Starring: Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp, Carrie-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare, John Wood

"And these are for your husband. Unrefined cacao nips from Guatemala, to awaken the passions." - Vianne

Why watch this? A wonderful confectionary treat about moral repression and gentle rebellion.

Dad's Review: Juliette Binoche is such a special actress. Here she plays an angelic lady who comes into town and starts fixing things, and people, who are broken - the battered wife, the strained mother-daughter relationship, the overtly stern mayor. Like a fine chocolatier, she finds the right flavors, mixes in a little spice and viola! - people begin to see things in a new light.

Starring: Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Jack Palance, Patricia Wettig, Helen Slater, Patricia Wettig, Noble Willingham, Tracey Walter, Josh Mostel, David Paymer

"Have you ever had that feeling that this is the best I'm ever gonna do, this is the best I'm ever gonna feel... and it ain't that great?" – Mitch Robbins

Why watch this? A comedy, set on a dude ranch, with men in questioning their lives - I'm in.

Dad's Review: Growing up on a cattle ranch, we used to chuckle under our breath at "city folks" when they’d venture out for a visit. This film starts at a Dude Ranch in Colorado, then drives a cattle herd to New Mexico. Our focus is three loveably flawed men, all with their own problems at home, seeking some "male bonding" time. What can they learn from a dusty cattle drive? A lot, especially about life, and the "one thing". Screen legend Jack Palance won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor with his portrayal of Curly, the drive's gruff trail boss.

Starring: Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle, Rachel Ticotin

"Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing around on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash." – Garland Greene

Why watch this? This is high-flying action on steroids, and you'll remember the name Cameron Poe.

Dad's Review: It was a coin flip whether this film or The Rock made the Prime 200. Both are action-packed Nicholas Cage films at the height of his popularity. I chose Con Air simply because it's more quirky and fun. He portrays of an ex-Army ranger and convict (unjustly imprisoned, of course) aboard a prison transport plane that has been hijacked by a criminal mastermind. It's up to him to make his daughter proud and save the day... and he does it with such endearing style! That Southern drawl just rolls off his tongue.  

Starring: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J. D. Cannon, Strother Martin, Robert Drivas, Lou Antonio, Jo Van Fleet

"What we've got here is...failure to communicate." - The Captain

Why watch this? Luke is challenged to an egg-eating contest, and he doesn't disappoint.

Dad's Review: This is one of Paul Newman's most iconic roles. Here he plays a prisoner who refuses to be broken, and this inspires his fellow inmates, but infuriates the prison caretakers. We almost think he's tough enough, but then reality sets in. Nobody can fight "the man" forever. George Kennedy is superb as prison thug, Dragline, who takes a liking to Luke and becomes his  supporter and protector.

Courage Under Fire (1996), Director: Edward Zwick, Writer: Patrick S. Duncan, rated R for war violence, language

Starring: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty, Matt Damon, Scott Glenn, Sean Astin

"Don't get in my crosshairs, because I'll have no compunction whatsoever about getting up to my neck in yo' ass. Do you understand me?" – Lt. Col. Nate Serling

Why watch this? The performances of Washington, Ryan and Phillips brightly shine!

Dad's Review: This complex film covers a lot of topics: military justice, toxic masculinity, drug abuse, the toll war takes on survivors, friendly fire. It benefits from a nice, tight script, and some top-notch performances by all actors involved. Ryan and Washington never disappoint, but it was Lou Diamond Phillips who surprised me the most. His intense performance stays with you.

Starring: John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Brown, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst, Adolfo Martinez, Slim Pickens, Stephen Hudis

"I'm thirty years older than you are. I had my back broke once, and my hip twice. And on my worst day I could beat the hell out of you." – Wil Anderson

Why watch this? Wayne has never been better, as a man desperate to get his cattle to market.

Dad's Review: This is a superb non-standard Western. Wayne has to holster his pistols and become a surrogate father for the young boys he has hired for the trail drive. I'll forever love Roscoe Lee Brown as Mr. Nightlinger, the cook, who breathes real life into his role. And who can forget Bruce Dern as "Long Hair", the film's creepy, murderous antagonist. I love it when the Dukes tells the boys, "We're burnin' daylight!"

