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Wanna know why George W. Bush won the election? Watch this film. The film looks at the work of Bush’s senior advisor Karl Rove. Based on the best-selling book, the film lays out pretty much the same information. The talking heads in the film make a strong case for how Rove will try to win at any cost.

From bugging his own office to starting whisper campaigns about Texas governor Anne Richards being a lesbian and senator John McCain having a black love child, his fingerprints seem to be clearly on all those occurrences. The wealth of similar actions in every campaign that he is involved in begs to say that he is behind these actions.

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After seeing clips of this film at Comic Con, I was looking forward to it greatly. The film came out and got some fairly positive reviews. However, there was a host of critics that hated it or at least didn’t think it was “all that” as the kids would say. As I see it, the film is really hit or miss.

The film works brilliantly when it points its satire at cheesy action movies. The heightened conflict and the plot structure are very funny. The opening scene is a perfect example of the satire working. Terrorists arrive in Paris and Team America shows up to blow up the day. After one of the members dies, team leader Spottswoode (Daran Norris, THE CAT IN THE HAT) goes out to recruit Broadway actor Gary Johnston (Trey Parker, SOUT PARK) to join the team. Gary’s artificial conflict with being an actor and being asked to save the world is quite good.

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Brad Bird is an animation genius. He went from directing THE SIMPSONS to directing THE IRON GIANT to his newest masterpiece THE INCREDIBLES.

Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson, TV’s COACH) is a top superhero, but after saving a suicidal man that didn’t want to be saved lawsuits end up forcing all superheroes into the witness protection program. Mr. Incredible, now Bob Parr, lives in the suburbs with his wife Helen (formerly Elastigirl) (Holly Hunter, THE PIANO) and his children Dash (Spencer Fox, screen debut), Violet (author Sarah Vowell, screen debut) and baby Jack Jack (Eli Fucile and Maeve Andrews, both screen debuts). Bob now works at an insurance company, which he hates. Once a week, him and his old superhero friend Lucius Best (aka Frozone) (Samuel L. Jackson, JACKIE BROWN) go out to listen to the police scanner in their car to see if they can do something secretly heroic.

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The main reason to watch this film is for the performances of Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. This film falls into the tried and true sub-genre of serial killer thrillers. Brian Kessler (David Duchovny, TV’s X-FILES) is a writer working on a book about notorious serial killers. He decides to visit the various locations of the murders for inspiration as well as give his photographer girlfriend Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes, SWIMMING WITH SHARKS) as a chance to take photos. Because he has already spent his advance, Brian posts a ride share for people going to California. The only people to answer are Early Grayce (Pitt, 12 MONKEYS) and Adele Corners (Lewis, WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE?), who are the most stereotypical white trash you will ever see.

We know right from the first scene that Early is a killer. Brian expresses liberal attitudes toward serial killers as products of their environment. Well, you can probably guess where this is going. The film is fascinating as it develops Early and Adele so precisely. However, the film doesn’t try to explain Early’s actions, not even presenting a background for us to draw conclusions ourselves.

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Director James Whale had a lot of clout in Hollywood after the success of FRANKENSTEIN and was able to cast the relatively unknown actor Claude Rains in the lead role as Jack Griffin, which is part of the success of the film. Rains’ face is only seen once, but it’s his voice and dialogue delivery that really sells the material.

Griffin is a scientist who has invented a serum that turns people invisible, but also turns them mad. He desperately wants to find a cure so that he can return to his beloved Flora (Gloria Stuart, TITANIC). However, Flora is being wooed by wimpy scientist Dr. Kemp (William Harrigan, “G” MEN) and, as Griffin gets more insane, he turns his violence toward Kemp.

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It’s all about the atmosphere. Young nurse Betsy Connell (Frances Dee, 1935’s BECKY SHARP) takes a post in Haiti to look after Jessica Holland (Christine Gordon, MISSION TO MOSCOW), the wife of wealthy mine owner, Paul Holland (Tom Conway, FALCON’S BROTHER). Betsy meets Paul on the ship to the island and likes his honest and mysterious manner.

Paul’s half-brother Wesley Rand (James Ellison, THE GHOST GOES WILD) doesn’t think as much of Paul as Betsy does, especially when he’s indulging his habit of consuming large quantities of alcohol. The men’s mother Mrs. Rand (Edith Barrett, 1944’s JANE EYRE) is a doctor who helps the native people. Jessica is… well… a zombie. Nothing seems to cure her and Paul likes the fact that Betsy doesn’t believe in hocus pocus. But things will change.

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The Zatoichi series is hugely popular in Japan. It has spawned 27 features and a 100 episode TV series. Shintaro Katsu spent most of his career playing the iconic character – a blind low-class masseur who has blindingly fast swordplay skills. The series mixes action and comedy much like INDIANA JONES.

In his final appearance as Zatoichi, Shintaro also wrote and directed the film. The direction and style is highlights, but the film’s iconic portrayal of the character is what makes the film so wonderful. The film follows Zatoichi on a journey to avenge the murder of a mother and father by warring yakuza (gangsters), which leaves a flock of children orphans. The film takes its time to develop the plot and characters. I especially liked the relationship between Zatoichi and the masterless samurai (Ken Ogata, SEPTEMBER 11).

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This is easily one of the best documentaries of all time. The film chronicles the lives of William Gates and Arthur Agee from high school freshman through their senior years. If the film were about basketball or football or baseball or the National Spelling Bee, it would be telling the same tale to some degree. Competitions, notably sports, seem to be the only ticket out of the ghetto for many children.

Early in the film William and Arthur are recruited to play for top private school St. Joseph’s. William is considered to be the next Isiah Thomas, who also went to that school on his way to the NBA. He’s put on the varsity team as a freshman. Arthur plays on the freshman team. He has the skill, but lacks the discipline. When his parents can’t pay his tuition, he is kicked out. William on the other hand who looks to be a future high school All American gets all his tuition paid for by an alumni.

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Based on a book by Roald Dahl (CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY), this film from the eclectic director Nicolas Roeg (DON’T LOOK NOW) is very aware of how children view the things that go bump in the night. Kids see signs that make them certain that the supernatural is real.

Our hero Luke (Jasen Fisher, PARENTHOOD) has the added assurance that witches are real from the tales of his grandmother Helga (Mai Zetterling, TV’s MISS JULIE). Dahl’s story knows how to build real fear on a childlike level. Luke’s parents die, his grandma is sick and he runs into a witch while in his treehouse. This sets the mood for when Luke and his grandmother set off to England. In their hotel, the convention of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is being held. Soon enough, Luke discovers that the convention is really for witches led by the Grand High Witch Miss Eva Ernst (Anjelica Huston, THE ROYAL TENEBAUMS). The witches, who loathe little children, plan to turn all the kids in England into mice and Luke becomes one of their victims.

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It’s hard to watch this film with fresh eyes, because every film about the stock market since has been profoundly influenced by this film. Director Oliver Stone’s (PLATOON) father was a stockbroker so the filmmaker had a close personal insight into the cutthroat world of stock trading.

Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen, HOT SHOTS!) is an eager young broker, who keeps calling big-time investor Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas, FATAL ATTRACTION) so that he can get 5-minutes to pitch ideas to the man. As their relationship develops, Gordon asks Bud to do more and more shady dealings, including obtaining insider information, which is a federal offense. But Bud goes along for the ride. Along the way, he makes big bucks and lands a beautiful artist girlfriend named Darien Taylor (Daryl Hannah, SPLASH). The real battle of ethics comes when Bud tries to save the airline that his father Carl (Martin Sheen, APOCALYPSE NOW) works for.

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