One day I made a date with a woman whom I had met through mutual interest. She seemed funny, well read, intelligent, opinionated, argumentative, sappy, creative, etc. It went well and we began seeing one another constantly. In a short period of time, I found myself seeing a whole new group of people, going to places I hadn’t frequented before and doing stuff that I hadn’t done before. Where were my friends, my hangouts, my routines? Most has been usurped and I hadn’t even noticed. I was in a new world not of my making and had little control over what was going on. Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) knows what I mean. He’s hired to double for POTUS and due to circumstances beyond his control, one event turns into his life. It is only when Ellen Mitchell (Sigourney Weaver), the President’s somewhat estranged wife, asks who he is does he realize the depths to which the fraud has sunk. Now he needs to figure out how to extricate himself and still keep his soul intact.

Director:  Ivan Reitman Writer:  Gary Ross Cast:
Kevin Kline -  Dave Kovic/Bill Mitchell Sigourney Weaver -  Ellen Mitchell Frank Langella -  Bob Alexander Kevin Dunn -  Alan Reed Ving Rhames -  Duane Stevenson Ben Kingsley -  Vice President Nance Charles Grodin -  Murray Blum Faith Prince -  Alice		Genevieve Robert -  Vice-President’s Wife Stephen Root -  Don Durenberger Gary Ross -  2nd Policeman Alba Oms -  Lola John McLaughlin -  Himself Jason Reitman -  Vice President’s Son Richard Reeves -  Himself Catherine Reitman -  Girl at Durenberger’s

During my boyhood, cowboys and Indians were all the rage. TV was festooned with westerns. I remember pretending to be one or the other day in and day out. So when a movie like Tombstone comes along, it wasn’t long before I bought a DVD copy to see if the memories held. It did. When Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) sets off for the showdown, not knowing Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) beats him there. Doc confronts a surprised Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) but Ringo is nervous and tells Doc that he doesn’t want to fight. But being a black hat, Ringo’s nature gets the better of him and he accepts. The classic image of two men staring each other down as they circle leads to both men reaching for their pistols. Doc gets the first shot off, hitting Ringo in the head and killing him. Yep, I’m six-years-old again.

Director:  George P. Cosmatos Writer:  Kevin Jarre Cast:
Kurt Russell -  Wyatt Earp Val Kilmer -  Doc Holliday Sam Elliott -  Virgil Earp Bill Paxton -  Morgan Earp Powers Boothe -  Curly Bill Brocious Michael Biehn -  Johnny Ringo Charlton Heston -  Henry Hooker Jason Priestley -  Deputy Billy Breckinridge		Jon Tenney -  John Behan, Cochise County Sheriff Stephen Lang -  Ike Clanton Thomas Haden Church -  Billy Clanton Dana Delany -  Josephine Marcus Paula Malcomson -  Allie Earp Lisa Collins -  Louisa Earp Dana Wheeler-Nicholson -  Mattie Blaylock Earp, aka Celia Maddon Joanna Pacula -  Kate Fisher

How is your intuition? Mine is amazing. For some things it works like a charm. For other stuff, it is a dud. Jonah Baldwin (Ross Malinger) calls into a late night talk radio show looking for a new mother. His widowed father Sam (Tom Hanks) ends up on the phone laying bare his feeling for his wife. As a result the mail pours in and Jonah pulls out a letter from Annie (Meg Ryan) in Baltimore and refuses to give up until Sam agrees to meet her.

Director:  Nora Ephron Writer:  Jeff Arch; Nora Ephron; David S. Ward; Arch Rival Cast:
Tom Hanks -  Sam Baldwin Meg Ryan -  Annie Reed Bill Pullman -  Walter Ross Malinger -  Jonah Baldwin Rosie O’Donnell -  Becky Gaby Hoffmann -  Jessica Victor Garber -  Greg Rita Wilson -  Suzy		Barbara Garrick -  Victoria Carey Lowell -  Maggie Abbott Baldwin David Hyde Pierce -  Dennis Reed Dana Ivey -  Claire Bennett Rob Reiner -  Jay Tom Riis Farrell -  Rob Le Clanché du Rand -  Barbara Reed Kevin O’Morrison -  Cliff Reed

You know, some days it just isn’t worth getting out of bed. Transaction Man (Paul Gleason) is the go-between to buy a quarter million dollars in counterfeit paper for $50,000 in real cash. But he gets are two blasts in the chest for his effort and then he’s run over. And to add to his misery, the $50,000 was phony too.

Director:  James B. Harris; Takeshi Kitano Writer:  Gerald Petievich; James B. Harris Cast:
Wesley Snipes -  Jimmy Mercer Dennis Hopper -  Red Diamond Lolita Davidovich -  Vikki Dunbar Viggo Mortensen -  Ronnie Seymour Cassel -  Virgil Leach Jonathan Banks -  Max Christine Elise -  Carol Tony Lo Bianco -  Tony Dio		Valerie Perrine -  Mona James Tolkan -  Levitt Paul Gleason -  Transaction Man Lorraine Evanoff -  Connie Stephanie Williams -  Sally Tobin Bell -  Roth Bobby Hosea -  Steve Dan Hedaya -  Brady

He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin is a quote that I have wrestled with for many years. At times, I subscribe to the idea that I’d be willing to shed some of my freedom for some societal control to make the nation safe. The G8 countries seem to support this since 2001. At other times, I find myself disenchanted with this, particularly when I see the abuse some of our citizens have to endure while politicians wrap themselves in the flag and pontificate about how this control makes us safer. Extend this to more facets of day-to-day life and you get the California of Lt. Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock) of th SAPD. So that when a psycho blondie like Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) shows up, they are hapless to act. They need a imprisoned rogue cop like John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) who finds that civilization had gotten very strange. He’s been in stasis undergoing genetic-based skills rehab for 30+ years. But he now knows how to sew, tat and knit a sweater like a pro.

Director:  Marco Brambilla Writer:  Peter M. Lenkov; Robert Reneau; Daniel Waters Cast:
Sylvester Stallone -  John Spartan Wesley Snipes -  Simon Phoenix Sandra Bullock -  Lt. Lenina Huxley Nigel Hawthorne -  Dr. Raymond Cocteau Benjamin Bratt -  Alfredo Garcia Bob Gunton -  Chief George Earle Glenn Shadix -  Associate Bob Denis Leary -  Edgar Friendly		Grand L. Bush -  Zachary Lamb (Young) Pat Skipper -  Helicopter Pilot Steve Kahan -  Captain Healy Paul Bollen -  T.F.R. Officer Mark Colson -  Warden William Smithers (Young) Andre Gregory -  Warden William Smithers (Aged) John Enos III -  Prisoner Troy Evans -  Tough Cop