Phil wishes you all a Happy New Year!! - January 1, 2019

At the Cinequest Film Festival in March 2018.

Hello everyone out there on the internet and welcome to 2019!! Hard to believe that another year has gone into the history books! Now granted, the state of the world of 2018 was very bleak, which was reflected and referenced in many of the movies I watched. In these dark times, we look towards the world of art to see its commentary and views of life, love, and the political and social issues that have plagued this country, especially since November 2016. Overall, it was an interesting year; a year full of great movies, surprises, and losses.

As I mentioned in past posts, the Bay Area institution The Camera Cinemas officially closed all its locations in 2017, marking the end of an era of movie going experiences for many film lovers like myself. Basically, they went out of business, and I was completely devastated by this news. The Camera Cinemas played a pivotal and vital role not only for this blog, but on myself as well. They were the only place I could see the very best in independent cinema, documentaries, foreign film, as well as spotlight local films, artists, and film festivals like the Cinequest Film Festival and CASMFest. They were so important to the landscape of the Downtown San Jose area that, truth be told, hasn’t been filled yet. In 2018, both the Pruneyard Campbell and Downtown SJ reopened as new film theaters, with Csmera Cinemas co-founder Jack Nybloom being part owner in both businesses. The old Camera 7 reopened in the summer as the brand-new Pruneyard Dine-In Cinemas, completely remolded and refurnished with new reclining leather chairs, enhanced visuals and surround sound, and a restaurant Cedar Room (formerly the old Boswell Bar) as part of theater, providing very delicious meals and tasty drinks for the moviegoers. I had the pleasure of seeing some movies there and I did have a very positive experience, the old Camera 7 is still there with me. Same was said with the Camera 3 Cinemas on the corner of Second Street and San Carlos in downtown. It was reopened in February as the 3Below Theaters & Lounge, picking up where the Camera 3 left off. It’s still the home for the Comedy Sportz Impov Comedy Group, the midnight screenings of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with my friends The Barely Legal shadowcast, an home for some of the best indie, foreign, and documentaries from all over the world. Now owned by Nyblom and with the former owners of the long gone Retro Dome in Saratoga, they added some new ingredients to the theater, namely retrospectives of classic Hollywood movies, and stage plays as well. So as the old saying goes, "Everything that’s old is new again." While I’m sad to say goodbye to the Camera Cinemas, it’s nice to welcome both the 3Below Theaters and the PrunyDine-In Cinemas to my movie going world!

After the Camera Cinemas closed, I frequented another local theater business, which also went through some renovations last year as well. The Cinelux Theaters have also been a staple here in the Bay Area, and I was more than happy to give them my support. I saw a plethora of movies at my three favorite locations: the Cinelux Alamden Cafe & Lounge in San Jose, Cinelux Plaza Theatre in Campbell, and the Cinelux Tennant Station Stadium 11 in Morgan Hill. Established over 50 years ago, the Cinelux Theateres are a great alternative to the overwhelming mall theaters, and they support several local organizations and international charities like March of Dimes, The Second Harvest Food Bank, and UNICEF for example. So if you’d like to support local businesses and are a cinema lover, then please visit your local Cinelux Theatres!!

With 2019, a wide array of works of art has now become part of the public domain, especially silent films. This is very good news for my friends over at the Niles Essany Silent Film Museum, which I came back as a volunteer and docent. It felt good to be back to one of my favorite places in the Bay Area, having been part of the museum family since 2006! We had a lot of great shows in 2018. Some of the highlights for me were the annual Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival, Charlie Chaplin Day weekend, our DVD release party for the museum’s silent film BRONCHO BILLY AMD THE BANDIT’S SECRET. Originally titled THE CANYON, the movies took four years to complete, and was made using the old hand cranked film cameras from the museum and was shot on Kodak black and white 35mm filmstock. The final cut looked absolutely stunning! It looked like it came straight from the silent film era! It was incredible to see, and I was so happy to get it on DVD! And now with copyright expired, many of the movies we have in our film vault can now be exhibited without the monetary constrainments that prevented the museum from screening them. So keep your eyes peeled to the museum’s website for some awesome silent film shows in the new year!!

 Then there are all the films that are now available on a plethora of streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and my personal favorite, Shudder. So many great films either fly under the radar or don't get to be screened at movie theaters, and therefore, having these media outlets gives the filmmakers a chance for an audience to find and watch their movies. And if this means watching a movie on my TV, iPad, or iPhone, then so be it! I just want the opportunity to view films that I wouldn't be able to see any other way. Not only that, but I'll be reviewing a lot of cool movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to indie films, cult classics to porno chic, comedy and GLBTQ films. You name it and I'll be watching and reviewing it!

