and Henrys. One - Henry's - have three girls. The McGregors have 2 boys and a girl. It is similar in feel to the Australian show. Byers (Slasher), Harrison (Paycheck), Hudson (Fifty Shades Darker), Huffman (Traders), Lalonde (Diary of the Dead), Power (Killjoys), MacDonald (Copper), Stone (Mr. Nobody), Hagar (Wanted), Rozon (Wynona Earp), Roberts (XMen) and Neal (Cedar Cove) all star.  It's an excellent mix of Canadian and American actors. All in all, I say: SEE IT - even though it's predictable.

The Kettering Incident

A BBC production that takes place in Tasmania, Australia that you can watch on Amazon. A doctor living in UK blacks out for hours and days at a time. It hasn't happened since she was a child and believed she saw her friend abducted by aliens in the Kettering Forest. While black-out she finds her self back in Tasmania and something supernatural might be about to unfold. All in all, I say: SEE IT - the first episode has me wigged out.