Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn, Robert Joy, Mark Blum, Laurie Metcalf, Anna Levine, Will Patton

"Yeah, well, fortunately, for everybody, I'm here and I'm thinking." - Susan

Why watch this? A great story of mistaken identity, and misplaced adoration.

Dad's Review: I love Madonna. She is quite an American success story. She busted her tail to make it. Sure, she's pop star diva, but she is also a very good actress. She also has never strayed away from her sexuality. She is who she is, and I like that. This light, fun film teams her with Rosanna Arquette, who plays a girl who has lost her memory. Though they rarely share the screen, they admire each other from a distance.

Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson, Leo Britt, Patrick Allen, Robin Hughes

"I sat in that Knightsbridge Pub actually planning to murder her. And I might have done it, if I hadn't seen something that changed my mind." - Tony Wendice

Why watch this? It's classic Hitchcock loaded with, you guessed it, suspense!

Dad's Review: Alfred Hitchcock brings us this tale of a man, Tony, who plans to murder his wife because she’s having an affair, plus, she's rich. Tony is one cool customer who thinks he has devised the perfect murder.  That is, until one small detail goes wrong. It takes a determined boyfriend and a sharp English Chief Detective to uncover the mystery. This film drew me to Princess Grace Kelly. She was something!

Starring: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson, Graham Greene, Colleen Camp, Larry Bryggman, Anthony Peck, Nick Wyman

"Said Simple Simon to the pie man going to the fair, "Give me your pies... or I'll cave your head in." - Simon

Why watch this? John McClane met his match with Zeus - and that's a good thing!

Dad's Review: Die Hard 2 was such a let down. For this third sequel, John McClane is home in New York City.  A new villain emerges. His name is Simon, portrayed by the amazing Jeremy Irons, and he wants to ruin John's life. As McClane is sent on wild goose chases all over the city, he gets reluctant help from Zeus, portrayed by Sam L. Jackson. Together they must figure out Simon's game and stop the crime he's planning.

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Jack Weston, Jane Brucker, Jack Weston, Lonny Price

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner." - Johnny

Why watch this? A great coming-of-age story for a wonderful young girl.

Dad's Review: Much has been written about this romantic dance movie, and with good reason. It’s smart, fun and very saucy. The leads are great. It has been rumored that Swayze and Grey fought the duration of filming. On screen, though, they make beautiful music. I also must tip my hat to supporting actors Jerry Orbach, as Baby’s concerned father, and Cynthia Rhodes, a pregnant dancer with no one to turn to. Finally, my sweet Mom loved this little flick about naughty dancing. Maybe Mom wasn't as sweet as I thought she was! And yes, I'm blushing.

Starring: Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby, Liam Cunningham, Darren Morfitt, Chris Robson, Leslie Simpson

"We are now up against live, hostile targets. So, if Little Red Riding Hood should show up with a bazooka and a bad attitude, I expect you to chin the bitch." - Sgt. Harry Wells

Why watch this? A company of British soldiers against a bunch of werewolves. Duh!

Dad's Review: I love it when a film comes along, quietly, and makes one of my favorite genres feel new again. This film does that and more. British soldiers on a training mission in the Scottish Highlands encounter a coven of rather vicious lycanthropes. It’s frantic, exciting, and brings to life some of the most terrifying werewolves on screen to date. These canines are 7-foot tall! The actors who played them are actually professional dancers.

Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Harry Morgan, Alexandra Paul, Jack O'Halloran, Elizabeth Ashley, Dabney Coleman

"There are two things that clearly differentiate the human species from animals. One, we use cutlery. Two, we're capable of controlling our sexual urges." - Sgt. Joe Friday

Why watch this? It's so much fun watching deadpan Aykroyd and flippant Hanks.

Dad's Review: Most films using 1960’s TV shows as a reference point fail badly. Not so with this stellar effort. The show Dragnet was very serious and dry. This film, however, is light-hearted and fun. Hanks is at the tail-end of his comedic film run. But it is Dan Aykroyd who steals the show as deadpan Joe Friday, nephew of the TV show’s main detective. They even brought back Harry Morgan, from TV show, and he's great as their commanding officer!

Starring: Dennis Weaver, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell, Tim Herbert, Carey Loftin, Eugene Dynarski, Lucille Benson

"I'd like to report a truck driver who's been endangering my life." – David Mann

Why watch this? Few actors so show utter terror better than Dennis Weaver.

