I don’t know how many days it took to film, how many people were involved, what sort of complexity it took to place the cameras, how often they had to do it to get it right or who did the actual stunt. I just sit there open-mouthed when United States Marshall Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) opens that roof door to see Mark Roberts/Mark Warren/Mark Sheridan (Wesley Snipes) standing on the edge of the roof facing towards the street and says he can’t be arrested because of what he knows. Mark Whatever then leans out, tumbles off the edge of the roof, swings down attached to some rope and swings out and over the street to the rail yards and lands on the roof of the station and leaps onto a train car leaving for elsewhere. My little heart goes pitty-pat every time.

Director:  Stuart Baird Writer:  Roy Huggins; John Pogue Cast:
Tommy Lee Jones -  Samuel Gerard Wesley Snipes -  Mark J. Sheridan/Mark Warren/Mark Roberts Robert Downey Jr. -  John Royce Joe Pantoliano -  Cosmo Renfro Daniel Roebuck -  Bobby Biggs Tom Wood -  Noah Woodrow Newman LaTanya Richardson -  Savannah Cooper		Irène Jacob -  Marie Bineaux Kate Nelligan -  Catherine Walsh Patrick Malahide -  Bertram Lamb Rick Snyder -  Frank Barrows Michael Paul Chan -  Xian Chen Johnny Lee Davenport -  Marshal Henry Donald Li -  Det. Kim

There are times in your life when an opportunity presents itself and you know that if you handle it properly, all sorts of wonderful things will happen. But how do you proceed? Andy (Luke Wilson) is asked by Lorna (Natasha Henstridge) to crack her neck when she is felling morose and down, her muscles are tight and she is tired. He doesn’t know how but he figures he should try and pick her up. But when he gives her a line about coming back to his place or goes to hers, she’s disappointed and grumpy that it is the best he can come up with.

Director:  Bruce McCulloch Writer:  Bruce McCulloch Cast:
Natasha Henstridge -  Lorna Luke Wilson -  Andy Kathleen Robertson -  Cheryl Janeane Garofalo -  Jeri Bruce McCulloch -  Jeff Kristin Lehman -  Keiran Amie Carey -  Rachel Gordon Currie -  Trevor		Harland Williams -  Callum Mark McKinney -  Dr. Cavan, Dog Psychologist Peter MacNeill -  Neighbor Albert Schultz -  Male Dog Owner #2 Jerry Schaefer -  Norm Zachary Bennett -  Dougie Ron James -  Male Dog Owner Diane Flacks -  Chirpy Dog Owner

The process of tracking someone is more of an art than a science. Figuring out where they are going and what they are doing is not a challenge for amateurs. Deidre (Natascha McElhone) and Sam (Robert De Niro) make it look easy but it could serve as a textbook example as the pose as tourists taking snapshots, having coffee at a local bistro and generally almost being in the way of their prey.

Director:  John Frankenheimer Writer:  J.D. Zeik; David Mamet Cast:
Robert De Niro -  Sam Jean Reno -  Vincent Natascha McElhone -  Deirdre Stellan Skarsgård -  Gregor Sean Bean -  Spence Skipp Sudduth -  Larry Michael Lonsdale -  Jean-Pierre Jan Triska -  Dapper Gent		Jonathan Pryce -  Seamus O’Rourke Ron Perkins -  Man with the Newspaper Féodor Atkine -  Mikhi Katarina Witt -  Natacha Kirilova Bernard Bloch -  Sergi Dominic Gugliametti -  Clown Ice Skater Alan Beckworth -  Clown Ice Skater Daniel Breton -  Sergi’s Accomplice

You know how some folks always seem to suffer a degree of humiliation whenever a choice is involved? No, I don’t mean things like picking tomatoes at the grocery store. Usually it has to do with doing stuff. You get picked for the rude stuff but passed over for the cool stuff. Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) know that feeling only too well and is bummed that it happens to her. All she wants is to be chosen for the phone tree. Her sister Gillian (Nicole Kidman) wants to help but Sally know that getting picked isn’t going to happen. About the only thing worse is that she turns up naked at school without her homework.

