10 New Film Reviews

We recently reviewed these 10 films at both 1000 DVDs to See and 1000 Great Films The Memory Loss Tapes (2008) - terrific documentary Close-up (1990) - touching but propaganda In Bruges (2008) - inventive, entertaining killer thriller John Adams (2008) - historical epic tv mini-series, 13 Emmys Man On Wire (2008) - well-crafted, not so suspenseful, see the cover Milk (2008) - excellent mythic history of politician Harvey Milk Ugetsu (1953) Japan, bw - spooky Japanese medieval war fable Kinamind (2005) Denmark - touching immigrant romance story Shallow Grave (1994) - fun, twisty suspense from Danny Boyle Mrs. Miniver (1942) bw - Wyler's classic war story of England, winner of Best Picture; it's pro-war tone is a good bookend for the anti-war best picture The Best Years of Our Lives, released 4 years later. Caution ahead! Films to avoid: Doubt - much ado about nothing, good acting but not much else; Meryl Streep is a freaky minion of Satan, a self-righteous wrath of god dispenser that is too medieval for public safety - I say "burn the witch", that'll put the fear of god in her! The Exterminating Angel - Bunuel's farce about a bunch of Mexican aristocrats who come to a dinner party and can't seem to leave; it becomes claustrophobic and maddening over time - just burn the house down already! Targets - early Peter Bogdanovich psycho film about a man with a bunch of weapons and ammo who starts shooting people on an L.A. freeway; Boris Karloff is the only attraction here! You and Me and Dupree - terrible comedy with a wasted cast