Dad's Review: This made-for-TV movie was Steven Spielberg’s directorial debut. This tense thriller gave folks an early taste of his genius. The story's focus is a lone man on a cross-country drive. Without provocation or warning, a truck starts harassing him. Within minutes it appears the trucker wants to kill the man! When the truck finally drives on, the man is left to ponder if he will see that lunatic again. Several minutes later, he sees the truck again, exhaust pipes smoking, patiently waiting. We never see the truckers face, and that makes it more terrifying.

Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Sting, Richard Jordan, Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, Freddie Jones, Jack Nance

"Don't try your powers on me. Try looking into that place where you dare not look. You'll find me there, staring back at you." - Paul Atreides

Why watch this? Wonderful world-building along with a smart script. Try to keep up!

Dad's Review: This huge, epic science fiction film, with its all-star cast, tried its damnedest to encapsulate the world that is Frank Herbert’s Dune. Sure it crammed too much into too little time, but there are so many great moments. The film does successfully build the desert world and its inhabitants. It is weird, intelligent, gothic, melodramatic and a spectacle to behold. Honorable mention to singer Sting, who portrays the evil Feyd-Tautha, and kills it.

Starring: Charlton Heston, George Kennedy, Ava Gardner, Lorne Greene, Geneviève Bujold, Richard Roundtree, Marjoe Gortner, Lloyd Nolan, Victoria Principal, Walter Matthau

"I think there are still people alive down there and I want to get them out." - Stewart Graff

Why watch this? Heston in the middle of a huge disaster. This film started them all.

Dad's Review: I love well done disaster films. I’m a huge Chuck Heston fan anyway, but this epic, filmed in Sensurround (the theater actually shook during the quake scenes!), blew me away. I must have seen this in theaters ten times. The film fully develops its characters. then the massive quake hits! Who will survive the earthquake in densely populated Los Angeles? For its time, the effects were pretty darn good. I still cringe when the truckload of cattle go off the bridge. Nooo!

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Harold Perrineau, Elle Macpherson, L.Q. Jones, Kathleen Wilhoite, David Lindstedt, Mark Kiely, Eli Gabay

"We're all put to the test... but it never comes in the form or at the point we would prefer, does it?" - Charles Morse

Why watch this? Hopkins is wonderful as the unlikely protagonist, and that bear...Damn!

Dad's Review: This film has a lot going on: breathtaking scenery, survival, infidelity, betrayal, and a hungry Kodiak bear (the amazing Bart). The fun part of this adventure is the way the film’s reluctant protagonist, Charles, draws upon things he has read to help the group once they are stranded and helpless. Then the massive bear finds their scent, and starts stalking them. The thought of that is terrifying. 

Eight Legged Freaks (2002), Director: Ellory Elkayem, rated PG-13

Starring: David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scott Terra, Scarlett Johansson, Leon Rippy, Rick Overton, Doug E. Doug, Matt Czuchry, Eileen Ryan

"No one's going to believe me, cause I'm a kid, and they never listen to kids." - Mike

Why watch this? The idea of giant spiders is horrifying, but also kinda cool!

Dad's Review: If you have a spider phobia, this film is not for you. It’s a perfect blend of old-school sci-fi campiness, humor and ground-breaking CGI. The film really does not take itself too seriously and that makes it work. Did I say there are giant spiders everywhere? Well, there are. All shapes, categories and sizes, just doing what spiders do, except now, humans are on their menu. This monster/comedy/action/horror thriller is a lot of fun, and it happens to be the film that launched Scarlett Johansson's career!

Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Daniel Tay, Faizon Love

"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup." - Buddy

Why watch this? You'll fall for Buddy immediately - oh to be that innocent as an adult.

Dad's Review: Perhaps the most original Christmas movie in the last 20 years. Director Jon Favreau brings us a magical story of an adopted elf, Buddy. Will Ferrell breathes such wonder, humor and life into the character. It’s so heart-warming to watch Buddy embrace people, eat the bubble gum, and not be embarrassed to show enthusiasm for all. This has shot up the list as one of my favorite holiday films.

Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Dawn Didawick, Conchata Ferrell, Marg Helgenberger, Tracey Walter, Peter Coyote

"Ya know why everyone thinks that all lawyers are backstabbing, bloodsucking scumbags? 'Cause they are!" - Erin Brockovich

Why watch this? This is Julia Roberts at the peak of her career. She is a force.

