Goodnight, and Good Luck

Goodnight, and Good Luck: George Clooney gives us an informative look back at Edward R. Murrow’s crusade against Senator Joseph McCarthy. Shot completely in black and white, we have an Oscar like performance from David Strathairn as Murrow. Mixed in is the real stock footage of press conferences, McCarthy, and congressional hearings. The McCarthy era was “red listing” many individuals who they thought were communist and as a result were a threat to our country. Problem was McCarthy had crossed the line of individual rights, there were no fair trials and it turned into a witch hunt of sorts. Murrow stood up against him and called out his wrong doings on the news. The Subject matter is vitally important and intriguing. – The Idea that medium of Television can be used for so much more than entertainment, it could focus on things like education and the sharing of information. The movie itself on the other hand was just ok, it felt we were watching the history channel more so than a dramatic film. For this reason I break my star system like this.
Content - * * * * Movie * * and ½ Overall - * * *

With a running time of 116 Minutes
This Film is Rated PG

Mr. Miyagi; Pat Morita has died at the age of 73

As a huge fan of the Karate Kid, this news saddens me immensely. His performance as Mr. Miyagi penetrated pop culture and to this day is still so well known. You will be missed!!!! --

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Actor Pat Morita, whose portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" earned him an Oscar nomination, has died. He was 73.

Morita died Thursday at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes, said his wife of 12 years, Evelyn. She said in a statement that her husband, who first rose to fame with a role on "Happy Days," had "dedicated his entire life to acting and comedy."

In 1984, he appeared in the role that would define his career and spawn countless affectionate imitations. As Kesuke Miyagi, the mentor to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," he taught karate while trying to catch flies with chopsticks and offering such advice as "wax on, wax off" to guide Daniel through chores to improve his skills.
He lost the 1984 best supporting actor award to Haing S. Ngor, who appeared in "The Killing Fields."
"The Karate Kid," led to three sequels, the last of which, 1994's "The Next Karate Kid," paired him with a young Hilary Swank.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Our 4th installment of Potter is the darkest yet. This year Hogwarts is hosting a tri-wizard tournament….the winner is deemed eternal glory. Mysteriously Potter’s name is chosen to compete in the tournament, which most feel is over his head – he is a just a 4th year student. The special effects are outstanding, however the story seemed a bit rushed. Keep in mind this was the biggest Potter book, but the 2nd shortest movie. I felt things were happening in the movie that needed more explaining, more time. We are introduced to another new teacher, Madeye Moody, who is a fantastic and entertaining character - we are always unsure on his intentions. The rest of the cast is back and are older and more humorous. Overall this is a fun movie to see in the theater, but I would say I liked the last one better overall.
* * *

With a running time of 148 minutes
This movie is rated PG-13

Must Love Dogs

Must Love Dogs: If I ever run into John Cusack…….. I will punch him in the face for making this film. Diane Lane also stars in this crappy romantic comedy. She plays Sarah, who has recently been dumped and had her heart broken….boohoo. One day her sister has a bright idea to put a personal ad on the internet for Sarah. In the ad she mentions “Must Love Dogs” -> Title of film…..oooooo. They meet one day at a dog park even though neither character owns a dog…..the date lasts 3 minutes, but somehow Cusack’s character feels someone is taking his breath away. What a joke. The characters, the acting, and the story all rank as the worst I have seen all year. The climatic scene has Lane jumping into a river and swimming to Cusack who remains seated in his boat…..oh the laughter……problem is that it was not suppose to be funny.
0 stars - a true stinker

With a running time of 98 minutes
This movie is rated PG-13