James's DVDs - H
James's DVDs
All Titles
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Starring Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Sarah Roemer.
2010 Apr: DRAMA G 93 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Based on the 1987 Japanese film Hachiko Monogatari, as well as on a true story, Hachiko: A Dog's Story stars Richard Gere as a college professor who finds an abandoned dog and takes the poor lost animal in. The film follows the two as the man and animal soon form a strong and unexplainable bond. Joan Allen co-stars in the Inferno Entertainment production
Hackers
Directed by Iain Softley. Starring Johnny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford.
1995: THRILLER PG-13 105 min. loc: C 1.256 - Viewed
In this high-tech thriller, Dade Murphy (Jonny Lee Miller) has been fascinated with computers all his life; at the age of 11, he was able to break into the computer network of several top Wall Street investment and banking firms, and he nearly caused a major stock market crash in the process. As punishment, Dade was forbidden to use a computer until his 18th birthday, but now that he's of age, he's diving back into his PC head first. Dade meets up with a group of fellow hackers: tough-talking cyber gamer Kate, aka Acid Burn (Angelina Jolie), junior hacker Jesse Bradford, born prankster Cereal Killer (Matthew Lillard), Nikon (Lawrence Mason), named for his photographic memory, and telephone expert Phantom Phreak (Renoly Santiago). Dade and his pals aren't out to destroy systems or do cybercrime for profit; they simply want to know more about the systems they encounter, and they like raising some good-natured havoc. But in their travels through cyberspace, they discover The Plague (Fisher Stevens), a former hacker turned computer security expert with a huge multinational corporation. The Plague has not only done the unthinkable and gone into anti-hacker enforcement, he's secretly allied himself with a group of criminals and is using his expertise to drain funds from corporate bank accounts and transfer them to himself and his mistress, Margo (Lorraine Bracco). The Plague is also smart enough to leave clues that would lead investigators to someone else -- in this case, Dade and his friends -- and has a secret weapon at his disposal, a computer virus that could wipe out the entire world wide web in a matter of minutes. Several sequences for Hackers were shot at New York City's Stuyvesant High School, where coincidentally several months after filming, several students were arrested by F.B.I. agents for their involvement in computer hacking.
Hail, Caesar
Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen. Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, Frances McDormand, Jonah Hill, Allison Pill.
2016 Aug: COMEDY PG-13 106 min. loc: C 4.430 - Not Viewed ★★★
Hail Caesar! Follows a day in the life of Eddie Mannix, a Hollywood fixer for Capitol Pictures in the 1950s, who cleans up and solves problems for big names and stars in the industry. But when studio star Baird Whitlock disappears, Mannix has to deal with more than just the fix.  Four-time Oscar (R)-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Fargo) write and direct Hail, Caesar!, an all-star comedy set during the latter years of Hollywood's Golden Age. Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum, Hail, Caesar! follows a single day in the life of a studio fixer who is presented with plenty of problems to fix.
Hairspray
Directed by Adam Shankman. Starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken.
2007 Nov: COMEDY PG loc: C 1.257 - Viewed
Adam Shankman's adaptation of the stage musical Hairspray, itself an adaptation of the non-musical John Waters film of the same name, stars Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, an overweight high-school student whose only dream is to be on a local Baltimore teen dance program. While her father (Christopher Walken) tells her to follow her dreams, her mother Edna (John Travolta in drag) reminds her that she doesn't look like the girls on that show. After impressing the show's host (James Marsden), Tracy earns a coveted spot on the program, but when she becomes a popular addition to the cast, she earns the wrath of the prettiest girl in school -- a girl whose mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) just happens to operate the local television station. Tracy's visit to detention hall opens her eyes to the racial tension on the show, as does the budding relationship between her best friend (Amanda Bynes) and an African-American boy named Seaweed (Elijah Kelley). Thus empowered, Tracy attempts to integrate the races on her favorite program.
Half Light
Directed by Craig Rosenberg. Starring Demi Moore, Hans Matheson, James Cosmo.
2005: MYSTERY R 102 min. loc: C 2.541 - Viewed
A successful mystery writer retreats to a remote fishing village following the tragic death of her son, only to become caught up in a bizarre supernatural murder mystery in this tale of terror directed by Craig Rosenberg and starring Demi Moore. Rachel Carson's (Moore) five-year-old son has drowned, and as a result her life appears to be falling apart at the seams. When a sympathetic friend rents Rachel a secluded cottage in hopes that a little peace and quiet will help the grieving mother recover from her loss, the quiet retreat is violently shattered by a series of bizarre and unexplained murders. Now with a community in fear and her sanity slowly slipping, Rachel must use her instincts to unmask the killer before it's too late and she too falls prey to the murderous rage that threatens to consume the once tranquil town.
Hall Pass
Directed by Bobby Farrelly, Jason Farrelly. Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate.
2011 Jun: COMEDY R 105 min. loc: C 2.325 - Not Viewed
This buddy comedy from the Farrelly brothers stars Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson as a couple of married guys who persuade their wives to give them the ultimate "get out of jail free" card: a marriage "hall pass." The agreement gives them free reign to behave like bachelors -- free from the rules and confines of fidelity, responsibility, and married life -- for one week. But soon the guys find that the small town where everybody knows them -- and their wives -- isn't very conducive to chasing tail. And making matters worse, it turns out to be harder than they thought to accept the idea of their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) taking off for vacation on a hall pass of their own.
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
Directed by Stewart Hendler. Starring Tom Green, Anna Popplewell, Enisha Brewster, Ayelet Zurer, Masam Holden.
2012 Dec: SCI-FI TV 90 min. loc: C 3.312 - Not Viewed ★★★☆
In 2525, as mankind has begun to colonise space, a group of cadets are training to fight against human insurrectionists. One of these cadets, Thomas Lasky, has doubts about his abilities as a soldier and his convictions for this war. Whilst he struggles with himself, the planet is invaded by an unknown alien race. Reeling under the assault, Lasky and his squad mates are rescued by John-117, one of the UNSC's legendary SPARTAN-II super-soldiers. John must inspire Lasky to fulfill his potential as a soldier and a leader to fight against an enemy deadlier than any that humanity has faced before.
Hamburger Hill
Directed by John Irvin. Starring Anthony Barrile, Michael Boatman, Don Cheadle, Steven Weber, Courtney Vance.
1987: WAR R 110 min. loc: C 2.485 - Not Viewed
Though the anti-war sentiments of Hamburger Hill come through loud and clear, the film is squarely on the side of those courageous, much-maligned Americans who fought and died in Vietnam. Based on a true incident, the story takes place in 1969, as the 101st Airborne Division confronts the Vietcong in a bloody battle over Hill 937 (aka "Hamburger Hill") in the A Shau Valley. During the next ten days, both sides incur heavy losses, but the Cong refuse to surrender the hill. The ultimate American "victory" turns out to be a hollow one indeed. Scripted by Vietnam War vet Jim Carabatsos, Hamburger Hill not only underlines the futility of the war but also the pressures brought to bear upon the troops by an insensitive, often hostile media. By utilizing a cast of unknowns, director John Irvin deftly avoids the Hollywoodized slickness of such bigger-budgeted efforts as Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter.
Hancock
Directed by Peter Berg. Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman.
2008 Nov: SCI-FI - 102 min. loc: W - Viewed
A hard-drinking lush finds himself thrust into superhero mode in director Peter Berg's unconventional look at the private life of a crime-fighter. Will Smith stars as the embittered do-gooder whose lifestyle is more akin to a rock star than a role model, and who has grown as disillusioned with his once-admiring public as they have of him.
Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The
Directed by Curtis Hanson. Starring Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, Julianne Moore, Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson.
1992: THRILLER R 110 min. loc: C 2.433 - Not Viewed
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is director Curtis Hanson's suburban horror story of a demented nanny bent on revenge for past wrongs. Peyton (Rebecca De Mornay) was once a happily married woman, but when her doctor husband is accused of assaulting a patient and he commits suicide, her world falls apart and she plots revenge. Claire (Annabella Sciorra), the woman who made the accusation, hires Peyton as a nanny, not knowing of their past involvement. Peyton then proceeds to terrorize the family, attempts to seduce the husband and generally destroy Claire as she feels she has been destroyed. The film, while somewhat implausible, is saved by the strong performances of Sciorra and De Mornay. Rebecca De Mornay has not given such a good performance since Risky Business, and she manages to make Peyton both believable, frightening and sympathetic. De Mornay has many great moments, but the scene, where she slowly destroys a bathroom in her impotent rage is unbelievably powerful. Hanson, a superb director of thrillers, manages to bring all the elements together to make The Hand that Rocks the Cradle a frightening psychological thriller and an interesting look at a woman's obsessive hatred and envy
Hands of Stone
Directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz. Starring Edgar Ramirez, Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, John Turturro, Usher, Ruben Blades, Ana de Armas, Rog E. Cathey, Drena De Niro.
2016 Aug: ACT/DRAMA R 105 min. loc: C 4.478 - Not Viewed ★★★☆
HANDS OF STONE follows the life of Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez), the Panamanian fighter who made his professional debut in 1968 as a 16 year‐old and retired in 2002 at the age of 50. In June 1980, he defeated Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond) to capture the WBC welterweight title, but shocked the boxing world by returning to his corner in their November rematch, famously saying the words "no mas" (no more.)
Hangover, The
Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis.
2009 Dec: COMEDY R 100 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★
A blowout Las Vegas bachelor party turns into a race against time when three hung-over groomsmen awaken after a night of drunken debauchery to find that the groom has gone missing, and attempt to get him to the alter in time for his wedding. In 48 hours, Doug is scheduled to walk down the aisle, effectively ending his reign as a rowdy bachelor. Realizing that this is their last blowout with their best friend, Doug's groomsmen organize a Sin City bachelor bash he'll never forget. The next morning, the groomsmen come to in their Caesar's Palace suite to find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby tucked away in the closet. Unfortunately, Doug is nowhere to be found. With no memory of the previous night's transgressions and precious little time to spare, the trio sets out in a hazy attempt to retrace their steps and discover exactly where things went wrong. Will they find Doug in time to get him to the wedding back in Los Angeles, or will his bride experience the sharp sting of disappointment when she walks down the aisle to discover that her future husband is nowhere to be found? Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Heather Graham star in a rambunctious comedy from Old School director Todd Phillips.
Hangover, The - Part II
Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Bill Clinton, Paul Giamatti.
2011 Dec: COMEDY R 102 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★☆
A modest bachelor brunch devolves into a wild weekend in Bangkok when the gang travels to Thailand to see Stu get married. Still traumatized by memories of the Las Vegas fiasco, Stu (Ed Helms) vows to keep his pre-wedding partying to the bare minimum. But when Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) show up, Stu's low-key brunch makes their previous Vegas fiasco look like a family trip to Disneyland. The Hangover Part II features cameos by Bill Clinton and Paul Giamatti.
Hangover, The - Part III
Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong.
2013 Dec: COMEDY R 112 min. loc: C 3.405 - Not Viewed ★★☆
"The Hangover Part III" is the third and final film in director Todd Phillips' record-shattering comedy franchise. This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off
Hank and Mike
Directed by Matthiew Klinck. Starring Chris Klein, Thomas Michael, Joe Mantegna.
2007: COMEDY R 86 min. loc: C 1.258 - Not Viewed
Chris Klein, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Michael, and Paolo Mancini star in director Matthiew Klinck's holiday-themed comedy concerning two downsized Easter bunnies whose friendship starts to suffer when the multi-national corporation that owns all holidays decides to make some serious cutbacks. Hank and Mike are the Felix Unger and Oscar Madison of holiday mascots: They may seem like a mismatched pair yet their differences are precisely what's kept them together all these years. While Hank is a hard drinking ladies man, Mike can't seem to look past his own insecurities long enough to realize how truly miserable he is. Once a year, Hank and Mike dutifully venture out to deliver Easter baskets to families everywhere. This year, however, Easter Enterprises has taken a hit, and all "Tier 2" holidays (Christmas and Hanukkah being prime examples of "Tier 1") are fair game for downsizing. Since Hank and Mike work only once a year, their jobs are the first to go. Subsequently relegated to the unemployment office and unable to break free of their furry-tailed past, these two longtime pals are about to discover just how valuable their friendship can be in times of need.
Hanna
Directed by Joe Wright. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams.
2011 Aug: THRILLER PG-13 111 min. loc: C 2.476 - Not Viewed
A teenage assassin raised in remote Finland is dispatched on a dangerous mission by her father, an ex-CIA operative, in this innovative action thriller from director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice). Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) may look like your typical teenage girl, but she's a trained killer who has spent her entire life preparing for one mission. Schooled in the arts of survival and killing by her mysterious father (Eric Bana), Hanna finally reaches the age when she must put her skills to the test, and sets out across Europe on a collision course with a cunning intelligence operative (Cate Blanchett) who has been awaiting her arrival for years. Later, as agents close in from all sides and Hanna finally gets her target in the crosshairs, the trained assassin uncovers some secrets from the past that stir the conscience she never knew she had, and cause her to question everything she has ever known.
Hannah's Law
Directed by Rachel Talalay. Starring Sara Canning, Kimberly Elise, Greyson Holt, Billy Zane, Danny Glover, John Pyper-Ferguson.
2012 Dec: WESTERN NR 87 min. loc: C 3.340 - Not Viewed ★★★
Dodge City bounty hunter Hannah Beaumont (Sara Canning) sets out to capture the gang that murdered her family, and receives some much-needed help from Wild West icons Stagecoach Mary (Kimberly Elise), Wyatt Earp (Greyson Holt), and Doc Holliday in this western co-starring Billy Zane and Danny Glover
Hannibal
Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Ray Liotta, Giancarlo Giannini, Gary Oldman.
2001: THRILLER R 131 min. loc: C 2.203 - Not Viewed
Based on the controversial sequel novel of the same name, Hannibal is the much-anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Anthony Hopkins returns as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, one of the world's most cunning and feared serial killers, who resurfaces after a decade in hiding to toy with FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore). As Starling's career flounders thanks to a drug bust gone wrong, Lecter attempts to elude a greedy Italian police detective (Giancarlo Giannini) who's willing to alert the authorities to his presence in Florence for a price. In the meantime, a maimed but wealthy former victim of Lecter's named Mason Verger (Gary Oldman) plots to get his revenge on the doctor in a most unusual and grisly fashion. The novel by Thomas Harris was adapted for director Ridley Scott by David Mamet and Steven Zaillian.
Happening, The
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo.
2008 Oct: SCI-FI R loc: W - Viewed
Lady in the Water director M. Night Shyamalan puts PG-13 suspense on pause to tell this grim apocalyptic tale about a family fleeing a natural disaster that poses a grave threat to the whole of humanity. Philadelphia high-school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is discussing the disappearance of the bees with his students when the staff is summoned to the theater and briefed about a mysterious event that is currently unfolding in New York City. According to reports, citizens in the vicinity of Central Park have suddenly and inexplicably begun seizing up just before killing themselves by whatever means are at their disposal. As the phenomena begins to spread and talk of terrorism fills the airwaves, Elliot, his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), board a train bound for the presumed safety of the country. When the train screeches to a halt before arriving at its final destination, however, the frightened passengers are forced to fend for themselves as each consecutive news report paints an increasingly grim picture of the situation in more urbanized areas. Theories abound on what could be causing the unexplainable rash of suicides, but the only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it's some kind of airborne contagion that is carried in the wind. It would appear that humankind's reign on planet Earth has come to an end, but perhaps if this small band of survivors can find a safe place to lie low until this all blows over, all hope for survival of the species might not be lost just yet.
Happy Christmas
Directed by Joe Swanberg. Starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham, Joe Swanberg, Chris Swanson.
2014 Jun: DRAMA R 78 min. loc: C 4.190 - Viewed ★★★
When Jenny (Anna Kendrick), a hard partying 20-something moves in with Kelly (Melanie Lynskey), a budding novelist, her film director husband (Joe Swanberg) and their two-year-old son after a break up, the family's idyllic life is shaken. Jenny begins a rocky relationship with their baby sitter-cum-pot dealer (Mark Webber), and she and a friend, Carson (Lena Dunham), bring Kelly to the realization that an evolution in her life, career and relationship is necessary for her happiness. A new comedy from the director of DRINKING BUDDIES.
Happy Endings
Directed by Don Roos. Starring Tom Arnold, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Ritter.
2005: COMEDY R 128 min. loc: C 1.259 - Not Viewed
Three loosely interrelated stories of dysfunctional relationships are played for edgy laughs in this dark comedy drama from writer and director Don Roos. An unexpected assignation between stepsiblings Mamie and Charley results in Mamie becoming pregnant, with the child being put up for adoption shortly after birth. Twenty years later, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) is approached by Nicky (Jesse Bradford), an aspiring filmmaker with an abrasive personality who claims to know where her long-lost son is living. However, there's a catch -- Nicky wants to shoot the reunion for the student film he's working on, and won't tell her about her child unless she agrees, though her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), attempts to work out a compromise. Meanwhile, Charley (Steve Coogan), now out of the closet, has a longstanding relationship with Gil (David Sutcliffe), and the couple are involved in a legal battle over whether or not Gil's donated sperm produced a baby who has been adopted by a lesbian couple they know (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke). And finally, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bohemian malcontent who becomes involved with Otis (Jason Ritter), a sexually ambiguous rock musician. Otis has a difficult relationship with his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), but when Jude meets Frank, she likes him fine -- in fact, she soon falls in love with him and leaves Otis for his dad. Happy Endings had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Happy Feet
Directed by Judy Morris, et. al.. Starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy.
2007 Apr: ANIMATED PG 108 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
In the world of the emperor penguin, a simple song can mean the difference between a lifetime of happiness and an eternity of loneliness. When a penguin named Mumble is born without the ability to sing the romantic song that will attract his soul mate, he'll have to resort to some fancy footwork by tap dancing his way into the heart of the one he loves. Directed by Babe mastermind George Miller, Happy Feet tells the tale of one penguin's quest for love, and features an all-star cast of vocal talent that includes Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, and Brittany Murphy.
Happy Feet Two
Directed by George Miller. Starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara.
2012 Mar: ANIMATED PG 99 min. loc: C 3.83 - Not Viewed (SP) ★★★
The eagerly anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning hit Happy Feet Two finds tap-dancing penguin Mumble (voice of Elijah Wood) and his pals using their smooth moves to save the penguin nation. Mumble and Gloria (voice of Pink) have started a family of their own, and their young son, Erik, is just finding his footing among his fellow emperor penguins when a dire new threat thrusts their future into jeopardy. Just when it begins to look as if all hope is lost, the penguin nation bands together to dance the darkness away. Writer/director George Miller and star Robin Williams both return in this sequel also featuring the voices of Hank Azaria, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Sofía Vergara.
