10 in 2 weeks -----

---Such pleasant weather for the Heartland that I spent lots of time out and about. But I did watch these:

Gaslight (1944) Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotton, Angela Lansbury. Suspense story set in the London of gaslights and horse drawn carriages. Young woman inherits her murdered aunts estate, including the big house and all its contents. She has been studying music abroad and meets and marries a musician who brings her back to the house. Strange things begin to happen and make her think she is losing her mind. Great cast of pros make this story interesting. Bergman won an Oscar. Lansbury was nominated for supporting role. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/

The Big Knife (1955) Ida Lupino, Jack Palance, Rod Steiger, Wendell Corey, Shelley Winters, Jean Hagen. Big studio wants their top star to sign another 7 year contract. He wants out. His wife wants him out. The head of the studio plays dirty and rough. One of the best films about the way the studio system was back in the 1950's at the end of the era. Palance gives an intense, sad performance. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047880/

The Client (1988) Susan Saradon, Tommy Lee Jones, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia. Director Joel Schumacher and novelist John Grishom make a fine film from the Grishom book. They have a great cast, even in small roles and the young boy in the lead is a natural. The score adds to the menacing atmosphere and the location shooting is great. I watch it often. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109446/

Major League (1989) Tom Berenger, Rene Russo, Charlie Sheen. Baseball team of losers collected by new owner, who wants the team to fail so she can move it to Florida. Funny collection of characters, with some great set pieces. Sheen's walk across the infield to take over pitching in the last inning of the championship game, to the packed stadium singing "Wild Thing", is a Great Movie Moment. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097815/

My Cousin Vinny (1992) Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Fred Gwynne, Lane Smith, Ralph Macchio. As the years go by , this fish out of water story gets funnier. College kids stop at a roadside market in a small village for food and beverages and get arrested as they are going down the highway, for robbing and killing the store owner. Enter lawyer cousin Vinny Gambini (Pesci), and his fiance Mona Lisa Vito (Tomei). All black leather, gold chains, silver toed boots, wild hair. Goes over big in front of da judge(Fred Gwynne). Like strangers in a strange land, they learn as they go. Many extremely funny bits. The tiny little screetch owl causing a waked up Vinny to run out on the porch in his boxers, cowboy boots, pistol blazing in all directions, is classic take down of the city slicker. Tomei, giving her explanation of the tire tracks and why they could not have been made by the boys car - a beloved Oscar winning segment She was pitch perfect throughout. Mostly even handed is skewing the big city dolts and the small town bumpkins. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/

The Italian Job (2002) Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Edward Norton. Directed by F. Gary Gray and featurning those mini Coopers in a long chase, it is very entertaining. A film that used no CGI and pulled off a huge traffic jam in downtown L.A. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/

Out Of Time (2003) Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes. Denzel is a police chief of a small town and is being framed - but by who. Always fun to see the man in jeopardy and how he gets out. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0313443/

The Lake House (2006) Sandra Bullock, Keenu Reeves. Romantic fantasy centered around a lake house near Chicago and a mailbox where
notes between the two mysteriously appear. A pleasant film - not too far fetched. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410297/

The Soloist (2008) Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey. Jr. A homeless man (Foxx), obviously mentally challenged, can play beautiful music and does so on the streets of L.A. Reporter (Downey, Jr.) becomes interested in why he is out there after listening and watching him play. His efforts to help are sometimes rejected, sometimes accepted. Out of his book about his efforts, this film was made. Interesting look at the frustrations involved in trying to help the mentally ill. Both actors are very good in their roles. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0821642/

Gamer (2009) Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Kyra Sedgewick, Logan Lerman. The first 15 minutes is a complete action, shaky cam, mess. If you get through that, it becomes an interesting take on the mentallity that devises these so-called games, using humans as the players. Segments are clever and satirical; nothing too spelled out. Gerard Butler looks the part of the fighter from hell; Hall is creepy; Logan, the clueless teen who knows nothing and doesn't seem to want to; Sedgewick, interesting and enigmatic. See video review for what I really think of the film - he says it all. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034032/

Hope to see some of the new films this week. They come and go so fast these days.