Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell

"There are no colored bathrooms in this building, or any building outside the West Campus, which is half a mile away. Did you know that? I have to walk to Timbuktu just to relieve myself! And I can't use one of the handy bikes. Picture that, Mr. Harrison. My uniform, skirt below the knees and my heels. And simple string of pearls. Well, I don't own pearls. Lord knows you don't pay the colored women enough to afford pearls! And I work like a dog day and night, living on coffee from a pot NONE OF YOU WANNA TOUCH! So, excuse me if I have to go to the restroom a few times a day." - Katherine Johnson

Why watch this? A fascinating film about the wonderful black women who were our nation's original "computers".

Dad's Review: The quote above says it all. Watch it by clicking the play button - upper right.

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes, Peter MacNeill, Stephen McHattie, Greg Bryk

"You should ask Tom... how come he's so good at killing people?" – Carl Fogarty

Why watch this? Classic trope of a man trying to hide his violent past. They always find you.

Dad's Review: A man with a sordid past tries to start again in a new place. He has a new family and runs a low-key diner. When he foils a robbery, the news goes national. This brings in mobsters who remember who he used to be. Now he has to protect his family. This is a strong effort by director Cronenberg. It's also another reason to love Viggo Mortensen. Ed Harris, who plays ruthless mob criminal, shines.

Starring: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones, Paul Picerni, Charles Bronson, Roy Roberts, Angela Clark, Dabbs Greer

"I'm afraid that the visit of a such distinguished critic may cause my children to become conceited. To you they are wax, but to me their creator, they live and breathe." – Prof. Henry Jarod

Why watch this? This horror classic is set in a creepy wax museum with life-like statues.

Dad's Review: This eerie tale is about the eventual madness of a wax museum curator. It was originally shown in 3D, a gimmick used often in the 1950's. This "tingler" also revitalized the career of Vincent Price, and would start a run of films where he is featured as any number of sophistocated, deranged characters. No actor could utter horror-centric lines like the great, suave Mr. Price. Also, look for a young Charles Bronson as the doctor's stern assistant, Igor.

Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Oscar Kightley

"I'm not going back to jail, I'm better off up here. This is no place for a kid. You're gonna have to go back, Ricky." - Hec

Why watch this? I instantly fell for this uniquely, warm and oddly funny flick

Dad's Review: You have to love this little independent film that came up out of nowhere. Here a back-woods couple foster a troubled city kid. When the mother unexpectedly dies, the man and boy have to flee into the forest to avoid capture by authorities who assume the boy has been kidnapped. Young Julian Dennison is great as the sharp-witted lad with a gansta attitude. Sam Neill is likewise awesome as the grumpy old man forced to take care of the kid.

Starring: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Sarah Burns, Greg Levine, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Jane Curtin, J. K. Simmons

"Dude! Rush is the greatest rock band of all time!" - Hec

Why watch this? It features two dudes who find friendship and share a love for Rush, the thinkin' man's rock band!

Dad's Review: Have you ever known a guy that didn't have male friends? I have. Peter is that guy. His girlfriend, Zooey, suggests that he find a "guy friend", so that he will have a best man in their wedding. He meets Sydney, and the two awkwardly bond, especially when they realize that they love the rock band Rush. This film has lots of hilarious ups and downs, but in the end, a loving bro-mance is forged. There are great performances, including cameos from Geddy, Alex and Neil; and Lou Ferrigno, TV's The Hulk!

Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, John C. McGinley, Cleva DuVall, William Lee Scott, Jake Busey

"You remember that movie where the ten strangers went to an island, and then they all died, one by one? And then it turned out they weren't strangers, that they all had a connection." - Ginny

Why watch this? It is a dark, surreal murder-mystery that turns the genre on its head.

Dad's Review: After a ton of crime suspense movies, I needed something new in this category. This was it. It's a cold rainy night, the bridge is out, and folks gather at a low-rent motel. Each person has a unique story. Then people start dying, and I mean in bloody, gruesome ways. It's a who-done-it extraordinaire that has an ending you'll never see coming! Oh man!