Happy Hour
Directed by Mike Bencivenga. Starring Anthony Lapaglia, Eric Stoltz, Caroleen Feeney.
2003: COMEDY R 93 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
An alcoholic must choose between love, life, and the bottle in this independent comedy drama. Tulley (Anthony LaPaglia) is a self-described "drinker with a writing problem," who after publishing a handful of well-respected short stories, began work on a novel. The novel, however, turned out to be a harder task than Tulley imagined, and he opted to take a job as an advertising copywriter, where he earns a good living but makes scant use of his talent. Tulley has also fallen into a habit of heavy drinking, as his best friend, Levine (Eric Stoltz), looks on with bemused concern. One night at a bar, Tulley meets Natalie (Caroleen Feeney), a teacher who doesn't much care for children, and what starts as a one-night stand turns into a love affair. As Natalie gets to know Tulley better, she discovers the talent lurking behind his alcoholic defenses, and encourages him to devote himself to literature again. However, as they fall deeper in love, Tulley discovers he has a larger problem than his novel to deal with -- he's been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, and won't have long to live if he can't change his ways.
Happy Tears
Directed by Mitchel Lichtenstein. Starring Demi Moore, Parker Posey, Rip Torn, Ellen Barkin.
2010 Jun: DRAMA R 95 min. loc: C 1.260 - Not Viewed
Teeth director Michael Lichtenstein takes a sharp turn from teen-oriented satire to mature family drama with this semi-autobiographical story concerning a pair of grown-up sisters who return to their family home in order to care for their ailing father. Jayne (Parker Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore) have long since moved out of their family home when they discover that their father's (Rip Torn) health has taken a turn for the worse. Returning to Pittsburgh in order to care for their slowly degenerating dad, the sisters quickly realize that their father is in total denial about his condition. Jayne has been shielded from the harsher side of life since she was just a little girl, and now as Laura begins pushing her sister to accept their bleak reality, their father takes a seedy lover (Ellen Barkin), who immediately rubs the girls the wrong way. But dealing with the father becomes the least of Jayne's and Laura's worries when the drama in their personal lives drags the demons of their past up to the surface and out into the open.
Hard Boiled
Directed by John Woo. Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Bowie Lam, Philip Chan.
1992: ACTION NR 247 min. loc: C 1.261 - Not Viewed
Hard-Boiled is the last film directed by Hong Kong action auteur John Woo before his arrival in the U.S. This 1992 thriller, along with The Killer, is widely seen as one of his best from his Hong Kong days. Every ingredient of the quintessential Woo thriller is present, including his ever-present anti-hero (Chow Yun-Fat). Yun-Fat portrays a maverick, clarinet-playing cop nicknamed "Tequila" whose partner is killed in the dizzying chaos of a restaurant gunfight with a small army of gangsters. It is soon revealed that one of the mob's high-ranking assassins is Tony (Tony Leung), an undercover cop who, despite his badge, is dangerously close to the edge. Tequila and Tony must team up in a tense partnership, and their common pursuit of a vicious crime lord results in a brilliantly elaborate climax in a hospital, where the heroes must rescue newborn babies from the maternity ward while fighting off dozens of mob soldiers. The characters Tequila and Tony are two sides of the same coin, another trademark theme of Woo's films that would later be most fully realized with Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in the American hit Face/Off.
Hard Country
Directed by David Greene. Starring Kim Basinger, Jan-Michael Vincent, Tanya Tucker, Daryl Hannah, Michael Parks.
1981 Apr: ROM/WESTERN PG 102 min. loc: C 3.247 - Not Viewed ★★★
Jan-Michael Vincent stars as Kyle Richardson, who works at a dead-end job in a Texas chain-link fence factory. In the tradition of such earlier films as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Richardson enjoys himself only on weekends when he whoops it up with his buddies at the local saloon. His carousing exacts a toll on his relationship with Jodie Lynn Palmer (Kim Basinger, in her film debut). Finally, Jodie delivers an ultimatum: either settle down and get married, or she'll skeedaddle to California, there to try her luck as a country-western singer. Real-life C&W star Tanya Tucker co-stars as Jodie's best friend and role model.
Hard Luck
Directed by Mario Van Peebles. Starring Wesley Snipes, Mario Van Peebles, Cybill Shepherd.
2006: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: C 1.262 - Not Viewed
An infamous ex-con on the road to redemption finds his quest unexpectedly complicated by the police, the mafia, and two of the nation's most vicious serial killers in a high octane crime thriller starring and directed by Mario Van Peebles and featuring Wesley Snipes and Cybill Shepherd.
Hard Way, The
Directed by John Badham. Starring Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Annabella Sciorra, LL Cool J, Penny Marshall, Stephen Lang.
1991: ACT/COM R 111 min. loc: C 2.205 - Not Viewed
Action film director John Badham bites the hand that feeds him in this action movie spoof that features ribbing of pretty-boy Hollywood action stars by Michael J. Fox and a parody of colorful, hair-trigger James Woods types by the man himself. Woods plays New York homicide detective John Moss, who is within an inch of closing in on a serial killer who calls himself The Party Crasher (Stephen Lang) because his specialty is shooting his victims in the middle of discos. Chasing The Party Crasher after his latest victim has been dispatched, Moss finds himself hanging onto the door of a speeding truck with The Party Crasher at the wheel. When Moss is thrown off the truck and nearly killed, The Party Crasher escapes, and Moss is taken off the case. Moss is given a new assignment --to tag around with Hollywood action film star Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox), the popular hero of the "Smoking Gun" movies. Lang spotted Moss on a television news show and thinks he would be the ideal cop to study for adding authenticity to an up-coming police action picture. Posing as Moss's rookie partner, Lang follows Moss everywhere, proceeding to spoil his pursuit of The Party Crasher and interfering with Moss's burgeoning affair with his girlfriend Susan (Anabella Sciorra).
Hardcore Henry
Directed by Ilya Naishuller. Starring Sharito Copley, Haley Bennett, Danila Kozlovsky, Tim Roth, Svetlana Ustinova, Darya Charusha, Will Stewart.
2016 Apr: ACT/FANTASY NR 90 min. loc: C 4.450 - Viewed ★★★☆
Strap in. Hardcore Henry is one of the most unflinchingly original wild-rides to hit the big screen in a long time: You remember nothing. Mainly because you've just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry. Five minutes later, you are being shot at, your wife has been kidnapped, and you should probably go get her back. Who's got her? His name's Akan (Danila Kozlovsky); he's a powerful warlord with an army of mercenaries, and a plan for world domination. You're also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, and everyone wants you dead. Everyone except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley.) He may be on your side, but you aren't sure. If you can survive the insanity, and solve the mystery, you might just discover your purpose and the truth behind your identity. Good luck, Henry. You're likely going to need it...
Hardwired
Directed by Ernie Barbarash. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Val Kilmer, Michael Ironside.
2009 Nov: SCI-FI R 94 min. loc: C 1.263 - Not Viewed
Academy Award-winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michael Ironside headline this sci-fi action flick about a man who must fight for his life after receiving a lethal brain implant. Luke Gibson (Gooding, Jr.) nearly died in the car accident that killed his wife and unborn child, but upon awakening in the hospital it quickly becomes clear that his life is still in danger. A microchip has been implanted in Luke's brain, and now his every move is being monitored by Hope Industries, a powerful corporation headed by a ruthless executive (Kilmer). If Luke doesn't get it out of his head soon, he'll become another brain-dead casualty of our corporate overlords. In order to regain of his own mind and prevent Hope Industries from achieving global domination, Luke seeks help from a team of highly intelligent computer hackers.
Harold & Kumar I: Go to White Castle
Directed by Danny Leiner. Starring John Cho, Kai Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, David Krumholtz, Ryan Reynolds.
2004: COMEDY R 90 min. loc: C 3.107 - Not Viewed
Directed by Danny Leiner, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle follows the life-changing (and mind-altering) journey of Korean-American investment banker Harold (John Cho) and Indian-American medical-school candidate Kumar (Kal Penn). Both underdogs, Harold and Kumar decide to spend what would have been an otherwise uneventful Friday night satisfying an oddly intense urge for White Castle hamburgers. However, finding a White Castle proves a highly difficult task, and the two friends wind up on an epic road trip of deep thoughts, deeper inhaling, and enough half-baked, politically incorrect philosophizing to outweigh a White Castle value meal.
Harold & Kumar II: Escape From Guantanamo
Directed by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg. Starring John Cho, Kai Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Corddry.
2008 Jul: COMEDY R 208 min. loc: C 1.264 - Not Viewed
After successfully seeking out the ultimate slider in the 2004 stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, the cannabis-craving twosome returns in this high-flying sequel that finds them labeled terrorists for attempting to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement on a flight to Amsterdam. Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) have just finished gorging themselves on savory White Castle hamburgers when they return to their apartment and hatch a plan for Harold to win the heart of his crush, Maria (Paula Garcés). Maria is going to Amsterdam, and if Harold can catch up with her overseas perhaps he can strike up a real love connection. After a close call with airport personnel and a chance encounter with Kumar's ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) -- who hadn't yet told Kumar that she's engaged to be married -- the pot-loving pals finally board their flight for Amsterdam. Unfortunately for Harold, Kumar isn't able to endure the lengthy flight without an innocent puff or two from his smokeless bong. When the plane hits some turbulence and the bong is mistaken for a bomb, the flight is diverted to Guantanamo Bay and our spliff-smoking heroes are detained by overzealous Deputy Chief of Homeland Security Ron Fox (Rob Corddry). Now, if they can just escape from the world's most notorious prison compound, perhaps this hapless duo can succeed in convincing the authorities that they aren't enemy combatants, and that Kumar made the mistake of his life by letting Vanessa go. But before they can prove their innocence and get the girls, Harold and Kumar will have to outsmart the dreaded Ku Klux Klan, contend with a particularly precocious Cyclops baby, and successfully elude everyone's favorite debauched former child star -- Neil Patrick Harris.
Harold & Kumar III: A Very Harold & Kumar Xmas
Directed by Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz. Starring John Cho, Kai Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Patton Oswalt, Danny Trejo.
2012 Feb: COMEDY R 90 min. loc: C 3.106 - Not Viewed (SP) ★★★
Christmas gets green as pot-smoking pals Harold and Kumar reunite for a hilariously hazy holiday adventure set six years after the events of the previous film. It's been a long time since Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) escaped from Guantanamo Bay, and these days they're just not as tight as they used to be. But as they each prepare to celebrate Christmas Eve with their new best buds, Kumar receives a very special delivery that should have gone to Harold. Always the dutiful friend, Kumar does his best to see that the package reaches its intended destination by the time sleigh bells start ringing. Unfortunately, while making the delivery Kumar causes Harold's family Christmas tree to go up in flames. Thankfully for Harold, the in-laws are away for the evening, giving him just enough time to track down a replacement and avoid the wrath of his wife's temperamental father. With the clock counting down to Christmas and the family returning home soon, Harold and Kumar race though New York City on a mad dash to find the perfect substitute tree. Neil Patrick Harris returns for more raunchy fun in a sequel also featuring Danneel Harris, David Krumholtz, and Eddie Kaye Thomas
Harry and Tonto
Directed by Paul Mazursky. Starring Art Carney, Ellen Burstyn, Chief Dan George, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Larry Hagman, Melanie Mayron.
1974: DRAMA R 115 min. loc: C 2.327 - Not Viewed
In Paul Mazursky's rueful character drama, 57-year-old Art Carney plays Harry, a 70-plus Manhattan widower who loses his tiny apartment to the wrecking ball. Accompanied by his pet, an aged cat named Tonto, Harry sets out on an odyssey to Los Angeles. During his journey, he finds a kindred spirit in a youthful hitchhiker (Melanie Mayron), who eventually finds happiness with Harry's grandson (Joshua Mostel). Harry makes stops at the homes of his grown children (Philip Bruns, Ellen Burstyn, and Larry Hagman), but each visit is more disappointing than the last; he also touches base with an old flame (Geraldine Fitzgerald), who has slipped into senility. By the time he arrives in L.A., Harry has become dispirited by his desultory visits with friends and family, but he eventually realizes that each new day can be a beginning rather than an end.
Harry Brown
Directed by Daniel Barber. Starring Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Charles Creed-Miles.
2010 Aug: DRAMA R 103 min. loc: C 1.265 - Not Viewed
Academy Award nominee Daniel Barber (The Tonto Woman) makes his feature directorial debut with this gritty critique on contemporary British society starring Michael Caine as an elderly shut-in who's spurred to action by a senseless act of violence. Harry Brown (Caine) resides in a desolate public-housing apartment block as his sickly wife lies dying in a local hospital. He spends most of his days in solitude, only getting out to play the occasional game of chess at a nearby pub with his best friend, Leonard (David Bradley). The days of basic human decency seem to be a thing of the past, because in recent years barbarous drug dealers and gangsters have overtaken the dilapidated complex. Killing is a way of life for these young thugs, and as a result overburdened detectives Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and Hicock (Charlie Creed-Miles) are essentially relegated to knocking on doors and notifying parents when their children have been killed in the latest fracas, instead of investigating the crimes and jailing the guilty parties. When Leonard is murdered just feet from his own apartment, former Royal Marine Harry utilizes the skills he learned while fighting the IRA to take on the aggressive chavs who have intimidated the police into inaction.
Harry Potter 1: The Sorcerer's Stone
Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman.
2001: FANTASY PG 152 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
The best-selling novel by J.K. Rowling (titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in England, as was this film adaptation) becomes this hotly anticipated fantasy adventure from Chris Columbus, the winner of a high-stakes search for a director to bring the first in a hoped-for franchise of Potter films to the screen by Warner Bros. Upon his 11th birthday, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who lives in misery with an aunt and uncle that don't want him, learns from a giant named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) that he is the orphaned son of powerful wizards. Harry is offered a place at prestigious Hogwarts, a boarding school for wizards that exists in a realm of magic and fantasy outside the dreary existence of normal humans or "Muggles." At Hogwarts, Harry quickly makes new friends and begins piecing together the mystery of his parents' deaths, which appear not to have been accidental after all. The film features alternate-version scenes for every mention of the titular rock. Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, John Cleese, and Fiona Shaw co-star.
Harry Potter 2: The Chamber of Secrets
Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman.
2002: FANTASY PG 161 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Youthful wizard Harry Potter returns to the screen in this, the second film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's wildly popular series of novels for young people. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) return for a second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Headmaster Dumbledore (Richard Harris), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), and Hagrid the Giant (Robbie Coltrane) are joined by new faculty members Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), a self-centered expert in Defense against the Dark Arts, and Sprout (Miriam Margolyes), who teaches Herbology. However, it isn't long before Harry and company discover something is amiss at Hogwarts: Students are petrified like statues, threats are written in blood on the walls, and a deadly monster is on the loose. It seems that someone has opened the mysterious Chamber of Secrets, letting loose the monster and all its calamitous powers. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to find the secret chamber and slay the beast, speculation is rife that one of the heirs of Salazar Slytherin, the co-founder of the school, opened the chamber as a warning against the presence of "mudbloods" (magic-users of impure lineage) at the school -- and that the culprit may be fellow student Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets featured Richard Harris' second and final appearance as Headmaster Dumbledore; he died less than a month before the film was released in the United States.
Harry Potter 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith.
2004: FANTASY PG 142 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
After directing the first two movies in the Harry Potter franchise, Chris Columbus opted to serve as producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and passed the baton to Y Tu Mamá También director Alfonso Cuarón. Though "immensely popular" is an understatement when it comes to Harry Potter, Azkaban is somewhat of a departure from its predecessors, and particularly beloved among fans for its surprise ending. Prisoner of Azkaban also marks the introduction of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from the title prison after 12 years of incarceration. Believed to have been the right-hand-man of the dark wizard Voldemort, whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) mysteriously rendered powerless during his infancy, some of those closest to Harry suspect Black has returned to exact revenge on the boy who defeated his master. Upon his return to school, however, Harry is relatively unconcerned with Black. Run by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) -- who is widely regarded as the most powerful wizard of the age -- Hogwarts is renowned for its safety. Harry's nonchalance eventually turns to blind rage after accidentally learning the first of Black's many secrets during a field trip to a neighboring village. Of course, a loose serial killer is only one of the problems plaguing the bespectacled wizard's third year back at school -- the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban prison have been employed at Hogwarts to protect the students, but their mere presence sends Harry into crippling fainting spells. With the help of his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), Harry struggles to thwart the Dementors, find Sirius Black, and uncover the mysteries of the night that left him orphaned.
Harry Potter 4: The Goblet of Fire
Directed by Mike Newell. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith.
2005: FANTASY PG-13 157 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Directed by Mike Newell, the fourth installment to the Harry Potter series finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) wondering why his legendary scar -- the famous result of a death curse gone wrong -- is aching in pain, and perhaps even causing mysterious visions. Before he can think too much about it, however, Harry boards the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he will attend his fourth year of magical education. Shortly after his reunion with his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), Harry is introduced to yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: the grizzled Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), a former dark wizard catcher who agreed to take on the infamous "DADA" professorship as a personal favor to Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Of course, Harry's wishes for an uneventful school year are almost immediately shattered when he is unexpectedly chosen, along with fellow student Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), as Hogwarts' representative in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which awards whoever completes three magical tasks the most skillfully with a thousand-galleon purse and the admiration of the international wizard community. As difficult as it is to deal with his schoolwork, friendships, and the tournament at the same time (not to mention his feelings toward the ever unfathomable Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Harry doesn't realize that the most feared wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort, is anticipating the tournament, as well. ~
Harry Potter 5: The Order of Phoenix
Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson.
2007 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 146 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Young wizard-in-training Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year of studies, only to find that the magical community seems to be in a curious state of denial about his recent encounter with the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the fifth installment of the popular fantasy film series based on the best-selling books by author J.K. Rowling. Rumor has it that the dreaded Lord Voldemort has returned, but Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) isn't so sure what to make of all the hearsay currently floating around the campus of Hogwarts. Suspecting that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) may be fueling the rumors regarding Voldemort's return in order to undermine his authority and lay claim to his job, Fudge entrusts newly arrived Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) with the task of tracking Dumbledore and keeping a protective watch over the nervous student body. The young wizards of Hogwarts will need something much more effective than Umbridge's Ministry-approved course in defensive magic if they are to truly succeed in the extraordinary battle that lies ahead, however, and when the administration fails to provide the students with the tools that they will need to defend Hogwarts against the fearsome powers of the Dark Arts, Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Harry take it upon themselves to recruit a small group of students to form "Dumbledore's Army" in preparation for the ultimate supernatural showdown.
