Generally acknowledged as a bona fide classic, this Francis Ford Coppola film is one of those rare experiences that feels perfectly right from beginning to end--almost as if... read more

Generally acknowledged as a bona fide classic, this Francis Ford Coppola film is one of those rare experiences that feels perfectly right from beginning to end--almost as if everyone involved had been born to participate in it. Based on Mario Puzo's bestselling novel about a Mafia dynasty, Coppola's Godfather extracted and enhanced the most universal themes of immigrant experience in America: the plotting-out of hopes and dreams for one's successors, the raising of children to carry on the good work, etc. In the midst of generational strife during the Vietnam years, the film somehow struck a chord with a nation fascinated by the metamorphosis of a rebellious son (Al Pacino) into the keeper of his father's dream. Marlon Brando played against Puzo's own conception of patriarch Vito Corleone, and time has certainly proven the actor correct. The rest of the cast, particularly James Caan, John Cazale, and Robert Duvall as the rest of Vito's male brood--all coping with how to take the mantle of responsibility from their father--is seamless and wonderful. --Tom Keogh (hide)

Based on the chilling bestseller by Stephen King, Misery was brought to the screen by director Rob Reiner as one of the most effective thrillers of the 1990s.... read more

Based on the chilling bestseller by Stephen King, Misery was brought to the screen by director Rob Reiner as one of the most effective thrillers of the 1990s. From a brilliant adaptation by screenwriter William Goldman, Reiner turned King's cautionary tale of fame and idolatry into a mainstream masterpiece of escalating suspense, translating King's own experience with obsessive fans into a frightening tale of entrapment and psychotic behavior. Kathy Bates deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance as Annie Wilkes, an unbalanced devotee of romance novels written by Paul Sheldon (James Caan), whose books provide Annie with a much-needed escape from her pathetic life and her secret, violent past. After Annie rescues the injured Sheldon from a car accident, she seizes the opportunity to nurse her favorite writer back to health, but her tender loving care soon turns to terrorism as she demands that Sheldon write his latest novel according to her wish-fulfillment fantasies. From this point forward, Misery percolates to a boil as equal parts mystery, thriller, and cleverly dark comedy, with the helpless author pitched in deadly warfare against his number one fan. While Bates carefully modulates her role from doting kindness to sympathetic loneliness and finally to horrifying ferocity, Caan is equally superb as the celebrated author who must literally write for his life. It's essentially a two-actor film, but Richard Farnsworth and Lauren Bacall are excellent in supporting roles as they investigate the writer's mysterious disappearance. Frightening, funny, and totally irresistible, Misery was such a hit that some of Bates's dialogue entered the popular lexicon (particularly her nagging reference to Caan as "Mister Man"), and its nail-biting thrills remain timelessly intense. --Jeff Shannon (hide)

Elf is genuinely good. Not just Saturday Night Live-movie good, when the movie has some funny bits but is basically an insult to humanity; Elf is a smartly... read more

Elf is genuinely good. Not just Saturday Night Live-movie good, when the movie has some funny bits but is basically an insult to humanity; Elf is a smartly written, skillfully directed, and deftly acted story of a human being adopted by Christmas elves who returns to the human world to find his father. And because the writing, directing, and acting are all genuinely good, Elf is also genuinely funny. Will Ferrell, as Buddy the adopted elf, is hysterically sincere. James Caan, as his rediscovered father, executes his surly dumbfoundedness with perfect aplomb. Zooey Deschanel, as a department store worker with whom Buddy falls in love, is adorably sardonic. Director Jon Favreau (Swingers) shepherds the movie through all the obligatory Christmas cliches and focuses on material that's sometimes subtle and consistently surprising. Frankly, Elf feels miraculous. Also featuring Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Ed Asner as Santa Claus. --Bret Fetzer (hide)

Mickey Blue Eyes was crafted as a vehicle for the stammering British charm of Hugh Grant (star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nine Months), so whether... read more

Mickey Blue Eyes was crafted as a vehicle for the stammering British charm of Hugh Grant (star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nine Months), so whether or not you like the movie will depend heavily on your affection for Grant. He plays an art auctioneer who falls in love with schoolteacher Jeanne Tripplehorn (Basic Instinct, Very Bad Things), who just happens to be the daughter of mobster James Caan (The Godfather, Misery). To protect Grant, Tripplehorn tries to fend off his proposal of marriage, but some miscommunications lead to Grant being embraced by the "family." After the mob decides to launder money through Grant's auction house, an accidental killing results in Grant pretending to be Mickey Blue Eyes out of Kansas City (the sight and sound of Grant trying to say "fuggedaboudit" was undoubtedly what sold the movie in the first place). The plot isn't as well executed as it could be, but the leads are all well cast and there are some excellent supporting performances, particularly Burt Young (Rocky) as a myopic mob boss and Scott Thompson (from the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall) as a sprightly FBI agent. --Bret Fetzer (hide)