Dad's Review: This film serves notice that women carry the heavier load. They have to work harder, just to get on level footing. Roberts plays a legal researcher who figures out that a local business is poisoning the water, its employees and the community around them. She makes them pay, and its a wonderful thing to see. This film is also based on a true story!

Starring: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, Alessandro Nivola, Dominique Swain, Nick Cassavetes, Harve Presnell

"Isn't this religious, ah yes. The eternal battle between good and evil, saint and sinners... but you're still not having any FUN!"– Castor Troy

Why watch this? It is so entertaining to watch Travolta and Cage battle with each other.

Dad's Review: You will love this creative action flick from John Woo. Sure, a lot of liberties are taken with the concept of facial transplants, but just go with it. Travolta and Cage, one an agent, one a criminal, switch their faces. The result is two over-the-top performances that make or break a film like this - here it works! It's fast-paced and action-packed all the way to the brutal end.

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Piven, Saul Rubinek, Makenzie Vega, Lisa Thornhill, Saul Rubinek, Josef Sommer

"I choose us." - Kate

Why watch this? This modern day It's A Wonderful Life is poignant and endearing.

Dad's Review: How would your life change if you made one different decision? Here, a self-absorbed Wall Street mogul is given a chance to visit an alternate world where he didn’t end the relationship with his true love, Kate. In this new reality, they're married, have kids, he works at his father-in-law's tire shop - all things he despises and views as weakness. I love watching his perception of "success" change. Cage is dependably great, but Téa Leoni steals the film as his sweet wife, who is willing to do anything to save their marriage.  

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Isabella Rossellini, Rosie Perez, Tom Hulce, John Turturo, Benecio del Toro, Deirdre O'Connell, John de Lancie

"Put you head down... it will be over soon. Now close your eyes... everything is wonderful." - Max Klein, comforting a child right before the plane crashes

Why watch this? How is a person impacted and changed after surviving an airplane crash?

Dad's Review: Jeff Bridges has always impressed me because he takes big gambles on the roles he accepts. Here he walks away from a devastating plane crash. Through this miracle, he starts to feel invincible. He's no longer allergic to strawberries. He walks on skyscraper ledges without fear. Then he meets another survivor, Carla, suffering from survivor's guilt. This film poses many questions, and offers insights regarding the aftermath of crash survivors. 

Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen Degeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root

"Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo." - Dory

Why watch this? Another home run for Pixar. It's funny, warm, and inspirational.

Dad's Review: This film is just so darn fun and heartfelt. We quickly grow to love our damaged main characters. We likewise fall for each creature we meet along the journey. Be it friendly sharks, surfer dude sea turtles, stingy seagulls, or a group of captured fish called the Tank Gang. Ellen Degeneres is remarkable as the voice of Dory, a lovable fish with short-term memory loss. Get in the tank and enjoy. "Shark bait! Ooh, Ha-Ha!"   

Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh, Nancy Loomis, Ty Mitchell, Charles Cyphers

"We were aided by an unearthly fog that rolled in, as if Heaven sent, although God had no part in our actions tonight." – Father Malone

Why watch this? This is one film I cannot watch without the lights on.

Dad's Review: The idea of the vengeful undead rising to exact revenge on the ancestors of their betrayers is freaking wicked! Add to that fog, this is one natural phenomenon that creeps me out. Director John Carpenter made a great decision to not show the vengeful pirates up close. This makes them that much more terrifying. Of course, the eerie mood is enhanced by Carpenter's eerie soundtrack.

Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly, Richard Anderson, Earl Holliman, Marvin Miller

"Guilty! Guilty! My evil self is at that door, and I have no power to stop it!" – Dr. Morbius

Why watch this? It really is a great all-around sci-fi film. 

Dad's Review: One of most well-done of the early science fiction films. A research team land on a planet inhabited by a scientist who has carved out a nice little world for himself, his daughter and his robot, Robbie. Immediately they are attacked by a strange, invisible entity with incredible destructive power. For its time, this film was an incredible science fiction cinematic feat. You will note Leslie Nielsen in a serious role - hard to imagine, since he'd later play such a goofball in the Naked Gun films.

