The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the  Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Four children, Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Peter (William Moseley), and Susan (Anna Popplewell), sent to the country to avoid the blitz, travel through a magical wardrobe to the land of Narnia, where an evil witch (Tilda Swinton) keeps the land in perpetual winter.  A prophecy declares that four humans will start the overthrow

The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

Amy (Ann Carter), the daughter of Oliver and Alice Reed (Kent Smith, Jane Randolph), is a lonely and overly imaginative child.  With no friends, she wishes for one, and Irena, the ghost of Oliver’s first wife, appears.  Amy also meets an old, pleasant, but mentally unstable neighbor (Julia Dean), who is cared for by a

Desk Set (1957)

Desk Set (1957)

Efficiency expert Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) is secretly hired to computerize a research department run by the brilliant Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn).  As Bunny worries about her boyfriend’s unwillingness to commit and the possible loss of jobs due to the computer, she finds herself drawing closer and closer to Richard. Quick Review: This is a

Die Hard (1988)

Die Hard (1988)

New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) when terrorists, lead by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), take over the building she works in.  It is up to McClane to save his wife and get out alive. There are a lot of action films out there, most with poor acting,

Die Hard 2 (1990)

Die Hard 2 (1990)

Once again on Christmas, John McClane (Bruce Willis), finds himself battling terrorists in order to protect his wife.  This time, he stumbles into them at the airport where they are trying to free a South American Fascist leader. Quick Review: It is unfair to compare the sequel to the original Die Hard, but I just

Fitzwilly (1967)

Fitzwilly (1967)

Head butler, Fitzwilliam (Dick Van Dyke), and his loyal staff rob and con in order to raise enough money to keep Miss Vicky (Dame Edith Evans) convinced she’s still rich.  But their perfect world is upset when a new secretary, Juliet Nowell (Barbara Feldon), enters the household. Quick Review: A skillfully written piece of Christmas

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

The Adventures of Harry Potter during his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself mysteriously chosen as a fourth competitor in the very dangerous TriWizard Tournament, even though he is too young and there should be only three.  He must survive three challenges, and determine who submitted his

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The Adventures of Harry Potter during his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), who has been raised by his unpleasant guardians without being told there is a secret world of magic and that he is a wizard, is taken to Hogwarts by the giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane).  There he

The Hebrew Hammer (2003)

The Hebrew Hammer (2003)

When the new Santa (Andy Dick) decides to destroy Hanukkah, it’s up to Mordechai Jefferson Carver (Adam Goldberg), a street-smart Jewish hero, to save the holiday. Quick Review: I expected very little from a film titled The Hebrew Hammer, but it turned out to have some good performances and humorous concepts.  Unfortunately, due to a

Holiday Inn (1942)

Holiday Inn (1942)

After he loses a girl to his partner, Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire), song man Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) quits the business to run an Inn which will only be open on holidays.  He hires singer-dancer Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds) for his shows, and the two are quickly a romantic item.  But Ted is dumped and

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

A green creature (Jim Carrey), abused as a child and publicly humiliated recently, takes his revenge upon the shallow residents of Whoville by stealing all of their Christmas presents and decorations. If, while watching the 1966 animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you thought, “this isn’t bad, but what it really needs is

Jack Frost (1998)

Jack Frost (1998)

A year after dying in a car accident, a man (Michael Keaton) is reincarnated as a snowman and given a chance to be a better father than he was when alive. Quick Review: In a way, I feel sorry for director Troy Miller.  With the basic concept, it was next to impossible for him to