Summer is about chases, explosions, and superheroes. In the fall, things get a little more serious, and there are some promising prestige films coming out in the next few months. Some I am especially excited about are:
Looper This trippy time-travel story has Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a younger version of Bruce Willis. He, or I should say they, are assassins who get sent back in time to kill their targets. Gordon-Levitt and writer-director Rian Johnson previously worked together on the brilliant noir film “Brick.”
Frankenweenie Tim Burton made a short live action film called “Frankenweenie” in 1984. It is the story of a boy who brings his dog back to life like Frankenstein, and it is available on the The Nightmare Before Christmas Two-Disc Collector’s Edition. Now Disney has invited him to remake it as a full-length, black and white, stop-motion feature and, based on the designs I saw at Comic-Con, I can’t wait to see it.
Wreck-It Ralph Disney’s story of a video game villain who wants to be a hero stars John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman — and a host of classic video game characters. Think of it as the “Roger Rabbit” of the digital world.
Anna Karenina Kiera Knightley stars in this classic Tolstoy tale of a woman who gives up everything for love. Let’s hope is is as well done as Knightley’s previous literary adaptions with director Joe Wright.
Skyfall James Bond is back and this time it is personal as M herself is at risk. Sam Mendes directs.
Rise of the Guardians Dreamworks Animation’s latest is the story of some unexpected heroes. Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, and Jude Law provide the voices for familiar characters like Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa, who find themselves called upon for some extraordinary heroics.
Hyde Park on Hudson Bill Murray plans Franklin Roosevelt in this fact-based story of a visit by the King and Queen of England (yes, the same royals from “The King’s Speech”).
This is an old romantic movie, early 90’s I think. The leading male role plays an owner of a flower shop who also attends to deliveries. He is walking past an apartment building one night and looks up to see a beautiful woman crying though her window. The woman is the leading lady and I can’t remember the reason for her tears. However she is a young woman who has no family, either orphaned or given up to state care, again sorry can’t remember clearly. They meet up, he falls madly in love with her, but she is afraid of love and can’t commit. I remember a couple of other scenes, one where he surprises her with a room full of beautiful purple roses and another where he shows her his apartment rooftop which he has transformed into an amazing gardeners delight. I also remember a scene where he is talking to her about his job being the best job because it puts a smile on people’s faces when he delivers them a bouquet of flowers. I think that the way they meet is that he sends her flowers after he sees her crying through the window and she goes to the flower shop to try to find out who the mystery man is. I hope this is enough information and would greatly appreciate any information that you may provide.
That’s “Bed of Roses” with Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson.
I saw a movie when I was younger, and I can’t recall the title. I was hoping you could help. Problem is it was a while ago and I was young so I don’t recall many details. Here is what I know (but can’t be certain on):
– early 90’s
– the protagonist is waiting for and then riding a bus. He has his father’s ashes, and pretty much most of the movie is him remembering back to when he was a young kid, during summer break.
– things get hazy for me here, but I think he goes on a journey with an older girl, his babysitter, and she let’s him smoke, and they go swimming in the ocean, etc. I particularly remember one scene they are driving in a convertible.
– the movie ends when it flashes back and he arrives at the same place where they went swimming when they were younger; he then scatters his dad’s ashes into the ocean. I might be wrong in the details, but I hope that gives you some kind of idea of which movie this is.
Not quite what you describe, but it sounds like “Stealing Home” with Jodie Foster as the babysitter. It is her ashes he is carrying on the bus. Thanks for writing!
Hi Nell, I’m back for another question. What is the name of a movie made for TV, starring Ann Heche & Eric Roberts, where she starts an affair with him so that he becomes so jealous of anyone romantically involved with her, that he kills her former husband or boyfriend? Which is what she intended for him to do all along. I think they both end up in prison if I remember correctly. OK, work your magic!
It’s called “Fatal Desire.”
It was a war drama that a man loves a married woman. and when a bomb hit their secret love place the lady swore to God that if he lived she would not see him again. What was the name of this movie?
That is “The End of the Affair,” with Ralph Feinnes and Julianne Moore, based on a book by Graham Greene by the same name. There is also an earlier version made in 1955 starring Deborah Kerr.
I saw a film when I was young and I can only remember certain bits from it and I can’t remember the title. Basically all I can remember is a woman choosing between two men, one man that had everything and one that had nothing. She was obviously in love with the guy who had nothing because when she kissed him she went into this pink cloud, whereas she felt nothing for the other.
That’s “The Girl Most Likely” with Jane Powell and Cliff Robertson.
I saw a movie when I was a kid.These two children went to visit this strange man and ended up playing this weird game with the man where they tried to kill each other. I remember that it wa not violent but more subtle. I think it had a scene where the kids tried to poison the strange man with mushrooms.