Director:  Griffin Dunne Writer:  Alice Hoffman; Robin Swicord; Akiva Goldsman; Adam Brooks Cast:
Sandra Bullock -  Sally Owens Nicole Kidman -  Gillian Owens Stockard Channing -  Frances Owens Dianne Wiest -  Aunt Bridget ‘Jet’ Owens Goran Visnjic -  Jimmy Angelov Aidan Quinn -  Officer Gary Hallet Evan Rachel Wood -  Kylie Owens Alexandra Artrip -  Antonia Owens		Mark Feuerstein -  Michael Caprice Benedetti -  Maria Owens Annabella Price -  Lovelorn lady Camilla Belle -  Young Sally Owens Lora Anne Criswell -  Young Gillian Owens Margo Martindale -  Linda Bennett Chloe Webb -  Carla Martha Gehman -  Patty

After the terror of IKWYDLS, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) stiffens her resolve and isn’t going to be a victim anymore. As usual, nobody believes her story, there is storm on the horizon, the holiday resort is emptying faster than fish catch from a seine and bodies are starting to pile up. But help is on the way through rough seas in the from of Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) who doesn’t plan to take any prisoners. When she’s a captive and Ray finds them in the grave yard, there is a moment when you’re wondering whether the producers can wring another movie out of this. But that seems unlikely when Ben Willis (Muse Watson) drives a hook into his son’s chest and Julie decides to step up and finish off Ben with Ray’s pistol.

Director:  Danny Cannon Writer:  Lois Duncan; Trey Callaway Cast:
Jennifer Love Hewitt -  Julie James Freddie Prinze Jr. -  Ray Bronson Brandy -  Karla Wilson Mekhi Phifer -  Tyrell Muse Watson -  Ben Willis Bill Cobbs -  Estes Matthew Settle -  Will Benson Jeffrey Combs -  Mr. Brooks		Jennifer Esposito -  Nancy John Hawkes -  Dave Ellerine! -  Olga Benjamin Brown -  Darick The Dockhand Red West -  Paulsen Michael P. Byrne -  Thurston Michael Bryan French -  Doctor Dee Ann Helsel -  Nurse

If there are cooler guys that Sean Connery, I’m not sure who they are. If you can think of whom they might be, send an email. But seeing him as a happy puppy in his role as Paul, panting and prancing about, as his wife Mildred (Gena Rowlands) orders him off to bed shouldn’t be missed by any of his fans.

Director:  Willard Carroll Writer:  Willard Carroll Cast:
Gillian Anderson -  Meredith Ellen Burstyn -  Mildred Sean Connery -  Paul Anthony Edwards -  Roger Angelina Jolie -  Joan Jay Mohr -  Mark Ryan Phillippe -  Keenan Dennis Quaid -  Hugh		Gena Rowlands -  Hannah Jon Stewart -  Trent Madeleine Stowe -  Gracie Matt Malloy -  Desk Clerk Christian Mills -  Phillip Kellie Waymire -  Jane Patricia Clarkson -  Allison April Grace -  Valery

I’ve watched a lot of movies. After a few, you begin to see patterns emerge and some things which appear odd or interesting once, reappear again and again. But I must admit some of them are unique to this little flick. A tip of the hat to the folks who can up with guard sheep with really sharp teeth, duck fights with boxing gloves on their webbed feet, popping that champagne cork up Joey Cortino’s (Billy Burke) nose and him digging it out, Pepper Gianini’s (Pamela Gidley) tongue going in an ear then coming out the other, the watermelon in Vincenzo Cortino’s (Lloyd Bridges) mouth and so on. But then I quite like fart jokes.

Director:  Jim Abrahams Writer:  Jim Abrahams; Greg Norberg; Michael McManus Cast:
Jay Mohr -  Anthony ‘Tony’ Cortino Billy Burke -  Joey Cortino Christina Applegate -  Diane Steen Pamela Gidley -  Pepper Gianini Olympia Dukakis -  Sophia Lloyd Bridges -  Vincenzo Cortino Jason Fuchs -  Young Vincenzo Cortino Joe Viterelli -  Dominick Clamato		Tony Lo Bianco -  Cesar Marzoni Blake Hammond -  Fatso Paulie Orsatti Phil Suriano -  Frankie Totino Vincent Pastore -  Gorgoni Marisol Nichols -  Carla Carol Ann Susi -  Clamato’s Wife Gregory Sierra -  Bonifacio Vera Lockwood -  Rosa Cortino

The poet and philosopher George Santayana once said those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. It is a lesson that Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff) has forgotten. He has decided that the old vampire guard, led by Dragonetti (Udo Kier), has passed its sell-by date. So he and his brood of goonish acolytes kidnap the elder and take him to the seaside to watch the sunrise. As the sun comes up over the horizon, Dragonetti pops, splatters, melt and finally explodes surrounded by the cavorting new kids drenched in SPF 60 lotion. Frost has so much to learn. You just want to slap him.

