If they survive... will we?

Starring: Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen, Steve Guttenberg, Denholm Elliott, Rosemary Harris, John Dehner, John Rubinstein, Anne Meara, Jeremy Black, Bruno Ganz, Walter Gotell, David Hurst, Wolfgang Preiss

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You are born of the noblest blood in the world. You have it within you to fulfill ambitions one thousand times greater than those at which you presently dream, and you shall fulfill them, Bobby. You shall." - Dr. Josef Mengele to young Bobby Wheelock

Why watch this? It's an incredibly gripping tale about Nazi war criminals scheming in South America.

Plot Summary: A young Nazi hunter in Paraguay uncovers a disturbing meeting of former SS officers, led by the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele. This discovery alerts a skeptical but seasoned Nazi hunter, Ezra Lieberman, who investigates the bizarre plot to understand its terrifying goal. Ultimately, he unravels a horrific conspiracy to revive the Third Reich through a chilling application of genetic engineering.

ITC Films, Producer Circle; 20th Century-Fox

The new Bond. Living for Love. Dying for Thrills.

Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Isaach De Bankolé, Jesper Christensen, Ivana Millicevic, Tobias Menzies

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Do I look like I give a damn?" - James Bond, when asked if he wants his martini shaken or stirred.

Why watch this? Out with the old and in with a completely new Bond.

Plot Summary: As newly-promoted Double-0 agent James Bond on his first mission, 007 must travel to a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro to defeat Le Chiffre, a banker who finances global terrorism. Bond is partnered with treasury agent Vesper Lynd, and together they navigate the dangerous game of cards and the subsequent fallout. The mission forces Bond to confront personal stakes he has never encountered before, ultimately shaping the iconic agent we know.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pics,
Eon Prod.; Sony Pictures Releasing

The only thing Roger loved more than movies

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Gabriel Mann, Rhona Mitra, Leon Rippy, Matt Craven, Jim Beaver, Melissa McCarthy

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You work so hard not to be seen as a sex object. Before long, you're not seen at all." - Constance Harraway

Why watch this? This fantastic mystery is fun to watch unravel.

Plot Summary: A passionate philosophy professor and vocal anti-death penalty activist finds himself on Texas' death row for the brutal rape and murder of a fellow campaigner. With only a few days left before his scheduled execution, he hires an investigative journalist to hear his story. As she races against the clock to uncover the truth, she uncovers a web of secrets and shocking revelations that challenge her understanding of the entire case.

Intermedia Films, Saturn Films, Dirty Hands;
Universal Pictures

He was the perfect weapon until he became the target.

Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Julia Stiles, Gabriel Mann

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You're US government property! You're a malfunctioning thirty million dollar weapon!" - Conklin to Jason Bourne

Why watch these? If you films about dark clandestine operations, this is for you.

Plot Summary: A man with amnesia is rescued at sea and discovers he has extraordinary skills but no memory of who he is. As he attempts to unravel his past, he finds himself pursued by dangerous individuals seeking to eliminate him. He must stay ahead of his pursuers while uncovering the truth about his identity and the organization behind his predicament.

Kennedy/Marshal, Hypnotic Prod., Kalima Prod,
Stillking Films; Universal Pictures

They should have left him alone.

Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Franka Potente, Karl Urban, Gabriel Mann

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"It's not a mistake. They don't make mistakes. They don't do random. There's always an objective. Always a target." - Nicky Parsons

Why watch these? The second Bourne film does not disappoint.

Plot Summary: Years after the events of The Bourne Identity (2002), Jason Bourne is living in hiding. A CIA operation goes wrong, and evidence points to Bourne, forcing him to resurface and evade both government agencies and assassins. Seeking answers about his past and who is trying to frame him, Bourne embarks on a high-stakes journey across international locations.

Kennedy/Marshal, Ludium Ent.,
Motion Picture THETA; Universal Pictures

This Summer Jason Bourne Comes Home

Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Albert Finney, Joan Allen

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"This is Jason Bourne. You are nine hours behind the toughest target you have ever tracked. Now I want everyone to sit down, strap in, and turn on all you've got... That would mean now!" - Pamela Landy

Why watch these? This trilogy's conclusion is very satisfying.

Plot Summary: Jason Bourne, an amnesiac former CIA operative, is once again hunted by those who created him. Driven by a desire to uncover the truth about his past and the clandestine operations that shaped him, he travels across the globe, encountering new threats and old faces. Bourne races against time, dodging the relentless pursuit of the CIA and a new generation of trained assassins, in his desperate attempt to finally piece together his true identity.

Kennedy/Marshal, Ludium Entertainment;
Universal Pictures

The movie was fake. The mission was real.