That is “Let’s Kill Uncle” (sometimes known as “Let’s Kill Uncle Before Uncle Kills Us”). And you’re right about the mushrooms. It’s not available on DVD at this time but you may be able to find it some late night on cable.
I am looking for an older movie. The only part of the movie I can remember is that this guy had a magic bow that always hit the enemy in the heart.
That’s “The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire.”
I am looking for the title of an older movie. It has to be at least 25 years old. It’s about a boy named Ivan and he goes out to capture the firebirds. He captures them and takes them to the king. Somehow he gets this talking magic pony and by the end of the movie, he has to do these tasks, where he jumps into hot oil and other stuff and comes out this total stud and marries the princess. There is also an evil character that tries to thwart him. I understand this is quite vague, but I am desperate!!
That’s “Ivan and His Magic Pony,” also known as “The Humpbacked Horse.”
I’m looking for the title of a movie (40’s- 50’s?) about a rich man who decides to hike around the country alone. He loses his memory and is jailed/sent to a work farm. When he hears about a news article about a missing rich man presumed dead he confesses to killing that man. When the news of his confession is reported one of his staff reads it and goes to the work farm to rescue him.
One of my very favorites! That’s “Sullivan’s Travels,” written and directed by the great Preston Sturges, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake.
I’m desperately hoping you can help me learn the title of a movie and it’s availability to the public. It’s an old 1930’s-40’s movie with two girl (friends, sisters?) getting ready and going on a cruise to Europe. They buy cheep fur coats and the fur keeps falling out everywhere. One gets sick right before getting off the ship in England? And she pretends with the help of friend/sister to be well. I think she was sick with chicken pox or measles. They meet two handsome men and even go to a maze garden together. That’s all I got. It’s a light happy movie that I found delightful…..but it’s now driving me insane trying to find what it’s called! Help! Please?
I love that movie! It’s “Our Hearts Were Young and Gay,” based on the true story of the adventures of Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimborough. Thanks for remembering this darling movie with such fondness, and glad I was able to help.
Years ago I watched an old comedy movie about a family that vacationed at a beach house. I remember a teenage daughter possibly a younger brother and their mother. I don’t remember the father much. He may have stayed home to work. Their were scenes of the daughter and friends, dating etc. It included some characters that we’re bird watchers visiting in the area. They we’re so funny because they would walk like the birds as they walked around making bird sounds looking for a rare bird. I cannot remember the actors although I know some of them were popular at the time the film was made. It may have been made in black and white.
My husband has become intersted in bird watching and I would love to find this film for him to watch. I would really appreciate any help you can give. I have tried searching but with so little to go on I didn’t have any luck.
Great movie! “Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation,” with James Stewart. John McGiver plays the bird watcher. Enjoy bird and movie watching!
I heard about this movie from someone who saw it and think it sounds good. It is an older movie and apparently is about a lighthouse keeper that has a number of friends he talks with in the lighthouse. Part of the twist is that these people he were talking to had died in a shipwreck years ago and were ghosts. May not have the plot exactly right but if you know of any movie like this would like to know.
Thank you.
That’s “Thunder Rock” with Michael Redgrave.
I’m trying to find movie where social cultures are reversed. African-Americans hold higher social status than whites. I think Harry Belafonte played in it.
Yes! That is “White Man’s Burden.”
I am looking for an old movie that my grandmother owned. A group of sisters that would go through cave at night into a fantasy land where they would be dressed up and dancing. Please tell me you have some idea about the name of this film?
That sounds like one portion of “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,” which was about the brothers who collected folk tales and fairy tales. One of their stories was about the seven dancing princesses, and I hope that’s it!
This is a real hard ask I know. I saw a movie many years ago, the plot involved a scientist of some variety and he conspires with the wife of a fellow scientist to murder the husband. He goes about this by firstly falsely establishing he has a mental condition. He then openly shoots the man at a meeting or some such. He makes no attempt to escape and is subsequently convicted but considered insane and sent to an asylum, hoping to wait out until he can be declared cured and rejoin his lover. He discovers that the wife has used him when he see her with another man after she visits him. He confesses his crime and naturally is not believed.
That movie is “Brainstorm” with Jeff Hunter and Anne Francis. It was released in 1965.
I’m trying to remember a movie from the early 80’s. the star was a blonde young male actor. In the movie he had some kind of affliction with movie star quotes similar to Jim Carrey in “The Cable Guy”) He ended up painting his face half black and white and went on a crazy bender? I thought his name was Christopher Atkins , but it is not. The movie was a drama, and the character hung out in movie theatres. Any ideas?
That’s “Fade to Black” with Dennis Christopher.