Harry Potter 6: The Half-Blood Prince
Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith.
2009 Dec: FANTASY PG 153 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Adolescent wizard-in-training Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for another year of schooling and learns more about the dark past of the boy who grew up to become Lord Voldemort in this, the sixth installment of the film series that originated from the writings of author J.K. Rowling. There was a time when Hogwarts was thought of as a safe haven, but thanks to Voldemort's tightening grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, that simply isn't the case anymore. Suspecting that the castle may even harbor an outright threat, Harry finds his investigation into the matter sidelined by Dumbledore's attempts to prepare him for the monumental battle looming ever closer on the horizon. In order to discover the key to Voldemort's defenses, Dumbledore enlists the aid of resourceful yet unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, who may have a clue as to their enemy's Achilles' heel. Meanwhile, teenage hormones cause the students at Hogwarts to lose focus on their true mission. As Harry and Dean Thomas clash for the affections of the lovely Ginny, Romilda Vane attempts to woo Ron away from Lavender Brown with some particularly tasty chocolates. Even Hermione isn't immune from the love bug, though she tries her hardest to suppress her growing jealousy and keep her emotions bottled up. But there is one student who remains completely aloof from the romance blossoming all around, and he intends to leave a dark impression on his classmates. With tragedy looming ever closer, it begins to appear as if peace will prove elusive in Hogwarts for some time to come.
Harry Potter 7: The Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grant, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes.
2011 Mar: FANTASY PG-13 146 min. loc: W - Not Viewed ★★★★
The first installment of the two-film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they search for the pieces of Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) soul that he extracted from his being and hid in obscure locations both far and wide. If the trio is unable to locate and destroy them all, Voldemort will remain immortal. Despite their long friendship, a combination of dark forces, romantic tensions, and long-held secrets threaten to sabotage the mission. David Yates directs.
Harry Potter 8: The Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman.
2011 Nov: FANTASY PG-13 130 min. loc: W - Not Viewed ★★★★
The final adventure in the Harry Potter film series follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they prepare for a final battle with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is determined to destroy Harry once and for all. In order to defeat the powerful wizard, they must find and destroy Voldemort's last and most elusive Horcrux -- that is, the enchanted piece of soul allowing him to remain immortal -- before his nefarious plans come to fruition. David Yates directs.
Harsh Times
Directed by David Aver. Starring Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria.
2007 Mar: ACTION R 116 min. loc: C 1.266 - Not Viewed
An unstable Gulf War veteran with a savior complex receives a shocking wake-up call upon returning stateside and accepting a position with the Department of Homeland Security in the directorial debut of Training Day screenwriter David Ayer. Jim (Christian Bale) is a Gulf War veteran who believes his sworn duty to protect his fellow Americans extends to the streets of Los Angeles, and he longs to fulfill his destiny by joining the LAPD. Rejected by the force and left to ponder his future with his impoverished Mexican paramour -- whom he had intended on bringing to the city after joining the police -- the dejected and unemployed veteran is offered a second shot at helping his country when he is subsequently approached by the Department of Homeland Security. As Jim and his unemployed best friend, Mike (Freddy Rodriguez), carve a swath of chaos through the streets of Los Angeles, the weight of their American dream soon comes crashing down in a devastating blow that threatens to dash their high hopes for a bright future.
Hateful Eight, The
Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, James Parks, Dana Gourrier, Zoe Bell.
2015 Dec: WESTERN R 167 min. loc: C 4.408 - Viewed ★★★★
Set six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive Daisy Domergue, race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as "The Hangman," will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren, a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix, a southern renegade who claims to be the town's new Sheriff. Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie's Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie's, they are greeted not by the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces. Bob, who's taking care of Minnie's while she's visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray, the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage (Madsen), and Confederate General Sanford Smithers. As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all..
Hatfields & McCoys (Miniseries)
Directed by Kevin Reynolds. Starring Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Tom Berenger, Jena Malone.
2012 Jul: MINISERIES NR 290 min. loc: W - Not Viewed ★★★★
This miniseries from cable's History Channel travels back to the second half of the 19th century for an epic-length, dramatic evocation of one of history's most famous and vitriolic feuds. A conflict that first erupted in 1863 and spanned a whopping 28 years, the Hatfield-McCoy War began simply, with two Confederate soldiers, Randall McCoy (here played by Bill Paxton) and 'Devil' Anse Hatfield (here played by Kevin Costner) returning home after many months of battle in the U.S. Civil War. Initially, the future appears bright to both men, but a misunderstanding soon erupts that leads straight to a tragic murder, and an illicit love affair further complicates the situation. In time, minor clashes and disagreements blow up into a local civil war, as neighbors and friends take sides. Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld, Fandango) directs.
Hatfields & McCoys: Bad Blood
Directed by Fred Olen Ray. Starring Christian Slater, Perry King, Jeff Fahey, Priscilla Barnes.
2012 Jun: WESTERN PG-13 90 min. loc: C 3.175 - Not Viewed ★★★
A tragic cycle of violence ensnares two proud families in this historical drama starring Christian Slater, Perry King, and Jeff Fahey.
Havoc
Directed by Barbara Kopple. Starring Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips, Channing Tatum, Michael Biehn, Freddy Rodriguez.
2005: DRAMA NR 92 min. loc: C 2.503 - Not Viewed
A pair of naïve young girls learn that even the most insignificant actions can have lasting consequences in this music-driven take on teen culture starring Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips and directed by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Influenced by the hip-hop thug lifestyle and seeking to explore life outside of their insulated, culturally homogenized suburb, pretty young teenagers Allison (Hathaway) and Emily (Phillips) set their sights on East L.A. to experience the "gangsta" lifestyle firsthand. By the time the pair meet some true-life Latino gang-bangers and realize just how far out of their element they really are, it may already be too late to turn back.
Haywire
Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Gina Carano, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum.
2012 May: THRILLER R 93 min. loc: C 3.30 - Viewed ★★★☆
Mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano makes her feature-film debut as a lethal government contractor who's betrayed by her own agency in this action thriller from writer Lem Dobbs (The Limey) and director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Contagion). Mallory Kane (Carano) is the woman the U.S. government calls on to take care of their dirty work. She's fast, efficient, and -- perhaps most important of all -- clean. But when Mallory makes the mistake of saving a Chinese journalist from certain death, she becomes an enemy to the very same government she once served. Mallory isn't going down without a fight, though, and after a close brush with death, she realizes that the only way to save her own life is to reveal the government's deception. Now, as assassins close in from all sides in an ominous attempt to silence her forever, Mallory sets a trap and races to reveal a massive deception that threatens global stability. Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Bill Paxton co-star.
He Was a Quiet Man
Directed by Farnk Cappello. Starring Christian Slater, Elisha Cuthbert, William H. Macy.
2008 Feb: DRAMA R 95 min. loc: C 1.267 - Viewed
A man at the end of his emotional rope finally explodes, but not in a way anyone would have expected in this offbeat independent drama. Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) is a middle-aged nebbish working in an office building where few people know who he is and fewer still care. Bob has developed a seething hatred and resentment of those around him, and has taken to carrying a gun to work in the hope that one day he'll have the courage to take down some of his co-workers. However, one day another man working in the office snaps and opens fire; Bob grabs his weapon and kills the shooter, but not before the gunman wounds Vanessa (Elisha Cuthbert), a pretty girl who works there. Bob unwittingly becomes a hero, and is applauded for stopping the menace and saving Vanessa's life. However, as Bob keeps an eye on Vanessa at the hospital (where she may now be paralyzed for life), his sudden transformation in the eyes of others only leaves him more unsettled and disturbed. Also starring William H. Macy and Jamison Jones, He Was A Quiet Man received its world premiere at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival.
Head In the Clouds
Directed by John Dulgan. Starring Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz, Stuart Townsend.
2004: DRAMA R 123 min. loc: C 1.268 - Viewed
Australian filmmaker John Duigan directs the romantic war drama Head in the Clouds. Charlize Theron stars as ambitious photographer Gilda Bessé, who lives in France during the 1930s. She shares her stylish luxury apartment in Paris with Cambridge student Guy (Stuart Townsend) from Ireland and refugee Mia (Penélope Cruz) from Spain. When WWII starts, the three close friends are torn apart by different priorities. Thomas Kretschmann also stars as Major Thomas Bietrich.
Headless Woman, The
Directed by Lucrecia Martel. Starring Maria Onetto, Claudia Cantera.
2009 Dec: THRILLER NR 87 min. loc: C 1.269 - Not Viewed
Acclaimed Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel steps back behind the camera for her third feature film with this tense thriller concerning a woman who fails to recognize the people surrounding her as well as their intentions after inadvertently killing a dog while driving on the highway. Budgeted at two million dollars, The Headless Woman marks the second collaboration between Agustín Almodóvar's El Deseo production company and Buenos Aires-based outfit Lita Stantic -- who had previously teamed to produce the celebrated Cannes Film Festival hit The Holy Girl.
Heartbreak Kid, The
Directed by Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly. Starring Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Jerry Stiller.
2007: COMEDY R 114 min. loc: C 1.470 - Not Viewed
When 40-year-old San Francisco bachelor Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller) attends the wedding of his ex-fiancée -- and is seated at a "singles table" full of children -- he realizes maybe he's been too picky in his love life, and it's time to settle down. Fortunately, he doesn't have to compromise his standards when he meets Lila (Malin Akerman), a funny, attractive blond who does environmental research for a living. Lila's company wants to relocate her to Europe, but only because she's single -- they don't force married couples to uproot themselves. So Eddie hastily proposes to her, even though they've only been dating for six weeks. But the moment they exchange vows, Eddie starts to notice Lila's rough edges and annoying habits, which had remained hidden underneath her perfect exterior. Their Cabo San Lucas honeymoon gets off to a rough start full of tuneless pop singalongs and surprising revelations about Lila's job and her past. Things only get worse for a confused Eddie when he meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a Midwesterner in Cabo for a family reunion -- and starts to wish he'd held out just a little bit longer. The Heartbreak Kid is Peter and Bobby Farrelly's remake of the 1972 Elaine May comedy of the same name, starring Charles Grodin.
Heat
Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman.
1995 Dec: THRILLER R 172 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★
A successful career criminal considers getting out of the business after one last score, while an obsessive cop desperately tries to put him behind bars in this intelligent thriller written and directed by Michael Mann. Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is a thief who specializes in big, risky jobs, such as banks and armored cars. He's very good at what he does; he's bright, methodical, and has honed his skills as a thief at the expense of his personal life, vowing never to get involved in a relationship from which he couldn't walk away in 30 seconds. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is an L.A.P.D. detective determined to catch McCauley, but while McCauley's personal code has forced him to do without a wife and children, Hanna's dedication has made a wreck of the home he's tried to have; he's been divorced twice, he's all but a stranger to his third wife, and he has no idea how to reach out to his troubled step-daughter. While McCauley has enough money to retire and is planning to move to New Zealand, he loves the thrill of robbery as much as the profit, and is blocking out plans for one more job; meanwhile, he's met a woman, Eady (Amy Brenneman), whom he's not so sure he can walk away from. The supporting cast includes Val Kilmer as Chris, one of McCauley's partners; Ashley Judd as his wife Charlene; Jon Voight as Nate; Hank Azaria as Alan Marciano; and Henry Rollins as Hugh, who is beaten up by Hanna.
Heat, The
Directed by Paul Feig. Starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Kaitlin Olson, Taran Killam.
2013 Oct: COMEDY R 116 min. loc: C 3.395 - Viewed ★★★★
Uptight FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) and foul-mouthed Boston cop Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) couldn't be more incompatible. But when they join forces to bring down a ruthless drug lord, they become the last thing anyone expected: buddies. From Paul Feig, director of "Bridesmaids."
Heatstroke
Directed by Evelyn Purcell. Starring Stephen Dorff, Svetlana Metkina, Maisie Williams, Peter Stomare, Andrew Roux.
2014 Jul: THRILLER NR 92 min. loc: C 4.118 - Viewed ★★☆
On a family trip in the African desert, a research scientist unintentionally travels off course and comes face to face with a group of dangerous arms dealers. He is put to the ultimate survival test as he attempts to evade the killers and protect his girlfriend and teenage daughter.
Heaven is for Real
Directed by Randall Wallace. Starring Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Connor Corum, Margo Martindale, Thomas Hayden Church.
2014 Apr: DRAMA PG 99 min. loc: C 4.112 - Not Viewed ★★★
Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL brings to the screen the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son's extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world. The film stars Academy Award (R) nominee and Emmy (R) award winning actor Greg Kinnear as Todd Burpo and co-stars Kelly Reilly as Sonja Burpo, the real-life couple whose son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) claims to have visited Heaven during a near death experience. Colton recounts the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matter-of-factly about things that happened before his birth ... things he couldn't possibly know. Todd and his family are then challenged to examine the meaning from this remarkable event.
Heaven's Prisoners
Directed by Phil Joanou. Starring Alec Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Eric Roberts, Teri Hatcher, Mary Stuart Masterson.
1996: THRILLER R 133 min. loc: C 3.123 - Not Viewed
An ex-cop trying to stay away from trouble finds it literally crashing into his backyard in this crime thriller. Dave Robicheaux (Alec Baldwin) is a former New Orleans police detective who, after kicking an addiction to alcohol and confronting some serious problems with his partners, has left law enforcement behind to run a bait shop in a small Louisiana bayou town. One day, Dave and his wife Annie (Kelly Lynch) see a small plane plummet from the sky and crash into the swamp; the pilot dies, but Dave is able to rescue a young Hispanic girl from the wreckage. Dave and Annie take the child in, but as they try to find out more about the plane crash and who the little girl might be, they discover that she's actually an illegal alien from Salvador and that the pilot was involved with a local drug ring. Dave, constitutionally unable to let a mystery go unsolved, begins asking enough questions and making enough trouble that he finds himself on the bad side of his old High School friend Bubba Rocque (Eric Roberts). Bubba is a local crime boss who controls the area's drug traffic, keeps a boxing ring in his front yard, and has a wife Claudette (Teri Hatcher) who enjoys greeting her guests naked. Dave's inquiries eventually become too much for Bubba and his henchmen, and in the midst of a violent raid on their home, Annie is killed. Dave becomes obsessed with bringing Bubba and his men to justice and gets some unexpected help from Robin Gaddis (Mary Stuart Masterson), an exotic dancer with a heart of gold. While it was originally scheduled for release in 1994, Heaven's Prisoners didn't arrive on theater screens until two years later, by which time Teri Hatcher had risen to stardom on the TV series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Heavy, The
Directed by Marcus Warren. Starring Gary Stretch, Vinnie Jones, Adrian Paul.
2010 Dec: THRILLER R 102 min. loc: C 2.111 - Not Viewed
London enforcer "Boots" Mason (Gary Stretch) discovers that he's got a bounty on his head after getting caught in the crosshairs of rogue cop Dunn (Vinnie Jones), and seek vengeance against his estranged family as his brother (Adrian Paul) rises to power in the world of politics. Stephen Rea, Jean Marsh, and Christopher Lee co-star.
Hector and the Search for Happiness
Directed by Peter Chelsom. Starring Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Tracy Ann Oberman, Jean Reno, Veronica Ferres, Christopher Plummer, Jakob Davies.
2014 Aug: DRAMA R 114 min. loc: C 4.251 - Not Viewed ★★★☆
Hector (Simon Pegg) is a quirky psychiatrist who has become increasingly tired of his humdrum life. As he tells his girlfriend, Clara (Rosamund Pike), he feels like a fraud: he hasn't really tasted life, and yet he's offering advice to patients who are just not getting any happier. So Hector decides to break out of his deluded and routine driven life. Armed with buckets of courage and child-like curiosity, he embarks on a global quest in hopes of uncovering the elusive secret formula for true happiness. And so begins a larger than life adventure with riotously funny results. Based on the world-wide best-selling novel of the same name, Hector and the Search for Happiness is a rich, exhilarating, and hilarious tale from director Peter Chelsom, starring Simon Pegg, Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno and Christopher Plummer.
Heist
Directed by Scott Mann. Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Robert De Niro, Kate Bosworth, Dave Bautista, Gina Carano, Morris Chestnut, Summer Altice, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, D.B. Sweeney, Lydia Hull, Alyssa Julya Smith.
2015 Nov: THRILLER R 90 min. loc: C 4.371 - Viewed ★★★
When their attempt to rob a casino owned by the feared gangster Pope (Robert De Niro) goes awry and a shootout ensues, Vaughn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Cox (Dave Bautista) are forced to flee on foot and hijack city Bus 657 and take the passengers hostage. Now, in a high speed chase, Vaughn will not only have to outwit the police, led by Officer Bajos (Gina Carano) who are in hot pursuit, but he will have to contend with Pope's maniacal right hand man, Dog (Morris Chestnut), in order to make it through the day alive. But we quickly learn that things are not what they seem, and Vaughn has more than one card up his sleeve.
Helen
Directed by Sandra Nettelbeck. Starring Ashley Judd, Goran Visnjic, Lauren Lee Smith.
2008: DRAMA R 119 min. loc: C 1.331 - Not Viewed
Ashley Judd  headlines this earnest psychological drama centered on the monumental inner struggle of Helen, a successful music professor and happily married mother suffering from severe mental illness. After years of suppressing her bipolar disorder, Helen suffers a crippling emotional breakdown. Subsequently hospitalized, she befriends Mathilda, who offers a sense of understanding and emotional solace that her family cannot. But in time Helen's suffering becomes overwhelming, and she begins to believe that death is the only solution. Desperate, Helen's husband and daughter fight to prove to her that life is worth living, and convince her that there are other options for overcoming her illness.
Hell or High Water
Directed by David Mackenzie. Starring Dale Dickey, Ben Foster, Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, Katy Mixon, William Sterchi, Buck Taylor.
