Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

★★★★☆

Loosely based off of a book of the same name, the story follows Captain Jack Sparrow (again) who somehow got swindled into becoming a crewmember aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the notorious Blackbeard. Meanwhile, Barbossa has become an Admiral working for the King of England sent out to find and kill Blackbeard. What he doesn’t realize is that both Sparrow, Blackbeard, Blackbeard’s daughter and the Spanish, are all trying to locate the famed Fountain of Youth. Though this film doesn’t have the great cinematography and darkness that Verbinski gave the Pirates movie, it was still a great action film that explored greater realms of Pirate mythology. Headlined by McShane’s Blackbeard, this installment is probably better than the 3^rd installment but I would have loved to see what Verbinski would have added to the table.

Vertigo (1958)

★★★★1/2

When a San Francisco detective, suffering from acrophobia, is asked my one of his friends to follow and investigate his wife’s activities, he soon becomes obsessively in love with her. The basis of his friend’s accusations is that he believes that she is becoming somebody that she isn’t but as things unfold, detective Ferguson realizes that there is a more sinister plot at hand. Cited as being one of Hitchcock’s best films, I don’t believe it’s his best but certainly one of his greatest achievements in suspense and brilliance. It’s a very complex and thoughtful story the blends mystery with forbidden passion. Wonderful special effects seem to be a byproduct of this film. For me, it’s Jimmy Stewart’s performance that won me over, especially his chilling turn of character at the end.

Eraser (1996)

★★★☆☆

John Kruger is one of the best witness protection agents of his company but when a young woman breaks into his company’s labs, he soon realizes that they are developing a high-tech weapon. He soon realizes that she is telling the truth and they are both on list of people to be “erased.” As a simple plotted, gun-a-blazing, suspenseful action movie it works… and that’s all it really is. It may not be one of Schwarzenegger’s best movies but it’s pretty entertaining with some great stunts. It’s nice to see James Caan fight off Arnold any day of the week.

Pleasantville (1998)

★★★★1/2

When a brother and sister from the 90’s are zapped into a 1950’s sitcom by a mysterious remote, they soon find themselves struggling to adapt to the 50’s ideology and morals. It doesn’t take long before the sister, Jennifer, disobeys her brother, David, and brings 90’s culture to this complacent black and white world. Before long, the citizens of Pleasantville begin seeing things in a while new color and this angers those who want to keep their strict morals and later leads to Pleasantville becoming not so pleasant. At its heart, this is a truly magical film that explores people’s fear and how we’ll do anything to preserve our innocents. Great special effects and wonderful art direction highlight this film as being something other than a “fish out of the water” story. It has heart, humor and morals.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

★★★★★

Set in the 50’s, when a ruthless and violent shooting at the Nite Owl Diner is investigated, by the book police officer Edmund Exley seeks out the vigilantes responsible for all the murders. Meanwhile, brute thug Detective Wendell White believes that the shootings trail back to a wealthy brothel owner who makes prostitutes look like movie stars. However, Jack Vincennes, who became the chief advisor for an L.A. cop TV Show, believes that the shootings originated at the L.A. County Governor’s office. What these three don’t realize is that the shootings go much deeper than any of them suspected. Brilliant performances, a tight and suspenseful script and gorgeous cinematography highlight this film as one of the best modern day noir pieces I’ve seen.

Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

★★★☆☆

When an A.I. computer guidance system aboard a space shuttle becomes self-aware and reroutes the course towards the sun, Ted Striker is called back once again to save the shuttle and all the passengers aboard it. With very little time and the ground units puzzled, Ted must find a way to destroy the A.I. system, remap a new course to the moon and win the love of his life Elaine Dickinson. As a sequel, this installment isn’t bad and has some fresh gags but ultimately it references the first one way too many times. Jokes are reused and “remade” and ends up being a parody of itself. It’s nice to see a new cast of characters but I just wish that it didn’t ride Airplane’s coattails.

Rear Window (1954)

★★★★★

After an accident has left him in a wheelchair, Photographer Jeff Jeffries finds entertainment by spying on his neighbors from his apartment window. However, after harmlessly peeping into a mild case of spousal abuse, Jeffries soon becomes convinced that the husband has murdered his wife. Unable to leave his apartment and without any evidence, Jeffries must now prove that the murder happened… or is he developing a case of cabin fever? While the film, at its core, is quite boring, Hitchcock uses voyeurism to create sharp suspense. The audience, like Jeffries, is confined to that one apartment and we aren’t able to see what truly is happening. With great performances by Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, this is a fine case of pure suspense.