Wow, Sorry to have so little information to give you. Since I really liked this movies you would think I could remember something else about it. Here goes.
A restaurant owner getting older wants to pass her restaurant on to new owner in need of new life. I think she advertised somehow and accepted letters from people telling a bit about their story. Chose a girl. She came and worked there with owner for period of time gaining wisdom and in the end the business. Can you help? Been wondering about this for years.
Lovely movie! That is “The Spitfire Grill.” Enjoy!
Over 30 years ago – maybe 40 years ago, my mother and I (when I was 10 years old or so) watched a movie that ended when a man was about to be lynched during a severe rainstorm. There was a huge tree on the property of a blind woman who took the man in and I seem to remember that she had romantic feelings for him. Anyhow when he was just about to be hanged by the mob – lightning or something caused the tree to fall. Beneath it was a large cache of gold that the woman gave to the mob in exchange for the man’s life.
I was delighted to hear that Christopher Guest, the writer-director behind the improvisational mockumentaries “Best in Show,” “Waiting for Guffman,” and “This is Spinal Tap,” will be creating a new series for HBO, and even more delighted when I read in the New York Times that it will star Chris O’Dowd of “Bridesmaids” and “Pirate Radio.” Guest and Jim Piddock (the English-accented broadcaster who uneasily shares the microphone with Fred Willard in “Best in Show”) will write the series. HBO says: “Having recently lost his job and girlfriend, Tom has a rather unsure sense of his own identity. But when he inherits a mysterious box of belongings from a great aunt that he never met, he starts investigating his family lineage and uncovers a whole world of unusual stories and characters and a growing sense of who he is and who his real family are.” Sounds wonderful!
You can’t help wondering what Whitney Houston was thinking when she decided to co-produce and star in the remake of a flawed but beloved 1976 musical melodrama about a singer who becomes involved with an abusive performer and becomes addicted to drugs. Was this a cautionary tale? A reflection on her own choices? In this movie she plays Emma, the very strict mother of three musical daughters, living in 1968 Detroit. She is determined that her daughters will adhere only to the three priorities she drills into them: respect, education, and having a relationship with the Lord.
Emma once tried to make it as a singer herself and is determined that her girls will not suffer the heartbreak she experienced. But her youngest daughter, Sparkle (“American Idol’s” youngest-ever champion Jordin Sparks) wants to writes songs, and she wants to be a star. She does not have the stage presence of her sultry oldest sister, Tammy, known to everyone as Sister (an electrifying Carmen Ejogo) and is too timid to tell the truth about her feelings in her lyrics. The third sister, Dolores (Tika Sumpter), just wants to go to medical school. She agrees to sing Sparkle’s songs so she can get money for school and Sister agrees because she likes the money and excitement.
They sneak out at night to perform so their mother does not know. Their manager is the poor but ambitious Stix (Derek Luke), whose cousin Levi is in love with Sister. But Sister wants money and excitement. She agrees to marry Satin (Mike Epps), a comedian who specializes in the kind of racial humor that makes white audiences feel comfortable. Emma throws them out. The trio becomes more and more successful, but Sister’s life with Satin is filled with domestic abuse and cocaine and she resists her sisters’ efforts to help her.
Some intriguing themes about the racial conflicts of the era are raised almost in passing and never developed while the soapy parts of the story drag on and the storyline loses any pretense of believability. Sparks is not an actress, and Houston spends most of the movie giving that “Hell to the no” look we saw too often in her reality show. Ejogo is a sensation and Luke continues to be one of Hollywood’s overlooked treasures, bringing a dignity and sweetness to the role. Epps is excellent, showing us Satin’s volatility and magnetism. The musical numbers raise the roof, especially the cover of the earlier film’s biggest hit, “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” (later covered by En Vogue) and Sparks’ rousing finale. But the highlight is Houston’s passionate “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” a powerful spirit-lifter and a sad reminder of her once-to-a-century gifts.
Parents should know that this film includes a scuffle, domestic abuse, characters who are injured and one killed, tense emotional confrontations, sexual references including teen pregnancy and non-explicit situations, some strong language including ugly racial epithets, smoking, drinking, and drug use.
Family discussion: Why did the three girls have such different ideas about what they wanted? Why was their mother so strict? Why did Sister tell the other two they had to leave her house?
If you like this, try: the original Sparkle with Lonette McKee and Irene Cara, “Dreamgirls,” and “Grace of My Heart”
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about a singer who becomes involved with an abusive performer and becomes addicted to drugs. Was this a cautionary tale? A reflection on her own choices? In this movie she plays Emma, the very strict mother of three musical daughters, living in 1968 Detroit. She is determined that her daughters will adhere only to the three priorities she drills into them: respect, education, and having a relationship with the Lord.