Director:  Stephen Norrington Writer:  David S. Goyer Cast:
Wesley Snipes -  Blade/Eric Brooks/’The Daywalker’ Stephen Dorff -  Deacon Frost Kris Kristofferson -  Abraham Whistler N’Bushe Wright -  Dr. Karen Jenson Donal Logue -  Quinn Udo Kier -  Vampire Elder Dragonetti Arly Jover -  Mercury Traci Lords -  Racquel		Kevin Patrick Walls -  Officer Krieger Tim Guinee -  Dr. Curtis Webb Sanaa Lathan -  Vanessa Brooks Eric Edwards -  Pearl Donna Wong -  Nurse Carmen Thomas -  Senior Resident Shannon Lee -  Resident Kenny Johnson -  Heatseeking Dennis

Sometimes an event is so preposterous, so peculiar, so strange or so downright gob-smacking weird, that all you can do is sit there with your eyes popping and your mouth agape. The sight of Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore) swinging naked on a trapeze with a slight, clench-teethed English accent is just such an event.

Director:  Joel Coen Writer:  Ethan Coen; Joel Coen Cast:
Jeff Bridges -  The Dude John Goodman -  Walter Sobchak Julianne Moore -  Maude Lebowski Steve Buscemi -  Donny David Huddleston -  The Big Lebowski Philip Seymour Hoffman -  Brandt Tara Reid -  Bunny Lebowski Philip Moon -  Woo, Treehorn Thug		Mark Pellegrino -  Blond Treehorn Thug Peter Stormare -  Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel/’Karl Hungus’ Flea -  Nihilist #2, Kieffer Torsten Voges -  Nihilist #3, Franz Jimmie Dale Gilmore -  Smokey Jack Kehler -  Marty, The Dude’s Landlord John Turturro -  Jesus Quintana James G. Hoosier -  Quintana’s Partner

Charm can go a long way. Even in the most serious situation, the presence of a charmer can ease the tension and make things better. So thinks the bank teller when Jack Foley (George Clooney) bluffs a robbery by saying that another customer has a gun and will shoot the assistant manager (who is actually discussing a bank loan). With a small smile, he whispers to the teller that she is doing fine after asking if it her first robbery. She is terrified but is gamely playing along.

Director:  Steven Soderbergh; Charles Kiselyak Writer:  Elmore Leonard; Scott Frank Cast:
George Clooney -  Jack Foley Jennifer Lopez -  Karen Sisco Ving Rhames -  Buddy Bragg Don Cheadle -  Maurice ‘Snoopy’ Miller Dennis Farina -  Marshall Sisco Albert Brooks -  Richard Ripley Nancy Allen -  Midge Catherine Keener -  Adele Delisi		Isaiah Washington -  Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Steve Zahn -  Glenn Michaels Luis Guzmán -  Jose Portencio ‘Chino’ Chirino Keith Loneker -  White Boy Bob Jim Robinson -  Mr. Gwendon Elgin Marlow -  Bank Customer Donna Frenzel -  Loretta Randall Manny Suárez -  Cop #1/Bank

Morality tales masquerading as teen comedies. Can happen, eh? High school graduation sees the jocks as having their last hurrah (especially if they don’t have an athletic scholarship), keen vixens trolling for that one who’ll set them up for life, geeks hoping to lose their virginity any way possible and wasters hoping to last the night until tomorrow when they can do it all again. So it goes at the party when Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt) shows up. She’s blossoming into the woman she hopes to be, Mike Dexter (Peter Facinelli) is hoping he can shed the rep he has spent years cultivating, Kenny Fisher (Seth Green) is trying to be anyone but whom he is, Denise Fleming (Lauren Ambrose) is trying to knock some sense into anyone who’ll listen.