2016 Aug: THRILLER/WEST R 102 min. loc: C 4.475 - Viewed ★★★★
Texas brothers--Toby (Chris Pine), and Tanner (Ben Foster), come together after years divided to rob branches of the bank threatening to foreclose on their family land. For them, the hold-ups are just part of a last-ditch scheme to take back a future that seemed to have been stolen from under them. Justice seems to be theirs, until they find themselves on the radar of Texas Ranger, Marcus (Jeff Bridges) looking for one last grand pursuit on the eve of his retirement, and his half-Comanche partner, Alberto (Gil Birmingham). As the brothers plot a final bank heist to complete their scheme, and with the Rangers on their heels, a showdown looms at the crossroads where the values of the Old and New West murderously collide.
Hell Ride
Directed by Larry Bishop. Starring Larry Bishop, Michael Madsen, Dennis Hopper.
2008 Oct: ACTION R 83 min. loc: C 1.270 - Not Viewed
Veteran AIP genre star Larry Bishop (son of famed Rat Packer Joey Bishop) directs and stars in this gritty revenge tale concerning a biker gang that rallies to avenge the violent murder of a fellow gang member. An homage to such classic biker films as Chrome and Hot Leather and Angel Unchained, Hell Ride was conceived when director Bishop was invited to Quentin Tarantino's home to view a print of The Savage Seven. Upon realizing that there hadn't been a true biker film in years, the pair quickly contacted Bob Weinstein and conspired to produce a lean and mean two-wheeled revenge flick that would more than make up for lost time.
Hellboy II: the Golden Army
Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones.
2008 Nov: FANTASY PG-13 120 min. loc: C 1.271 - Not Viewed
Ron Perlman returns to the role of the big red BPRD agent in this sequel to 2004's Hellboy, directed once again by Guillermo del Toro and scripted as before in collaboration with original Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. For centuries, an ancient truce has kept the naïve citizens of the human race safe from the horrors of the invisible realm -- but that's all about to change, and fast. A ruthless leader has emerged in the invisible realm, a tyrant just as comfortable walking the surface realm as he is living in the land of fantasy. When this power-mad ruler defies his bloodline to assemble an unstoppable army of fantastical creatures that he will use to wage a supernatural war on humanity, it begins to appear that humankind's days are numbered. But Hellboy (Perlman) isn't about to stand idly by as the planet is purged by a demonic despot, and with a little help from his team at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, he may just be able to send our otherworldly overlords packing. Of course, Hellboy's pyrokinetic girlfriend, Liz (Selma Blair), is always willing to conjure up an inferno or two when things get desperate, aquatic Abe (Doug Jones) is prepared to dive headlong into any battle, and protoplasmic mystic Johann (voice of Thomas Kretschmann) proves an invaluable companion in times of inter-dimensional conflict. Now, as the creatures who inhabit the spiritual realm gear up for an all-out attack on the human plane, the only one capable of saving the Earth is a tough-talking hellspawn rejected by both worlds.
Hell's Kitchen N.Y.C.
Directed by Tony Cinciripini. Starring Mekhi Phifer, Rosanna Arquette, Angelina Jolie, William Forsythe.
1998: DRAMA R 101 min. loc: C 2.114 - Not Viewed ★★
In this hard-edged crime drama, four kids from the tough New York neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen decide to pull a robbery, but their first foray into crime does not go well. When the dust settles, Hayden (Ryan Slater) is dead, and Johnny (Mekhi Phifer) gets pinched by the cops, while Patty (Johnny Whitworth) and Gloria (Angelina Jolie) manage to get away. Johnny serves a five-year stretch in prison for the theft. Although Gloria was in love with Johnny, Hayden was her brother, so she's become susceptible to gossip that Johnny was responsible for Hayden's death, and she is eager to get revenge on her former lover. Patty has also fallen in love with Gloria, and while he is not happy about betraying his old friend, he's soon ensnared in Gloria's plot to kill Johnny. Patty also has to deal with the guilt he feels about his on-again, off-again affair with Gloria's mother Liz (Rosanna Arquette), a failed lounge singer sunk deep into drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, as he tries to clear his name with Gloria, Johnny is trying to make a career as a boxer; Lou (William Forsythe), a veteran trainer and manager, offers to help Johnny, but the young fighter isn't so sure he wants to be linked to someone with Lou's ties to organized crime. Hell's Kitchen N.Y.C. was the feature directorial debut for Tony Cinciripini, who was formerly an assistant to famed acting coach Lee Strasberg.
Help, The
Directed by Tate Taylor. Starring Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard.
2011 Dec: DRAMA PG-13 146 min. loc: C 2.651 - Viewed ★★★★
A 1960s-era Mississippi debutante sends her community into an uproar by conducting a series of probing interviews with the black servants behind some of her community's most prominent families. Skeeter (Emma Stone) has just graduated from college, and she's eager to launch her career as a writer. In a moment of inspiration, Skeeter decides to focus her attention on the black female servants who work in her community. Her first subject is Aibileen (Viola Davis), the devoted housekeeper who has been employed by Skeeter's best friend's family for years. By speaking with Aibileen, Skeeter becomes an object of scorn to the wealthy locals, who view her actions as directly challenging to the established social order. Before long, even more servants are coming forward to tell their stories, and Skeeter discovers that friendship can blossom under the most unlikely of circumstances. Bryce Dallas Howard co-stars in a touching tale of race relations based on author Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel of the same name.
Her
Directed by Spike Jonze. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Kristen Wiig.
2014 Jan: SCI-FI R 126 min. loc: C 4.93 - Viewed ★★★★
Spike Jonze takes the helm for this comedy about a withdrawn writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his computer's highly advanced operating system. Theodore is a lonely man in the final stages of his divorce. When he's not working as a letter writer, his down time is spent playing video games and occasionally hanging out with friends. He decides to purchase the new OS1, which is advertised as the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, "It's not just an operating system, it's a consciousness," the ad states. Theodore quickly finds himself drawn in with Samantha, the voice behind his OS1. As they start spending time together they grow closer and closer and eventually find themselves in love. Having fallen in love with his OS, Theodore finds himself dealing with feelings of both great joy and doubt. As an OS, Samantha has powerful intelligence that she uses to help Theodore in ways others hadn't, but how does she help him deal with his inner conflict of being in love with an OS?
Hercules
Directed by Brett Ratner. Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Reese Ritchie, Tobias Santelmann, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, Joe Anderson, Rebecca Ferguson.
2014 Jul: FANTASY PG-13 99 min. loc: C 4.185 - Viewed ★★★
Fourteen hundred years BCE, a tormented soul walked the earth that was neither man nor god. Hercules was the powerful son of the god king Zeus, for this he received nothing but suffering his entire life. After twelve arduous labours and the loss of his family, this dark, world-weary soul turned his back on the gods finding his only solace in bloody battle. Over the years he warmed to the company of six similar souls, their only bond being their love of fighting and presence of death. These men and women never question where they go to fight or why or whom, just how much they will be paid. Now the King of Thrace has hired these mercenaries to train his men to become the greatest army of all time. It is time for this bunch of lost souls to finally have their eyes opened to how far they have fallen when they must train an army to become as ruthless and blood thirsty as their reputation has become.  Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' film HERCULES, starring Dwayne Johnson, bows on July 25th. Based on Radical Comics' Hercules by Steve Moore, this ensemble-action film is a revisionist take on the classic myth, HERCULES. The epic action film also stars Golden Globe Winner Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan and Academy Award (R)-nominee John Hurt
Here Comes the Boom
Directed by Frank Coraci. Starring Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler, Greg Germann, Joe Rogan.
2013 Jan: ACT/COM PG 105 min. loc: C 3.361 - Not Viewed ★★★
A devoted high-school teacher risks life and limb as a mixed-martial-arts fighter in order to rescue his school's music program from the cutting block in this action comedy from director Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, Click). Back in his prime, Scott Voss (Kevin James) was a collegiate wrestler with some fairly impressive moves. Now, at 42, he teaches biology at troubled Wilkinson High School. Mr. Voss has begun to grow deeply indifferent in his role as an educator when a troubling announcement stirs him to action. Effective immediately, Wilkinson High will be eliminating all extracurricular activities. Suddenly, the most apathetic teacher on the staff has a reason to get involved. But how is a typical high-school teacher like Mr. Voss supposed to raise the $48,000 needed to save the music program from going belly up? Upon learning that some MMA fighters earn $10,000 just for stepping into the ring, Mr. Voss vows to get back in shape, and subject himself to a series of brutal beatings so his students won't have to go without. Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler co-star.
Hereafter
Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring Matt Damon, Cecile De France, Jay Mohr, Bryce Dallas Howard, Frankie McLaren, George McLaren.
2011 Mar: DRAMA PG-13 129 min. loc: C 2.170 - Viewed
Director Clint Eastwood delves into the mysterious world of the hereafter with this ensemble supernatural drama starring Matt Damon, Cécile De France, Jay Mohr, and Bryce Dallas Howard. In the wake of a near-death experience during a powerful tsunami, French television reporter Marie (De France) takes her married lover's advice to pen the political book she has always talked about writing. As hard as Marie tries to stay focused on the task at hand, however, she repeatedly finds her attention diverted to scientists who have been stigmatized for investigating the afterlife. Meanwhile, in America, reluctant psychic George (Matt Damon) struggles in vain to cease using his powers for profit while falling for a gorgeous stranger (Bryce Dallas Howard). All the while, his greedy brother (Jay Mohr) prods him to milk his ability for all it's worth. Over in London, a pair of inseparable twins is forcibly parted by tragedy when one of them dies suddenly. The harder the more introverted surviving twin (Frankie McLaren) attempts to reach out to his deceased brother in the afterlife, the deeper his mom sinks into heroin addiction. When his mother goes into rehab, the grieving boy is placed in foster care, and begins succumbing to his corrosive ennui.
Hero Wanted
Directed by Brian Smrz. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Ray Liotta.
2008 May: THRILLER R 95 min. loc: C 1.272 - Viewed
Ray Liotta and Cuba Gooding, Jr. star in this tense crime thriller concerning a small town trash collector whose dangerous plan to impress a pretty girl goes tragically awry. Liam Case (Gooding, Jr.) is a garbage man whose life hasn't quite turned out the way he expected it would. In order to impress the girl of his dreams, Liam plans an elaborate heist that will culminate with him jumping in to save the day at the last minute. When the day of the heist arrives, however, the plan takes an unexpected turn and Liam winds up in the hospital. Upon learning that a mysterious killer has slain the criminal that left both himself and the bank teller for dead during the chaos of the robbery, Liam realizes that the associates of the murdered thief won't stop until they have avenged the death of their fallen partner in crime.
Hesher
Directed by Spencer Susser. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, David Brochu, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie.
2011 Sep: DRAMA R 106 min. loc: C 2.491 - Not Viewed
A bullied little boy grieving the death of his mother strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Metallica-loving anarchist in this tender yet unsentimental childhood drama. In the wake of his mother's recent death, 13-year-old TJ (Devin Brochu) finds the bumpy road to emotional recovery all the more difficult due to the dual facts that he’s bullied at school and that his father (Rainn Wilson) has become a vacant pill-head. Just when it seems like things couldn’t possibly get any worse, TJ strikes up an unusual friendship with Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a greasy-haired anarchist with a beat-up van, homemade tattoos, and a soft spot for explosions. The next thing TJ knows, Hesher is sitting in his living room and watching porn on the family television. Later, though, just as TJ summons the courage to pursue a friendship with Nicole (Natalie Portman), a kindly grocery-store clerk who came to his aid in a time of need, an explosive discovery threatens to propel the embattled teen down a dangerous path of self-destruction.
Hick
Directed by Derick Martini. Starring Chloe Moretz, Blake Lively, Eddie Redmayne, Rory Culkin, Juliette Lewis, Alec Baldwin.
2012 Aug: DRAMA R loc: C 3.212 - Not Viewed ★★
Lymelife writer/co-director Derick Martini adapts Andrea Portes' 2007 coming-of-age novel about a young Nebraska girl who runs away from home, and learns that life on the road has its fair share of danger. Luli (Chloe Moretz) has just turned 13. Bestowed a Smith & Wesson .45 at her birthday party in a local watering hole, the young girl quickly decides that she has had enough of her volatile parents' drinking and bickering, and decides it's high time to strike out on her own. Soon offered a lift by Eddie (Eddie Redmayne), a young cowboy with a prominent limp and a full tank of gas, Luli quickly finds herself back on the side of the road after their conversation turns combative. Shortly thereafter, the young traveler has a chance run-in with Glenda (Blake Lively), a pretty con artist who talks Luli into helping her rob a gas station, and takes her under her wing en route to meet Lloyd (Ray McKinnon), a respected local contractor but volatile alcoholic. Though a subsequent brush with Eddie finds Luli's journey taking an unexpectedly dark turn, the resilient adolescent still holds out hope that there's a better life for her somewhere out there on the open road.
Hide and Seek
Directed by John Polson. Starring Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Franke Janssen, Elisabeth Shue.
2005: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
A newly single father discovers his daughter is caught up in a web of evil in this thriller. David Callaway (Robert De Niro) has been left to raise his nine-year-old daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), on his own after the unexpected death of his wife. David is at first amused to discover that Emily has created an imaginary friend named "Charlie," but it isn't long before "Charlie" develops a sinister and violent side, and as David struggles with his daughter's growing emotional problems, he comes to the frightening realization that "Charlie" isn't just a figment of Emily's imagination. Hide and Seek also stars Famke Janssen, Dylan Baker, and Amy Irving.
High and the Mighty, The
Directed by William Wellman. Starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Laraine Day, Robert Stack, Jan Sterling.
1954 Jul: CLASSIC NR 148 min. loc: C 2.548 - Viewed ★★★☆
For The High and the Mighty, director William Wellman made a point of using Cinemascope to heighten the dramatic content of a confined screen space -- in this instance, the cockpit of a plane in flight. Copilot Dan Roman (John Wayne) seems a lot more in control of things than Captain John Sullivan (Robert Stack) when the plane loses an engine during a flight from Honolulu to San Francisco. Wellman crosscuts from the tension in the cockpit to the various subplots involving the plane's passengers, among them May Holst (Claire Trevor), Lydia Rice (Laraine Day), Howard Rice (John Howard), Sally McKee (Jan Sterling), Ed Joseph (Phil Harris), and Humphrey Agnew (Sidney Blackmer) (as a character named Humphrey Agnew -- a remarkable prescient cognomen given the future of the U.S. vice presidency!). Adapted by Ernest K. Gann from his best-selling novel, The High and the Mighty was one of the first (and most profitable) entries in the "terror in the sky" genre. Its theme music, written by Dimitri Tiomkin and whistled incessantly by John Wayne in the film, would later become a best-selling hit throughout the world.
High Crimes
Directed by Carl Franklin. Starring Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, James Caviezel, Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Bruce Davison, Tom Bower.
2002 Apr: MYSTERY PG-13 115 min. loc: C 2.504 - Viewed ★★★
Defense attorney Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) seems to have the perfect life. She has a high profile job at a big firm, a beautiful home outside San Francisco, and a husband, Tom (James Caviezel of The Thin Red Line), who loves her. Claire's biggest problem appears to be that she wants to have a baby, and she's having trouble getting pregnant. But when the police investigate a routine break-in at her home, they uncover the truth about her husband's identity, and her life is thrown into turmoil. Claire finds out that her husband's name is actually Ron Chapman, and that he's an ex-marine accused of murdering seven innocent civilians in El Salvador during a raid in the late '80s. He admits that he was there, and that he changed his identity to escape prosecution for the crimes, but he insists that he's innocent, and that the massacre was committed by another soldier under the orders of a powerful general (Bruce Davison), who is using Ron as a patsy to cover it up. Claire is eventually convinced that Ron's telling the truth. Faced with defending her husband in an unfamiliar military courtroom, Claire enlists the aid of Charles Grimes (Morgan Freeman), an ex-Army judge advocate with an axe to grind. Stonewalled by the military bureaucracy at every turn, they uncover a web of deception and disappearing witnesses, and they soon find their own lives in danger. High Crimes was adapted from Joseph Finder's novel by the husband and wife screenwriting team of Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley. The film was directed by Carl Franklin (One False Move), and co-stars Amanda Peet and Adam Scott.
High Noon
Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney, Jr., Harry Morgan.
1952 Jul: CLASSIC NR 85 min. loc: C 2.462 - Viewed ★★★★
This Western classic stars Gary Cooper as Hadleyville marshal Will Kane, about to retire from office and go on his honeymoon with his new Quaker bride, Amy (Grace Kelly). But his happiness is short-lived when he is informed that the Miller gang, whose leader (Ian McDonald) Will had arrested, is due on the 12:00 train. Pacifist Amy urges Will to leave town and forget about the Millers, but this isn't his style; protecting Hadleyburg has always been his duty, and it remains so now. But when he asks for deputies to fend off the Millers, virtually nobody will stand by him. Chief Deputy Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) covets Will's job and ex-mistress (Katy Jurado); his mentor, former lawman Martin Howe (Lon Chaney Jr.) is now arthritic and unable to wield a gun. Even Amy, who doesn't want to be around for her husband's apparently certain demise, deserts him. Meanwhile, the clocks tick off the minutes to High Noon -- the film is shot in "real time," so that its 85-minute length corresponds to the story's actual timeframe. Utterly alone, Kane walks into the center of town, steeling himself for his showdown with the murderous Millers. Considered a landmark of the "adult western," High Noon won four Academy Awards (including Best Actor for Cooper) and Best Song for the hit, "Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darling" sung by Tex Ritter. The screenplay was written by Carl Foreman, whose blacklisting was temporarily prevented by star Cooper, one of Hollywood's most virulent anti-Communists. John Wayne, another notable showbiz right-winger and Western hero, was so appalled at the notion that a Western marshal would beg for help in a showdown that he and director Howard Hawks "answered" High Noon with Rio Bravo (1959).
Hijacked
Directed by Brandon Nutt. Starring Randy Couture, Dominic Purcell, Vinnie Jones, Gina Phillips, Tiffany Dupont.
2012 Jul: THRILLER R 90 min. loc: C 3.217 - Not Viewed ★★☆
A special agent's plans to reconcile with his ex-fiancé are ruined when she boards a private jet that is targeted by hijackers working for the same crime lord that he is chasing.
Hirokin
Directed by Alejo Mo-Sun. Starring Wes Bentley, Jessica Szohr, Angus MacFadyen, Laura Ramsey.