As you can see, I'm gonna be very busy and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I'll have some other surprises that'll make you want to come back over and over again. So get ready folks for one hell of a ride in 2019!!

Thank you all out there who have been reading and supporting my blog. I don't get paid doing this. I do it for the fun of it. I'm a film fanatic, cinephile, movie junkie, whatever you want to call me. So I hope you'll stick around another year as I bring you another year of reviews, fun and adventures!

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

Phil sees BRONCHO BILLY AND THE BANDIT'S SECRET at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum - January 30, 2018

When I attended the 13 Years of Saturday Silents at the Edison! Program this past Saturday, one of the films shown at the museum that night was a short that has been five years in the making. Finally, the museum was finally going to screen BRONCHO BILLY AND THE BANDIT'S SECRET, the two-reel western that archivist/historian/filmmaker David Kiehn, cinematographer Sprague Anderson and the museum had been working on since 2012. The museum did screen the film during the Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival back in June of 2013, but it was only a workprint, meaning that it was a rough version of the film. So not only they showing the completed film hat night, the museum was having a DVD Release party, and yours truly could not wait to finally get a copy for myself.

The film's official summery: In 1912, film pioneer and co-owner of the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company Gilbert "Broncho Billy" Anderson arrived in the small town of Niles, California, searching for the ideal location to film westerns. There he set up shop and over 350 films later had cemented the west coast branch of Essanay in film history, with major players such as Charlie Chaplin, Wallace Beery and Ben Turpin along for the ride before it all ended abruptly in 1916.

In 2012, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum produced a two-reel silent western to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company arriving in Niles. This inspired our museum curators to create a film as special as our little hamlet. Using equipment and techniques from the silent era and locations that are much like they were over 100 years ago, Broncho Billy and the Bandit's Secret presents a fictionalized account of Gilbert Anderson's arrival in Niles, and how the town sheriff joins forces with the movie gunslinger to bring a group of bandits to justice. Years in the making, with five different musical scores and an appearance by Diana Serra Cary (former silent film star Baby Peggy), it's a trip back in time unlike any other!

The movie was a sight to behold! It looked absolutely incredible! Anderson's cinematography was simply gorgeous! It looked like a 1913 silent movie! Kiehn's directing was fantastic as well, blending modern day with silent era set-ups and compositions. Both Kiehn and Anderson wrote the screenplay together, bringing that nostalgic magic to the silver screen. It's a simple story, yet it works very effectively. It brought me back to those days watching westerns with my friends.

The entire cast was phenomenal and should be commended for their performances! It's not easy to act in a silent movie. You must convey emotions without saying a word. It the expressions of their faces, the sad look in their eyes, body language; it's all these things and more. Christopher Green Goodwin was fantastic as the Sheriff. Bruce Cates has played Broncho Billy Anderson for years at the museum's film festivals and events, so he knew how to play the part. Together, they had great on-screen chemistry with each other. Add Felicity Hart (Sarah Paymer), William Rogue (Eli Paymer), Shawn Rowe (The Deputy), and a special appearance by the one and only Diana Serra Cary, and you have a cast that deserves a standing ovation!

Sprague Anderson on-set. Photo by Rena Azevedo Kiehn.

While I was enjoying the movie immensely, I also found myself shedding a tear or two. This was the last film Sprague Anderson worked on. When I last saw him in late 2014, he was having health issues, but I paid it no mind. After all, he was way too stubborn to be sick and figured he'll bounce back. Then on October 31, 2017, on Halloween no less, Sprague passed away at 1:45pm. David's wife, Rena Azevedo Kiehn, made the announcement on her Facebook page.

During the intermission, I picked up my DVD copy of the film and since then I have been pouring through all of the excellent special features. It contains not one, not two, but five different musical scores by Judith Rosenberg, Bruce Loeb, Jon Mirsalis, Greg Pane and David Drazin! There's also an informative 40 minute documentary on the making of the film entitled Window to the Past, a short film of the centennial celebration and filmed recreation of Essanay's arrival in Niles shot back in 2012, outtakes, and a 1912 Essanay short film ALKALI IKE BESTS BRONCHO, directed by and starring Gilbert M Anderson, scanned in 4K and accompanied by Frederick Hodges.

