The magical legend of an unforgettable love.

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern, John Wood, Alfred Molina, Ken Hutchison

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Do you know that hawks and wolves mate for life? The Bishop didn't even leave us that... not even that." - Etienne

Why watch this? This fantasy film is tragic, sad, then finally enrapturing.

Plot Summary: Phillipe "The Mouse" Gaston is a young thief who escapes prison in medieval Aquila. He becomes intertwined with Captain Navarre and Lady Isabeau, a pair of star-crossed lovers under a powerful curse. This curse, inflicted by a wicked Bishop, causes Navarre to become a wolf at night and Isabeau a hawk during the day, keeping them eternally together yet apart. Phillipe, an unlikely ally, joins their quest to confront the Bishop and break the enchantment.

20th Century Fox, Laren Shuler
Prod.; Warner Bros.

From the first laugh, you'll be hooked!

Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Dody Goodman, Shecky Greene, Richard B. Shull

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I don't understand. All my life I've been waiting for someone and when I find her, she's... she's... a fish." - Allen Bauer

Why watch this? It's the best guy-falls-in-love-with-mermaid film... ever, and I stand by that.

Plot Summary: A young man named Allen Bauer is reunited with a mermaid who saved him from drowning as a boy. She follows him to New York City and takes on human form, and they fall in love. However, her true identity as a mermaid remains a secret that a persistent scientist is determined to expose.

Touchstone Films; Buena Vista Dist. Co.

Stop Dreaming. Start Living.

Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Sean Penn, Jon Daly, Terence Bernie Hines

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I wanted to tell you, that song "Major Tom" and that beard guy... he doesn't know what he's talking about. That song is about courage and going into the unknown. It's a cool song." – Cheryl

Why watch this? It's a good thing to watch Ben Stiller take a beating, then root for him.

Plot Summary: Walter Mitty, a timid negative assets manager at Life magazine, escapes his mundane reality by frequently zoning out into heroic and fantastical daydreams. As the magazine prepares to release its final print issue, a crucial photograph for the cover goes missing, forcing Walter to embark on a real-life adventure to find its elusive photographer, Sean O'Connell. This quest takes Walter on a journey across the globe, leading him to experience the excitement and challenges he previously only imagined.

Samuel Goldwyn Films, Red Hour Prod., New
Line Cinema, TSG Ent., Big Screen Prod, Down
Prod., Ingenious Media; 20th Century Fox

About Time (2013), Director: Richard Curtis, rated R for adult themes

A new funny film about love. With a bit of time travel.

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, Richard Cordery, Joshua McGuire, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie, Will Merrick, Vanessa Kirby, Tom Hughes

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Lesson Number One: All the time traveling in the world can't make someone love you." - Tim

Why watch this? This delightful British romantic comedy has a message about how we spend time.

Plot Summary: Our protagonist is the awkward Tim, who just can't figure out the opposite sex. Then his father, on this 21st birthday, drops the bomb that the men in his family can travel back in time. What!? Astonished, Tim immediately tests this assertion, and well, Dad was right. The rest of this rom-com delves into several love-based situations enhanced by Tim's unique ability. Say the wrong thing at a dinner party? No problem - just hide in a closet, travel back in time, and redo it.

Brandywine Prod.; 20th Century Fox

Experience Japan's #1 film of 2016, from visionary director Makoto Shinkai.

Starring: (the English voice talents of:) Michael Sinterniklaas, Stephanie Sheh, Kyle Hebert, Cassandra Lee Morris, Ben Pronsky, Ray Chase, Laura Post, Glynis Ellis, Catie Harvey, Scott Williams, Michelle Ruff, Katy Vaughn

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"What should I do? Would I annoy him? Would it be awkward? Or maybe he'd be a bit glad to see me?" - Mitshuha, regarding a chance encounter with Taki

Why watch this? More attention needs to be paid to anime films, including this masterpiece.

Plot Summary: The story follows a high school girl in rural Japan and a high school boy in Tokyo who begin to mysteriously swap bodies. They learn about each other's lives and build a connection by leaving notes and messages. When the body-swapping suddenly stops, the boy goes on a quest to find the girl, only to discover a heartbreaking truth about their connection.