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Lio Lipton, Kevin Bacon, Jonah Bobo, Joey King, John Carroll Lynch

"I have loved her even when I hated her... only married couples will understand that one..." - Cal

Why watch this? The film's climax, where all plots and secrets are hilariously revealed.

Dad's Review: This was another brilliant career choice for Steve Carell. He impresses me film after film. This wonderful romance is about falling out of love, adult dating, teen crushes, and falling back in love again. Whew! That's a lot to cover. There's great dialog between our various characters. Nothing is funnier than Steve Carell at a singles bar... trying to look cool.

Starring: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson, Tony Todd

"People once believed that, when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest." - Sarah

Why watch this? It's dark and gothic, but still Jason Lee's charismatic light shines through. 

Dad's Review: This anti-hero film just grabbed me and wedged itself into my soul. The story originated in The Crow comics by James O. Barr. There is such a sadness to this origin story. Things get violent as vengeance is extracted, but the film never loses its tenderness. Jason Lee, who was accidentally killed during filming, left the world way too soon.

Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Allison Pill, Brittany Robertson

"You... are a murderer of love!" Cara Burns

Why watch this? It's a low-key, yet sophisticated, comedy about a single Dad trying to move on. 

Dad's Review: It seems to be a typical Rom-Com, then becomes so much more. After his wife passes away, Dan, hasn't figured out how to navigate the world with his three daughters. He accidentally stumbles upon a new romantic interest, only to discover she's his brother's girlfriend. Yes, things get hilariously awkward. It's all played out during a large family gathering. When Dan sings "Let My Love Open The Door", you will bawl your eyes out. This is such a perfect pairing between Carell and Binoche, two of my favorite actors who never, and I mean never, disappoint.

Starring: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley, Charles Grodin

"If you've ever seen the look on somebody's face the day they finally get a job...they look like they could fly." - Dave

Why watch this? Kevin Kline's rock solid performance within a performance.

Dad's Review: Here Kline is excellent as a regular guy conscripted to "fill in" when the real President has a stroke and lies in a coma. At first he goes along, does what he's told, but he gradually brings in some really good ideas. This lands him in hot water with the Chief of Staff. This film is warm, romantic, inspiring, and very easy to enjoy.

Starring: Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni, Carl Reiner and special appearances by Alan Ladd, Barbara Stanwyck, Ray Milland, Burt Lancaster, Cary Grant, to name a few

"I hadn't seen a body put together like that since the case of the Murdered Girl with the Really Big Tits." - Det. Rigby Reardon

Why watch this? This Steve Martin comedy stands alone for its incredible creativity.

Dad's Review: Martin's SNL skits were getting stale. His first movie, The Jerk, was over-the-top and just not my favorite. Then he releases this comedic treasure. It is one of the most creative comedies ever made. It centers on tough-guy detective Rigby Reardon, hired by the sultry Juliet to find a murderer. His investigation brings him into close contact with several gangsters and femme fatales from Hollywood's golden age of film noir. 

Starring: Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Charles, Kurtwood Smith, George Martin

"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." – John Keating

Why watch this? It shows the wonder found in new ideas, and the lengths some people will go to suppress them.

Dad's Review: Robin William's really changed his career trajectory with this film. It established him as more than a comedic actor. It is a wonderful, albeit painful, story of a prep school English teacher who is ahead of his time. He desperately strives to tap into the passions within his young male students.  The film is uplifting, wonderful and simultaneously tragic. "Carpe Diem!" 

Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Bill McKinney, James Dickey, Billy Redden

"Did you ever look out over a lake, think about something buried underneath it? Man, that's about as buried as you can get." – Lewis Medlock

Why watch this? Once the boys are on the river, it's a nail-biting saga you will never forget.

Dad's Review: I think every man secretly fears running across nefarious characters determined to cause senseless harm. This film plays out the "worst case scenario". Four men, out for a week-end canoe trip in backwoods Georgia, encounter a band of moonshine-running hillbillies and they ain’t friendly. It quickly escalates into a war for survival. This film is tense, disturbing, hyper-realistic, and exhausting. It pulls you in and will not let you go.

Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster

"On the phone he can escape. In person, he's got nowhere to go. I wanna see his face." - Matt King, regarding making contact with his wife's lover.

Why watch this? It's a heart-warming, heart-breaking, painful, and often funny film.

Dad's Review: For years I just did not like George Clooney. To me, he seemed a cocky, handsome jerk living off his family name (his aunt is Rosemary Clooney). This film, however, changed all that for me. He plays a man whose wife is in a terminal coma. Set in Hawaii, the film’s heart is this man’s pain, and his daughter’s reluctant support. You will laugh, then cry, then laugh again. Nick Krause, as Sid, gets an honorable mention for his perfectly delivered comedic lines.

Starring: Marlene Dietrich, James Stewart, Brian Donlevy, Charles Winninger, Mischa Auer, Allen Jenkins, Warren Hymer

"You shoot it out with 'em and for some reason or other, I don't know why, they get to look like heroes. But you put 'em behind bars and they look little and cheap, the way they oughta look." - Tom Destry Jr.

Why watch this? The chemistry between Stewart and the sassy Dietrich burns up the screen. 

Dad's Review: Wait, a Western where the hero new sheriff doesn't use a gun? Stewart portrays the son of a famous gunfighter. On his father's reputation, he's hired as sheriff of dusty Bottleneck to ride in, take control, and clean up the town. But he's not wearing a gun. This is another of Stewart's roles where he takes a character and molds it to be his own. He's calm, collected and will do what it takes to tame the town. We just hope he survives in a place ruled by crooks with guns. 

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, John Vernon, John Larch, Woodrow Parfrey

"You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya… punk?" – Harry Callahan

Why watch this? Eastwood's performance - he's a stoic man-of-action with engaging charisma.

Dad's Review: Before Dirty Harry, Eastwood was mostly known for this role in the Western TV show, Rawhide. This film blew the lid off and catapulted him to mega-stardom. Harry is the detective that gets the worse assignments. Why? He gets the job done, his way. The .44 magnum helps. I was surprised to find him so likeable.

Starring: Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, Herbert Bunston, Frances Dade

"Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make." - Dracula, regarding wolves

Why watch this? The elaborate sets and Lugosi's haunting, iconic performance.

Dad's Review: This classic film practically invented the "goth" classification. Lugosi’s iconic role as the creepy Count spawned a slew of imitators and homages. This film’s unique, Victorian atmosphere creates a eerie 17th century Europe, where all trees are dead, and it’s forever dark and foggy. Though Lugosi would later portray several other Universal monsters, he only played Dracula once more, and that was in the comedy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant, Cary Elwes, Tom Waits

"You will, I trust, excuse me if I do not join you. But, I have already dined, and I never drink... wine." - Dracula

Why watch this? Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Dracula is singularly unique... and terrifying!

Dad's Review: Universal Studio's Dracula, starring the iconic Bela Lugosi, is certainly beloved, but I grew to love this rendition more. This is a masterpiece of film art. It’s visually stunning, using state of the art make-up and special effects, vivid imagery, lighting, shadows, and creative scene transitions. It creates a creepy mood and suffocating tone, aligned with Jonathan Harker’s descent into the clutches of the Count and his sirens. How good is this film? Good enough to negate Keanu Reeves' not-so-realistic British accent.  

Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price, Alan Arkin, Conchata Ferrell

"I don't think it would be snowing now if he weren't still up there. Sometimes you can still catch me dancing in it." - Kim

Why watch this? This odd and sweet film is a lovely journey through Tim Burton's unique brain.

Dad's Review: Tim Burton has never fit in with Hollywood’s elite. What a shame because he is such a brilliant and sensitive mind. This is the tale of Edward, a loving soul, cursed with imperfections that makes him an outcast. He is searching for love and acceptance, but he often only finds fear, cruelty and even violence. Like King Kong or Frankenstein’s monster, he is misunderstood, and driven out, leaving behind only the very few who will miss him.