While women shed more than a few tears over Love Story back in 1970, men had their equivalent with Brian's Song on TV. This biopic about the Chicago... read more

While women shed more than a few tears over Love Story back in 1970, men had their equivalent with Brian's Song on TV. This biopic about the Chicago Bears' Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers is no mere sports film. It's one of those transcendent stories that struck a rare cultural nerve, a sensitive film about love, friendship, cancer, racial harmony, and football that came along at just the right time. James Caan is at his free-spirited best as Piccolo, and Billy Dee Williams is very charming as the quiet Sayers destined for superstardom. Roommates and rivals, these two rookies soon become best friends because of their competitive natures and complementary personalities. When Piccolo becomes stricken with cancer, his relentless will to live inspires the talented Sayers to reach his athletic potential. Jack Warden, as the masterful coach George Halas, superbly manipulates the ying and yang relationship for all it's worth. Michel Legrand's melancholy theme still lingers in the mind as one of the all-time greats. --Bill Desowitz (hide)

In the year 2018, violence and crime have been totally eliminated from society and given outlet in the brutal blood sport of rollerball, a high-velocity blend of football,... read more

In the year 2018, violence and crime have been totally eliminated from society and given outlet in the brutal blood sport of rollerball, a high-velocity blend of football, hockey, and motor-cross racing sponsored by the multinational corporations that now control the world following the collapse of traditional politics. James Caan plays Jonathan E., the reigning superstar of rollerball, whose corporate controllers fear that Jonathan's popularity has endowed him with too much power. They begin to pressure him according to their own ruthless set of rules, but Jonathan has rules of his own--the rules of a man determined to retain his soul in a world gone mad. As directed by Norman Jewison (who was enjoying a peak of success during the early and mid-1970s), Rollerball creates a believable society that's been rendered passive and compliant by the homogenization of corporate dictatorships, where the control and flow of information is the only currency of any importance. It's a world in which natural human aggressions have been sublimated and vented through the religious fervor toward rollerball and its players. Rollerball now looks like one of those 1970s science fiction films (another example being Logan's Run) that seems a bit dated and quaint, but its ideas are still provocative and fascinating, and the production is visually impressive. The DVD includes full-screen and widescreen versions of the film, audio commentary by director Norman Jewison, a behind-the-scenes featurette, an interactive "rollergame," trivia, and production notes. --Jeff Shannon (hide)

If you're going to submit yourself to a dazzling example of mainstream action, this thriller is as good a choice as any. Eraser is a live-action cartoon, the... read more

If you're going to submit yourself to a dazzling example of mainstream action, this thriller is as good a choice as any. Eraser is a live-action cartoon, the kind of movie in which Arnold Schwarzenegger can survive nail bombs, hails of bullets, an attack by voracious alligators ("You're luggage," he says, after killing one of the beasts), and still emerge from the mayhem relatively intact. Arnold plays an "eraser" from the Federal Witness Protection Program, so named because he can virtually erase the existence of anyone he's been assigned to protect. His latest beneficiary is an FBI employee (Vanessa Williams) who stumbled across a secret government group involved in the sale and export of an advanced weapon capable of shooting rounds at nearly the speed of light. Fantastic action sequences are handled with flair by director Charles Russell (The Mask), so it's easy to forgive the fact that this movie is almost completely ridiculous. --Jeff Shannon (hide)

It lasted just one season (1989-90) as a television series, but Alien Nation lives on in the five full-length films released here under the Ultimate Movie Collection banner.... read more

It lasted just one season (1989-90) as a television series, but Alien Nation lives on in the five full-length films released here under the Ultimate Movie Collection banner. Produced between 1994 and ’97, the five made-for-TV movies, all directed by Kenneth Johnson, take up where the series (and the 1988 theatrical feature) left off. A brief preamble provides the backstory: Following the crash of an alien slave ship near Los Angeles, the survivors, a race known as the Tenctonese, have endured a lengthy quarantine and are now assimilating into human society. While these "Newcomers," as they’re known, are essentially humanoid in appearance and behavior, they also have two hearts, remarkable strength, and other characteristics that distinguish them from Earthlings; and like any minority, they suffer the slings and arrows of racism and discrimination, principally at the hands of "purists" who’d like nothing better than to send the alien "slags" back to wherever they came from. Take away the sci-fi trappings, and what we’re left with is a fairly standard police procedural in which human Detective Matt Sikes and his Newcomer partner, George Francisco (with Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint respectively filling the roles played by James Caan and Mandy Patinkin in the original feature), battle a Tenctonese "overseer" intent on returning his race to slave status ("Dark Horizon"), attempt to sort out the identities of two creatures who appear to be half-human and half-alien ("Body and Soul"), investigate George’s son’s involvement in a criminal cult ("Millennium"), and so on. What distinguishes Alien Nation is its exploration of the various manifestations of human-alien interactions. This is often played for laughs; the Newcomers are given names like "Kenny Bunkport," ""Douglas Fir," and "Carrie Onbag," they dine on such delicacies as "bladder and ligaments," and they have certain sexual proclivities that are decidedly different from ours (Sikes’ romantic involvement with a fetching Newcomer is fodder for misunderstandings that are often amusing and occasionally quite touching). Director Johnson and his cohorts also seem intent on making a Big Statement about race relations, and although the results are sometimes a bit clunky, the set makes for consistently compelling viewing. Extensive bonus features include audio commentary, "making of" featurettes, gag reels, and more. --Sam Graham (hide)