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Victor Garber, Kyle Chandler

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Shoot him. He's an American spy ... Look, they're going to try to break you, OK, by trying to get you agitated. You have to know your resume back to front." – Tony Mendez

Why watch this? A great movie about an interesting, and very tense, true story.

Plot Summary: This film chronicles the creative way that several US government employees were smuggled out of Iran after the fall of the Shah, back in 1979. The US team assigned to the rescue concoct the idea of filming a science fiction movie in Iran as their cover.
 

Dad's Preview: "It's so crazy it just might work!" The courage it must have taken to pull off such ballsy plan! Director/Star Ben Affleck proves once again that he's a very good director in this well-paced political thriller. It could have been silly, yet the result is a taut, believable film. John Goodman and Alan Arkin are also exceptional in key supporting roles.

GK Films, Smokehouse Pics; Warner Bros. Pics

The thrill spectacle of the year!

Starring: Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, George Sanders, Albert Bassermann, Robert Benchley, Edmund Gwenn, Eduardo Ciannelli, Harry Davenport, Martin Kosleck, Ian Wolfe

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I don't want any more economists, sages, or oracles bombinating over our cables. I want a reporter! Somebody who doesn't know the difference between an -ism and a kangaroo. A good, honest crime reporter." – Mr. Powers

Why watch this? This fast-moving, conspiracy-laden thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Plot Summary: On the eve of World War II, an American crime reporter, John Jones, is sent to Europe to interview a Dutch diplomat, Van Meer, about the probability of war. At an event, he also falls for Carol, the intelligent and witty daughter of Mr. Fisher, spokesman for the Universal Peace Party. Jones gets a brief conversation with the pleasant Van Meer, only to later witnesses the man's assassination. Jones chases the culprit through Holland, tracking him to a massive windmill in the Dutch countryside.

Walter Wanger Productions; United Artists

Some search for battle, others are born into it...

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, Paul Grimstad, Shayna McHayle, Tony Goldwyn

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Are you happy? Do you have love? What will you do when you get older? Will you try to change the world like I did? We failed, but maybe you will not. Maybe you will be the one who puts the world right." - Perfidia, in a letter to Willa

Why watch this? This is tension-building 101, with a satisfying conclusion.

Plot Summary: This intense American story follows a disillusioned former radical named Bob lives off-the-grid while raising his daughter, Willa. Their quiet, yet paranoid, life is upended when a sinister military nemesis from the past, Colonel Lockjaw, resurfaces to hunt them down. Bob is forced to reunite with his old revolutionary comrades and fight to protect his daughter from the consequences of his previous life.

Warner Bros., Ghouldardi Film Co.;
Warner Bros. Pictures

For ten years one woman never stopped searching for the most wanted man in history

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, James Gandolfini, Harold Perrineau, Mark Duplass, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Callan Mulvey

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I'm going to smoke everyone involved in this op and then I'm going to kill bin Laden." - Maya

Why watch this? My one post-viewing thought was, "Any country on this planet would be a fool to mess with our military".

Plot Summary: This CIA and military film focuses on Maya, a CIA operative responsible for finding, through any means, the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's leader, Osama Bin Laden. She's a direct, determined and no bullshit lady. Finally, in 2011, her team's efforts identify a compound in Pakistan where it is very likely Bin Laden lives. A U.S. Navy SEAL team, at night, is sent in to kill or capture Bin Laden.

First Light; Annapurna Pic; Columbia
Pics through Sony Releasing Pictures

'Fail Safe' Will Have You Sitting on the Brink of Eternity!

Starring: Dan O'Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns, Fritz Weaver, Henry Fonda, Larry Hagman, William Hansen, Russell Collins, Sorrell Brooke, Nancy Berg

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"If we can't convince them it's an accident we're trying to correct by any means, we're going to have something on our hands that nobody bargained for, and only a lunatic wants!" – Brig. General Warren A. "Blackie" Black

Why watch this? This film fictitiously documents our worst fears from the Cold War conflict.

Plot Summary: This story centers on a military crisis where a technical malfunction mistakenly sends American bombers to launch a nuclear attack on Moscow. The President of the United States desperately attempts to convince the Soviet leader that this is an accident and works with him to try to stop the bombers before they can drop their payloads. The film explores the escalating tension and the difficult decisions made to prevent a full-scale nuclear war triggered by this critical error.

Sidney Lumet, Charles H. Maguire, Max E.
Youngstein; Columbia Pictures

Harrison Ford is the President of the United States, and he wants you off his plane.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, William H. Macy, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews, Paul Guilfoyle, Dean Stockwell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Your national security advisor has just been executed. He's a very good negotiator. He bought you another half hour." - Ivan Korshunov

Why watch this? This superb film is at its best when Ford and Oldman go at it.

