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Release Date: November 30, 1999
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One of several 1978 films dealing with the Vietnam War (including Hal Ashby's Oscar-winning Coming Home), Michael Cimino's epic second feature The Deer Hunter was both renowned for its tough portrayal of the war's effect on American working class steel workers and notorious for its ahistorical use of Russian roulette in the Vietnam sequences. Structured in five sections contrasting home and war, the film opens in Clairton, PA, as Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Stan (John Cazale, in his last film) celebrate the wedding of their friend Steve (John Savage) and go on a final deer hunt before the men leave for Vietnam. Mike treats hunting as a test of skill, lecturing Stan about the value of one shot deer slaying and brushing off Nick's urgings to appreciate nature's beauty. As Mike ruminates post-hunt, the film cuts to the horror of Vietnam, where the men are captured by Vietcong soldiers who force Mike and Nick to play Russian roulette for the V.C.'s amusement. Mike turns the game to his advantage so they can escape captivity, but the men are permanently scarred by the episode. Steve loses his legs; Nick vanishes in the Saigon Russian roulette parlors. Mike returns alone to Clairton a changed man, as he rejects the killing of the deer hunt and finds solace with Nick's old girlfriend Linda (Meryl Streep). Disgusted by the antics of his male cohorts at home, Mike decides to bring Steve back from a veterans' hospital, and he returns to Saigon to find Nick. As Saigon falls, Mike discovers how far gone Nick is; the survivors gather in Clairton for a funeral breakfast, singing an impromptu rendition of God Bless America. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Starring:
Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep, Chuck Aspegren
Directed by:
Michael Cimino
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Suspense/Thriller
Runtime: 182 min
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The Twilight Saga: New Moon
You have to be living in a cave or a monastery to at least not know a little bit about this phenomenon. Here’s the second movie in the vampire saga, and this time the werewolves play more prominently in the plot – especially the constantly shirtless Taylor Lautner! Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart continue to excel in their performances as Edward and Bella.
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March 16th, 2010
The Princess and the Frog
Disney’s “return” to traditional, 2-D (two dimensional), hand drawn animation may not be a complete triumph – but is still pretty darn good. Story and song-wise, this one’s perhaps a little weak, but the animation is sumptuous! Not to mention, finally - an African-American princess for Disney!
Astro Boy
This computer animated cartoon feature is based on the 1960s cartoon TV series from Japan. A scientist loses his small son, and to help him deal with his grief he makes an exact replica of the boy as a robot. Thus is born “Astro Boy,” complete with the son’s personality. When you look at the theme of the story, it’s a sort of creepy take on the Pinocchio narrative – but hey, the kid-robot has machine guns that come out of his butt! How cool is that!? Watch this one with…say…any eight year old kid if you can. Freddie Highmore and Nicolas Cage, among others, provide the voices.
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Clunker comedy starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker, cast as east coast urbanites that, after witnessing a murder, are whisked into the witness protection program and sent out to the country in Wyoming. A standard “fish-out-of-water” plot ensues, but sadly, the laughs do not.
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© 2010