BRONCHO BILLY AND THE BANDIT'S SECRET is a loving tribute to the silent film era! No where in the world will you see a silent film made with silent film cameras and techniques! What Kiehn, Anderson, and the rest of the cast and crew achieved is astounding! And is one of the finest films to come from Essanay! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

The museum is open for tours every weekend from 12pm-4pm and every Saturday night there's a silent film show starting at 7:30 (doors open at 7pm). So if you would like to learn more about the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, becoming a member, to view their film schedule, and purchase DVD copy of the film, visit www.nilesfilmmuseum.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the 13 YEARS OF SATURDAY SILENTS AT THE EDISON! Program at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum - Jan. 20, 2018

This past Saturday night I made my return to one of my favorite places on the Earth: The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum! It's been over two years since I was here and tonight's program was something I didn't want to miss! After having dinner at my favorite local business Bronco Billy's Pizza Palace, I headed over to the museum for the 13 YEARS OF SATURDAY SILENTS AT THE EDISION! Program. They were also having the DVD release party for their new silent film BRONCHO BILLY AND THE BANDIT'S SECRET, which they were also screening as well!

ALKALI IKE'S AUTO (1911): Starring Augustus Carney, Harry Todd, and Margaret Joslin, this fun short is about two guys named Alkali Ike and Mustang Pete (Carney and Todd respectively) who fight over the heart of Betty Brown (Joslin). After stopping them from shooting one another, they both try to one up each other, until Ike shows up in one of them fancy cars, which is actually a complete lemon! Hilarious!! The film was written and directed by Essanay co-founder Gilbert M. Anderson aka Broncho Billy. The short was released by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company in May 1911.

BRONCHO BILLY AND THE BANDIT'S SECRET (2015): To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Anderson and the Essanay Company back on April 1, 1912, in that same month in 2012, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum begun making a silent western film, using the silent film cameras and techniques that these trailblazers used back then. The results were absolutely amazing! I had seen the rough cut of the film during the Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival back in 2013, so I was extremely ecstatic to finally see the finished film. The museum had a DVD release party for the film. Look for a more in-depth review of the film coming very soon!

After a short intermission, the show continued with the main feature of the night.

Original Theatrical Poster (1926)

Film number three for today was the comedy MANTRAP (1926). Based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis and directed by Victor Fleming, the film stars the enchanting Clara Bow as Alverna, a manicurist who meets and marries a small town Canadian woodsman named Joe Easter (Ernest Torrence). However, the girl loves to flirt with the men, and she falls for a rich and famous New York divorce attorney named Ralph Prescott (Percy Marmont), who is visiting their small rural town on vacation. Bow was sexy and funny, which caused many men to fall in love with her. After watching her in this film, how could you not? I totally fell in love with her! Bow had great on screen chemistry with both of her male leads, which elevated that film and made it more accessible to audiences. The film was originally released by Paramount Pictures on July 24, 1926. cost.

You can see that Clara Bow was about to become a huge Hollywood star. In fact, she did just that two films later, when she starred in IT. The movie was written by Adelaide Heilbron and Ethel Doherty and was directed by the legendary Victor Fleming. Fleming had an amazing career, directing some of the greatest films of all time, including THE VIRGINIAN, TREASURE ISLAND, JOAN OF ARC, and quite possiby, two of the most beloved films of all time: THE WIZARD OF OZ and GONE WITH THE WIND. Fun Fact: both of those films were both nominated for Best Film at the Oscars in 1940. In case you were wondering, the Oscar went to GONE WITH THE WIND

And folks, there you have it! My triumphant return to one of my favorite places in the world! I can't wait to come back here again! Remember the museum is open for tours every weekend from 12pm-4pm and every Saturday night there's a silent film show starting at 7:30 (doors open at 7pm). So if you would like to learn more about the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, becoming a member, and to view their film schedule, visit their website at www.nilesfilmmuseum.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil wishes you all a Happy New Year!! - January 1, 2018

At the VICTOR CROWLEY screening in Monterey.

Happy New Year everybody!! Well, another year has come and gone. While I didn't blog as much I would have liked to, I still saw a lot of films last year. Plus my life changed again. I moved back down to San Jose, I'm getting ready to go back to my old career and I'm watching movies at new theaters. So like the old saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

However, 2018 will be another fun-filled year! With the loss of the Camera Cinemas (the Camera 12, Camera 3 and the Camera 7 all closed in the last two years) as well as the Bluelight Cinema, I'll be seeing films more at the Cinelux Theaters, which is another locally owned business that I'll be supporting quite a bit. The old Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose will be re-opening as 3 Below, which will pick up where the Camera 3 left off, including the midnight screenings of THE ROCKY PICTURE SHOW with my friends The Barely Legal gang!! Also, I'll be going to the Cinemark Century Theaters as well as the AMC Theaters to watch my movies.

