Collection ID 1078
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Studio: Marvel Studios   Release date: 2012   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, Russian (USA)
Summary: Nick Fury is director of S.H.I.E.L.D, an international peace keeping agency. The agency is a who's who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When global security is threatened by Loki and his cohorts, Nick Fury and his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster.
My Rating:
My Review: Awesome movie - I was originally planning to buy a Blu-Ray copy when it became available. Instead, for a little less, I bought an HD digital version directly from Apple. Now it's in the movie collection on my computer, ready for streaming on any of my Apple devices. If I want to, I can even stream it when I'm away from home; because Apple's storing it in their iCloud. As I said earlier, this movie was on my 'Must Watch' list. Yes I was a comic book collector. I still have some old copies in a box somewhere. I read many Marvel comics. I knew the Avengers and I read the exploits of many such heroes when I was a young boy. Despite my less than enthusiastic response to some of the individual Avenger movies (Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk), this movie is outstanding. The cast (Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Ironman; Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America; Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk; Chris Hemsworth as Thor; Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow; Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye; Tom Hiddleston as Loki; and many others) worked well together and the acting was pretty good. Mark Ruffalo was much better as the Hulk than previous attempts. As individuals, the acting and movies weren't all that good. Together as members of S.H.I.E.L.D. they did an excellent job. The movie was expertly written and directed by one of my favorite directors: Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Serenity, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog). It's entertaining, filled with action, humor, heart and thrilling drama. A summer block-buster with plot cohesion, plenty of character development, outstanding cinematography, choreography, and some amazing production. Be sure to stay through all the credits to see the extra scenes. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 1633
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Studio: Marvel Studios   Release date: 2018   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 913
Director: Neal Israel
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tawny Kitaen, Adrian Zmed, George Grizzard, Barbara Stuart
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Bachelor Party Productions   Release date: 1984   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Japanese (USA)
Summary: A soon-to-be-married man's friends throw him the ultimate bachelor party.
My Rating:
My Review: A party movie before party movies were politically correct. In this movie, Tom Hanks plays school bus driver Rick Gasko and Tawny Kitaen plays Debbie Thompson his rich but rebellious fiancé. This raunchy comedy revels in it's ridiculous lack of plot and campy, college-prank bravado, as Rick takes it over the top in this Bachelor Party to end all bachelor parties. Untrusting of her funny man fiancé, Debbie and her friends pose as hookers in order to crash his party. Raunchy 80s humor done right. The extraneous character development and plot involvement (i.e. Will Rick cheat on Debbie?, Will Debbie's parents always hate Rick?, Will The Cops shut down this mega awesome party?) are simple distractions to a raucous good time. A party movie with plenty of sight gags, a little nudity, some excellent laughs, and an 80s attitude where anything goes. Great movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 129
Director: Neal Israel
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tawny Kitaen, Adrian Zmed, George Grizzard, Barbara Stuart
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Bachelor Party Productions   Release date: 1984   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Japanese (USA)
Summary: A soon-to-be-married man's friends throw him the ultimate bachelor party.
My Rating:
My Review: A party movie before party movies were politically correct. In this movie, Tom Hanks plays school bus driver Rick Gasko and Tawny Kitaen plays Debbie Thompson his rich but rebellious fiancé. This raunchy comedy revels in it's ridiculous lack of plot and campy, college-prank bravado, as Rick takes it over the top in this Bachelor Party to end all bachelor parties. Untrusting of her funny man fiancé, Debbie and her friends pose as hookers in order to crash his party. Raunchy 80s humor done right. The extraneous character development and plot involvement (i.e. Will Rick cheat on Debbie?, Will Debbie's parents always hate Rick?, Will The Cops shut down this mega awesome party?) are simple distractions to a raucous good time. A party movie with plenty of sight gags, a little nudity, some excellent laughs, and an 80s attitude where anything goes. Great movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 127
Director: Alan Metter
Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Keith Gordon, Robert Downey Jr.
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Paper Clip Productions   Release date: 1986   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (USA)
Summary: To help his discouraged son get through college, a funloving and obnoxious rich businessman decides to enter the school as a student himself.
My Rating:
My Review: Rodney Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon; an obnoxious, fun-loving, self-made millionaire. Keith Gordon plays Jason Melon. Thornton surprises his son with a dormitory visit and discovers that his son is planning to drop out of school. In a show of solidarity, Thornton decides to enroll to encourage his son to stay the course. This 50 something frat boy signs up for social studies and mid-terms. If it hadn't been for Rodney Dangerfield, this movie would have been a total disaster. With two mediocre antagonists, and two love interests, there's really no other reason to watch. Dangerfield's delivery and one-liners make the movie. Don't bother trying to follow the plot, just be glad that Dangerfield took the time to make this movie something worth watching. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 911
Director: Alan Metter
Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Keith Gordon, Robert Downey Jr.
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Paper Clip Productions   Release date: 1986   Rated:   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (USA)
Summary: To help his discouraged son get through college, a funloving and obnoxious rich businessman decides to enter the school as a student himself.
My Rating:
My Review: Rodney Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon; an obnoxious, fun-loving, self-made millionaire. Keith Gordon plays Jason Melon. Thornton surprises his son with a dormitory visit and discovers that his son is planning to drop out of school. In a show of solidarity, Thornton decides to enroll to encourage his son to stay the course. This 50 something frat boy signs up for social studies and mid-terms. If it hadn't been for Rodney Dangerfield, this movie would have been a total disaster. With two mediocre antagonists, and two love interests, there's really no other reason to watch. Dangerfield's delivery and one-liners make the movie. Don't bother trying to follow the plot, just be glad that Dangerfield took the time to make this movie something worth watching. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 38
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
Genre: Adventure
Studio:   Release date: 1985   Rated:   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Eccentric Doc Brown invents time travel; young Marty McFly goes back in time, stops his parents from meeting; they must, or he won't be born.
My Rating:
My Review: Written (in part) and directed by Robert Zemeckis, this movie features a fantastic, well-matched cast of Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson and others. The story is a sci-fi comedy featuring time travel. One of my favorite subjects. The eccentric Doc Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd) invents a time traveling DeLorean, and Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) inadvertently mucks up history, by preventing his parents from getting together. As Marty and Dr. Brown do their best to unravel this comedic time-travel adventure, we're treated to an excellent movie. The acting, direction, writing, 80's soundtrack, and special effects were all outstanding. Very entertaining, very funny, excellent movie. I own it, and so should you. FYI: The date Oct 26, 1985 plays prominently in the movie. That's the day Kim and I got married (on my birthday). Coincidence? Perhaps it's a significant time travel date! 5 out of 5