2012 Nov: SCI-FI R 105 min. loc: C 3.289 - Not Viewed ★★☆
On a planet where humans must scavenge the post-apocalyptic barren wasteland, Hirokin, a reluctant samurai with a dark past sets off on a mission to fulfill his destiny. Having fought to the death to save his wife and son from the planet's evil dictator, Griffin, and his elite army of warriors, the lone samurai is left for dead in the vast desert. Armed with his samurai blade Hirokin is forced to choose between avenging the murder of his family and fighting for the freedom of his people. As he goes into war he'll discover a shocking revelation about his family leaving revenge running through his veins.
History of Violence, A
Directed by David Cronenberg. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt.
2005: DRAMA R 96 min. loc: W - Viewed
David Cronenberg directed this screen adaptation of a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke which explores how an act of heroism unexpectedly changes a man's life. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) lives a quiet life in a small Indiana town, running the local diner with his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), and raising their two children. But the quiet is shattered one day when a pair of criminals on the run from the police walk into his diner just before closing time. After they attack one of the customers and seem ready to kill several of the people inside, Tom jumps to the fore, grabbing a gun from one of the criminals and killing the invaders. Tom is immediately hailed as a hero by his employees and the community at large, but Tom seems less than comfortable with his new notoriety. One day, a man with severe facial scars, Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), sits down at the counter and begins addressing Tom as Joey, and begins asking him questions about the old days in Philadelphia. While Tom seems puzzled, Carl's actions suggest that the quiet man pouring coffee at the diner may have a dark and violent past he isn't eager to share with others -- as well as some old scores that haven't been settled.
Hit & Run
Directed by Dax Shepard, David Palmer. Starring Dax Shepard, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Kristen Bell, Joy Bryant.
2013 Jan: COMEDY 101 min. loc: C 3.342 - Viewed ★★☆
An ex-getaway driver flees from determined feds and vicious gangsters after quitting the witness-protection program in order to drive his girlfriend to her new job in Los Angeles. Once upon a time, Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard) was a getaway wheelman for a quick-triggered gang of bank robbers, comprised of unpredictable Alex (Bradley Cooper), smoldering mastermind Neve (Joy Bryant), and their sharp-dressed sidekick (Ryan Hansen). But after being placed in the Witness Protection Program and falling for pretty Annie (Kristen Bell), Charlie's criminal past has faded into the rearview mirror. When Annie lands an interview for her dream job in L.A., Charlie vows that she won't be late, and they hit the road in his custom-built muscle car. From the moment they leave town, however, Annie's obsessive ex-boyfriend Gil (Michael Rosenbaum) is hot on their trail. Gil is interested in Charlie's shady past, and after learning his true identity with the help of his policeman brother, Gil rats him out to Alex and the gang -- who promptly gas up their station wagon and give chase. Now, with bumbling U.S. Marshal Randy (Tom Arnold) trying to keep pace and protect Charlie, the former criminal finds every escape route blocked by his old gang -- a vengeful group who aren't about to let his past sins go unpunished.
Hit List, The
Directed by William Kaufman. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Cole Hauser.
2011 May: ACTION R 90 min. loc: C 2.213 - Viewed
A chance meeting between a depressed businessman and a cold-hearted killer leads to a frantic race against death in this thriller starring Cole Hauser and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Allan Campbell (Hauser) has just been passed over for a big promotion. With his marriage falling apart, he heads to the local bar to drown his sorrows and strikes up a casual conversation with Jonas Arbor (Gooding, Jr.). During the course of their discussion, Arbor reveals he is a professional hit man, and asks Campbell to write down the names of the five people he would like to see dead. Incredulous, Campbell plays along. But the very next day, when the people on the list begin dying under mysterious circumstances, Campbell realizes that Arbor may have been telling the truth. Horrified that what he had assumed was a bad joke has now become a matter of life and death, Campbell realizes that only he has the power to stop Arbor, and sets out to catch the killer as the cops close in.
Hit, The
Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring John Hurt, Tim Roth, Laura del Sol, Terence Stamp.
1984: CRIME R 98 min. loc: C 1.273 - Viewed
n this offbeat crime film, Willie Parker (Terence Stamp) an English mobster turned informant, has been given a new identity and has been living in a small, isolated village in Spain for 10 years. Unfortunately for Parker, the men he has betrayed have ascertained his whereabouts and send Braddock (John Hurt), a professional hitman, and his apprentice Myron (Tim Roth) to bring Parker to Paris where his ex-associates await. After kidnapping Parker, nothing goes as planned. Now they are followed by a Spanish policeman (Fernando Rey) who seems to anticipate each of their moves, and they are burdened by Maggie (Laura del Sol), the mistress of a fellow mobster they were forced to kill. What should have been a routine hit becomes a psychological battle between all the participants as Parker, in a fight for time and for his life, plays one against the other. Set against the bleak Spanish landscape and featuring evocative and memorable theme music, the film builds to a surprising conclusion where the true nature of all the characters is revealed. Terence Stamp develops the character of Parker in a subtle but surprisingly comic performance and Laura del Sol shines as a woman who will do what is necessary to survive. Tim Roth, in his film debut, plays a brutal, but oddly endearing thug. But it is John Hurt, in a sensitive and nuanced performance, who brings a perceptive intelligence and depth to his role which adds a philosophical and psychological dimension to the film. Hurt plays his difficult role without a misstep and with a rare economy of action. Thoughtful and frequently amusing, The Hit, superbly written by Peter Prince, is both a compelling and suspenseful crime drama and also a deep and profound meditation on life, death and courage.
Hitch
Directed by Andy Tennant. Starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James.
2005: COMEDY PG-13 118 min. loc: W - Viewed
A man who teaches dateless wonders how to become irresistible to women learns just how hard it can be to do it yourself in this romantic comedy. When a guy in New York City wants to make the right impression with a certain lady, Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) is the man he calls. Hitch has made a career out of coordinating a man's first three dates so that they'll show him to his best advantage (for a price, of course), and more than a few have taken women to the altar they first started courting with Hitch's help. But Hitch discovers his own romantic limitations when he falls for Sara (Eva Mendes), a journalist who has her own ideas about romance, and might just expose Hitch's underground business to the world. In the midst of all this, Hitch has his hands full with Albert, a sweet but socially inept man who has enlisted Hitch's services.
Hitchcock
Directed by Ryan Murphy, Sacha Gervasi. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, James D'Arcy, Jessica Biel, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Ralph Macchio.
2013 Mar: BIO PG-13 98 min. loc: C 3.365 - Viewed ★★★
Director Sacha Gervasi adapts Stephen Rebello's book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho to explore the relationship between the legendary British director (Anthony Hopkins) and his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), who played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in the making of her husband's terrifying 1960 classic Psycho. Scarlett Johansson co-stars as Janet Leigh and James D'Arcy portrays Anthony Perkins in a film also featuring Jessica Biel, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, and Ralph Macchio.
Hitcher, The
Directed by Dave Meyers. Starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton.
2007 May: DRAMA R 84 min. loc: C 1.274 - Viewed
A lonely stretch of highway leads to a date with terror in this thriller. Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) and Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) are a young couple in the midst of a long-distance road trip when, during a rainstorm, they take pity on a hitchhiker, John Ryder) (Sean Bean), and give him a lift. Jim and Grace soon come to regret their benevolence when Ryder reveals himself as a violent madman determined to see them dead. Luck is with Jim and Grace, and they're able to throw off Ryder and get back on the road, but as it happens their troubles are just beginning. Ryder has already killed a handful of people and is planting evidence that suggests Jim and Grace are the murderers; now the couple is on the run from the law as they search for Ryder in a bid to clears their names. The Hitcher is a remake of the 1986 cult horror classic of the same name; the new version was produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller, who previously produced remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror
Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The
Directed by Garth Jennings. Starring Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Mos Def.
2005: SCI-FI PG 109 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Douglas Adams' oft-adapted tale of an normal guy making his way through the universe (it's already been presented as a novel, a radio serial, a television series, and a comic book) finally makes its way to the big screen in this endearingly goofy sci-fi comedy. Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) is a very ordinary man who is having a truly unusual day -- after discovering that one of his best friends, Ford Prefect (Mos Def), is actually an alien, Ford tells him that the planet Earth is going to be destroyed so that otherworldly forces can make room for construction of a hyperspace bypass. Since Arthur accidentally saved Ford's life years ago, Ford does him a favor -- he first gets him a ride on a spaceship passing by, and then presents him with a guidebook that will tell a beginner everything he needs to know as he hitchhikes through outer space. Along the way, Arthur encounters such interstellar notables as sleazy Galaxy president Zaphod Beebelbrox (Sam Rockwell), the girl of his dreams Tricia McMillan (Zooey Deschanel), perpetually glum robot Marvin (voice of Alan Rickman), interplanetary construction magnate Slartibartfast (Bill Nighy), and cult leader Humma Kavula (John Malkovich). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first feature film for Garth Jennings, previously best known for his work in television commercials and music videos; he was recommended to the producers by director Spike Jonze after Jonze had to turn down an offer to head up the project.
Hitman
Directed by Xavier Gens. Starring Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko.
2008 Mar: THRILLER NR 94 min. loc: C 1.275 - Viewed
An international assassin known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) carries out high-profile hits for a mysterious organization known only as "The Agency" in this adaptation of the popular Eidos Interactive video-game series. Agent 47 is an elite, genetically engineered assassin who takes great pride in his work. His lethal grace, steady shot, and unparalleled precision have all served to make him one of the most sought after assassins in the world. But when the killer without a conscious is faced with an unanticipated series of developments, his entire perception of reality begins to shift. On assignment to take out a Russian head of state Bellicoff (Ulrich Thomsen, Agent 47 is caught off guard by the appearance of presidential look-a-likes. When the high profile hit captures the attention of such powerful intelligence organizations as the CIA and Interpol, agent Mike Whittier (Dougray Scott) is dispatched to reign Agent 47 in. Meanwhile, a mysterious Russian prostitute named Nika (Olga Kurylenko) has walked into Agent 47's life, causing the methodical killer to become overwhelmed by emotions that were previously foreign to him.
Hitman: Agent 47
Directed by Aleksander Bach. Starring Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Angelababy, Michaela Caspar, Michael Cocoran, Rolf Kanies.
2015 Aug: ACTION/THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 4.380 - Not Viewed ★★★
HITMAN: AGENT 47 centers on an elite assassin who was genetically engineered from conception to be the perfect killing machine, and is known only by the last two digits on the barcode tattooed on the back of his neck. He is the culmination of decades of research - and forty-six earlier Agent clones -- endowing him with unprecedented strength, speed, stamina and intelligence. His latest target is a mega-corporation that plans to unlock the secret of Agent 47's past to create an army of killers whose powers surpass even his own. Teaming up with a young woman who may hold the secret to overcoming their powerful and clandestine enemies, 47 confronts stunning revelations about his own origins and squares off in an epic battle with his deadliest foe.
Hitmen Diaries, The
Directed by Jesse Johnson. Starring Raymond J. Barry, Michael Weatherly, Tom Berenger.
2010 Oct: THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 2.77 - Not Viewed
Aging, charismatic Los Angeles criminal Charlie Valentine (Raymond J. Barry) is forced to take flight from the city and seek asylum with his estranged son Danny (Michael Weatherly) after his last big score goes up in flames.
Hoax, The
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Starring Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden.
2007: DRAMA R 115 min. loc: C 1.471 - Not Viewed
Director Lasse Hallström offers a brisk account of the scam that shook the literary community with this semi-comic biographical drama starring Richard Gere as the man who sold a fraudulent biography of Howard Hughes to publishing giant McGraw Hill. The year was 1971; the Vietnam War was raging and protestors filled the streets. Clifford Irving (Gere) was a struggling author with bold ambitions, and the determination needed to see them through. When Irving's attempt to sell his latest novel to McGraw Hill via his in-house publisher, Andrea Tate (Hope Davis), falls through at the last minute, the frustrated author loudly proclaims that his next novel will be "the book of the century." Upon returning to his wife Edith's (Marcia Gay Harden) makeshift studio, the humiliated author catches a glimpse of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes on a magazine cover. Later, almost jokingly, Irving and his best friend Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina) begin to fantasize about a scenario in which the author convinces his publishers that he has been personally selected by Hughes  to pen the billionaire's memoirs. The revenge fantasy becomes a complicated reality, however, when Irving and Suskind approach skeptical McGraw Hill heavy Shelton Fisher (Stanley Tucci) with a series of forged letters presumably written by Hughes  himself and offering unwavering support for the project. His credibility continually questioned as the ante is upped at every turn, Irving is forced to maintain the increasingly difficult charade as he strong-arms McGraw Hill to pay "Hughes" an unheard-of one million dollars for the rights to his life story, acquires a the illegally procured documents that will provide the foundation for the book, and works around the clock to meet his publisher's deadline.
Hobbit I, The: An Unexpected Journey
Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood.
2012 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 170 min. loc: C 4.23 - Viewed ★★★★
Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
Hobbit II, The: The Desolation of Smaug
Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, Cate Blanchett.
2013 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 161 min. loc: C 4.73 - Not Viewed ★★★★
The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. After successfully crossing over (and under) the Misty Mountains, Thorin and Company must seek aid from a powerful stranger before taking on the dangers of Mirkwood Forest--without their Wizard. If they reach the human settlement of Lake-town it will be time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and burglar Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to the hoard of the dragon Smaug. And, where has Gandalf got off to? And what is his secret business to the south?
Hobbit III, The: The Battle of the Five Armies
Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee.
2014 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 144 min. loc: C 4.273 - Not Viewed ★★★★
From Academy Award (R)-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor tohoard it as Bilbo's frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide - unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.
Hobo With a Shotgun
Directed by Jason Eisener. Starring Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey.
2011 Jul: THRILLER NR 86 min. loc: C 2.407 - Not Viewed
A hobo (Rutger Hauer) blows into a lawless town, arms himself with a shotgun, and decides to take down a ruthless crime boss in this violent, neo-exploitation throwback that began as a "fake" trailer for the "Grindhouse Trailer" competition at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival.
Holiday Inn
Directed by Mark Sandrich. Starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Virginia Dale, Marjorie Reynolds, Walter Abel.
1942: MUSICAL NR 101 min. loc: C 3.319 - Not Viewed ★★★★
Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star in Holiday Inn as a popular nightclub song-and-dance team. When his heart is broken by his girlfriend, Crosby decides to retire from the hustle-bustle of big city showbiz. He purchases a rustic New England farm and converts it to an inn, which he opens to the public (floor show and all) only on holidays. This barely logical plot device allows ample space for a steady flow of Irving Berlin holiday songs (including an incredible blackface number in honor of Lincoln's Birthday). Oddly enough, the most memorable song in the bunch, the Oscar-winning White Christmas, is not offered as a production number but as a simple ballad sung by Crosby to an audience of one: leading lady Marjorie Reynolds. Fred Astaire's best moment is his Fourth of July firecracker dance. Ah, but what about the plot? Well, it seems that Astaire wants to make a film about Crosby's inn, starring their mutual discovery Reynolds. Bing briefly loses Reynolds to Astaire, but wins her back during the filming of a musical number on a Hollywood soundstage (eleven years earlier, Bing enjoyed a final clinch with Marion Davies under surprisingly similar conditions in Going Hollywood). As with most of Irving Berlin's "portfolio" musicals of the 1940s, the song highlights of Holiday Inn are too numerous to mention. This delightful film is far superior to its unofficial 1954 remake, White Christmas.
Holiday, The
Directed by Nancy Meyers. Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law.
2007 Mar: COMEDY PG-13 136 min. loc: C 1.276 - Not Viewed
Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy Holiday stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as two women who exchange houses in order to get a new lease on life. After each suffers her fair share of romantic disappointments, Englishwoman Iris (Winslet) and L.A. woman Amanda (Diaz) meet on-line at a website devoted to helping people exchange houses for vacations. Each agrees to spend the Christmas holiday at the other's home. While each suffers from a minor case of culture shock, both women also end up becoming involved with a man. Iris makes the acquaintance of an upbeat everyman played by Jack Black, while Amanda spends time with a handsome Brit played by Jude Law. Both women must decide what to do with these new relationships as their pre-arranged house switch is scheduled to last less than two weeks
Hollow Man
Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Starring Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin.
2000: SCI-FI R 119 min. loc: C 1.277 - Viewed
In this sci-fi thriller, a man and a woman must fend off a killer whom they cannot see. Scientist Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) is working with a secret military research team headed by Dr. Kramer (William Devane), assigned to create new intelligence technology. With the help of his colleagues Linda McKay (Elisabeth Shue) and Matt Kensington (Josh Brolin), Sebastian has been developing a serum that makes people invisible. The formula is new and unstable, but after a risky but successful test on an ape, an impatient Sebastian, under pressure from Kramer, decides to try it on himself. It works, but no one counted on the side effects; unable to reverse the serum's effects, an invisible Sebastian goes insane, and begins pursuing Linda (his former girlfriend) and Matt (Linda's current beau) in a fog of homicidal rage. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Hollow Man also features Kim Dickens, Mary Randle, Joey Slotnick, and Greg Grunberg.
Hollow Man 2
Directed by Claudio Faeh. Starring Christian Slater, Peter Facinelli, Laura Regan.
2006: SCI-FI R 91 min. loc: C 1.278 - Viewed
A volunteer soldier and feared assassin find that the blessing of invisibility begets the curse of insanity in director Claudio Fäh's action-packed sequel to Paul Verhoeven's 2000 sci-fi thriller. When skilled mercenary Michael Griffin (Christian Slater) disappears to the eyes of the world, the world is about to become a very dangerous place. A seasoned killer who isn't afraid to take a life or two, Griffin will go to any lengths necessary to find the serum that will save his life and punish the scientists and government agents responsible for his transparent transformation. Now, with a trained killer set loose on the streets and time running out for the molecular biologist who holds the secret to Griffin's condition, it's up to fearless Seattle police detective Frank Turner (Peter Facinelli) to put his skills to the test and capture a killer who can literally vanish into thin air.
Hollywoodland
Directed by Allen Coulter. Starring Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane.