Director:  Harry Elfont; Deborah Kaplan Writer:  Deborah Kaplan; Harry Elfont Cast:
Jennifer Love Hewitt -  Amanda Beckett Ethan Embry -  Preston Meyers Charlie Korsmo -  William Lichter Lauren Ambrose -  Denise Fleming Peter Facinelli -  Mike Dexter Seth Green -  Kenny Fisher Michelle Brookhurst -  Molly, Girl Whose Party It Is Alexander Martin -  Olaf, Exchange Student		Erik Palladino -  Cousin Ron Channon Roe -  Jake, Jock #1 Sean Patrick Thomas -  Ben, Jock #2 Freddy Rodríguez -  T.J., Jock #3 Joel Michaely -  Geoff, X-Phile #1 Jay Paulson -  Murphy, X-Phile #2 Brian Hall -  Real Homeboy Brandon Williams -  DJ Sammy, Homeboy #1

City traffic can make you scream. The lights change too soon, other drivers are distracted by cell phones, dining and personal grooming. What can you do? Well one thing is to have a singalong. Soo Yung (Julia Hsu) may not be a teenager yet but she knows how to have a good time. All you need to do is sing and with a back seat all to herself, she’s finding it a grand endeavour. However, Soo Yung’s bodyguard (Roger Fan) isn’t so lucky since he has a job to do. Neither is Soo Yung’s driver (George Cheung) as he has to keep his mind on the road.

Director:  Brett Ratner Writer:  Ross LaManna; Jim Kouf Cast:
Ken Leung -  Sang Jackie Chan -  Chief Inspector Lee Tom Wilkinson -  Thomas Griffin/Juntao Tzi Ma -  Consul Han Robert Littman -  First Caucasian Michael Chow -  Diner Guest Julia Hsu -  Soo Yung Chris Tucker -  Detective James Carter		Chris Penn -  Clive Cod Kai Lennox -  Cop at Diner Larry Sullivan Jr. -  Cop at Diner Yan Ling -  Consul Secretary Roger Fan -  Soo Yung’s Bodyguard George Cheung -  Soo Yung’s Driver Lucy Lin -  Exposition Official Rex Linn -  FBI Agent Dan Whitney

There are times when we see what we want to see rather than what is really there. We pluck images out of our brain and compare them to what we see and conclude that we know what is happening rather than trap details of the circumstances and organize them together into their proper perspective. We’re all quite lazy in that way. Usually, doing a haphazard job doesn’t affect us one way or the other but sometimes it can cause us no end of grief, cause a bucket of confusion and make us wonder what it was that we really did see. Such is the case for John Steed (Ralph Fiennes) who sees a sled pulled by dogs approaching during a freak summer snow storm. Riding the sled is Emma Peel (Uma Thurman) who stops a few feet away and pulls out a spear gun and whips off a shot that narrowly misses only due to Steed’s reflexes. So she pulls out a gun and plugs him in the chest. Needless to say, Steed is quite confused when he awakes to find Mrs. Peel taking care of him.

Director:  Jeremiah S. Chechik Writer:  Sydney Newman; Don MacPherson Cast:
Ralph Fiennes -  John Steed Uma Thurman -  Emma Peel Sean Connery -  Sir August de Wynter Patrick Macnee -  Invisible Jones (voice) Jim Broadbent -  Mother Fiona Shaw -  Father Eddie Izzard -  Bailey Eileen Atkins -  Alice		John Wood -  Trubshaw Carmen Ejogo -  Brenda Keeley Hawes -  Tamara Shaun Ryder -  Donavan Nicholas Woodeson -  Dr. Darling Michael Godley -  Butler Richard Lumsden -  Boodle’s Porter Daniel Crowder -  Messenger

Is there such a thing as overkill? Our vamp Lilith (Eileen Daley) sucks the life out of her victim and then pops him three times with her pistol. But then she is part assassin. But her escape is impeded by two tennis-playing bodyguards. With a vague aim, she fire off a couple of rounds missing each one. I guess she is a short-range assassin.

