Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Year two at Hogwarts.

Again, directed by Columbus with the same cast. Jones (UK - The Mist) does the voice for Dobby. Isaacs (UK - The Patriot) is Mr. Malfoy. Branagh (UK - Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) is Lockhart. Harris had filmed his part already. It was almost exactly like the book - very well done. More and more where purchasing books and standing in line for the movie. All in all, I say: READ IT and then SEE IT

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Year One at Hogwarts school of magic. I really don't think I need to include a plot - if you have been living under a rock, in North Korea, or you have been seconded to a nunnery then let me know and I'll provide a plot.

In 2001, I was still working at Borders. Harry Potter books and movie were such a success that the New York Times added a best sellers just for young adult novels. We had to redo the stores. When we had a new book coming out we had all sorts of events starting at midnight. It was crazy. The book and this movie were perfect - not much missing or out of order so to speak. The sad part was British actor Harris (Unforgiven) was actually Dumbledore - he died in 2002. British actress McGonagall is Smith (Downton Abbey) which allowed thousands of Americans to discover how amazing she is. Scotsman Coltrane (the British tv series Cracker) is Hagrid. New British actor Radcliffe (Lady in White) is Harry Potter. Irish actress Shaw (True Blood) is Aunt Dursley. British actor Griffiths (Hugo) was Uncle Dursley - he died in 2013. British actor Hart (Klondike) is Quirrell. British little person Davis from the Leprechaun horror series was Flintwick. Ollivander is played by British actor Hurt (Alien). New British actor Grint is Weasley. New French actress Watson (Noah) played Granger. Headless Nick is Cleese (UK - Monty Python). Rickman (UK - Die Hard) is Snape. Best of all, directed by Columbus (Goonies). It is a who's who of British cinema. All in all, I say: READ IT & then SEE IT

My Gal Sunday

A Hallmark original. He is the former secretary of state and governor who know works a ranch. She is the daughter of a secret service agent who is a lawyer. Their parents are kidnapped and between the two of them they will find them in time because since they got married they have opened a private-eye business. Blanchard (tv show Clueless) is Sunday. Canadian Mathison (All My Children) is the politician - see below.

Wagner (General Hospital) is the father of Sunday. Croatian Bacic (When Calls the Heart tv series) is a hitman - see below.

It's kind of strange how many ex-soap opera stars are doing films for Hallmark. It was a cute movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Planet of the Apes: Original Series of Films

In 1968 the first Ape film was released. When it was released there were action figures, books, and collectables. It was a much awaited film because of one of its actors.

Heston (Ben-Hur) is an astronaut that crashes. When he leaves the wreck he begins, slowly, to realize that he has crashed in the future and all he knows is gone. That's not all...he learns that humans are primitive and living as slaves to another creature - Apes. McDowell (Pinky and the Brain) is a scientist who studies humans. The astronaut is his biggest find because he is intelligent and can speak. This part always bothered me though - the fact that the chimps were the calm, scientific types and the gorillas were the violent ones. Typically, it's the opposite in nature. The gorillas are typically more calm whereas the chimps are more violent. All in all, I say: SEE IT. This was remade in 2001.

In 1970, the next film was released, Beneath the Planet of the Apes. A reviewer on IMDb, Kretschmann writes, "Astronaut Brent is sent to rescue Taylor but crash lands on the Planet of the Apes, just like Taylor did in the original film. Taylor has disappeared into the Forbidden Zone so Brent and Nova try to follow and find him. He discovers a cult of humans that fear the Apes' latest military movements and finds himself in the middle. Tension mounts to a climactic battle between ape and man deep in the bowels of the planet." All in all, I say: SEE IT in order to understand the next film, but I never really did like this one much.

One year later the next film was released, Escape from the Planet of the Apes. Montalban (Fantasy Island) joins the cast as does Walsh (Blade Runner) as an aide to the President. BAskin wrote this plot description for IMDb, "Following the events in "Beneath the Planet of the Apes", Cornelius and Zira flee back through time to 20th Century Los Angeles, where they face fear and persecution similar to what Taylor and Brent suffered in the future, and discover the origins of the stream of events that will shape their world." There is a surprise - the female ape scientist is pregnant - this will be important. All in all, I say: SEE IT - this one was better than the second.