2006: DRAMA R 126 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
The mysterious and unexpected death of an iconic Hollywood star may be just the tip of an iceberg of scandal in this show biz drama based on a true story. George Reeves (played by Ben Affleck) was a journeyman actor who had played a small role in Gone With The Wind and appeared on screen with the likes of James Cagney, Rita Hayworth and Marlene Dietrich, but his career was not exactly booming when he was cast as comic book hero Superman in a 1951 B-movie, Superman and the Mole Men. A year later, the producers of the movie launched a syndicated Superman television series with Reeves returning as the Man of Steel. The show became a major hit, and Reeves was a star at last. However, on June 16, 1959, to the shock of many, Reeves was found dead of a gunshot wound. Police soon declared Reeves' death a suicide and closed the case, but his mother (Lois Smith) refused to believe her son took his own life, and hired Louis Simo (Adrian Brody), a private detective, to find out the truth about her son's passing. Simo found many Hollywood insiders did not care to cooperate as he researched the Reeves case, but his digging uncovered plenty of evidence suggesting the actor did not take his own life, and he also revealed one of Reeves's deepest secrets -- while he was engaged to marry a pretty young starlet, Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney), Reeves was also carrying on an affair with the beautiful Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the wife of Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), a powerful and ill-tempered executive at MGM. While the producers of Hollywoodland based their story on factual accounts of the investigation into the death of George Reeves, they were denied permission to use the Superman logo and the familiar introduction to the Adventures of Superman television show by the respective copyright holders.
Hologram for the King, A
Directed by Tom Twyker. Starring Tom Hanks, Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Tom Skerritt, Ben Whishaw, David Menkin, Christy Meyer.
2016 Apr: DRAMA R 90 min. loc: C 4.442 - Not Viewed ★★★
Cultures collide when an American businessman (Tom Hanks) is sent to Saudi Arabia to close what he hopes will be the deal of a lifetime. Baffled by local customs and stymied by an opaque bureaucracy, he eventually finds his footing with the help of a wise-cracking taxi driver (Alexander Black) and a beautiful Saudi doctor (Sarita Choudhury).
Home Alone
Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, John Candy.
1990: COMEDY PG 103 min. loc: C 2.615 - Not Viewed
Home Alone is the highly successful and beloved family comedy about a young boy named Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who is accidentally left behind when his family takes off for a vacation in France over the holiday season. Once he realizes they've left him "home alone," he learns to fend for himself and, eventually has to protect his house against two bumbling burglars (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) who are planning to rob every house in Kevin's suburban Chicago neighborhood. Though the film's slapstick ending may be somewhat violent, Culkin's charming presence helped the film become one of the most successful ever at the time of its release.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard.
1992: COMEDY PG 120 min. loc: C 2.616 - Not Viewed
John Hughes and Chris Columbus repeat their best-selling formula from the first Home Alone film with this sequel. Once again Kevin McCallister's (Macaulay Culkin) family leave him behind, only now he gets on a flight to New York instead of going with his family to Miami. Kevin manages to hail a cab and is delivered to the doorsteps of the Plaza Hotel, where, using his father's credit card, he rents out a suite and has the time of his life -- although a smarmy hotel clerk (Tim Curry) and bellboy (Rob Schneider) eye him with suspicion. But ingenious Kevin keeps them at bay, using the same tomfoolery he applied to his uncle in the first picture. He takes time out from his consumer debauch to chat with a friendly old toy-store magnate (Eddie Bracken) and pontificate to a homeless Pigeon Lady (Brenda Fricker) on the meaning of Christmas. But then he runs into his old enemies Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).When he finds out that they plan on robbing the old man's toy store on Christmas Eve, he mans the battle stations once again, complete with electric prods, flames of fire, and sundry blunt instruments.
Home Invasion
Directed by Doug Campbell. Starring Haylie Duff, Lisa Sheridan, Jason Brooks, C. Thomas Howell, Barbara Niven.
2012 Mar: THRILLER NR 90 min. loc: C 4.57 - Not Viewed ★★☆
When Nicole (Lisa Sheridan) kills a home invasion robber in self-defense, his vengeful girlfriend, Jade (Haylie Duff), befriends her at a crime victim support group and sets about trying to destroy her life.
Home Invasion - 2015
Directed by David Tennant. Starring Natasha Henstridge, Jason Patric, Scott Adkins, Liam Dickinson, Kyra Zagorsky, Michael Rogers, Brenda Crichlow.
2016 Feb: THRILLER PG-13 98 min. loc: C 4.383 - Viewed ★★☆
Terror arrives at the one place we all feel safest in this taut psychological thriller starring Natasha Henstridge. When a wealthy woman and her stepson are targeted by a trio of expert thieves in their remote mansion, her only form of help comes from a call with a security systems specialist. But as the intruders become increasingly hostile and the connection wavers, will she trust him to be her eyes and navigate her to safety?
Home of the Brave
Directed by Irwin Winkler. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, Brian Presley.
2007 Oct: WAR R 105 min. loc: W - Viewed
As their tour of duty in Iraq draws to a close, four American soldiers learn that they are scheduled to embark on one final, fateful mission that will forever change their concept of war. Shortly after receiving the news that they will soon be reunited with their families back in the United States, a unit serving in Iraq is deployed one a humanitarian mission to deliver medical supplies to a remote Iraqi village. Upon arriving in the village, the unit is viciously ambushed and many lives are lost. Now, as the surviving members of the battalion return home and attempt to readjust to civilian life, the physical injuries and psychological scars sustained during that tragic event continue to take a heavy emotional toll on the war-torn soldiers. Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, and rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent star in an affecting psychological war drama from Academy Award-winning director Irvin Winkler.
Home Sweet Hell
Directed by Anthony Burns. Starring Jordana Brewster, Katherine Heigl, Patrick Wilson, Kevin McKidd, James Belushi, Aiden Flowers, Alyshia Ochise, Steffie Grote, Madison Wolfe.
2015 Feb: COM/DRAMA R 97 min. loc: C 4.269 - Not Viewed ★★★
Don Champagne seems to have it all: a successful business, a perfect house, perfect kids and a perfect wife. Unfortunately, when his wife, Mona (Katherine Heigl), learns of Don's affair with a pretty new salesgirl (Jordana Brewster), this suburban slice of heaven spirals out of control. Don soon realizes that Mona will stop at nothing, including murder, to maintain their storybook life where "perception is everything".
Homefront
Directed by Gary Fieder. Starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Kate Bosworth, Winona Ryder, Rachelle Lefevre.
2013 Nov: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: C 4.48 - Viewed ★★★☆
Phil Broker is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his boss' son. He is recently widowed and is left with a 9-years-old daughter,Maddy. He decides to quit the turbulent and demanding life of thrill for Maddy's sake and retires to a small town. His daughter fights off a boy who was bullying her at school and this sets in motion a round of events that end in his direct confrontation with the local Meth drug lord. His past history with the biker gang also enters the arena, making matters more complex. But he has a mission in his mind to protect his daughter and he is ready to pay any cost that it demands.
Homesman, The
Directed by Tommy Lee Jones. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter, Barry Corbin, David Dencik, William Fichtner, John Lithgow, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson.
2014 Jun: WESTERN R 122 min. loc: C 4.242 - Not Viewed ★★★☆
When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by harsh pioneer life, the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a low-life drifter, George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter) head east, where a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat.
Hoodlum
Directed by Bill Duke. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Andy Garcia.
1997: THRILLER R 130 min. loc: W - Viewed
The white-run Mafia and the black-run numbers game meet head on with explosive impact in this period crime thriller. Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Laurence Fishburne) is an African-American ex-con who, after a stay in prison, returns to Harlem at the height of its renaissance before World War II. Looking for work, Bumpy becomes a lieutenant for Stephanie St. Clair (Cicely Tyson), the queen of Harlem's numbers racket. Bumpy's old friend Illinois Gordon (Chi McBride) gently expresses his concern about Bumpy's life of crime, and social worker Francine Hughes (Vanessa L. Williams), who is attracted to Bumpy (and vice versa), suggests he should be doing something more positive with his life. But Bumpy contends that the numbers game is the only business in the community that blacks are able to control themselves. The numbers game is very profitable -- enough so that mob boss "Lucky" Luciano (Andy Garcia) wants in on the action. He assigns one of his key men, "Dutch" Schultz (Tim Roth), to try to strike a deal with Stephanie, but negotiation isn't Dutch's strong suit -- he finds that murder is a far more effective tactic in taking control of a business, and Dutch is not the sort of person who's bothered by violence. Hoodlum was director Bill Duke's second film set in the milieu of the Gangster days of the 1920s and 1930s, after his breakthrough picture A Rage in Harlem.
Hoodwinked
Directed by Cory Edwards. Starring Jim Belushi, Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway.
2006: ANIMATED PG 80 min. loc: C 1.279 - Not Viewed
Forget everything you know about Little Red Riding Hood; the classic fairy tale gets a new look and a new style in this computer-animated comedy for the whole family. Grizzly (voice of Xzibit) and Stork (voice of Anthony Anderson) are a pair of critter cops who have been called the homey bungalow of Granny (voice of Glenn Close) to investigate a disturbance of the peace. It seems there was an altercation involving Granny, her granddaughter Little Red Riding Hood (voice of Anne Hathaway), a Big Bad Wolf (voice of Patrick Warburton), and a Woodsman (voice of Jim Belushi). However, as the detectives interview the participants and get each individual's perspective, they learn that Granny isn't so helpless, Red may have been doing more than just visiting relatives, the Wolf isn't the predator he's been cracked up to be, and the Woodman doesn't have much of an intellectual advantage over the trees he chops down. Hoodwinked also features the voice talents of Andy Dick, David Ogden Stiers, and Chazz Palminteri.
Hop
Directed by Tim Hill. Starring James Marsden, Russell Brand, Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, Elizabeth Perkins.
2012 Mar: ANIMATED PG 96 min. loc: C 3.161 - Not Viewed (SP)
Jobless slacker Fred (James Marsden) discovers that hares make horrible houseguests after injuring the Easter Bunny (Russell Brand) and agreeing to nurse the little hopper back to health in this animated comedy from the writers of Despicable Me, and director Tim Hill (Rocko's Modern Life, SpongeBob SquarePants). For the past 4,000 years, the Easter Bunny has brought joy and candy to kids all across the globe; however, the time has come for a new Easter Bunny to take over the tradition. But while EB is the next in line to receive the official title, he couldn't care less about becoming the official bearer of chocolate eggs and jellybeans. Escaping to Hollywood in a bid to find fame and fortune, EB hops in front of an oncoming car driven by Fred, who agrees to give him a place to recover until he's healthy enough to hop along home. Now, the harder Fred struggles to stop his furry new companion from sending his life into a tailspin, the more satisfaction he begins to get out of his newfound responsibility. With a little luck and a whole lot of patience, Fred just might become the man who saved Easter for everyone.
Hope Springs
Directed by David Frankel. Starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, Jean Smart.
2012 Dec: COMEDY PG-13 100 min. loc: C 3.315 - Viewed ★★★☆
An aging couple strive to conquer their sexual hang-ups and save their 30-year marriage from going stale by visiting a renowned couple's therapist in this comedy from director David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley & Me). After three decades of marriage, Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) still love each other deeply. But somewhere along the way, their passion for one another seems to have perished. Upon learning about a relationship therapist (Steve Carell) in Great Hope Springs whose methods have yielded incredible results, Kay pleads with Arnold to sign up for a weeklong session. Little does the committed couple realize that overcoming years of sexual repression will prove to be quite an exhausting challenge.
Horrible Bosses
Directed by Seth Gordon. Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Lindsay Sloane, Meghan Markle.
2011 Oct: COMEDY R 98 min. loc: C 2.543 - Not Viewed ★★★☆
Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day star in this workplace comedy about three frustrated employees who hatch a plan to kill their micromanaging bosses, only to find their murderous plot snowballing into disaster. Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) directs a screenplay written by Michael Markowitz, Jonathan Goldstein, and John Francis Daley.
Horrible Bosses 2
Directed by Sean Anders. Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, Christopher Waltz, Jonathan Banks, Lindsay Sloane, Keegan-Michael Key, Jerry Lambert.
2014 Nov: COMEDY R 108 min. loc: C 4.254 - Not Viewed ★★★
The follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy "Horrible Bosses" reunites Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as everyone's favorite working stiffs: Nick, Dale and Kurt. Jennifer Aniston ("We're the Millers"), and Oscar (R) winners Jamie Foxx ("Ray") and Kevin Spacey ("American Beauty," "The Usual Suspects") also reprise their "Horrible Bosses" starring roles, while Chris Pine ("Star Trek: Into Darkness") and Oscar (R) winner Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained," "Inglourious Basterds") star as new adversaries standing between the guys and their dreams of success.  Fed up with answering to higher-ups, Nick, Dale and Kurt decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business. But a slick investor soon pulls the rug out from under them. Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor's adult son and ransom him to regain control of their company.
Horse Whisperer, The
Directed by Robert Redford. Starring Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Diane Wiest, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Cooper.
1998: DRAMA PG-13 169 min. loc: C 3.21 - Not Viewed
Robert Redford directed himself for the first time in this romantic drama adapted from the 1995 best-seller by Nicholas Evans. Fourteen-year-old Grace MacLean (Scarlett Johansson of Manny & Lo) and her friend Judith go horseback riding in upstate New York on a winter morning, but their horses lose their footing on ice and slide onto a road, where Judith and her horse are killed by a jackknifing truck. Grace and her horse are also seriously injured -- doctors must amputate Grace's right leg -- and the frightening incident leaves a lasting trauma not only on Grace but also on her horse, Pilgrim. Grace's mother -- magazine editor Annie MacLean (Kristin Scott Thomas) -- seeking Grace's recovery, feels there's a link between her crippled, embittered daughter and Pilgrim's behavior. Learning about a horse trainer with a special gift, she takes Grace and Pilgrim to Montana where horse whisperer Tom Booker (Robert Redford) lives on a ranch with his younger brother Frank (Chris Cooper), Frank's wife Diane (Dianne Wiest) and their children. Tom's work with the horse also has a rejuvenating effect on the guilt-ridden Grace. Annie loses her magazine job, and the low-key romantic involvement between Annie and Tom develops during the summer, stifled by the unexpected arrival of Annie's husband, Robert MacLean (Sam Neill). Screenplay by Eric Roth and Richard LaGravenese (who adapted The Bridges of Madison County). Filmed in Montana and Saratoga Springs, New York.
Horseman, The
Directed by Stephen Kastrissios. Starring Peter Marshall, Hannah Levien.
2010 Jun: THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 1.280 - Not Viewed
A seemingly ordinary man turns to violence in this independent thriller from Australia. Christian Forteski (Peter Marshall) is a businessman whose teenage daughter Jesse (Hannah Levien) has been living on the edge since her parents divorced. Jesse runs away from home, and several weeks later Christian's anxiety about his missing daughter turns into rage when he receives a video in the mail of Jesse being brutally raped. Normally level headed, Christian jumps into his car and sets out to find whoever is responsible for making the video, starting with the people who mailed it to him. While heading north to Queensland, Christian picks up Alice (Caroline Marohasy), a teenage hitchhiker who reminds him a bit of Jesse. Christian and Alice strike up a friendship, and she begins to see the older man as someone she can trust, without knowing that Christian was turned into a deranged killing machine, leaving a trail of victims as he drives across the country to avenge his daughter. The Horseman was the first feature film from writer and director Steven Kastrissios; it was expanded from a short film by Kastrissios which was a prizewinner at the 2006 Queensland New Filmmaker Awards.
Horseman, The - 2010
Directed by Steven Kastrissios. Starring Peter Marshall, Hannah Levien, Caroline Marohasy.
2008: THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 1.281 - Not Viewed ★★★
A seemingly ordinary man turns to violence in this independent thriller from Australia. Christian Forteski (Peter Marshall) is a businessman whose teenage daughter Jesse (Hannah Levien) has been living on the edge since her parents divorced. Jesse runs away from home, and several weeks later Christian's anxiety about his missing daughter turns into rage when he receives a video in the mail of Jesse being brutally raped. Normally level headed, Christian jumps into his car and sets out to find whoever is responsible for making the video, starting with the people who mailed it to him. While heading north to Queensland, Christian picks up Alice (Caroline Marohasy), a teenage hitchhiker who reminds him a bit of Jesse. Christian and Alice strike up a friendship, and she begins to see the older man as someone she can trust, without knowing that Christian was turned into a deranged killing machine, leaving a trail of victims as he drives across the country to avenge his daughter. The Horseman was the first feature film from writer and director Steven Kastrissios; it was expanded from a short film by Kastrissios which was a prizewinner at the 2006 Queensland New Filmmaker Awards.
Horton Hears a Who (Dr. Seuss)
Directed by Steve Martino, Jimmy Hayward. Starring Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett.
2008 Dec: ANIMATED G 86 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
When a kindly elephant hears a faint cry of help from a floating speck of dust, his attempts to protect the tiny particle cause his neighbors to question his sanity in this animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic 1954 children's book of the same name. Produced by Ice Age makers Blue Sky, scripted by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, and directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, Horton Hears a Who reunites Bruce Almighty co-stars Jim Carrey and Steve Carell as the eponymous elephant and the mayor of Whoville respectively.
Host, The
Directed by Andrew Niccol. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Rachel Roberts, Jake Abel, Chandler Canterbury, Diane Kruger.
2013 Aug: SCI-FI PG-13 126 min. loc: C 3.550 - Not Viewed ★★☆
What if everything you love was taken from you in the blink of an eye? "The Host" is the next epic love story from the creator of the "Twilight Saga," worldwide bestselling author, Stephenie Meyer. When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about - Jared (Max Irons), Ian (Jake Abel), her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) , proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.
Hostage
Directed by Florent Emilio Siri. Starring Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak, Ben Foster.
2005: THRILLER R 113 min. loc: W - Viewed
A cop looking for a quieter way of life is thrown into the most dangerous crisis of his life in this thriller based on the novel by Robert Crais. Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) used to be a hostage negotiator with the Los Angeles Police Department, but after a standoff goes horribly wrong, Talley moves himself and his family to a small, quiet town of Bristo Camino, where he serves as chief of police. When three young criminals attempt to steal a car from a wealthy accountant, the situation quickly spins out of control and the thieves are trapped inside the heavily fortified home, taking the accountant and his family hostage. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department soon arrives on the scene, and Talley eagerly hands over the situation to them, but when he unexpectedly finds himself in telephone contact with one of the children inside, he begins to suspect that the cops are in over their heads. After he's approached by a masked stranger who has an agenda of his own, Talley is forced to decide if he should protect the safety of the family in the house or his own wife and kids. Hostage was the first English-language film from director Florent Emilio Siri.
Hostel
Directed by Eli Roth. Starring Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson.