Starring: Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy, Dudley Moore, Rachel Roberts, Eugene Roche, William Frankfather

"That's right, honey. You've attacked an innocent dwarf." - Lt. Tony Carlson

Why watch this? I can watch Chevy and Goldie all day.

Dad's Review: Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn made two films together (the other is Seems Like Old Times) and both are wonderful, light comedies that feature their enjoyable chemistry. This film centers on: a girl being wrongfully pursued, an amorous detective, an albino assassin, a dwarf, a guy called "The Dwarf" and a friendly pervert. It's a hilarious who-done-it romp with ton of laughs. The scene where the limo is temporarily hijacked is one of the funniest ever!

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye, Edward van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Lionel Belmore

"You have created a monster, and it will destroy you!" - Dr. Waldman

Why watch this? It is a landmark in horror cinema history

Dad's Review: Hot on heels of Dracula, Universal Studios created this iconic monster film. Though only loosely based on the original Mary Shelly novel, we witness Baron Frankenstein create life. All goes wrong as that life becomes too dangerous to contain. Boris Karloff, wearing an incredible makeup application, gives the monster an unexpected level of humanity. However, he will kill when provoked. This spawned a slew of B-movie sequels.

Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Robert Urquhart, Hazel Court, Melvyn Hayes, Valerie Gaunt, Noel Hood, Paul Hardtmuth

"I've harmed nobody, just robbed a few graves!" - Baron Frankenstein

Why watch this? It's rewarding to watch an alternative take on the Frankenstein story.

Dad's Review: England's Hammer Studios began remaking the old Universal monster movies in the late 50’s. They added their own style, flair, and amped-up sexuality. Then they brought in actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee - that duo together were amazing. The Hammer gothic films were creepier, scarier and a lot edgier. This Frankenstein origin story is serious, scary and engrossing.

Starring: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi, Bill Hickman, Ann Rebbot, Harold Gary

"All right, Popeye's here! Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!" - Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle

Why watch this? It remains a pinnacle film in its genre.

Dad's Review: It tells the story of NYPD detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo. Base on a true story, these tough cops are in pursuit of heroin smuggler Alain Charnier. It is action-packed, but manages to elevate above the cops and robber films of that time period. Hackman's portrayal is brutal and unforgiving. He's not a heroic figure, but he gets his man. The film won five of eight Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Hackman).

Starring: Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline, Timothy Hutton, Jean Reno, François Cluzet, Susan Anbeh, Marie-Christine Adam, Jean-Paul Jaupart

"When people tell me they are happy, my ass begins to twitch." - Luc

Why watch this? Kevin Kline is quietly one of my favorite actors. Here, he's so very annoyingly French.

Dad's Review: For a time Meg Ryan was the "IT" gal. Here she plays a jilted American girl heads to France. On the plane she sits next to an obnoxious French man, who latches onto her, offering to help her win back her fiancé. He's has other motives, using the girl for his own ends. There's a lot going in this funny comedy, and I really love the chemistry between Kline and Ryan. 

Starring: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, Cicely Tyson, Chris O'Donnell, Stan Shaw

"A heart can be broken, but it will keep beating just the same." - Allison

Why watch this? There is a richness to this film. Watch and take it in.

Dad's Review: In 1991, this film was such a breath of freshness in a film world dominated with masculinity, and I mean toxic masculinity. This story spans two generations of women fighting the battles common those days in a man's world, especially in the South. The story is courageous, inspiring, and a must see for any lady, young or old. I also a great film for men. It's good to be reminded that we're just one generation from men who treated women badly. Men, me included, do better.

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, Roddy McDowall, Jonathan Stark, Dorothy Fielding

"You deserve to die, boy. Of course... I could give you something I don't have. A choice. Forget about me, Charley. Forget about me, and I'll forget about you. " - Jerry Dandrige

Why watch this? One of the best vampire films: scary, gross, but with a nice sense of humor.

Dad's Review: Just when it appeared that the vampire genre was completely worn out, this little gem appears. When a vampire moves in next door, a young boy, Charley, seeks the help of Peter Vincent, who portrays a vampire killer on his late night show Fright Night. The vampire, Mr. Dandrige, takes and interest in Charley's girlfriend Amy. Dandrige kidnaps the girl. It's up to Charley and Vincent fight through the vampire's human minions and drive a stake into him. The effects are amazing, as is the story. Kudos to Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent, and Chris Sarandon, as the best vampire since the Lugosi.

Next 200 - 76 thru 100