CoMix Wave Films; Toho

She's finally met the man of her dreams. He's not real but you can't have everything.

Starring: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello, Edward Herrmann, John Wood, Deborah Rush, Zoe Caldwell, Dianne Wiest, Paul Herman, Van Johnson, Karen Akers, Milo O'Shea

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Last week I was unloved. Now, two people love me - and it's the same two people." - Cecilia

Why watch this? This unique film is speaks of love, longing and old Hollywood.

Plot Summary: Cecilia is a woman struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression. The passionate young woman is tied down by a deadbeat, abusive husband and a diner job she is not very good at. Her true love is attending movies at the local theater. The settings are usually exotic, the stars dashing and handsome. When a new feature begins its run, The Purple Rose of Cairo, she becomes enamored with an adventurous character, Tom Baxter. As her life gets harder, she retreats to the theater, again and again. Then something truly unbelievable occurs: In a critical scene, Tom Baxter looks into the audience, addresses Cecilia directly, and does the impossible - he walks off the screen and into her life, eagerly escaping the fictitious film universe.

Robert Greenhut; Orion Pictures

A Fairy Tale for Troubled Times

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Nick Searcy, Nigel Bennett

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"When he looks at me, the way he looks at me... He does not know, what I lack... Or - how - I am incomplete. He sees me, for what I - am, as I am. He's happy - to see me. Every time. Every day. Now, I can either save him... or let him die" - Giles, interpreting Elisa

Why watch this? It's strange, haunting and a work of extraordinary beauty.

Plot Summary: In 1962 Baltimore, Elisa, a mute cleaning lady working at a high-security government laboratory, leads a lonely, isolated life. Her existence changes forever when she discovers a mysterious, captured humanoid amphibian creature and forms a deep, unique bond with him. To save him from a sadistic colonel, Elisa teams up with her friends to plan a daring escape and set him free.

Double Dare You Prod.; Fox Searchlight Pics

You're only young once!

Starring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, Jon Lovitz, David Moscow, Mercedes Ruehl

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I'm your best friend. What's more important than that, huh?" - Billy

Why watch this? It's a modern day fairy tale about a wish that actually comes true.

Plot Summary: This tale centers on a young boy named Josh Baskin who, frustrated with his young age, makes a wish to be "big". He wakes up the next day to find himself transformed into an adult. He now must navigate the challenges and wonders of adulthood while trying to find a way to reverse the magical transformation. With the help of Billy, his best friend, he must find the mystical machine that granted his wish.

Gracie Films; 20th Century-Fox

Someday in the past he will find her...

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer, Teresa Wright, Bill Erwin, George Voskovec, Susan French, William H. Macy

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Do you actually believe that I have nurtured her, cared for her, molded, taught, developed her, for all these years merely to groom a wife?!" – William Robinson

Why watch this? ... it's the first romance I actually liked. Now, I cry every time I see it.

Plot Summary: A playwright named Richard Collier who becomes infatuated with a photograph of a beautiful actress named Elise McKenna, taken in 1912. Driven by an intense desire to meet her, he uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. There, he encounters Elise, but her strict manager seeks to prevent any potential romance, fearing it could damage her career.

Rastar; Universal Pictures

After Life There Is More.

Starring: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Annabella Sciorra, Max von Sydow, Jessica Brooks Grant, Matt Salinger

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Bring Mom back. You can do it. I believe in you. Did you ever stop to think why I became Albert? He was the only man you ever listened to. Listen to me now. Think of Mom." - Albert

Why watch this? This is about love and pain and saving your spouse, even after death.

Plot Summary: Chris dies in an accident. He enters a vibrant afterlife shaped by his colorful memories and imagination. He discovers his beloved wife, Annie, distraught by her losses, has committed suicide and is trapped in a dark, twisted version of the afterlife. Driven by love, Chris embarks on a perilous journey through these realms to rescue her.