2005: HORROR NR 94 min. loc: C 1.282 - Viewed
Cabin Fever director Eli Roth skips the humor of his freshman feature and goes straight for the jugular in this unrelenting scare-fest about a pair of libidinous American backpackers seeking cheap thrills in the European countryside. Their carefree college days close behind and the responsibility of the real world looming ever closer on the horizon, Josh (Derek Richardson) and Paxton (Jay Hernandez) strap on their backpacks and prepare for a stratospheric last hurrah of booze, babes, drugs, and debauchery halfway across the globe. It's during a visit to Amsterdam that the pair meets up with raucous Icelandic backpacker Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson), and after the three globe-trotting thrill seekers catch wind of a Slovakian city whose male population has dwindled as a result of civil strife -- leaving the ladies ready and willing to accept any male companionship that might turn up at the local hostel -- the trio quickly beats a hasty retreat to the out-of-the-way oasis. Upon check-in, the trio is greeted by a bevy of beautiful locals and is quickly convinced that the hedonistic hideaway is indeed the real deal. Hazily awakening the following morning to find no trace of backpacking buddy Oli, Paxton chalks his former traveling companion's disappearance up to capriciousness and prepares for another day of debauchery, despite Josh's rapidly elevating sense of unease. Now trapped defenselessly in a foreign land without any means of escape and no way of anticipating the unimaginable hell that lies ahead, the pair is plunged into a torturous netherworld where the screams of the damned fill the air with dread and the warm rays of the sun are little more than a fading memory.
Hot Pursuit
Directed by Anne Fletcher. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Matthew Del Negro, Michael Mosley, Robert Kazinsky, Richard T. Jones, Mike Birbiglia, Jim Gaffigan, John Carroll Lynch, Joaquin Cosio.
2015 May: ACT/COM PG-13 87 min. loc: C 4.320 - Viewed ★★☆
In "Hot Pursuit," an uptight and by-the-book cop (Reese Witherspoon) tries to protect the sexy and outgoing widow (Sofia Vergara) of a drug boss as they race through Texas, pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen.
Hot Tub Time Machine
Directed by Steve Pink. Starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson.
2010 Jun: COMEDY R 99 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Disappointed at the way their lives have turned out, four longtime friends reunite at the ski resort where they used to party and find themselves transported back to the year 1986 by a magical jacuzzi. Adam (John Cusack), Lou (Rob Corddry), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Jacob (Clark Duke) have all seen better days; Adam's and Nick's love lives are in the dumps, Lou is clinging to his hard-partying past, and video-game addict Jacob can't even muster the courage to walk outside. A fun stay at the ski resort where the gang made some of their best memories seems like just the thing to cheer everyone up, but after a night of heavy drinking in the hot tub, the four friends wake up to find they're about to live through the '80s a second time. Determined not to make the same mistakes twice, Adam, Lou, Nick, and Jacob decide to take full advantage of the unique opportunity presented to them, and create the lives they've always wanted. Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover, and Lizzy Caplan co-star.
Hotel Rwanda
Directed by Terry George. Starring Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte, Sophie Okonedo.
2004: DRAMA PG-13 122 min. loc: C 1.283 - Viewed
Hotel Rwanda tackles one of the most horrifically ugly events in recent history, when the Hutu extremists of Rwanda initiated a terrifying campaign of genocide, massacring hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsis (who had been given power by the departed Belgian colonists), while the rest of the world looked on and did nothing. Don Cheadle stars as Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager at the fancy Les Milles Collines hotel in Kigali. Paul is a Hutu, and a very successful businessman who smoothly greases the wheels, making powerful connections in all strata of Rwandan life. His wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo of Aeon Flux), is a Tutsi. She urges Paul to use his influence to help local Tutsis, who are being harassed and beaten with increasing frequency, but Paul will only use the political capital he's built up to help his own family, if and when they need it. Soon enough, the violence escalates, and the Hutus begin their genocide of the Tutsis. European guests and staff at the hotel are flown out of the country, and Paul is left in charge. He finds that his conscience won't allow him to watch as the innocent are slaughtered, and before long, the hotel has become a well-appointed refugee camp. Paul is seen as a traitor by some, putting his life in danger, and the predicament of his "guests" grows more precarious every day, but despite good intentions on the part of a journalist (Joaquin Phoenix) and a UN peacekeeping colonel (Nick Nolte), the rest of the world is not eager to intervene and stop the massacre. Hotel Rwanda was directed by Irish filmmaker Terry George (Some Mother's Son), who co-wrote the script with Keir Pearson.
Hotel Transylvania
Directed by Genndy Tratakovsky. Starring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher.
2012 Sep: ANIMATED PG 91 min. loc: C 4.13 - Not Viewed ★★★☆
Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's (Adam Sandler) lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the world's most famous monsters--Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more--to celebrate his daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem--but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.
Houdini
Directed by Uli Edel, Gene M. Gamache. Starring Adrien Brody, Kristin Connolly, Megan Dodds, Evan Jones, Simon Nader.
2014 Sep: MINISERIES NR 120 min. loc: C 4.163 - Viewed ★★★★
Follow the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin. Adrien Brody stars as legendary illusionist Harry Houdini in this mini-series documenting his incredible rise from hungry immigrant to living legend. Kristen Connolly co-stars in a film by Uli Edel (The Baader Meinhof Complex).  Part 1: From humble beginnings at circus sideshows to sold out concert halls in Europe, Part 1 of Houdini follows the rise of the boy Erich Weiss as he becomes the man Harry Houdini, master escapologist. The rabbi's son from Wisconsin is the epitome of the American Dream as he makes his way through the early 20th century vaudeville craze and emerges as America's first bonafide world renowned superstar.   Part 2: Harry Houdini conducts an epic battle against the spiritualists whose practices he found to be false and misleading. As the 20th century progresses and modernity overtakes industrial age antiquity, Houdini must come to terms with his new place in a fast-changing world.
Hours
Directed by Eric Heisserer. Starring Paul Walker, Genesis Rodriguez, Christopher Matthew Cook, Judd Derek Lormand, Nick Gomez.
2014 Feb: THRILLER PG-13 97 min. loc: C 4.119 - Viewed ★★★
Before sunrise on August 29, 2005, Nolan Hayes (PAUL WALKER) arrives at a New Orleans hospital with his pregnant wife, Abigail (GENESIS RODRIGUEZ), who has gone into early labor. What should be one of the happiest days of Nolan's life quickly spirals out of control when the birth goes tragically wrong and Hurricane Katrina ravages the hospital, forcing an evacuation. Told to stay with his child, who is on a ventilator, and await transfer by ambulance, Nolan and his newborn are soon cut off from the world by power outages and rising floodwaters. When no one returns to help, Nolan faces one life-and-death decision after another, fighting to keep his daughter alive, as minute-by-agonizing minute passes...becoming unimaginable hours.
House at the End of the Street
Directed by Mark Tonderai. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, Max Thieriot.
2013 Jan: THRILLER PG-13 101 min. loc: C 3.344 - Not Viewed ★★☆
A teenager (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother (Elisabeth Shue) move to a new town and make a gruesome discovery about the house next door in this tale of terror from Hush director Mark Tonderai. Shortly after learning that the neighboring house was recently the scene of a horrific double homicide, the curious teen forges a tender friendship with the boy who cheated death (Max Thieriot) on that fateful night.
House Bunny, The
Directed by Fred Wolf. Starring Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Rumer Willis.
2008 Dec: COMEDY PG-13 loc: C 1.284 - Not Viewed
When Playboy playmate Shelley (Anna Faris) is unceremoniously evicted from Hugh Hefner's lavish mansion in order to make room for some younger beauties, her quest for employment finds her serving as den mother to an unpopular L.A. sorority in this Happy Madison production directed by Fred Wolf. Colin Hanks, Rumer Willis, Katharine McPhee, Monet Mazur, and Beverly D'Angelo co-star.
House of the Rising Sun
Directed by Brian A. Miller. Starring Dave Bautista, Amy Smart, Dominic Purcell, Danny Trejo.
2011 Jul: THRILLER R 88 min. loc: C 2.388 - Viewed
A former cop goes to work at a mafia strip club after being released from prison, and races to solve a vicious crime before he takes the fall in this hard-hitting action thriller starring WWF brawler Dave Bautista (aka Batista). Ray (Bautista) used to uphold the law; now he's fallen on the wrong side of it. But he's served his sentence, and he's content just taking things one day at a time. In order to earn a little extra income, Ray takes a job as the head of security at The House of the Rising Sun, an underworld strip club that also houses an illicit gambling den. When a savage gang of thieves strike fast and hard, the police finger Ray as the mastermind of the violent robbery. Now, in order to regain his honor and avoid ending up back in prison, Ray must catch the real culprits, before the police catch up with him.
House of Wax
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Starring Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton.
2005: HORROR R loc: C 1.285 - Viewed
A bunch of college students are stranded in a small town where suffering for art takes on a whole new meaning in this tale of terror. Carly (Elisha Cuthbert) and her boyfriend, Wade (Jared Padalecki), have hit the road with a handful of their friends to attend a championship college football game; tagging along with them are Carly's bratty friend Paige (Paris Hilton, Carly's trouble-making twin brother Nick (Chad Michael Murray), and Blake (Robert Ri'chard), Paige's latest boy toy. While camping out for the night, the gang makes the mistake of getting on the wrong side of a mysterious local redneck, and the next morning they discover that Wade's car no longer works. As the others continue on to the big game, Carly and Wade make their way into the closest town, Ambrose, and discover it's all but deserted, except for a local tourist attraction, the House of Wax. However, it isn't long before they find out why the wax sculptures at the museum look so freakishly real, and discover a pair of murderous brothers are keen on making them part of the next exhibit. House of Wax is an in-name-only remake of the well-remembered 1953 3-D horror outing starring Vincent Price, which was in turn based on the 1933 picture Mystery of the Wax Museum.
How Do You Know
Directed by James L. Brooks. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson.
2011 Mar: COMEDY PG-13 121 min. loc: C 2.176 - Viewed
Director James L. Brooks returns to the helm for this ensemble comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson, which centers on the story of a passionate athlete who finds herself romantically torn between a narcissistic baseball star and a straight-laced businessman. As far back as Lisa (Witherspoon) can remember, her life has been defined by sports. Then, in the blink of an eye, she's cut from the team. With her identity in crisis as she attempts to regain her footing in life, Lisa begins dating Matty (Wilson), a Major League Baseball pitcher and notorious womanizer. Meanwhile, terminally honest businessman George (Rudd) finds himself on the road to financial ruin or worse after being wrongly implicated in a financial crime. As George struggles to clear his name and reconcile his turbulent relationship with his father, Charles (Nicholson), a chance meeting with Lisa at the lowest point in both of their lives leaves him optimistic that things may work out after all. Meanwhile, Lisa and George both realize that the only thing that's certain about the future is that we never know what fate has in store for us.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Directed by Chuck Jones. Starring Boris Karloff, June Foray, Thurl Ravenscroft.
1965: ANIMATED NR 60 min. loc: C - Not Viewed ★★★★
Chuck Jones' animated version of the classic Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas originally aired on television in 1966 and has since become a holiday family favorite. Voiced by Boris Karloff (who also narrates), the Grinch lives on top of a hill overlooking Whoville with his dog, Max. Each year at Christmas time, the Grinch's hatred grows stronger toward those insufferably cheerful Whos down in Whoville. Content to exchange presents, eat large banquets, and sing songs in the town square, the Whos live in a blissful ignorance of the Grinch's contempt. One year, he gets the idea to stop Christmas from coming by dressing up as Santa Claus. He cobbles together an outfit and makes his dog drag him around on a sleigh while sneaking into the Whos' homes and stealing their presents, food, and decorations. After he has stolen every last thing, the Whos wake up on Christmas morning to sing in the town square, causing the Grinch to question the basis of his nefarious plan. Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of kid cereal mascot Tony the Tiger) provides the vocals for the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." This story was remade into a live-action movie in 2000 by director Ron Howard starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch.
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
Directed by Robert B. Weide. Starring Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges.
2009 Feb: COMEDY R 110 min. loc: C 1.286 - Not Viewed
Frequent Curb Your Enthusiasm director Robert B. Weide makes his feature directorial debut with this screen adaptation of British writer Toby Young's comedic novel of the same name. When self-promoting scribe Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) accepts a position as a contributing editor for iconic fashion magazine "Sharps," his subsequent attempts to ingratiate himself with both his egotistical boss, Clayton Harding, and the superficial celebrities who populate the pages of the magazine prove disastrously hilarious.
How to Marry a Millionaire
Directed by Jean Negulesco. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, David Wayne, Rory Calhoun, Cameron Mitchell.
1953: COMEDY NR 105 min. loc: C 3.219 - Not Viewed ★★★★
A remake of 1933's The Greeks Had a Word for Them, as well as a retread of 20th Century-Fox's favorite plotline, How to Marry a Millionaire was the first Hollywood comedy to be lensed in Cinemascope. Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe play three models of modest means who rent an expensive Manhattan penthouse apartment and pose as women of wealth. It's all part of a scheme hatched by Bacall to snare rich husbands for herself and her roommates. The near-sighted Monroe is wooed by an international playboy, but ends up settling for the tax-dodging fugitive (David Wayne) who owns the girls' apartment. The knuckle-headed Grable goes off on an illicit weekend in the mountains with a grouchy married executive (Fred Clark), but falls instead for a comparatively poor--but very handsome--forest ranger (Rory Calhoun). And Bacall very nearly lands an aging millionaire (William Powell), but has a sudden attack of conscience and opts instead for the supposedly poverty-stricken chap (Cameron Mitchell) who has been pursuing her since reel one. It turns out that she has actually landed one of the richest men in New York--and upon learning this, our three luscious heroines faint dead away. Before the opening credits roll in How to Marry a Millionaire, we are treated to a "live" orchestral rendition of Alfred Newman's "Street Scene" overture, conducted by Newman himself. In addition to its being the first wide-screen comedy, Millionaire was also the first-ever presentation of the weekly NBC series Saturday Night at the Movies, premiering on the small screen on September 23, 1961.
How to Rob a Bank
Directed by Andrews Jenkins. Starring Nick Stahl, Erika Christensen, Gavin Rossdale.
2008 Aug: ACTION - 81 min. loc: C 1.287 - Not Viewed
Nick Stahl, Erika Christensen, and Gavin Rossdale star in a high-stakes caper film in which the only thing for certain is that nothing is as it seems. Fed up with the manner in which super-sized corporations continually stack the deck against the common man, Jason "Jinx" Taylor (Stahl) reaches his wit's end after attempting to withdraw his last 20 dollars from the bank and getting refused due to the fact that the transaction fee will overdraw him. Locked in a tightly sealed bank vault with pretty Jessica (Christensen), Jinx struggles to find a way out as armed robber Simon (Rossdale) and his men search for a means of getting in. As Officer De Gespe (Terry Crews) and his men surround the bank, it begins to appear that the situation is slightly more complicated than the cops anticipated. When Simon fails to intimidate Jinx into opening the vault, loyalties are tested and the situation quickly turns volatile. Soon it's revealed that the true mastermind of the operation is a man whom no one had expected, and that in order to collect the funds that have been skimmed from bank fees over the course of many years, he will have to convince Jinx and Jessica to issue a secret PIN number. Now, in order to escape with both the cash and their lives, Jinx will have to convince cops and robbers alike that he and Jessica are merely hostages who need to be released before things get truly out of hand.
How to Train Your Dragon I
Directed by Chris Sanders, David Soren. Starring Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Craig Ferguson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig.
2010 Mar: ANIMATED PG 98 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★
Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup, wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged the species. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destructive ignorance plaguing their world.   The son of a Viking chief must capture a dragon in order to mark his passage into manhood and prove his worthiness to the tribe in directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois' adaptation of Cressida Cowell's popular children's book. Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse provide voices for the DreamWorks Animation production.
How to Train Your Dragon II
Directed by Dean DeBlois. Starring Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig.
2014 Jun: ANIMATED PG 102 min. loc: C 4.202 - Not Viewed ★★★★
It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.
Howl's Moving Castle
Directed by Hayao Miyasaki. Starring Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer, Lauren Bacall.
2004: ANIMATED PG 119 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★☆
Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animation director who wowed audiences worldwide with his award-winning film Spirited Away, brings another visually spectacular tale of imagination to the screen. Sophie is an 18-year-old girl who toils in the hat shop opened years ago by her late father. Often harassed by local boys, one day Sophie is unexpectedly befriended by Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose large home can travel under its own power. However, the Witch of the Waste is displeased with Sophie and Howl's budding friendship, and turns the pretty young woman into an ugly and aged hag. Sophie takes shelter in Howl's castle, and attempts to find a way to reverse the witch's spell with the help of Calcifer, a subdued but powerful demon who exists in the form of fire, and Markl, who protects the four-way door which can instantly take visitors to other lands and dimensions. Howl's Moving Castle was released in North America by Walt Disney Pictures, who distributed the film both in its original Japanese and in a dubbed English version; the English-speaking voice cast includes Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, and Billy Crystal.
Hugo
Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone.
2012 Mar: FANTASY PG 126 min. loc: C 3.42 - Not Viewed (SP) ★★★☆
Martin Scorsese's adaptation of Brian Selznick's award-winning novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret stars Asa Butterfield, as an orphan boy who lives in a Parisian train station. Sent to live with his drunken uncle after his father's death in a fire, Hugo learned how to wind the massive clocks that run throughout the station. When the uncle disappears one day, Hugo decides to maintain the clocks on his own, hoping nobody will catch on to him squatting in the station.  His natural aptitude for engineering leads him to steal gears, tools, and other items from a toy-shop owner who maintains a storefront in the station. Hugo needs these purloined pieces in order to rebuild a mechanical man that was left in the father's care at the museum -- the restoration was a project father and son did together.  When Georges (Ben Kingsley), the old man who runs the toy stand, catches on to the thievery, he threatens to turn Hugo over to the station's lone police officer (Sacha Baron Cohen, who makes every effort to send any parentless child in the station to the orphanage. But Hugo's run-in with Georges leads to a friendship with the elderly gentleman's goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), who unknowingly possesses the last item Hugo needs to make the mechanical man work again.
Hulk
Directed by Ang Lee. Starring Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte.