Not only that, but I'll be reviewing a lot of cool movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to indie films, cult classics to porno chic, comedy and GLBTQ films. You name it and I'll be watching and reviewing it!

With me being back home, I'll also be attending all my favorite film festivals and events, including the Cinequest Film Festival, CAAMFest, The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum and the Peaches Christ shows!!

As you can see, I'm gonna be very busy and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I'll have some other surprises that'll make you want to come back over and over again. So get ready folks for one hell of a ride in 2018!!

Thank you all out there who have been reading and supporting my blog. I don't get paid doing this. I do it for the fun of it. I'm a film fanatic, cinephile, movie junkie, whatever you want to call me. So I hope you'll stick around another year as I bring you another year of reviews, fun and adventures!

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

Phil sees THE HATEFUL EIGHT from The Weinstein Company-January 3, 2016

So for my first film to review for 2016, there was really only one choice. Now the name Quentin Tarantino conjures up a plethora of images and one-liners that most people associate with him. After all, this is the man who brought us some of the most original and most violent images ever captured on film. RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION, JACKIE BROWN, KILL BILL VOL. 1 & 2, GRINDHOUSE: DEATH PROOF, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS and DJANGO UNCHAINED are works of art that attract both critical praise and uproarious controversy. With his latest film THE HATEFUL EIGHT, Tarantino continues this streak while entertaining and shocking audiences worldwide.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)

The film's official synopsis: Six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his fugitive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), 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 (Samuel L. Jackson), a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), 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 (Demian Bichir), who’s taking care of Minnie’s while she’s visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), and Confederate General Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern). As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all…

The film also stars Channing Tatum (Jody), James Parks (O.B Jackson), Dana Gourrier (Minnie Mink), Zoë Bell (Six-Horse Judy), Gene Jones (Sweet Dave), Keith Jefferson (Charly), Lee Horsley (Ed), Craig Stark (Chester Charles Smithers), and Belinda Owino (Gemma) as well as Tarantino as the Narrator.

First, let's get something cleared up. This is a Quentin Tarantino film. It's full of Quentin Tarantino humor, Quentin Tarantino over-the-top violence, Quentin Tarantino film references, Quentin Tarantino profanity, Quentin Tarantino racial slurs, and of course, Quentin Tarantino colorful cast of characters. So those who don't like this, then don't see it. Period. But don't criticize and bash it IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT!! It really pisses me off when people verbally trash a movie that they haven't seen!! You may think you know what you're saying, but in the end you're just talking out of your narrow minded ass!! So do us all a favor and knock that shit off!!

Oh, by the way, I really loved this fucking movie!!

Quentin Tarantino shot the movie on film stock, but not on just any old film stock but on 70mm film stock! This I found very interesting and somewhat perplexing since the majority of the movie takes place in one location. However, this is Tarantino that we're talking about so I'll let it pass. Now I saw this at my local movie theater chain so I didn't get to view his full vision of the film. The Weinstein Company is roadshowing the film in 70mm special theaters and it contains 12 minutes not seen in regular theaters so it looks like I'll be seeing this one again soon.

THE HATEFUL EIGHT is in my humble opinion Quentin Tarantino's best film ever! And I have seen all his films (all eight that he's made but you know what I mean) and it has everything you want in a holiday film and more. So bring grandma and have share a laugh while you two watch eight people beating, shooting, cussing and killing one another! Oh, and if it's playing in 70mm then go see that version! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THE HATEFUL EIGHT is playing in theaters nationwide. The film is also being shown in limited 70mm screenings at selected theaters as well. In the Sacramento area, it's playing at the Tower Theatre in 70mm for a limited time. To view screen times, visit their website at www.readingcinemasus.com/tower.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil wishes you all a very Happy New Year-January 1, 2016

Me & Jesse Jane at the AEE Expo (January 2015)

Happy New Year everybody!! Well, another has come and gone. While I didn't blog as much I would have liked to, I still saw a lot of films last year. Plus my life changed dramatically. I now have a fiancée, I'm getting married this year, I changed careers, I moved from San Jose to Sacramento, made some new friends, overall 2015 was definitely a transitional year.