Plot Summary: A group of terrorists hijacks the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, demanding the release of their imprisoned leader. The President, initially believed to have escaped, secretly remains on board, fighting to protect his family and the other hostages. He races against time, battling the hijackers to regain control of the plane and thwart their plans.

Columbia Pics, Beacon Pics, Radiant Prod.;
Sony Pictures Releasing

An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them...

Starring: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Thompson, John Mahoney

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I have a rendezvous with death, and so does the President, and so do you, Frank, if you get too close to me." - Mitch Leary / James Carney / Booth

Why watch this? An excellent political thriller about the President's Secret Service detail.

Plot Summary: Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, haunted by his failure to save President Kennedy, gets a chance at redemption when a former CIA assassin begins threatening the current President. The assassin, who uses the alias "Booth," engages Horrigan in a dangerous psychological game, taunting him with clues about his elaborate plot and exploiting Horrigan's past trauma. Despite skepticism from his superiors, Horrigan must race against time to prevent a presidential assassination.

Castle Rock Entertainment, Apple-Rose
Prod.; Columbia Pictures

If you come in five minutes after this picture begins, you won't know what it's all about!
When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it!

Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, James Gregory, Henry Silva, Leslie Parrish, John McGiver, Khigh Dheigh, James Edwards, Douglas Henderson, Albert Paulsen, Barry Kelley, Lloyd Corrigan, Madame Spivy, Reggie Nalder

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I told them to build me an assassin. I wanted a killer from a world filled with killers and they chose you because they thought it would bind me closer to them." – Mrs. Iselin

Why watch this? This Frankenheimer thriller was certainly ahead of its time. I genuinely left me disturbed.

Plot Summary: The film opens in the Korean War with the capture of U.S. soldiers by Soviet/Chinese forces. Three days later the men return and are eventually sent back home. For their service, Sergeant Raymond Shaw receives the Medal of Honor, thanks to Captain Ben Marco's recommendation. Marco, and many of the men involved, however, are having horrible nightmares. In Marco's fever dreams he witnesses Shaw murder two fellow soldiers in front of communist military leaders. He convinces his superior office that something happened in Korea akin to brainwashing, and he feels that Shaw may be compromised.

M. C. Productions; United Artists

What would you do if you were accused of a murder, you had not committed... yet?

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow, Neal McDonough, Peter Stormare

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Don't trust anyone. Just find the Minority Report." – Dr. Iris Henimen

Why watch this? This futuristic thriller is one of Spielberg's many masterpieces.

Plot Summary: In a future where a specialized police unit called PreCrime stops murderers before they can act, Chief John Anderton believes the system is flawless. However, one day he receives a prediction that he himself will commit a murder, leading him to question the system's infallibility. Now a fugitive from the very unit he led, Anderton must try to prove his innocence and uncover a possible conspiracy that could be behind his predicted crime.
 

Dad's Preview: Early on, Tom Cruise was just too cocky for me. This film made me an true fan. Set in a future, utopian Earth, the plot centers on a crime agency that arrests people for future crimes. The dreams of three telepathic triplets (kept in medically-induced comas), called "Pre-Cogs", are recorded and analyzed to predict future murders. The plot is uber-creative and Spielberg makes is exciting. Cruise's character is flawed and complex. It's engaging, fast-paced and full of surprises.

DreamWorks Pics, Amblin Entertainment,
Blue Tulip Prod.; 20th Century Fox

I am an idea. And ideas are bulletproof

Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Roger Allam, Ben Miles

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world." - V

Why watch this? ... it's a futuristic tale of a crafty vigilante standing up against fascism.

Plot Summary: In a dystopian future, Britain is under the rule of a totalitarian government. A masked vigilante known as V embarks on a mission to ignite a revolution against the oppressive regime. A young woman named Evey Hammond, a television network employee, becomes unintentionally involved in V's audacious acts of defiance. As V's plans unfold, Inspector Finch races against time to apprehend him, all the while uncovering dark secrets and questioning the very foundations of his government.

Silver Pics, Virtual Studios, Studio Babelsberg,
Vertigo DC Comics, Anarchos Prod. Inc.;
Warner Bros. Pictures

You get tough. You get tender. You get close to each other. Maybe you even get close to the truth.

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, John Hillerman, Darrell Zwerling, Diane Ladd, Roy Jenson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Let me explain something to you, Walsh. This business requires a certain amount of finesse" – Jake Gittes

Why watch this? Nicholson and Dunaway excel in this homage to noir film.