Thief's dark noir spaces are tinged with the neon palette that has become the trademark of director Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat). This was his first theatrical film,... read more

Thief's dark noir spaces are tinged with the neon palette that has become the trademark of director Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat). This was his first theatrical film, and all the elements that characterize his later style (and this is a very stylistic film) are dominant. Equal parts grit and glamour, the story is simple. Frank (James Caan) is a lone-wolf jewel thief who was, in his words, brought up "by the state." In prison he was apprenticed to a master thief, played by Willie Nelson. When Frank's successful career comes to the attention of an avuncular syndicate boss (Robert Prosky), Frank is offered (and accepts against his better judgment) a deal that should allow him to retire and enjoy the family life he covets. But the deal sours, and Frank is left to decide what his nature truly is, lone wolf or family man. Thief melds its jazzy visual style with heightened realism: the jewel thief's tools of the trade are authentic, up to the 8,000 degree thermal lance used to cut through a nearly impregnable safe. Some of the bit parts are played by real-life, highly successful jewel thieves, who acted as consultants. And their presence informs the superb dialogue, as every word rings true. In one long, engrossing scene, James Caan gradually persuades the woman he wants to start a family with (Tuesday Weld in one of her most affecting performances) that they should be together. The film was photographed beautifully by Donald Thorin and further emboldened by the driving rhythms of Tangerine Dream. The DVD contains a very funny commentary track by the director and James Caan. --Jim Gay (hide)

Writer-director Andrew Bergman is capable of funny, funny stuff, but this movie runs out of jokes long before it runs out of comic ideas. The result is a... read more

Writer-director Andrew Bergman is capable of funny, funny stuff, but this movie runs out of jokes long before it runs out of comic ideas. The result is a series of comedy concepts that never get past the one-liner stage and are distinctly unsatisfying. Still, there is plenty to be amused by in this story of a reluctant bridegroom (Nicolas Cage) who finally agrees to marriage, only to lose his fiancée (Sarah Jessica Parker) in a crooked poker game to a professional gambler (James Caan). The rest of the movie deals with his frantic attempt to get his fiancée back, while coping with a Vegas in the throes of an Elvis-impersonator convention. That's the funniest thing about the whole movie (most notably the team of parachuting Elvises at the end), but even that is drawn out in ways that are more clever than laughter inducing. --Marshall Fine (hide)

Francis Ford Coppola took some of the deep background from the life of Mafia chief Vito Corleone--the patriarch of Mario Puzo's bestselling novel The Godfather--and built around it... read more

Francis Ford Coppola took some of the deep background from the life of Mafia chief Vito Corleone--the patriarch of Mario Puzo's bestselling novel The Godfather--and built around it a stunning sequel to his Oscar-winning, 1972 hit film. Robert De Niro plays Vito as a young Sicilian immigrant in turn-of-the-century New York City's Little Italy. Coppola weaves in and out of the story of Vito's transformation into a powerful crime figure, contrasting that evolution against efforts by son Michael Corleone to spread the family's business into pre-Castro Cuba. As memorable as the first film is, The Godfather II is an amazingly intricate, symmetrical tragedy that touches upon several chapters of 20th-century history and makes a strong case that our destinies are written long before we're born. This was De Niro's first introduction to a lot of filmgoers, and he makes an enormous impression. But even with him and a number of truly brilliant actors (including maestro Lee Strasberg), this is ultimately Pacino's film and a masterful performance. --Tom Keogh (hide)

This is the movie blamed for encouraging college kids (and others) to lie down on the painted divider between lanes of highway traffic. (Incredibly, the studio pulled the... read more