Starring: Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley, Shalom Harlow, Bob Newhart

"One day, I just snapped. I just got tired of switching pronouns and remembering to lower my voice, and I couldn't take lying to the people I love. Does that sound familiar?" - Peter Malloy

Why watch this? We need more films like this to decrease the ignorant bigotry that exists.

Dad's Review: This superb comedy strives to bring the subject of homosexuality forward, and dare I say, make is mainstream. This is a good thing. When an English teacher, Howard, is "outed" by a former student accepting an Oscar, everyone wants to know the story, especially his shocked fiancé, Emily. There are certainly comedic moments, and does walks the line between lightness and social commentary. Kline is excellent, but Joan Cusack steals the film as the bride jilted by the film's great revelation.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine

"Building a dream from your memory is the easiest way of losing your grasp on what's real and what is a dream." - Cobb

Why watch this? It's plot is mind-bending. The cityscapes twisting within themselves is cool, too.

Dad's Review: Director Nolan is the mage of "smart, action thrillers". He twisted our perception in Memento (2000) and reinvented the Batman. Here we follow a group of uber-thieves who can enter people's dreams. The value of this skill is immeasurable. Most of the film takes place in the labyrinth of a client's subconscious, and then dreams within dreams. It can be a little hard to follow the first time through, but the visuals are stunning.

Starring: Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston, Andrew Duggan, Larry Keating, Oscar Beregi Jr., Charles Meredith, Elizabeth MacRae

"Henry, am I the widow of a man or the wife of a fish?" - Bessie Limpet

Why watch this? You can't watch this film without falling in love with Don Knotts.

Dad's Review: This fish tale centers on the meek Mr. Limpet who falls into the ocean and strangely becomes a talking fish. He then helps the U.S. Navy defeat Nazi submarines during World War II. There are lots of laughs, but also a bittersweet element when Mr. Limpet has to choose between his old life with his wife Bessie, and his new sea-bound life. Don Knotts' strength was playing the likeable ugly guy who lacks confidence, and bumbles his way through life. He just wants to be loved and accepted. He was early filmdom's equivalent to today's Ben Stiller or Michael Cera characters.

Starring: Tom Selleck, F. Murray Abraham, Laila Robins, David Rasche, Richard Young, Elizabeth MacRae, Paul Frees

"Rainwood... you know who you are? You are an ex-convict on parole, and you are owned by the state! The state believes the police! Not the ex-convict! Always!" - Det. Mike Parnell

Why watch this? When the crooked cops get what's coming, it's sooo satisfying!

Dad's Review: My buddy Kev needs one thing in a movie: bloody revenge. This one makes Kev really happy. Jimmy Rainwood is wrongfully imprisoned by two dirty police officers. In lock-up, he has to learn how to survive, while enduring the brutality of that world. Being a good man, he does not want to kill anyone, but in the slammer, you have to kill to earn respect. Jimmy is released, and it's time some payback!

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenkzie Foy, Ellen Burstyn, John Liethgow

"We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars. Now we just look down, and worry about our place in the dirt." - Cooper

Why watch this? What will we do when our planet can no longer sustain us?

Dad's Review: In the distant future, Earth's biggest problem is food production. This story follows NASA pilot Cooper who must travel through space (and time) to find a new world for Earth's population. This worm-hole spanning epic is packed with action and danger, but also grounds things with some personal moments. The cast is stellar, namely McConaughey, Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. The end will warm your heart and bring a tear to your eye. 

Starring: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander, Patricia Kalember, Eriq La Salle

"If you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth." – Louis

Why watch this? This feels dream-like and surreal... there's a reason for that.

Dad's Review: This film follows a wounded Vietnam vet, Jacob, who wakes up back in New York City, He feels like he's living a nightmare. He has visions and dreams that continually haunt him. Even a psychic offers little help. Someone, something is after him. Tim Robbins excels as this tortured man searching to regain his sanity. The first time you see this movie, the ending should be quite a shocker!

Starring: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith, Niall MacGinnis, Michael Gwynn, Nigel Green, Douglas Wilmer

"Rise up, you dead, slain of the hydra. Rise from your graves and avenge us. Those who steal the Golden Fleece must die." – King Aeetes

Why watch this? Many consider this Ray Harryhausen's best film; he thought so, too.