However, 2016 will begin another fun-filled year, to which I'll be working on some very exciting new projects. I'll be conducting several interviews with up and coming filmmakers and actresses, as well as their new films. I'm hoping to be attending a couple of film festivals here in the Sacramento area, along with some of my favorites back in San Francisco. Plus, to commemorate the celebration of this country's oldest independent film studio, Troma Entertainment, I'll be starting a new installment series entitled Phil Gets Tromatized. For the entire year, I'll be reviewing several of Troma's most infamous and popular movies.

Not only that, but I'll be reviewing a lot of cool movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to indie films, cult classics to porno chic, comedy and GLBTQ films. You name it and I'll be watching and reviewing it!

As you can see, I'm gonna be very busy and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I'll have some other surprises that'll make you want to come back over and over again. So get ready folks for one hell of a ride in 2016!!

Thank you all out there who have been reading and supporting my blog. I don't get paid doing this. I do it for the fun of it. I'm a film fanatic, cinephile, movie junkie, whatever you want to call me. So I hope you'll stick around another year as I bring you another year of reviews, fun and adventures!

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

Phil sees THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum-March 30, 2013

It's been way too long since I've seen a movie at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum but this past Saturday I was back! With all the crazy film festivals and other events going on in my life, it was great coming back to the historic Edison Theatre where silent films live again! I got to see all my old friends again, and saw my fellow film fanatic a blogger Jason Wiener (Jason Watches Movies). I also brought my good friend Laura to the museum as well. As always, there were two shorts screened before the film. So let's talk about tonight's program, shall we?

THE CURE (1924): Out of the inkwell comes Koko the Clown! That's right, the first short screened was a Koko the Clown short! In this bitty, Koko has a really bad tooth ache and coincidentally, so does his animator Max Fleisher. Koko's glasses wearing rabbit friend helps him out, then they turn their attention to Max. Sight gags galore run rampant towards the end of the cartoon. Interesting fact: the Fleisher brothers invented rotoscoping, which is an animation technique in which animators trace over footage, frame by frame, for use in live-action and animated films. The Fleisher Studios used this technique for a lot of their cartoons, including the widely popular SUPERMAN cartoons from the 1930's.

BE YOUR AGE (1926): In this short, the great comedian Charley Chase plays a bashful clerk whose boss (Frank Brownlee) lends him money to help out his family. In exchange his boss forces him to marry the recently widowed Mrs. Schwartzkopple (Lillian Leighton) so he can keep control of her $2 million dollar inheritance. But Charley falls for her secretary (Gladys Hulette) and so a series of hilarious comedic situations ensues. Also look for Oliver Hardy appearing in the film as  Mrs. Schwartzkopple's son Oswald. The film was released by Hal Roach Studios on November 14, 1926.

After a brief intermission, the show continued on with the main feature:

Theatrical Movie Poster (1926)

THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH (1926): Based on the novel of the same name by Harold Bell Wright, the film is about Willard Holmes (Ronald Colman), an engineer who buts heads with local cowboy Abe Lee (Gary Cooper) for the affections of a rancher's daughter named Barbara Worth (Vilma Bánky), while building an irrigation system for a Southwestern desert community. This was Cooper's big break out role and he was so young when he made this film. Reason being because he was young! He was only 25 years old when he made this film! Of course he later when on to star in MEET JOHN DOE, SERGEANT YORK, HIGH NOON and THE WESTERNER.

The film was directed by Henry King, who from 1930 to 1961 directed some of finest films at 20th Century Fox, including TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, CAROUSAL,  THE SUN ALSO RISES, and THE GUNFIGHTER. It was produced by the legendary Samuel Goldwyn, known as Hollywood's leading "independent" producer. The movie was filmed on location in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. Now this is the same area where the infamous Burning Man festival is held at. The film was released by United Artists on October 14, 1926.

Remember the museum is open for tours every weekend from 12pm-4pm and every Saturday night there's a silent film show starting at 7:30 (doors open at 7pm). So if you would like to learn more about the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, becoming a member, and to view their film schedule, visit their website at www.nilesfilmmuseum.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees COWBOYS & ALIENS at the Camera 7 Pruneyard-August 19, 2011

The Western genre has been a staple of Hollywood long before there was even a Hollywood. One of the first westerns was THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, directed by film pioneer Edward S. Porter and released by Thomas Edison Film Company in 1903. Since then, American audiences have been in love with Western genre. Names like Gilbert "Broncho Billy" Anderson, John Ford, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, and others helped bring to life the stories of the old west. Now director Jon Favreau brings to the big screen his take on the Western, and adds a new ingredient to the mix: Science Fiction, and thus COWBOYS & ALIENS is fun-filled ride into the sunset. With aliens!

