Bette. Gwyneth, Tomei, Mirren. Arthur, Loy, Liz,---

---the ladies rule.

New:

Payment On Demand (1951) Bette Davis, Barry Sullivan, Betty Lynn, Peggie Castle.   A Bette Davis film I had missed all these years.  She is very good as an ambitious woman who marries a nice guy in the depression years and through manipulation manages to help him rise to successful corporate lawyer. When he at last learns how she has deceived him and hurt friends and his first partner, he leaves and they are divorced.  Good old fashioned "woman's" movie.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043910/combined

Great Expectations (1998) Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, Chris Cooper, Robert DeNiro.  Modernized version of the Charles Dickens story.  Beautiful cinematography and interesting relocation of the decaying mansion to New Orleans.  But rather boring during middle.  6/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119223/combined

The Watcher (2000/I) James Spader, Marisa Tomei, Keanu Reeves.  FBI agent at L.A. office resigns and moves to Chicago because of a serial killer case he could not solve.  His lady psychiatrist tries to help him, but soon he starts getting messages from his former foe who has followed him and is taunting him with new killings.  Starts off good but soon is mired in chases and gorey killings.  5/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204626/combined

Elizabeth I (2005/TV Miniseries) Helen Mirren, Hugh Dancy, Jeremy Irons.  Mirren is marvelous as usual, and the rest of the cast, costumes and locations are great.  Won many awards.  The story is known to anyone who loves history.  9/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/combined

W. (2008/I) Josh Brolin, Toby Jones, Richard Dreyfus, Thandie Newton, Scott Glenn, Jeffrey Wright.  Oliver Stone's take on the Bush's life and Presidency, and the run up to the Iraq war.  Held my attention and all the actors are great, Brolin especially.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1175491/combined

Parental Guidance (2012) Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei.   Hyper daughter and her husband, enlist her folks to come take care of the three kids while both are away on business.  Clash of  new parenting ideas with old fashioned views of her parents.  Crystal is outstanding as lovable clueless grandpa. 7/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1047540/combined

Joyful Noise (2012) Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton.  Lots of music and singing.  About a choir competition.  Parton is a caricature of her old self.  Too much work on her lips.  6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1710396/combined

Encores:

Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936) Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, Lionel Stander.  He inherits a fortune from an uncle and goes to NYC.  She is hot shot reporter who tricks him into believing she is a "damsel in distress" so he can rescue her.  Stander is the guy hired to watch out for him in big city.  The hearing at the last part of film to see if he is sane, after he starts giving his money away, is best part of film and the two sisters from Mandrake Falls, Vermont, who testify he has always been "pixilated" are priceless.  One of the best of Directer Frank Capra's-corn. 8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027996/combined

The Rains Came (1939) Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power, George Brent, Brenda Joyce, Marie Ouspenskaya.  Lavish story of a terrible earthquake and flood caused by dam giving way during monsoon rains in Ranchipur, India.  Marvelous special effects for it's time.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031835/combined

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, William Holden, Jack Hawkins.  Director David Leans still marvelous film of a prisoner of war camp and the clash of wills between the commandant and British officer about working on a bridge.  Seven Oscars, including for Best Director, Actor, Music score, Cinematography and Writing..  Writers Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson were blacklisted and received no screen credit.  The were posthumously awarded Oscars in 1984.   A tarnish on the times.  Great film on the madness of war.  10/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050212/combined

Butterfield 8 (1960) Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, Eddie Fisher, Dina Merrill, Mildred Dunnock, Betty Field.  Taylor's first Oscar, deserved or not.  It's all Liz and she is stunning in the fashions by Helen Rose.  Harvey and Fisher are cyphers.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053622/combined

The Americanization Of Emily (1964) Julie Andrews, James Garner, Melvin Douglas, James Coburn.  Droll comedy on the madness of war and a guy who is decidedly unheroic, who ends up being the first "dead" man on Omaha Beach.  A scheme concocted by his crazed Admiral for publicity for the navy. Garner is priceless.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057840/combined

16 Candles (1984) Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall.   Everyone forgot her birthday!  Favorite teen comedy from the '80's.  8/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/combined

Con Air (1997) Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Cusack.  Prisoners on a plane take over.  Pretty good suspense film.  7/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118880/combined

Also 2 series made for TV:  Bleak House 4 episodes; and Sense  & Sensibility.  Both rewatches.

Also my favorites I watch over and over:  Taken, The Big Year, Argo and Chasing Mavericks.