Dad's Review: Per Greek legend, Jason, a sailor of reputation, was tasked by Pelias to retrieve the fabled Golden Fleece. In this tale, he assembles the finest crew including the mighty Hercules. On their quest they must face harpies, the bronzed giant Talos, a multi-headed hydra, and an army of living skeletons. The skeleton scene alone took four months to complete - for a screen-time of 3 minutes. It's visually ground-breaking, and still incredible to watch. 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Jerry O'Connell, Jay Mohr, Bonnie Hunt

"Anyone else would have left you by now, but I'm sticking with you. And if I have to ride your ass like Zorro, you're gonna show me the money." - Rod Tidwell

Why watch this? I love good flicks about a guy maturing into a man.

Dad's Review: I had to come back around to this film. I boycotted Tom Cruise for a while - just too full of himself, and that whole scientology thing. In the last few years, I've softened. The dude is one talented actor. Here he's a cocky sports agent... then he gets fired and loses his mind. As he battles to bounce back he starts to fall for the shy girl. She's a young, single mother and lacks a lot of confidence. It's a great RomCom that will warm the hardest heart.

Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson

"You're not a Nazi, Jojo. You're a ten-year-old kid who likes swastikas and likes dressing up in a funny uniform who wants to be part of a club. But you're not one of them." – Elsa Korr

Why watch this? If it's hard to describe, chances are it's a good film - this one certainly is.

Dad's Review: Uber-creative filmmaker Taika Waititi sets a comedy in Germany during World War II, AND, has a young boy receive frequent visits from the ghost of Adolph Hitler. What? After that sentence, you want to know what I have been smokin', right? Yet, this film is delightful, engrossing, funny, and gut-wrenching. When the boy discovers a young Jewish girl hiding in his attic, he begins to realize that his idol, Adolph, might not be worthy of his adulation. 

Starring: Tom Berenger, Fletcher Humphrys, Ryan Kwanten, Bernard Curry, Nick Tate, Ewen Leslie, Luke Ford

"Without football, I'm nothin' but a shiftless wildcatter's kid. Nobody from nowhere." - Skeet Keeler

Why watch this? IMHO, this is one of the more realistic football films every made.

Dad's Review: This is an interesting story on one of college football's most storied coaches, Paul "Bear" Bryant and his stint as football coach at Texas A&M. Their pre-season training was held in the little Texas town of Junction. The camp was brutal, bordering on abuse. The film is certainly honest in that respect. It raises the question, "How much is too much?" The film ends with a reunion of the "Junction Survivors" and Coach Bryant years later. Coach Bryant himself is unsure whether the ex-players will hug him or punch him.   

Starring: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, George Sanders, Sterling Holloway, John Abbott, Louis Prima, Bruce Reitherman

"Man village? They'll ruin him. They'll make a man out of him." – Baloo, the Bear

Why watch this? This is one of Disney's greatest films, pre Beauty and the Beast, that is.

Dad's Review: This is a great animated film musical about an orphaned boy who is raised by wolves, and mentored by a big-bellied bear and a watchful black panther. The boy is also being stalked by the notorious Bengal tiger, Shere Khan. For a cartoon, it's wonderfully complex and filled with lots of great songs, laughs, and even scary moments.

Starring: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons, Rainn Wilson, Olivia Thirlby

"Nah... I mean, I'm already pregnant, so what other kind of shenanigans could I get into?" – Juno

Why watch this? This is a wonderful quirky film about Zoomers and pregnancy.

Dad's Review: This quirky little movie is so easy to watch. Perhaps it's Ellen Page (today he is Elliott Page) and her tomboyish, no-nonsense wit. Maybe it's Michael Cera as the loveable slacker, Bleeker. Regardless, it's fun to watch the process of her pregnancy, and her tough decision to give the baby up for adoption. Just sit back and enjoy it.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O'Connor, Donald Sutherland, Gavin MacLeod, Stuart Margolin

"Him? Name's Kelly. Used to be a lieutenant, pretty good one, too, till they gave him orders to attack the wrong hill." – Crapgame

Why watch this? It's a wonderful comedy set in WWII about a gold heist

Dad's Review: This all-star film is centered around the knowledge that an old church deep behind enemy lines in Germany is stuffed with gold. Kelly, a resourceful Army Private, pulls together a rag-tag group of bold soldiers with new orders - get that gold! Eastwood, Savalas and Sutherland are excellent, but wise-guy Don Rickles steals every scene as the big-mouthed "Crapgame".

