The Asphalt Jungle

Directed by: John Huston
Screenplay by: Ben Maddow, John Huston

Based on the book by: W.R. Burnett

Cinematography by: Harold Rosson

Editor: George Boemler

Cast: Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern and Jean Hagen

Year: 1950

Watching this for the first time, a little voice in the back of my head kept saying, "Wow, that spunky young blonde actress is such a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, it's just uncanny." Being the complete moron that I am, I never realized that it actually WAS in fact MARILYN MONROE in this film! (DUH!) In my defence, the rendering of her on the poster/DVD cover looks absolutely NOTHING like her and she is only about 24 at the time.

John Huston was a great director (and actor) and this film is very good despite the frequent moralizing and one dimensional characters who pop up every so often who prevent it from being a true classic like 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre'.

Anyhow, being the granddaddy of all the caper flicks ever made, I was willing to overlook all the clichés and enjoy it (although Stanley Kubrick's 'The Killing' is a much more artfully crafted film and Dassin's 'Rififi' has much more interesting cast of crooks.) One thing is for sure, Sterling Hayden sure is one bad mother.

P.S. I still can't get over it, that was Marilyn Monroe! I'm an idiot...

3.5 out of 5

The Animal

Directed by: Luke Greenfield
Screenplay by: Tom Brady, Tom Brady, Rob Schneider

Cinematography by: Peter Lyons Collister

Editor: Jeff Gourson, Peck Prior

Cast: Rob Schneider, Colleen Haskell and John C. McGinley

Year: 2001

SOMEONE PLEASE KILL ROB SCHNEIDER NOW.

0.5 out of 5

The Abandoned

Directed by: Nacho Cerdà
Screenplay by: Karim Hussain, Nacho Cerdà, Richard Stanley

Cinematography by: Xavi Giménez

Editor: Jorge Macaya

Cast: Anastasia Hille, Karel Roden and Valentin Goshev

Year: 2006

Saw it at TIFF Midnight Madness. It was okay. A few good scares, but not worth watching again.

3 out of 5

The 'Burbs

Directed by: Joe Dante
Screenplay by: Dana Olsen

Cinematography by: Robert M. Stevens

Editor: Marshall Harvey

Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern and Carrie Fisher

Year:1989

I loved it when I was a kid, Bruce Dern steals the show.

3 out of 5

Terminator Salvation

Directed by: McG
Screenplay by: John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris

Cinematography by: Shane Hurlbut

Editor: Conrad Buff IV

Cast: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin

Year: 2009

Better than T3 by far. This franchise ain't dead yet. Also, kudos to giving Stan Winston the dedication at the end.

3 out of 5

Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines

Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Screenplay by:John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris, Tedi Sarafian (screenplay) James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd
(characters)

Cinematography by: Don Burgess

Editor: Nicolas De Toth, Neil Travis

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl and Kristanna Loken

Year: 2003

Arnold beats up a gay stripper for his jacket and shoves a metallic phallus into the gaping mouth of the Terminatrix. How fitting that this film paid for California's first Republican "Governator". On the plus side, the crane chase scene was pretty sweet.

2 out of 5