The Martian

2015

USA

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: Drew Goddard (screenplay); Andy Weir (novel)
Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA): PG-13 for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity

Synopsis (from Rotten Tomatoes website):

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring "the Martian" home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney's safe return.

My Thoughts:

A team of astronauts on a mission to Mars, forced to evacuate the planet, have to leave Matt Damon behind. How disturbing! This was a really good sci-fi flick. One of those instances where the hype was well deserved. No bug-eyed monsters or slime bombs, and no comic book style villains -- how refreshing is that?

My Rating at the IMDb: 7 stars out of a possible 10

Maleficent

2014

USA / Disney Movies

Directed by: Robert Stromberg
Written by: Linda Woolverton
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Brenton Thwaites, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Sam Riley

Synopsis (by Google):

As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king's successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora -- realizing only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.

My Thoughts:

Disney does it again. Such a gorgeous fantasy film! Interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty tale, with Maleficent more victim than villain. Surprised I enjoyed it so much, since I generally find Angelina Jolie hard to watch. Not that she's not great to look at (duh!) -- she just never seems very believable. But she makes an excellent mythic being!

Don't think too much about this one, just let the magic kingdom envelop you.

My IMDb Rating: 6 stars out of a possible 10

My Blood Runs Cold

1965

USA

Directed by: William Conrad
Written by: John Mantley (screenplay), John Meredyth Lucas (story)
Music by: George Duning
Cast: Troy Donahue, Joey Heatherton, Barry Sullivan, Jeanette Nolan

What it's all about:
Headstrong young heiress (Heatherton) falls in love with a strange young man who may be insane (Donahue). The young man, Ben Gunther, believes he and the young woman, Julie Merriday, are the reincarnations of lovers from an earlier time. Ben convinces Julie of his beliefs and over the objections of her father (Sullivan), she agrees they should run away together. On Ben's boat, Julie finds evidence that Ben has been lying to her and that he is definitely unbalanced. Will she be able to save herself from his madness and convince him to find help before it's too late?

My thoughts:
That title makes you think you're in for some real gore and mayhem -- with Vincent Price or Christopher Lee making an appearance somewhere.  Nothing like that here.  This one is much more in the Hitchcock mold, suspense but no terror.

I really thought I'd seen all the movies Troy Donahue made back in the late-50s, early-60s, but this one got past me until now. Interesting story, with a fine supporting cast. Troy even does a pretty good acting job here, and Joey is just as cute as she could be, sporting an array of very fetching swim suits and casual beach attire. Not something that's going to exercise your intellect, but fun to watch.  Would have been a great date movie in 1965.

A couple more notes:

• Yes, the director is that William Conrad, of "Jake and the Fatman" fame.
• John Meredyth Lucas was a writer/producer for many classic TV shows from the '50s to the '80s -- most notably, the original "Star Trek" series.

My IMDb rating: 3 stars out of a possible 10

Magic in the Moonlight

2014

USA

Written/Directed by: Woody Allen
Stars: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Eileen Atkins, Simon McBurney, Marcia Gay Harden 
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA): Rated PG-13 for a brief suggestive comment, and smoking throughout

What it's all about:

In the 1920s, magician Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth) enjoys worldwide fame as Chinese conjurer Wei Ling Soo, his stage persona. One of the most arrogant performers in the business, Stanley despises claims by phony spiritualists that they can perform real magic. At the request of his friend and fellow magician Howard (played by Simon McBurney), Stanley agrees to expose a young medium named Sophie Baker (Emma Stone). The lovely Sophie and her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) are staying with the wealthy Catledge family in their mansion in the Côte d'Azur, where Sophie has managed to ensnare the affections of young Brice Catledge. However, after attending a seance and having a few surprising encounters with Sophie, Stanley begins to change his mind about her and is left thoroughly shaken by evidence that her clairvoyant abilities just might be real.

My thoughts:

This was a very pretty movie -- the light throughout was actually magical. Unfortunately, that amazing light was just about the best thing about the film. I think it's possible I've outgrown Woody Allen. Which makes me sad because he used to be one of my favorite filmmakers -- Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Manhattan, and Manhattan Murder Mystery are among my all-time favorite movies. But the only one of the later films I've really enjoyed was Midnight in Paris. I always have high hopes for each new release, but I keep getting disappointed. 

It's not a terrible movie -- definitely not as annoying as To Rome with Love or as mean-spirited as Blue Jasmine. And it had some really fine performances -- Eileen Atkins as Aunt Vanessa, and the enormously talented Simon McBurney as Stanley's friend Howard particularly stand out. On the other hand, Marcia Gay Harden was pretty much wasted in the role of Sophie's mother -- more mom and less Sophie would have made for a much more interesting experience.

But, of course, Sophie was the whole point of the film: the young girl who represents renewal and new life for the aging curmudgeonly male at the film's center. Love and youth as some sort of salvation. She's in nearly every one of Allen's films these days, and she seems to be getting younger and younger. In this one, she is quite literally young enough to be the curmudgeon's daughter. OK, I don't really know how old Emma Stone is, but in the movie she looks about twelve. And the film's boyish 1920s-era fashions only exaggerate that childlike appearance (indeed, at one point she's dressed in a sailor outfit, oddly reminiscent of the Von Trapp children in The Sound of Music). In a way it's interesting to see the same trope used over and over in each new film, but it's also becoming truly disturbing.

My IMDb Rating: 5 stars out of a possible 10