The film takes place in the Arizona territory in 1873. A lone drifter named Jake (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of nowhere with no memory of who he is and how he got there. He stumbles in to the town of Absolution where the town is ruled with an iron fist by Col. Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). When a surprise alien attack kidnaps most of the town's citizens (including Woodrow's son), both he and Jake form a posse to rescue the townsfolk. Along the journey Jake meets a stunning woman named Alice (played buy the beautiful Abigail Spencer) who holds the key to Jake's memories.

Now there is enough action in this here film to satisfy the most die hard western fan and sci-fi geek. The CGI ships and aliens are really top notch, and the action scenes are intense. Both Craig and Ford bring some fine acting to this film, and with a title like this, one might expect some level of camp. But there wasn't any in the film, which surprised me. With the film SNAKES ON A PLANE, there was enough camp in it to make John Waters blush with envy. Director Favreau really focuses on bring action and excitement while anchoring it in reality. The sets and locations are what you  would expect from a western film. He keeps the film moving toward the big, epic final battle, with mankind's existence hanging in the balance.

John Favreau has had a very interesting career. He started off as an indie actor, starring in films such as NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND (1995), SWINGERS (1996), MADE (2001), and later appeared in mainstream films like I LOVE YOU, MAN (2009), and COUPLES RETREAT (2009). His big commercial break was directing the for mentioned MADE, and soon began directing other hits like ELF (2003), IRON MAN (2008), and IRON MAN 2 (2010).

COWBOYS & ALIENS is rip roaring sci-fi, western classic that delivers the goods! Being a cowboy has never been more difficult, and a lot more fun. So strap on your saddle and get a move on, cause we be tracking down some aliens partner!

COWBOYS & ALIENS is now playing in theater nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the South Bay. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.cameracinemas.com/index.shtml

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees NEVADA at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum-May 7, 2011

It's Saturday night, and you know what that means? Yup, it's silent movie night! So once again I traveled to Niles, home of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. Today was actor Gary Cooper's birthday, so to celebrate this special occasion, the museum showed one of Cooper's earliest silent films entitled NEVADA, as well as two shorts.

Original Movie Poster 1927

The first short screened was THE NARROW ROAD, directed by legendary filmmaker D.W. Griffith and starring America's Sweetheart Mary Pickford. In the film Mary awaits the arrival of her husband Jim (Elmer Booth), who was just released from prison and plans to stay on the straight and narrow. However, his former partner (Charles Hill Mailes) plans to launch his counterfeiting scheme and tries to lure Jim back to a life of crime. This was a fun and interesting film, which was released by the Biograph Company on August 1, 1912. Another interesting fact; look for comedian actor Max Davidson, who has a bit part in the film. Davidson would appear in several of Hal Roach films, including the Thanksgiving classic PASS THE GRAVY. 

The second short for the evening was MANY SCRAPPY RETURNS, and featured the fantastic and forgotten comedian Charley Chase. Chase and his wife are happily married, but his brother and his wife are a different story. Tired of them fighting constantly, Chase and his wife stage a mock fight to teach them a lesson. This of course leads to some hilarious hijinks, which leads to a very funny room chase scene that is priceless. The film was made by Hal Roach Studios and released on January 9, 1927.

After a brief intermission, the show continued, with the night's musical accompanist Jon Mirsalis explaining the fundamentals of how to score music for a silent film, which he demonstrated on his amazing Kurzweil electric organ. After wowing the audience with his fine examples, and explaining that only a handful of musical sheets for silent films still exist, the show resumed with NEVADA. Starring Cooper, William Powell and Thelma Todd (before all three became big movie stars), this quaint little B-movie western was surprisingly good. Cooper is Nevada, who is wanted for killing a man in Lineville, assumes a new life and a new identity in the charming little town. He gets a new job and falls in love with the daughter Hettie (Todd). Soon Nevada is accused of cow hustling, so he must prove his innocence by exposing the real culprit, Clan Dillion (Powell). This was a fun and entertaining lost silent film. Fans of Copper should really check this film out. 

Another fun-filled night of silent films at the 'ol Edison Theater. To learn more about the Niles Essanay Silent film Museum, how to become a member, and to view their movie schedule, visit their website at http://www.nilesfilmmuseum.org./ 

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!