Weekend Movie Roundup - part one?

The weekend isn't over yet, so you may see another of these posts tomorrow or Monday. Now, on with the show...

To Kill A Mockingbird
Obviously, a classic. I'd never seen it all the way through, but I read the book in high school. This movie struck me as being somewhat ahead of it's time, as it broached a very serious and relevant topic for the time (racism). Definitely worth the $4 if you've never seen it. I need to reread the novel, as well.

The Hunt for Red October
I'd seen this a very long time ago (and, quite honestly, had no idea what the hell was going on for most of it). A very young Alec Baldwin plays Jack Ryan, one of Tom Clancy's recurring characters. This time, he's a CIA agent trying to track down a missing Russian submarine which is under the command of Ramius, played by Sean Connery. The story was great, but the only problem I had was that of all the "Russian" sailors that had speaking roles, only a handful weren't obviously British actors. They didn't even make an attempt at pulling off the accent, which I found annoying. Netflix it.

The Ladykillers
The latest offering from the Cohen Brothers (who made O Brother Where Art Thou?, Fargo and The Big Lebowski, among others), this film is about a band of odd characters who arrange the stealth burglary of a casino. Tom Hanks plays Professor D. H. Dorr, the mastermind of the whole caper. He's almost annoyingly well-spoken, but likeable in most respects. It's something of a comedy of errors, but intelligently funny in true Cohen form. Highly recommended, even though most critics didn't care for it - they're full of crap.

Gladiator
One of the rare instances where a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster really delivers. Even though Russell Crowe is a complete ass, he does a great job as Maximus, 'the Savior of Rome'. But Joaquin Phoenix really steals the show as super-creepy Commodus, the Emperor of Rome. The fight scenes alone are worth the price of admission. A must-see.

That's all for now - slated for tomorrow are 'The Recruit' and 'Malice'...