REVIEW: Don Jon

Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
2013 Comedy Drama
1 hour 30 minutes
From Relativity Media

Starring
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Scarlett Johansson
Julianne Moore
Tony Danza
Glenne Headley
Rob Brown
Jeremy Luke
Brie Larson

REVIEW: Rush

Directed by Ron Howard
2013 Biographical Drama
2 hours 3 minutes
From Universal

Starring
Chris Hemsworth
Daniel Brühl
Olivia Wilde
Alexandra Maria Lara
Pierfrancesco Favino
Natalie Dormer
Christian McKay

REVIEW: Prisoners

Directed by Denis Villenueve
2013 Drama
2 hours 26 minutes
From Warner Bros

Starring
Hugh Jackman
Jake Gyllenhaal
Viola Davis
Maria Bello
Terrence Howard
Melissa Leo
Paul Dano
Wayne Duvall

The Directors: John Frankenheimer

Starting here, starting now, the next three directors showcased all have the same first name of John.  If you are barely aware of any of them, in two months from now you'll probably not remember which John did which film and which one did outstanding war films or westerns, which one was gay, who drank his career away and you know what?  You can always refer back to these pages and reaffirm what you already know.  We will start with John Frankenheimer, a director whose work (or some of it) you will recognize.  He came on like a fireworks show on the 4th of July. 

Tony and Janet

Who else?  If your brain was engaged in the fifties (if you weren't around in the fifties, you are excused but stick around anyway, woncha?), you knew who Tony and Janet were.  If you played nonstop sports or sewed from dawn to dusk and didn't own a television or ever go to the movies, you knew who Tony and Janet were.  They were a whirling dervish, the Brad and Angelina (but more so) of their day.  They were Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.

REVIEW: The Family

Directed by Luc Besson
2013 Comedy Drama
1 hour 50 minutes
From Relativity Media and
EuropaCorp

Starring
Robert DeNiro
Michelle Pfeiffer
Tommy Lee Jones
Dianna Agron
John D'Leo

MGMs Sopranos III

Ann Blyth is the third and final entry in the trio of postings on MGMs Sopranos.  She follows Kathryn Grayson and Jane Powell which is also what she did at the great studio.  One thing that sets her apart from the other two is that she performed in more dramas than they did.  In fact, Blyth made more dramas than she did musicals.  Despite a gorgeous singing voice, her musicals weren't as popular as the others' were.  She actually came in at the tail end of MGM's triumphant musical years.  Still, we were lucky to have had her.

REVIEW: Adore

Directed by Anne Fontaine
2013 Drama
1 hour 40 minutes
From Exclusive Releasing

Starring
Naomi Watts
Robin Wright
Xavier Samuel
James Frechette
Ben Mendelsohn
Sophie Lowe
Jessica Tovey

The Jimmy Stewart Movies I Own

I could sing the praises of this actor until the proverbial cows came home.  He had a persona that transcended mere movie-making.  In him and his roles I always found honesty, heroism, determination, goodness and so much more (space doesn't allow).  More than anything there was a familiarity and a unique affection for him and it seemed comfortable to call him Jimmy.  I usually walked out of his movies feeling a whole lot better than when I walked in.  

I have seen most all of his films.  Two of them are part of my 50 Favorite Films but most are truly favorites of mine.  By and large, he simply made wonderful movies.  I think, too, that most people who know his work would say that.  His library of work is bountiful.  I have 17 of them in my collection so I thought I'd just highlight those.  You may find it interesting which ones I don't own... and don't want to.  Hold on to that thought... we'll leave that to the end.

Here's what I have:

The Greatest Show on Earth: Favorite Movie #8

1952 Drama
From Paramount Pictures
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille

Starring
Betty Hutton
Cornel Wilde
Charlton Heston
Dorothy Lamour
Gloria Grahame
Lyle Bettger
Henry Wilcoxon
Lawrence Tierney
John Kellogg
Emmett Kelly
Bob Carson
James Stewart