Interscope Communications; PolyGram
Filmed Entertainment

There Has Never Been A Motion Picture Like... The Red Shoes

Starring: Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Robert Helpmann, Léonide Massine, Albert Bassermann, Ludmilla Tchérina, Esmond Knight, Austin Trevor, Irene Browne, Hay Petrie

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never." – Boris Lermontov

Why watch this? It really is a work of dance art that overwhelms the senses.

Plot Summary: In South France, a driven young ballerina must choose between her intense ambition to become a great dancer and the love of a composer who wants her to lead a more balanced life. Her demanding instructor, obsessed with the belief that a dancer can have no other life than art, pushes her to an emotional breaking point. This psychological conflict unfolds as she dances the lead in a new ballet production called "The Red Shoes."

Powell and Pressburger, The Archers;
General Film Distributors

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Director: Francis Ford Coppola rated R for strong violence, nudity, scary scenes

LOVE NEVER DIES

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

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"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!

Plot Summary: In 1897, a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to Transylvania to handle a real estate transaction for the mysterious Count Dracula. Upon seeing a photograph of Harker's fiancée, Mina, Dracula believes she is the reincarnation of his deceased wife. Imprisoning Harker, the Count travels to London to find Mina, unleashing a reign of terror and seduction upon those seek to protect the girl.

American Zoetrope, Osiris Films;
Columbia Pictures

The most beautiful love story ever told.

Starring (voices): Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Oh, it's no use. She's so beautiful, and I'm... Well, look at me!" - Beast

Why watch this? This magical Disney effort just made the world seem right again.

Plot Summary: In this fairy tale, the beautiful Belle offers her freedom to a cursed prince who has been transformed into a Beast. The Beast, along with his castle and its enchanted staff, are under a spell that can only be broken if he learns to love and be loved in return. Belle gradually gets to know the Beast and sees beyond his outward appearance, while the Beast strives tame his impatient temper.

Walt Disney Feature Animation; Buena
Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.

Forged by a god. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a King.

Starring:  Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Nicol Williamson, Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, Cherie Lunghi

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #38 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Excalibur

"You will be the land, and the land will be you. If you fail, the land will perish; as you thrive, the land will blossom." - Merlin

Why watch this? ... because it is the Arthurian legend in vivid, wonderful detail.

Plot Summary: Told here is the epic tale of King Arthur, tracing his journey from humble beginnings to the throne of a unified Britain. Guided by the enigmatic wizard Merlin, Arthur establishes the legendary Round Table and builds the realm of Camelot, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity. However, the kingdom's glory is threatened by internal strife, including betrayal, forbidden love, and the insidious plots of Arthur's treacherous half-sister, the sorceress Morgana.

Orion Pictures, Cinema '84; Warner Bros.

The Director Of "Batman" & "Beetlejuice" Invites You To Meet His Newest Creation

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

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"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.

Plot Summary: Edward, an artificial humanoid, is created by an inventor who died before completing him, leaving him with scissors instead of hands. Edward lives in solitude in a Gothic castle until a kind Avon lady brings him to her suburban family's home. While trying to adapt to his new surroundings, Edward uses his unique hands to create beautiful topiaries and hairstyles, becoming a local celebrity. However, his gentle nature and burgeoning love for the family's daughter are eventually challenged by suspicion and misunderstanding from the townspeople.

Denise Di Novi, Tim Burton; 20th Century Fox

The story of a man and a woman who lived happily ever after. Even though the courtship almost killed them.

Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Robin Wright, Peter Faulk, Fred Savage

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”– Indigo Montoya

Why watch this? ... True 'tis a fairy tale, but it's laced with wisdom adults will enjoy.

Plot Summary: The story unfolds as a grandfather reads a fantastical tale to his sick grandson about a beautiful woman named Buttercup and her true love, Westley. After Westley is believed lost at sea, Buttercup is unwillingly betrothed to the nefarious Prince Humperdinck. However, Buttercup is kidnapped by a trio of outlaws, but is relentlessly pursued by a mysterious man in black and Humperdinck himself, leading to a series of unexpected encounters and adventures.