Plot Summary: In 1937 Los Angeles, a private investigator, Jake Gittes who specializes in divorce cases, is hired to expose an adulterer. His investigation into the affair of a prominent water engineer uncovers a web of deception, corruption, and ultimately, murder. He finds himself entangled in a vast conspiracy involving the city's water supply and the powerful figures manipulating it for their own gain.

Long Road Prod., Robert Evans Co.;
Paramount Pictures

In heroes we trust.

Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Redford, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky." - Steve Rogers

Why watch this? This is one of the best of the MCU movies - it's awesome on every level.

Plot Summary: A deadly new assassin, code named Winter Soldier, is causing a lot of problems. Cap enlists help from Black Widow and Falcon to stop him. Cap learns that the soldier is none other than his best friend, Bucky Barnes, who somehow has been turned into a killing machine. It will take all the heroes Cap can muster to rescue Barnes, un-brainwash him, and find out who is responsible.

Marvel Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pics

The Hunt Is On.

Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, Fred Thompson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Once more, we play our dangerous game, a game of chess against our old adversary — The American Navy." - Capt. Ramius

Why watch this? The best submarine film ever made, IMHO.

Plot Summary: Marko Ramius, a Soviet submarine captain commanding the innovative stealth submarine Red October, unexpectedly alters course and heads toward the United States. Suspecting Ramius has gone rogue, both Soviet and American navies launch their own hunts for the submarine. However, CIA analyst Jack Ryan believes Ramius might be trying to defect, a theory he must prove before an international incident erupts.
 

Dad's Preview: I do love a good submarine movie. Run Silent, Run Deep (1958). Crimson Tide (1995). This stands alone at the top. Based on Tom Clancy's novel, this takes us deep into a Cold War sea battle where a Russian sub has gone missing, and the US sends its own sub to intercept her, that is, before she can moor near the US coast and launch ICBM missiles. Sir Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin are excellent in their leading roles as Jack Ryan and Soviet Captain Ramius.

Mace Neufeld Productions;
Paramount Pictures

No One Gets Away Clean

Starring: Don Cheadle, Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Erika Chistensen, Jacob Vargas, Miguel Ferrer, Tomas Milian, Amy Irving, Topher Grace, Albert Finney, James Brolin, Benjamin Bratt

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemy. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family." – Robert Wakefield, U.S. Drug Tsar

Why watch this? It drives home that drugs are here, and the war is in our homes.

Plot Summary: This is a multi-narrative exploration of the illegal drug trade, from various perspectives including law enforcement, politicians, traffickers, and users. One storyline follows a judge appointed as the US drug czar, grappling with his new role while discovering his daughter's drug addiction. A second thread focuses on two DEA agents tracking drug distribution across the US-Mexico border, leading to the arrest of a major trafficker. The third narrative delves into the complex world of a jailed drug lord's wife who tries to navigate and maintain the family business.

Bedford Falls Prod., Laura Bickford Prod.,
Initial Ent. Group; USA Films

Notorious Woman of many Desires! Fateful Fascination! Bold Intrigue!

Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern, Leopoldine Konstantin, Reinhold Schunzel, Moroni Olsen

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Every time you look at me, I can see it running over its slogans: "Once a crook, always a crook", "Once a tramp, always a tramp". Go on. You can hold my hand. I won't blackmail you for it afterwards." – Alicia Huberman

Why watch this? The building suspense within this film is quietly palpable.

Plot Summary: U.S. agent Devlin recruits Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy, to infiltrate a group of Nazis hiding in Rio de Janeiro. Alicia agrees, but her mission becomes complicated when she falls in love with Devlin while being tasked with seducing a prominent Nazi named Alexander Sebastian, who was previously infatuated with her. This arrangement forces her into a difficult position, testing her loyalties and potentially putting her life in danger.

Vanguard Films; RKO Radio Pictures

All the President's Men (1976), Director: Alan J. Pakula, rated PG

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are about to ask you a few questions.

Starring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook , Jason Robarbs, Ned Beatty

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"It leads everywhere. Get out your notebook. There's more." - Deep Throat

Why watch this? This explains Watergate in a very interesting and suspenseful manner.

Plot Summary: Two reporters from the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, are assigned to what initially seems like a minor break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate complex. As they investigate, they uncover a much larger political conspiracy, tracing the trail of illegal activity higher and higher within the Nixon administration, despite obstacles and threats to their safety. Their persistent investigative journalism ultimately aims to reveal the truth about the Watergate scandal and its connections to those in power.

Wildwood Enterprises; Warner Bros.