Starring: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Laura Fraser, Alan Tudyk

"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. In what world could you possibly beat me?" – Adhemar

Why watch this? This is an olde tale of medieval jousting, infused with modern personalities.  

Dad's Review: I will say this for A Knight's Tale, it's unconventional, and that is one of it's key strengths. The setting is 14th century Europe, the days of yore and knights of armor. The soundtrack is 1980's rock - a marriage made in heaven! The dangerous, and sometimes deadly, game of jousting NEEDS rock 'n roll. The hunky Ledger and his band of merry misfits are so dang much fun. The ballroom dance scene, set to David Bowie's Golden Years, is a favorite.

Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr

"Look, Debbie. You are high off your ass if you think you're coming into that room. If you take one step towards that door, I will tell security there's a crazy chick in a pink dress snatching up babies, OK!" - Ben

Why watch this? This very funny film paved the way for its great sequel, This is 40.

Dad's Review: OK, I will confess that slacker Seth Rogan had to grow on me. Now, I like him, and I think it's because I see a lot of me in there. Here he plays a partying stoner Ben. This sweet Apatow creation covers Ben and Alison's one night stand that results in pregnancy. Alison decides to keep the baby, and she wants to involve the father. This film has a lot of fun focused on Ben's avoidance of responsibility and Alison's pregnancy woes.

Legally Blonde (2001), Director: Robert Luketic, rated PG-13 for language

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge

"There's nothing I love better than a dumb blonde with Daddy's plastic." - Boutique Saleswoman

Why watch this? Reese proves you can be a blonde who is simultaneously dingy and intelligent.

Dad's Review: This film is where Reese Witherspoon gained real "cred" with audiences. It's 100% her film - she carries it, like totally. The very sorority and fashion-minded Elle is dumped by her Harvard-bound boyfriend because, well, she's not Harvardy-enough. This fuels her determination to get into that school and win him back. It's wonderful Rom-Com fare, and Elle's energetic tactics are a thing of beauty.

The LEGO Batman Movie (2017), Director: Chris McKay, Rated PG

Starring: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis. Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Jenny Slate, Jason Matzoukas, Conan O'Brien, Doug Benson, Billy Dee Williams

"Okay, Robin. Together, we're gonna punch these guys so hard, words describing the impact are gonna spontaneously materialize out of thin air." - Batman

Why watch this? LEGO Batman proved he deserved a film of his own. Which he does... Because... Well... He's BATMAN!

Dad's Review: The LEGO films are proving to be some of the most fun and creative offerings coming out of Warner Brothers studio. This crazy DC-character-fest is incredibly fun. There are hundreds of rapid-fire super-hero jokes and sight gags. It's sometimes hard to keep up, but worth it. An A-List cast of actors lend their voice talents. Just sit back and laugh!

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen

"You must think me mad! I've hunted you across the years. Men like you can never change. A man such as you!" - Javert

Why watch this? This is such a well-done rendition of the famous Broadway play.

Dad's Review: This iconic story of the French Revolution has been told many times. This film version of Victor Hugo's novel is just too good not to applaud. It follows the tragic lives of Jean Valjean, a good man and a mercilessly policeman, Javert. Valjean adopts street waif Cosette, who will eventually fall in love with Marius. There are amazing performances from Jackman, Seyfried, and the unforgettable Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Cosette's hopeless mother.

Starring: Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Jennifer Tilly, Swoosie Kurtz, Amanda Donohoe, Anne Haney, Justin Cooper

"I'm kicking my ass! Do you mind?" -  Fletcher Reede

Why watch this? Jim Carrey, a shady defense lawyer, cannot lie in a courtroom. Buckle up for this one!

Dad's Review: This is one of Carrey’s funnier efforts, and that is saying plenty. He is at the top of his game here, as a lawyer who cannot lie for an entire day, thanks to his young son's birthday wish. The running gag is the hilarity of the film, and Carrey milks that cow for all she's worth.

Another 200 - 101 thru 125