Starring: Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Valerie Perrine, Willie Nelson, John Saxon, Nicolas Coster, Allan Arbus, Wilford Brimley

"You ride off with somebody else's twelve million dollar horse, did you think we wouldn't notice?" - Hallie Martin

Why watch this? I love movies about somebody who has had their fill of corporate greed.

Dad's Review: This a great film about a broken-down cowboy who has had enough of the glitz, glamour, and ruthlessness of fame. The opening setting of Las Vegas is appropriate. His parting shot is to help a famous race horse get back to the wild. Redford and Fonda are superb as an unlikely pair, both doing what they think is right. Kudos to supporting actors Wilford Brimley and country legend Willie Nelson.

Starring: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes

"Are you crazy? Nobody gets to meet the Duke. You meet him once and then you're dead!" - Cabbie

Why watch this? Kurt Russell is so dope in that eye-patch!

Dad's Review: Russell successfully changed his "Disney nice guy" image with this gritty, futuristic John Carpenter film about a snarling anti-hero, forced to rescue the US President whose plane has crashed in New York City, now a walled-off maximum security prison, where no law exists within those walls. You don't want to miss this one.

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Linda Blair

"The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don't listen to him. Remember that - do not listen." – Father Merrin

Why watch this? The actual exorcism scenes are terrifying.

Dad's Review: This film is not for children, and perhaps not even for people of strong faith. It is disturbing on so many levels. That said, it's still one of my top films. Here we see the battle of good versus evil, as played out for the soul of a young, innocent girl. When the possession fully manifests, you will be shaken to your very core.

Starring: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Frederick Forrest, Tuesday Weld

"I am not a vigilante. I am just trying to get home to my little girl's birthday party and if everyone will just stay out of my way, nobody will get hurt." - Bill Foster

Why watch this? The burger joint. He does what many of us feel when we're being ripped-off.

Dad's Review: At one time or another, I have felt like blowing my top, letting loose. Luckily, I have keep it in check, thanks to internal control mechanisms, a desire to not hurt anyone or go to jail. The genius behind this film is that we certainly can sympathize with Mr. Foster. He works hard at a good job, but it just take from him all the time. We all know how that feels. He's frustrated. He's had enough. Michael Douglas’ performance is stellar. 

Starring: Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Edmond O’Brien, Donald Pleasence, Arthur O'Connell, William Redfield

"The medieval philosophers were right. Man is the center of the universe. We stand in the middle of infinity between outer and inner space, and there's no limit to either." – Dr. Peter Duval

Why watch this? The Academy Award-winning special effects.

Dad's Review: This is the COOLEST concept for a Sci-Fi film. I just learned that it’s being remade by Guillermo del Toro… that is awesome news! This became an instant classic for me the first time I saw it. It blew me away and served to fan my flaming pre-teen crush on the buxom Raquel Welsh. As the miniaturized ship ventures through "inner space" (aka the human body), we witness things we’ve only seen in science books: red blood cells, lung tissue, a beating heart. The Oscar-winning special effects are breath-taking even by today’s standards.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, J. T. Walsh, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall, Kieffer Sutherland

"You can't handle the truth!" - Col. Nathan Jessep

Why watch this? Jack Nicholson is not on screen a lot, but every second is gold.

Dad's Review: There is just something about this movie that I can’t resist. I have to watch it. Maybe it's Tom Cruise as the cocky JAG attorney. He shows us just how good an actor he can be. When he squares off against legendary actor Jack Nicholson in the film’s climax, it is one for the ages. The supporting cast, namely Demi Moore, Kieffer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon, are excellent in this tightly-written courtroom drama.

Starring: Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster, Gaby Hoffman, Timothy Busfield

"Ray, people will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom." - Terence Mann

Why watch this? It's so American... and magical.

Dad's Review: In the late '80's Costner was cinematically on fire. This classic followed Bull Durham, another flick about baseball. This is more about the magic of baseball. It is also about sometimes following a crazy idea; trusting it when things don't make sense. That is where magic happens. This sentimental movie is beautifully shot and acted. Thank you, Burt Lancaster for your lovely performance as Doc Graham. 

Prime 200 - 51 thru 75