Act III Communications, Buttercup Films;
20th Century Fox

An epic of epic epicness.

Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alison Pill, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Um, I guess... if we're gonna date, you may have to defeat my seven evil exes." – Ramona Flowers

Why watch this? There is not a second in this film that I don't love.

Plot Summary: Scott Pilgrim, a slacker musician living in Toronto, finds his comfortable life disrupted when he falls for the mysterious and enigmatic Ramona Flowers. To win her heart, however, he must defeat her seven evil exes, each with their own unique abilities and personalities. This journey forces Scott to confront his own flaws, past relationships, and insecurities, ultimately pushing him toward self-discovery.

Marc Platt Prod., Big Talk Films, Closed on
Mondays Ent., Dentsu; Universal Pictures

He's having the worst day of his life... over, and over...

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty, Angela Paton, Rick Overton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster and drank pina coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters. That was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get that day over and over and over?" – Phil Connors

Why watch this? Put Bill Murray in any situation and he'll make it funny.

Plot Summary: Phil Connors, a cynical TV weatherman, travels to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. After a blizzard strands him in the small town, he wakes up the next morning to discover that it is February 2nd all over again. Phil is caught in a mysterious time loop, forcing him to relive the same day repeatedly, and he's the only one aware of the phenomenon. He attempts various methods to escape his predicament, eventually leading him to explore the possibilities and consequences within this looping reality.
 

Dad's Preview: A modern fairy tale of sorts about a self-centered man who is forced to re-live one day, Groundhog day, over and over. It is a great premise for a comedy, especially in the hands of veteran actor-director Harold Ramis and his buddy, comedian Bill Murray. The film delivers great performances, and plenty of really funny moments as Murray approaches each repeated day a little different than the day before. At first, it's kinda fun, but eventually it starts to drive him nuts. This experience might also help him learn what is really important in life.

Trevor Albert, Harold Ramis; Columbia Pics

From the imagination of director Tim Burton. An adventure as big as life itself.

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Danny DeVito

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #37 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Big Fish

"A man tells so many stories, that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal." Will Bloom

Why watch this? It is a visually stunning, creative tale about a wounded son and his eccentric father.

Plot Summary: Will returns home to visit his dying father, Edward Bloom, a man known for his incredible, larger-than-life stories. Frustrated by his father's constant tall tales, Will attempts to uncover the truth behind them, seeking to reconcile the imaginative narratives with the real life his father lived. Through flashbacks and Will's investigation, much is gleaned about the relationship between fact and fiction, the nature of legacy, and a son's journey to understanding his father.

Columbia Pics, Jinks-Cohen Co., The Zanuck Co.;
Sony Pictures Releasing

The most loved Christmas film of all time!

Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Frank Faylen, Gloria Grahame

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #11 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of It's a Wonderful Life

"Strange isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" - Clarence the angel

Why watch this? ... You're kidding, right? This holiday classic is so much more than that.

Plot Summary: This holiday classic follows George Bailey, a man who has always put the needs of his small town and its residents before his own ambitions. Through a series of selfless acts, he inadvertently creates a life that, despite its challenges, has a profound impact on those around him. When faced with a crisis that pushes him to his breaking point, an unexpected intervention shows him the true value of his existence and the indelible mark he has made on his community.

Liberty Films; RKO Radio Pictures

You can erase someone from your mind. Getting them out of your heart is another story.

Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Jane Adams, David Cross, Deirdre O'Connell, Thomas Jay Ryan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #7 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

"Meet me in Montauk..." – Clementine

Why watch this? It's the polar opposite of a RomCom, and the greatest movie about real love I have ever seen.

Plot Summary: Joel discovers his former girlfriend, Clementine, has had their relationship erased from her memory following a breakup. Out of despair, Joel decides to undergo the same procedure to erase Clementine from his own mind. However, as his memories are systematically removed, Joel begins to realize the importance of those experiences, even the painful ones. He attempts to resist the erasure process and hold onto the memories of Clementine, leading to a surreal and fragmented journey through his subconscious.

Anonymous Content, This is that;
Focus Features