2003 Jun: COMIC BOOK PG-13 138 min. loc: C 3.264 - Not Viewed ★★★
Ang Lee directs the live-action feature film The Hulk, based on the Marvel comic book created by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby. Emotionally stunted Dr. Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is part of a research team at the University of California at Berkeley. Corporate hustler Glenn Talbot (Josh Lucas) takes notice of the lab and makes plans to take it over. Then Bruce accidentally gets hit by an experimental ray and grows into a huge beast, destroying the lab in the process. A creepy janitor who claims to be his real father, Dr. David Banner (Nick Nolte), starts to secretly use the experimental ray on himself. He creates some mutant dogs and sends them after Bruce's lab mate and ex-girlfriend Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly). After Bruce saves her life in the form of the Hulk, she lets her distant father, General Ross (Sam Elliott), take him to an abandoned army base in the desert. However, Glenn Talbot takes over the operation and wants to patent the creature's superpowers for his own profit, so he holds Bruce unconscious in an isolation tank. When provoked, Bruce turns into the Hulk and makes a break for San Francisco, leading to a desert chase sequence involving military aircraft, tanks, and bombs. Only the sight of Betty can make him turn back to his human form. When he is eventually captured, Dr. David Banner shows up for a final confrontation with his son and his old adversary, General Ross.
Hulk, The Incredible
Directed by Louis Leterrier. Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, Christina Cabot, Lou Ferrigno.
2008 Oct: COMIC BOOK PG-13 113 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★☆
Mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner has been traveling the globe in search of the antidote that will allow him to break free from his primal alter ego, but both the warmongers who long to exploit him for their own gain and a horrific creature known as The Abomination are determined to stop him from achieving his noble goal in Transporter 2 director Louis Leterrier's take on the classic Marvel Comics superhero tale. For years, Bruce (Edward Norton) has been living in the shadows, pursued by the military and haunted by the rage within. But traveling the world in secrecy isn't easy, and as hard as he tries Bruce can't get Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) off his mind. The daughter of Bruce's nemesis Gen. Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt), Betty represents everything that is beautiful in the world to a man who lives his life on the run. Eventually, Bruce returns to civilization and faces the wrath of The Abomination. While the Hulk may be a formidable force of nature, The Abomination is decidedly more powerful, and determined to destroy Bruce Banner. Created when KGB agent Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) exposed himself to a higher dose of the same radiation that transformed Bruce into The Hulk, The Abomination is unable to change back into human form and holds Bruce accountable for his frightful condition. With time fast running out for both Bruce and The Hulk, New York City is about to become the ultimate urban battle zone as two of the most powerful creatures ever to walk the earth clash in a massive, no-holds-barred fight to the finish.
Human Stain, The
Directed by Robert Benton. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris.
2003: DRAMA R 105 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
For his first film since 1998's Twilight, acclaimed director Robert Benton helmed this tense drama written by Fatal Attraction co-scribe Nicholas Meyer and based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth. Set in the late '90s at the height of the Clinton sex-scandal, The Human Stain stars Anthony Hopkins as Coleman Silk, a respected professor at a New England college who suddenly finds his life unraveling after a comment he makes about some African-American students is misinterpreted as a racial slur. As the scandal heats up, Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise), a writer researching a biography of Silk, begins to dig deeper and deeper into Silk's life. Eventually, matters are made worse when an affair with a young married janitor named Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman) is exposed. But amid the controversy, Silk must struggle to keep his greatest secret, a secret he's held for the majority of his life, from becoming public. Ed Harris, who previously worked with Benton in 1984's Places in the Heart, also stars.
Human Trafficking
Directed by Christian Duguay. Starring Mira Sorvino, Donald Sutherland, Robert Carylyle, Isabelle Blais, Larry Day.
2005 Oct: THRILLER NR 180 min. loc: C 3.185 - Not Viewed ★★★☆
For naïve audiences under the impression that sexual slavery is a thing of the past, director Christian Duguay's Golden Globe-nominated tale of the multi-billion-dollar modern slavery industry proves that even in the 21st century, human life can still be measured in dollars. Four girls from across the world, including a 12-year-old American tourist on vacation overseas, have been kidnapped and thrust into the terrifying world of international sex trade, and a specialized team of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are determined to bring down the global network that sponsors such heinous crimes. A former victim who has dedicated her life to protecting the innocent, ICE agent Kate Morozov (Mira Sorvino) braves the flesh-peddlers of Russia and endures the terror of an urban torture chamber located in the very heart of Queens in order to bring the ruthless kingpin behind these crimes to justice. When the world's most dedicated cop crosses swords with the man who drives one of the most expansive global conspiracies on the planet, the stage is set for an explosive confrontation of epic proportions.
Humboldt County
Directed by Danny Jacobs, Darren Grodsky. Starring Jeremy Strong, Fairuza Balk, Peter Bogdanovich.
2009 Feb: DRAMA R 98 min. loc: C 1.288 - Not Viewed
An ambitious and straight-laced young man falls in with a group of stoners and aging hippies in this independent comedy drama. Peter Hadley (Jeremy Strong) is a medical student in his early twenties whose dreams of a residency at a prestigious teaching hospital are dashed when he flunks out of a class taught by his father (Peter Bogdanovich). Trying to blot out his awful day, Peter heads to a jazz club, where he ends up going home with Bogart (Fairuza Balk), the sexy singer with the band. The next day, Peter tags along with Bogart as she pays a visit to her family, and is soon stranded with her aunt and uncle as she heads back into the city. Jack (Brad Dourif) and Rosie (Frances Conroy) are former academics-turned-bohemian dropouts who live in a remote and idyllic community near California's redwood forests, where they support themselves by growing marijuana. Also living with Jack and Rosie are Max (Chris Messina), Bogart's sometime boyfriend, and Charity (Madison Davenport), Max's young daughter. While Peter clearly doesn't fit in with Jack, Rosie, and their friends at first, before long he develops an appreciation and respect for their way of life as he ponders his future, but the risks of their profession become equally clear to him, and Max is looking for a big score so he and Charity can move on. Humboldt Country was the first feature film from the writing and directing team of Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs.
Hung
Directed by Colette Burson, Dmitry Lipkin. Starring Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Anne Heche.
2010 Jun: TV SERIES NR 315 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Original Air Date—28 June 2009 Years ago, as a student at Detroitʼs West Lakefield High School, Ray Drecker was athletic, popular and destined for success. Today, as a West Lakefield teacher and coach of the varsity basketball team (which is on an unprecedented losing streak), heʼs underpaid, uninsured and embittered that his wife of 20 years left him for her dermatologist, Ronnie Haxon. After fire damages the rundown lakeside home he inherited from his parents, Rayʼs fortunes reach an all-time low when his twin children Darby and Damon, who had been living with him, move in with their mom and her smug husband. Lonely, run down and at witʼs end, Ray attends a self-help class, where the mantra is to identify a personal “winning tool” to market for financial success. After a not-so fulfilling encounter with fellow attendee Tanya Skagle, a would-be poet, Ray has a “eureka” moment. With the help of Tanya, the well-endowed Ray sets out to exploit his greatest asset in hopes of changing his fortunes.
Hunger Games I, The
Directed by Gary Ross. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Wes Bentley, Stanley Tucci, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Paula Malcomson.
2012 Aug: SCI-FI PG-13 142 min. loc: C 4.40 - Viewed ★★★★
Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender (called "Tributes") to test their worth in a competition known as the Hunger Games, which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government's total power. When her younger sister is selected as District 12's latest "Tribute," Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under hard-drinking former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to sharpen her killer instincts. Now in order to survive the game and emerge the victor, this young combatant must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth co-star.
Hunger Games II, The: Catching Fire
Directed by Francis Lawrence. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Jack Quaid, Taylor St. Claire, Willow Shields, Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Paula Malcomson.
2013 Nov: SCI-FI PG-13 146 min. loc: C 4.42 - Viewed ★★★★
A year after winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and her partner, Peeta Mellark must go on what is known as the Victor's Tour wherein they visit all the districts. But before leaving, Katniss is visited by President Snow who fears that Katniss defied him a year ago during the games when she chose to die with Peta. With both Katniss and Peeta declared the winners, it is fueling a possible uprising. He tells Katniss that while on tour she better try to make sure that she puts out the flames or else everyone she cares about will be in danger. But unfortunately she fails to do that. So Snow decides to enact what is known as the Quarter Quell, the right to make a change to the Hunger Games, which he is allowed to do every 25 years. He decides to hold an edition of the Hunger Games wherein previous winners will compete again. Their mentor Haymitch thinks their best chance to survive is form an alliance with some of the others. They decide to align themselves with Finnick and his partner, Mags. But Snow is secretly hoping Katniss will be killed.
Hunger Games III, The: Mockingjay - Part 1
Directed by Francis Lawrence. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Elizabeth Banks, Mahershala Ali, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Paula Malcomson.
2014 Nov: SCI-FI PG-13 125 min. loc: C 4.259 - Viewed ★★★☆
The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone
Hunger Games IV, The: Mockingjay - Part 2
Directed by Francis Leonard. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Willow Shields, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Sam Claflin, Mahershala Ali, Paula Malcomson.
2015 Nov: SCI-FI PG-13 137 min. loc: C 4.424 - Viewed ★★★☆
After young Katniss Everdeen agrees to be the symbol of rebellion, the Mockingjay, she tries to return Peeta to his normal state, tries to get to the Capitol, and tries to deal with the battles coming her way...but all for her main goal; assassinating President Snow and returning peace to the Districts of Panem. As her squad starts to get smaller and smaller, will she make it to the Capitol? Will she get revenge on Snow? Or will her target change? Will she be with her "Star-Crossed Lover", Peeta? Or her long time friend, Gale? Deaths, Bombs, Bows and Arrows, A Love Triangle, Hope. What will happen?
Hunt to Kill
Directed by Keoni Waxman. Starring Steve Austin, Gil Bellows, Gary Daniels.
2010 Nov: ACTION R 97 min. loc: C 2.90 - Not Viewed
Divorced single father and U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jim Rhodes (Steve Austin) strikes back with a vengeance after being kidnapped, along with his teenage daughter, by a dangerous gang of fugitives. Now, in the dense Pacific Northwest mountains, hunting season is about to get underway.
Hunted, The
Directed by William Friedkin. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro, Connie Nielsen, Leslie Stefanson.
2003: THRILLER R 94 min. loc: C 2.191 - Viewed
A rogue special-forces soldier is tracked down by his former mentor in this action thriller from director William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist). In his first role since winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2001, Benicio del Toro stars as Aaron Hallam, one of the U.S. military's most skilled hand-to-hand combat operatives. In the years following his successful assassination of a Serbian warlord in late-'90s Kosovo, Hallam finds himself plagued by traumatic flashbacks of death and destruction, so much so that when he finally returns home, he regresses into a feral, survivalist state in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. There, he deliberately and elaborately hunts and kills poachers who happen to cross his path. When the FBI investigates the murders, they call in the man who taught Hallam everything he knows: retiree L.T. Bonham (Tommy Lee Jones). As the instructor pursues his unhinged former pupil, Bonham begins to learn about key events in Hallam's life that pushed him over the edge.
Hunter, The
Directed by Daniel Nettheim. Starring Willem Dafoe, Frances O'Connor, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies.
2012 Jul: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: C 3.423 - Viewed ★★★☆
The Hunter is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family; however, as his attachment to the family grows, Martin is led down a path of unforeseen dangers, complicating his deadly mission.
Hunting Party, The
Directed by Richard Shepard. Starring Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, Jesse Eisenberg, James Brolin.
2008 Jan: COM/DRAMA R 101 min. loc: C 1.289 - Viewed ★★★☆
An emerging journalist (Jesse Eisenberg), an experienced cameraman (Terrence Howard), and a discredited reporter (Richard Gere) find their bold plan to capture Bosnia's top war criminal quickly spiraling out of control when a UN representative mistakes them for a CIA hit squad in a light-hearted thriller inspired by Scott Anderson's popular Esquire article. The Weinstein Company provides stateside distribution for a film written and directed by Richard Shepard (The Matador).
Huntsman II, The: Winter's War
Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. Starring Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Fred Tatasciore, Sam Claflin.
2016 Apr: ACT/FANTASY PG-13 121 min. loc: C 4.458 - Not Viewed ★★★
Freya the Ice Queen (Emily Blunt) brings her sister Ravenna (Charlize Theron) back to life, and the powerful evil siblings plan to conquer the Enchanted Forest. Only the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and his secret lover Sara (Jessica Chastain) can stop them in this sequel continuing the inventive twist on the Snow White fable
Huntsman, The I: Snow White and the Huntsman
Directed by Rupert Sanders. Starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost.
2012 Sep: FANTASY PG-13 128 min. loc: C 3.246 - Not Viewed ★★★
The enchanting Snow White (Kristen Stewart) joins forces with the fierce Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), who was recruited by the diabolical Queen (Charlize Theron) to kill the fair beauty, and together they fight to rid their kingdom of evil in this bold new take on the fairy-tale classic from commercial director Rupert Sanders. Obsessed with being the fairest woman in the land, the Queen learns that Snow White will soon surpass her in beauty, and seeks to achieve immortality by consuming the young girl's heart. But the Huntsman is the only one capable of braving the dark forest to seek out Snow White. Threatened with death should he refuse to follow his order, the Huntsman finds Snow White, and begins training her for the arduous battle ahead. Meanwhile, a handsome prince (Sam Claflin) falls hopelessly under Snow White's spell. Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Eddie Izzard, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, and Stephen Graham co-star as the seven dwarfs
Hurricane Season
Directed by Tim Story. Starring Forest Whitaker, Isaiah Washington.
2010 Mar: DRAMA PG-13 loc: C 1.290 - Not Viewed
Tim Story directs this sports drama based on real events, with Forest Whitaker starring as Al Collins, a high-school basketball coach who leads a ragtag team to the state finals just a year after the Katrina disaster in this Weinstein Co. production. Robert Eisele (The Great Debaters) provides the screenplay.
Hurt
Directed by Barbara Stepansky. Starring Melora Walters, William Mapother, Johanna E. Braddy.
2009 Nov: THRILLER R 97 min. loc: C 1.291 - Not Viewed
A grieving family contends with a growing sense of dread after moving to the desert and experiencing a series of tragic, inexplicable accidents. When Robert Coltrane died suddenly, the life his family once knew was forever changed. In an effort to regain some sense of normalcy, his widow Helen (Melora Walters) takes their teenage children Conrad (Jackson Rathbone) and Lenore (Johanna E. Braddy) to live with their reclusive uncle Darryl (William Mapother) in Arizona. But life around William's house is far from normal; not only is the seldom seen uncle something of a gun fanatic, but just as the family is settling in they receive a most unusual visitor. It seems that before Robert died, he agreed to take in Sarah (Sofia Vassilieva), a lovely yet troubled young girl from a particularly unstable background. Shortly after Sarah's arrival, the Coltrane's are plagued by a series of macabre occurrences that seem to have no reasonable explanation
Hurt Locker, The
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Guy Pearce, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly.
2010 Jan: WAR R 130 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★
Based on the personal wartime experiences of journalist Mark Boal (who adapted his experiences with a bomb squad into a fact-based, yet fictional story), director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War-set action thriller The Hurt Locker presents the conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of those who witnessed the fighting firsthand -- the soldiers. As an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team tactfully navigates the streets of present-day Iraq, they face the constant threat of death from incoming bombs and sharp-shooting snipers. In Baghdad, roadside bombs are a common danger. The Army is working to make the city a safer place for Americans and Iraqis, so when it comes to dismantling IEDs (improvised explosive devices) the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) crew is always on their game. But protecting the public isn't easy when there's no room for error, and every second spent dismantling a bomb is another second spent flirting with death. Now, as three fearless bomb technicians take on the most dangerous job in Baghdad, it's only a matter of time before one of them gets sent to "the hurt locker." Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, and Ralph Fiennes star.
Hustler, The
Directed by Robert Rossen. Starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Murray Hamilton, Michael Constantine, Jake LaMotta.
1961 Sep: CLASSIC NR 135 min. loc: C 2.607 - Viewed ★★★★
As The Hustler's "Fast" Eddie Felson, Paul Newman created a classic antihero, charismatic but fundamentally flawed, and nobody's role model. A pool player from Oakland, CA, as good as anyone who ever picked up a cue, Eddie has an Achilles' heel: arrogance. It's not enough for him to win: he must force his opponent to acknowledge his superiority. The movie follows Eddie from his match against billiards champ Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) as he falls in love with Sarah (Piper Laurie), an alcoholic would-be writer and sometime prostitute, and falls under the spell of Bert Gordon (George C. Scott), a successful gambler who offers to take Eddie under his wing and teach him how to play in the big time. However, when Sarah joins Eddie and Bert on a trip to Louisville for a high-stakes match with a dandy named Findlay (Murray Hamilton), the consequences prove tragic. Along with a classic performance by Newman, The Hustler also features turns by Scott, Laurie, and Gleason, in a rare dramatic role. Cameos from pool champ Willie Mosconi and boxer Jake LaMotta add to the atmosphere of Harry Horner's grubby production design and Eugen Schüfftan's camerawork. Director Robert Rossen, who had been working in films since 1937, was to direct only one more film, Lilith (1964), before his death in 1966. In 1986, Newman returned to the role of "Fast" Eddie in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money, for which he finally earned an Academy Award as Best Actor.
Hysterical Blindness
Directed by Mira Nair. Starring Uma Thurman, Gena Rowlands, Juliette Lewis, Ben Gazzara.
2002: DRAMA NR 99 min. loc: W - Not Viewed
Two aging single women in 1980s New Jersey enact a depressing routine of deluded barroom romance in this made-for-cable drama. At least 15 years after her father walked out on her, Debby (Uma Thurman) still has issues with men. She spends her evenings carousing with best friend, Beth (Juliette Lewis), and her hung-over days working customer service and dreaming of a proper romance. Debby's endless stream of dissatisfactions includes single mom Beth's precocious daughter, whose needs sometimes interrupt the women's search for boyfriends, and the shrewish condescension of her older co-workers. But on the very same day that high-strung Debby experiences a bout of hysterical blindness at work, she enjoys a strained encounter in the parking lot of her favorite watering hole with handsome construction worker Rick (Justin Chambers). This brief flirtation convinces Debby that she's finally found Mr. Right, but it's obvious to anyone else watching that Rick is Mr. Right Now, at best. As the relationship staggers along, Debby becomes convinced that the same is true of Nick (Ben Gazzara), the kindly widower who is courting her waitress mother, Virginia (Gena Rowlands). But even Nick's fatherly overtones and fine intentions can't shield Debby and Virginia from the vicissitudes of life. Executive-produced by star Thurman, Hysterical Blindness was directed by Mira Nair, fresh off the success of the art-house hit Monsoon Wedding. The associate producer was writer Laura Cahill, who adapted her own play for the small screen. The film premiered August 25, 2002, on HBO.