Director:  Jake West Writer:  Jake West Cast:
Eileen Daly -  Lilith Silver Christopher Adamson -  Sethane Blake Jonathan Coote -  Detective Inspector Price Kevin Howarth -  Platinum David Warbeck -  The Horror Movie Man Heidi James -  Ariauna Isabel Brook -  Celeste Louisa Moore -  Silk		Grahame Wood -  Student Photographer Jennifer Guy -  Cindy Arnold Georgio Serafini -  Leonard Arnold Mark Caven -  The Detective Brad Lavelle -  The Chill Pilgrim Peter Godwin -  Illuminati Conspirator Scott Bennett -  Guard 1 – Max Paul Marino -  Guard 2 – Paul

How do you know if you’ve made the wrong decision? Most likely, it will be evident in what happens as a result. What do you do if you can’t back out of the choice made? Compound it with another choice that could go wrong too? Sure, why not? It can’t get much worse, can it? Yup, it can. Just ask Kyle Fisher (Jon Favreau) who is about to marry Laura Garrity (Cameron Diaz). His buddy Robert Boyd (Christian Slater) has organized a bachelor party for him in Las Vegas, replete with recreational drugs, gallons of booze and a stripper. The stripper winds up dead through some rather over-enthusiastic sex with Michael Berkow (Jeremy Piven). Robert convinces the others that the best thing to do is not dial 911, but to bury her out in the desert. When a hotel security guard investigates the hubbub, Robert deliberately murders him and convinces the others to bury both of the bodies in the desert and head home. Dear, dear…

Director:  Peter Berg Writer:  Peter Berg Cast:
Jon Favreau -  Kyle Fisher Leland Orser -  Charles Moore Cameron Diaz -  Laura Garrity Christian Slater -  Robert Boyd Rob Brownstein -  Man Jeremy Piven -  Michael Berkow Daniel Stern -  Adam Berkow Jeanne Tripplehorn -  Lois Berkow		Joey Zimmerman -  Adam Berkow Jr. Tyler Malinger -  Timmy Berkow Carla Scott -  Tina Russell B. McKenzie -  Security Guard Pancho Demmings -  Cop Blake Gibbons -  Suit Angelo Di Mascio Jr. -  Clerk Lawrence Pressman -  Mr. Fisher

Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell) and Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards) concoct abuse by their guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon). In court, they sabotage one another’s story when Suzie claims it was a setup. Kelly started it when she was spurned by Sam who was making the moves on her mom, Sandra (Theresa Russell). But that is only part of the plan. To what lengths would you go to get your hands on millions of dollars?

Director:  John McNaughton Writer:  Stephen Peters Cast:
Matt Dillon -  Sam Lombardo Kevin Bacon -  Sgt. Ray Duquette Neve Campbell -  Suzie Marie Toller Denise Richards -  Kelly Lanier Van Ryan Daphne Rubin-Vega -  Det. Gloria Perez Bill Murray -  Kenneth Bowden Theresa Russell -  Sandra Van Ryan Robert Wagner -  Tom Baxter		Carrie Snodgress -  Ruby Jeff Perry -  Det. Bryce Hunter Cory Pendergast -  Jimmy ‘Jimbo’ Leach Marc Macaulay -  Walter Toi Svane -  Nicole Beach Dennis Neal -  Art Maddox Eduardo Yáñez -  Frankie Condo Paulo Benedeti -  Kirk

The death of a friend always provokes a gamut of emotions, particularly if you’re the one who discovers the body. All of this runs through Jackie O’Shea (Ian Bannen) when he finds the corpse of his friend Ned Devine (Jimmy Keough) with a massive grin on his face. It appears that he died of shock after learning that he won the lottery. Now Jackie is exasperated to think that nobody can claim the winnings since it must be claimed by the purchaser, according to Irish lottery rules. But then maybe there is something that can be done.

Director:  Kirk Jones; Kirk Jones (III) Writer:  Kirk Jones Cast:
Ian Bannen -  Jackie O’Shea David Kelly -  Michael O’Sullivan Fionnula Flanagan -  Annie O’Shea Susan Lynch -  Maggie O’Toole James Nesbitt -  Pig Finn Paul Vaughan -  Narrator (voice) Adrian Robinson -  Lotto Observer Maura O’Malley -  Mrs. Kennedy		Robert Hickey -  Maurice O’Toole Paddy Ward -  Brendy O’Toole James Ryland -  Dennis Fitzgerald Fintan McKeown -  Pat Mulligan Eileen Dromey -  Lizzy Quinn Kitty Fitzgerald -  Kitty Dermot Kerrigan -  Father Patrick Jimmy Keogh -  Ned Devine