Collection ID 1690
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
Genre: Adventure
Studio:   Release date: 1985   Rated:   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Eccentric Doc Brown invents time travel; young Marty McFly goes back in time, stops his parents from meeting; they must, or he won't be born.
My Rating:
My Review: Written (in part) and directed by Robert Zemeckis, this movie features a fantastic, well-matched cast of Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson and others. The story is a sci-fi comedy featuring time travel. One of my favorite subjects. The eccentric Doc Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd) invents a time traveling DeLorean, and Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) inadvertently mucks up history, by preventing his parents from getting together. As Marty and Dr. Brown do their best to unravel this comedic time-travel adventure, we're treated to an excellent movie. The acting, direction, writing, 80's soundtrack, and special effects were all outstanding. Very entertaining, very funny, excellent movie. I own it, and so should you. FYI: The date Oct 26, 1985 plays prominently in the movie. That's the day Kim and I got married (on my birthday). Coincidence? Perhaps it's a significant time travel date! 5 out of 5

Collection ID 1399.5
Director: Joey Figueroa, Zak Knutson
Starring: Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Scott Mosier, Jonathan Gordon, Brian O'Halloran
Genre: Documentary, TV Movie
Studio: The Weinstein Company   Release date: 2006   Rated:   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary:
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 651
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Kyôko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Takashi Shimura
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Studio: Toho Company   Release date: 1960   Rated: Approved   
Language (Country): Japanese (Japan)
Summary: It is a high-profile wedding: the daughter of Mr Iwabuchi, a wealthy businessman, is marrying Mr Nishi, a car salesman. However, Mr Iwabuchi and other senior members of his company are suspected of corporate malfeasance and the wedding becomes a bit of a farce, with the press swarming all over it. To add to the discord, the company officials are rather publicly reminded of an ignominious event which occurred a few years ago - a senior employee committed suicide by jumping from the 7th floor of their offices. Now other senior officials are committing suicide and it looks like it is related to that death of a few years ago.

"The Bad Sleep Well" tells the story of corruption at the highest levels of Japanese business and its tragic consequences. Though flawed by a tedious introductory sequence and by an ending that seems out of sync with the story, it is a fascinating movie and the middle part is especially exciting.

Japanese legend Toshiro Mifune plays Koichi Nishi, the seemingly stoic bridegroom who is trying to get ahead by marrying the boss's daughter, Kieko (Kyoko Kagawa), who was crippled as a girl. The bride's brother, in a shocking display, exposes the groom's motives during his wedding toast and threatens his new brother-in-law with death if he disappoints his sister. But Nishi is not who we think. He was born the illegitimate son of the man who Kieko's father, Iwabuchi (Maysayuki Mori), manipulated into suicide. Now Nishi wants revenge for his father's death. As Nishi slowly destroys Iwabuchi's life, he makes the fatal error of falling in love with his wife, who already loves him. Their unconsummated marriage stands between these two like a palpable pillar of stone. But just when we think the stone has been tossed aside by love, Iwabuchi finds out who his son-in-law really is.
Shot in black and white, this film falls just short of being brilliant. Mifune is amazing in his portrayal of this complex man who lets his father's past destroy his own future, and Maysayuki Mori's performance as the evil Iwabuchi is understated but nonetheless chilling. "--Luanne Brown"
My Rating:
My Review: Directed by Akira Kurosawa (My favorite director). This is a film noir style story of corporate corruption and a culture which protects the guilty. Bribery, kidnapping, black mail, forgery, suicides, murder, cover-ups, and other nefarious deeds are committed without blinking an eye. This scathing condemnation of a culture which knowingly excuses such behavior, was made well ahead of it's time. The writing, directing, photography, and acting were all outstanding. The story is one of revenge inside a closed business culture. Immune to justice, an insider sets out on a quest to destroy the business that led to his father's suicide. What he doesn't realize is the scope of his endeavor. He's actually up against an entire cultural system that shields the guilty, destroys the innocent and rewards the culpable. The investigative opening exposition was brilliant. The ending, while abbreviated, is truly outstanding.