One More

A Good Year (2006) Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Albert Finney.
An investment banker shark inherites a run down chateau and vineyard in France from his uncle who dies intestate.  As a young boy, Max spent some summer holidays with his Uncle Henry, and as he goes about getting the property ready for sale, he remembers the many things his uncle taught him while playing chess. He also meets a beautiful restaurant owner, and a woman who arrives claiming to be the illegitimate daughter of his uncle.  This was better and I enjoyed the story more this time.  Leisurely, with lovely scenery and charm. 8/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401445/combined

All Encores this week---

ENCORES:

The Foxes Of Harrow (1947) Maureen O'Hara, Rex Harrison, Richard Hadyn, Vanessa Brown, Victor McLauglen, Patricia Madina, Gene Lockhart.  Irish man born out of wedlock, to a noble father and peasant mother, comes to America and makes his fortune gambling and winning a great plantation in Louisiana.  He woos a haughty aristocrat and wins her but they have a stormy relationship.  Melodrama with a great cast and fine cinematography.  Nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. 8/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039394/combined

St. Elmo's Fire (1985) Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy, Andrew McCarthy, Mare Winninham, Judd Nelson, Andie MacDowell.   A group of recent College graduates groups their way through romances, sexual dalliances, and various problems getting started in life.  Their main problems stem from not wanting to grow up and be responsible.  A look at the 80's with the actors eventually called "the brat pack:" who were in a series of films together in twos and threes.   7/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090060/combined

Doc Hollywood (1991) Michael J. Fox, Julie Warner, David Ogden Stiers, Woody Harrelson, Bridget Fonda.  Young doc Stone is rushing to California from D.C. and gets lost and causes an accident where he tears down a brand new fence.  Brought before the towns judge and fence owner, he is sentenced to community service at the towns hospital.  Delightful film about the comeuppance of a city slicker by the charm and real need of a small town.  7/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101745/combined

A Few Good Men (1992) Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak.  Nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture and Supporting Actor for Nicholson, this is a favorite courtroom drama.  About 2 Marines accused of murder, the case is assigned to a young lawyer who has never tried a case in a courtroom.  Cast is uniformly good, and Cruise and Nicholson's final courtroom encounter is riveting.  9/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104257/combined

L.A. Confidential (1997) Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger.  Nominated for 8 Oscars, with a win for Basinger as Best Supporting Actress.  Corruption in the police department has never been depicted better.  Good cops eventually become compromised by the need to bring down the worst among them.  9/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119488/combined

Michael Clayton (2007) George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack.   Lawyer, who is his firms "fixer" is sent to find and fix their lead attorney and partner in the firm who has had a mental breakdown.  But he has problems of his own.  Great cast.  Swinton won Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and there were 7 other nominations in various fields.     8/10  
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/combined

Final watch list for August

FIRST WATCHES:

Cain & Mabel (1936) Marion Davies, Clark Gable, Allen Jenkins, Roscoe Karns.   Uh-uh.  A silly bore.  He's a boxer; she's a stage star.  For publicity they get together - and guess what?       4/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027413/combined

Made For Each Other (1939) Carol Lombard, James Stewart, Charles Coburn, Lucille Watson.   Weepy, bore.     5/10       http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031602/combined     

The Fan (1949) Jeanne Crain, Madeleine Carol, George Sanders, Richard Greene.   Lord Windermere and his beautiful wife Margaret seem to be an ideal married couple.  But a adventurous woman appears and throws a monkey wrench into the works.     7/10    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041346/combined

Possession (2002) Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam, Jennifer Ehle.      7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256276/combined

Jane Eyre (TV 4 Parts) Ruth Wilson, Toby Stephens.   Good version of the story.  Stephens is very good as Rochester.                        8/10     http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780362/combined

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Made it through all of 15 minutes.  Nononono.

Life Of Pi (2012)  Well, I like tigers and Ang Li does beautiful films.  8/10

ENCORES:

Love Affair (1939) Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer               9/10

Together Again (1944) Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Mona Freeman, Charles Coburn.       8/10

The Desert Song (1953) Kathryn Grayson                                   7/10

Ride The High Country (1962) Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott, Mariette Hartley.   Okay western.    7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056412/combined

Anna & The King (1999) Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat.  Gorgeous color cinematography and l love the music score.

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Matt Damon.  Final of the Triology.  Shakey cam and all, it is still good.

The Town (2010) Ben Afleck, Jeremy Renner.  Mobsters in Boston rob banks.  One falls in love.  Good.

Trouble With The Curve (2012) Amy Adams, Clint Eastwood.  Favorite of 2012.  Watch it often.

The Bourne Legacy (2013) Jeremy Renner.  Favorite action film.  Opening hour of snowy mountains in Alaska is beautifully filmed.