This is the movie blamed for encouraging college kids (and others) to lie down on the painted divider between lanes of highway traffic. (Incredibly, the studio pulled the film in its opening weeks and deleted the allegedly offending scene.) James Caan plays a football coach under tremendous pressure from his university's sports program to come up with a winning team. The story focuses on the fallout of that pressure on the lives of several players and the program itself. It's all rather flat and TV-movie-like, and because there is an emphasis on issues instead of characters, the actors work doubly hard to bring dimension to their stock roles. On the plus side, the cast is largely composed of young actors who have come a long way since the film's release. --Tom Keogh (hide)

The darkest of the filmic trilogy that unites husband and wife Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, Flesh and Bone is a grimly affecting tale of two lonely lives,... read more

The darkest of the filmic trilogy that unites husband and wife Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, Flesh and Bone is a grimly affecting tale of two lonely lives, one unexpectedly, dramatically affected by the other. Quaid is the tragic Arlis, condemned to running away from memories of his horrific childhood. His is a life on the road, replenishing vending machines including one with a live chicken and predictions of the future. Ryan's unhappily wed Kay fears a past that Arlis is inextricably tied to. Still, they're drawn to each other. Then Arlis's father, the amoral Roy (an appropriately frightening James Caan), shows up and interferes and intervenes. Joining Roy is the benignly malevolent Ginnie (a sharp Gwyneth Paltrow in her first significant role). The film is written and directed by underused Steve Kloves, who wrote the lovely Racing with the Moon, and who wrote and directed The Fabulous Baker Boys.

For Flesh, Ryan is at her throaty, dark best, and Quaid's pain is etched on his face. The couple works very well together in this film, their first as a married couple (Innerspace and D.O.A. were made pre-nup). It's not the romantic light comedy both Quaid and Ryan had later success with, but it's a very effective and compelling film, despite its devastating tale. --N.F. Mendoza (hide)

The big selling point for The Way of the Gun is the fact that it was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the guy who wrote The Usual... read more

The big selling point for The Way of the Gun is the fact that it was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the guy who wrote The Usual Suspects. Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Phillippe star as two low-rent criminals who fall into a plan to kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis) who is carrying a baby for a very wealthy couple. The duo are immediately in over their heads, and their kidnapping plot brings to light the dark and hidden tendrils of the old man's family structure. It also brings on lots of gunfights and lots of blood. McQuarrie creates some good action sequences (particularly the slow-moving car "chase" through the alleys), but that only serves to emphasize the one major weakness of the film: the script. Though it's chock full of macho declarations, shootouts, and "surprise" revelations, the core story is ultra-predictable. That wouldn't be so bad if there were any characters to care about, but only a supporting performance from James Caan elicits any kind of sympathy. This is merely a movie based on violent movies, with no additional commentary. Then again, McQuarrie does do a nice job with much of the action. Though nowhere near as good as The Usual Suspects, particularly in its story, The Way of the Gun is a promising debut for McQuarrie as a director. --Andy Spletzer (hide)

Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler actually work together pretty well as action-flick buddies on opposite sides of the law. The story line is familiar, to put it mildly,... read more

Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler actually work together pretty well as action-flick buddies on opposite sides of the law. The story line is familiar, to put it mildly, as car-thief and drug-courier Sandler is set up and busted by Wayans's undercover cop, a man he's come to trust with his life. Dozens of movies, including Quentin Tarantino's great Reservoir Dogs, have tilled this fallow field before. But for once we can actually feel the bonds connecting the two tough guys, and the pain of their falling out, even when the movie dawdles over repetitious squabbling scenes. Cinematographer-turned-director Ernest Dickerson (Juice) gives this modestly budgeted programmer an unusually high visual gloss, with punchy high-speed action scenes that recall the Hong Kong blowout work of John Woo. James Caan leers and glowers entertainingly as a criminal mastermind, and lynx-eyed Kristen Wilson makes a dazzling femme fatale. --David Chute (hide)

A flawed but stylish adaptation of the Chester Gould comic strip by director Warren Beatty, who also stars in the title role. The minimalist plot involves a battalion... read more

A flawed but stylish adaptation of the Chester Gould comic strip by director Warren Beatty, who also stars in the title role. The minimalist plot involves a battalion of baddies who confront the intrepid detective in a series of strung-together vignettes. Al Pacino is a comedic if overblown standout as Big Boy Caprice, and Madonna simply smolders as aggressive blonde bombshell Breathless Mahoney. It matters not that the plot is Spartan, as this dazzling eye candy is much enhanced by Stephen Sondheim's songs, including the Academy Award-winning ditty, "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)." Beatty took his cue from the source material and concentrated on the relationships between these people, whether strained, romantic, or hateful. The performances are subtle and more amusing than you would expect from such a visually bold picture. Shot in bright, primary colors, this also won Oscars for Best Art/Set Direction and Makeup (for those inventively hideous criminals). Watch for well-known names, such as Dustin Hoffman and Dick Van Dyke, in cameo appearances and supporting roles. --Rochelle O'Gorman (hide)