The next year Conquest of the Planet of the Apes was released. The child born to the apes is Caesar. IMDb writes, "In a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar, the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces after almost twenty years of hiding out from the authorities, and prepares for a slave revolt against humanity." Apes have become pets as well as slaves. I don't remember much about this film in the series. I do know that this is the film that was sort of remade as Rise of the Planet of the Apes. All in all, I say: SEE IT before you see the remake.

In 1973, Battle for the Planet of the Apes was released. IMDb writes, "Ten years after conquering the Earth, ape leader Caesar wants the ruling apes and enslaved humans to live in peace. But warring factions of apes led by a militant gorilla general as well as various human groups threaten the stability." I don't remember this one at all. It is of interest to note that McDowell who once placed the scientist has been playing his son Caesar. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes which will be released this year, 2014, is a remake of this film. All in all, I say: SEE IT before you see the remake.

I did not see this when it was first released in 1974, but did rent it later and watch it. IMDb writes, "Two astronauts and a sympathetic chimp friend are fugitives in a future Earth dominated by a civilization of humanoid apes." Naughton (The Devil Wears Prada), McDowell (yes, the one from the films), and Lenard (Star Trek) star. It only lasted one season as you can imagine there wasn't much by way of plot unless they redid the entire film series. It's also so confusing having McDowell as a completely different character yet again. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

I, Frankenstein

Based on a graphic novel I never read, this tale is about good and evil. God's gargoyles who protect the human race are in a war to fight demons from hell. In the middle of all this is Dr. Frankenstein's monster. He is given the name Adam - he's the first of his kind. It is predictable plot wise. It isn't extraordinary in any way. It sort of lags in some spots. Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking) is amazing - it's a two shirter. He appears to be doing his own action scenes, too. Australian Strahovski (Chuck) is a human doctor. Australian Otto (The Starter Wife) is the leader of the gargoyles, and her right hand man is Australian Courtney (Jack Reacher) - see below. Now, he could have gotten more off shirt time. He's amazing at the sword play and action stuff.

Englishman Nighy (Underworld) was of course the bad guy - I mean what else would he be in a fantasy flick like this?!! Australian Stasey (Reign) had a small part as a gargoyle warrior in this, too. By now you are asking why on Earth are there so many of today's up and coming Australian actors in this? Well, the director is the Australian director, Beattie would did the Pirate of the Caribbean movies. This one has no humor - well it isn't supposed to, but because it's not very good you may find yourself laughing at its predictability. All in all, I say: SKIP IT - but when it comes out watch the fight scenes.

Klondike

Discovery Channel original. Discovery describes the plot as, 'Klondike follows the lives of two childhood best friends, Bill and Epstein, in the late 1890s as they flock to the gold rush capital in the untamed Yukon Territory. This man-versus-nature tale places our heroes in a land full of undiscovered wealth, but ravaged by harsh conditions, unpredictable weather and desperate, dangerous characters including greedy businessmen, seductive courtesans and native tribes witnessing the destruction of their people and land by opportunistic entrepreneurs." Jack London makes an appearance. British actor Roth (Pulp Fiction) is a bad guy. Shepard (Crimes of the Heart) is a preacher. Australian actress Cornish (Limitless) is a hotel owner. British actor Hart (Rogue) is a greedy businessman. Nelson (Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?) is a prospector. Scottish actor, Madden (Game of Thrones) is the main character - see below.

And.. it was a nice surprise to see New Zealand actor Csokas as a Canadian Mountie. I thought he should have had a bigger role - see below.

They could have gone deeper with some of the characters. I was based on a true story, but I felt like it was missing something. There just didn't seem to be meat to it - if that makes sense. I don't know what exactly it was missing - but it was off. All in all, I say: SKIP IT.

Getting On

As you can see it's an HBO series. It's only half an hour long. I struggled to think how to state the plot correctly. I think the person that did it for IMDb did a good job with it: "Set in a geriatric extended care wing of a down-at-the-heels hospital, Getting On follows put-upon nurses, anxious doctors and administrators as they struggle with the darkly comic, brutally honest and quietly compassionate realities of caring for the elderly." Metcalf (Rosanne) is a doctor, Fobbs (Bones) is a nurse, and Shannon (SNL) is a patient's daughter. It has some good laughs - it can also be a little disconcerting. All in all, I say: SEE IT if you're bored and you can catch it on HBOGo.