Grease (1978)

Greaser Danny Zuko and good girl Sandy Olsen spend a great summer of love together, but when the summer ends Sandy has to go back to her home in Sydney, Australia. Danny goes back to Rydell High School and meets up with his buddies the T-Birds, What he doesn’t know is that Sandy has had a change of plans and is going to the same school. She makes friends with Frenchy, and also meets The Pink Ladies, led by the brassy and tough Rizzo. Danny gets the surprise of his life when at a pep rally, they reunite. But Danny trying to act cool in front of his friends, pretends like it’s nothing special. Social differences complicate their romance. One of the greatest and most enjoyable musicals ever to hit the screen, with interesting characters and a fabulous soundtrack, it’s a timeless classic.
Starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Ed Byrnes, Sid Caesar 8/10

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Mystic Pizza (1988)

Roberts and Gish play sisters Daisy and Kat and Taylor plays JoJo their best friend. All three work at a local pizza shop called Mystic Pizza, named after the town of Mystic, in Connecticut which is owned by Leona. Each have obstacles; Leona’s pizza shop is in financial danger, and depends on a good review by the food critic to drum up business, JoJo faints at the altar of her wedding, and has trouble with commitment, Kat is supposed to start Yale in the fall but is poor financially and things are complicated even more when she finds herself falling for an older man when he hires her as a babysitter while mom is England. And Daisy who is a hothead and stubborn but with a lot of talent is being courted by a rich guy. They share life’s ups and downs and learn that friendship is forever, even if love isn’t.
Starring Julia Roberts, Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor, Vincent D’Onofrio, William R. Moses, Adam Storke, Conchata Ferrell, Joanna Merlin, Matt Damon 7/10

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Psycho (1960)

Leigh plays Marion Crane, a secretary who steals money from the bank she works at, and runs away until the stormy weather makes driving difficult so she decides to stay at a motel for the night. She happens to stop at a motel that is right off the highway named the Bates Motel, owned by the seemingly normal but awkward Norman Bates. But everything is far from normal. Norman Bates has a split personality of himself and his mentally ill mother. After Marion’s ill-fated death in the famous “shower scene”, her boyfriend, sister and a private detective set out to investigate her disappearance. Excellent horror film that still gives you chills.
Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Simon Oakland, John Anderson 10/10

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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

The third film of the Griswold saga; this time set at Christmas time. Clark invites the in-laws to his house for an old-fashioned family Christmas. But all doesn’t go too smoothly when the Christmas lights don’t work, his cousin shows up for a surprise visit, Uncle Lewis burns down the tree and Clark doesn’t get his long-awaited bonus check which he wants to use to put in a swimming pool. Hilarity ensues. One of the best and most humorous Christmas tales.
Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Diane Ladd, Doris Roberts, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Juliette Lewis, John Randolph, Brian Doyle-Murray, William Hickey, Johnny Galecki 7/10

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Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)

Jim Varney plays Ernest P. Worrell, the lovable and silly title character. In this movie he attempts to help an older Santa recruit a new Santa on Christmas Eve and save Christmas for all the children of the world. Along the way he meets a young girl running away from home and a pair of cute elves. A sweet and funny Christmas story.
Starring Jim Varney, Douglas Seale, Oliver Clark, Noelle Parker, Billie Bird, Robert Lesser 7/10

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The Man with Two Brains (1983)

Martin plays a recently widowed, brilliant neurosurgeon Doctor Michael Hfuhruhurr, whom one day accidentally hits a young woman named Dolores with his car and is instantly smitten for her. He operates on her and saves her life by using a technique he invented: a cranial screw-top brain entry. When Dolores recovers from her surgery, she and Michael get married. But Dolores is only out for the money and Michael just can’t seem to get over his previous wife, keeping a doll replica of her in his car and a portrait of her in his house.
While on a trip to Vienna to attend a medical conference, Michael finds out about his wife devious plans and divorces her. He also meets a mysterious Doctor Alfred Necessiter and becomes tangled in a series of murders being committed by infamous Elevator Killer.
By far one of Steve Martin’s best comedies. Kathleen Turner plays the evil femme fatale to perfection.
Starring Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, David Warner, Paul Benedict, Richard Brestoff 7/10

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Superman (1978)

Christopher Reeve plays The Man of Steel in this action/comedy. As a baby, he is sent to Earth when his home the Planet Krypton explodes. He lands in a small town in Kansas named Smallville, is raised by his adoptive parents and named Clark Kent.
When he finds out his true identity, he decides to go to Metropolis to fulfill his destiny. While having dual identities, the red-caped wonder Superman and Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter of The Daily Planet, the city’s citizen’s are fascinated about Superman because of his great strength and super speed and wherever there is trouble, he is there to rescue someone and help out in any way possible. Lex Luthor, the greatest criminal mind of our time (to him at least) is also fascinated and devises a plan to get his attention so he can destroy him.
Very good special effects and great acting by Hackman and Reeve makes this movie a fun ride.
Starring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Mark McClure, Sarah Douglas, Terence Stamp, Glenn Ford, Valerie Perrine 10/10

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Tiptoes (2003)

Steven trains firefighters, his girlfriend Carol is a painter. They’ve been living together for months and plan to get married soon. When Carol finds out that she’s pregnant, Steven is hesitant because he thinks that they rushed into it too fast. Matters are complicated even more so when the same day, Steven’s brother Rolfe stops by and Carol discovers that he is a dwarf, as is Steven’s entire family. This surprises and concerns her because she is afraid her baby will be born a dwarf. So Rolfe brings her to meet Steven’s family so she can get some helpful information about the challenges of raising a dwarf. Steven is confused and frustrated by the whole thing and that makes his relationship with Carol both distant and awkward.
Interesting story with good performances by Beckinsale and Oldman.
Starring Gary Oldman, Peter Dinklage, Kate Beckinsale, Matthew McConaughey, Patricia Arquette, Debbie Lee Carrington, Ed Gale, David Alan Grier 6/10

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Air Force One (1997)

The President of the United States is on his way home after making a interesting speech (which they affectionately call the “Be Afraid Speech”) about not negotiating with terrorists. Ironically, a few hours later while on Air Force One, Russian terrorists pretending to be newspaper reporters hijack the plane. They want the President to make a call to Moscow and release General Radek. They believe that the President has escaped in the pod, but unbeknown to everyone on the plane the president is really still on board on the baggage deck below and attempts to regain control of the plane and to rescue his wife and daughter.
This film is incredibly exciting, with non-stop action and amazing performances by Ford who plays a terrific President and Oldman, who plays a heartless, and incredibly evil villain.
Starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, William H. Macy, Liesel Matthews 8/10

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Leon The Professional (1994)

Mathilda is a twelve-year old New York girl living a tough life with her half-family. Her father stores drugs for a corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield. One day, Stansfield and his team take revenge on her father for stretching the drugs a little, so he murders the whole family. Only Mathilda, who was out shopping, survives by finding shelter in her neighbor Léon’s apartment, so she doesn’t get killed herself. When she finds out that Leon is a hit man or “cleaner” as he calls it she tries to seek his help in taking revenge for her little brother. Soon enough he’s teaching her how to handle weapons and become a professional hit man. Despite that Léon serves as a father and friend to Mathilda.
This film is absolutely amazing, with great performances and intense action it is truly a masterpiece.
Starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello
9/10

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