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Beyond the Blockbusters - Summer 2001
The Big Lebowski
One of the best bowling movies ever made. A feast of character actors. Small time 'dude' gets mistaken for big time gangster. Great laughs, lots of bad language. Not for the easily offended. [R]
The
Corn Is Green
Prim teacher tries to tutor a gifted but uneducated Welsh miner to pass his university admission exam. You can't go wrong with either the Bette Davis or Katharine Hepburn version. [Not Rated]
Dead Poets Society
I've never seen it, but my mom says it's great. [PG]
The Enemy Below
Tense, dramatic story of the battle between an American destroyer and a German submarine during World War II. A rare war movie with no real villains. [Not Rated]
The Fisher King
Jeff Bridges is an egomaniacal radio talk show host whose life falls apart when a listener goes on a shooting spree. Enter Robin Williams as the homeless character searching for the Holy Grail. Holy Grail? Do I smell Monty Python? Directed by Terry Gilliam, this movie is a mish-mash of laughs, and tears and romance and slapstick and fantasy and reality. And – need I go on??? [R]
I Love You Alice B. Toklas
When I was in college this was the funniest movie I'd ever seen. Guess what? It's still funny. Set in the late '60s Peter Sellers is cast as the uptight businessman who crosses paths with a bunch of hippies. While Ms. Toklas does not actually appear in this movie, her brownie recipe cooks up a funny scene when unknowing guests indulge in some dessert fun. [R]
The Joy Luck Club
Drama spanning two generations of Chinese-Americans; the mothers who overcame staggering odds just to get to America and their daughters who brood about their own unfulfilled lives. [R]
Local Hero
American executive falls under the spell of the Scottish town he's been sent to buy up for oil exploration. In a twist on the usual plot, the town's quirky inhabitants can't wait to sell out. [PG]
The Manchurian Candidate
Frank Sinatra is a Korean War veteran haunted by his P.O.W. experience. He finds out that his fellow prisoners are all suffering from the same nightmare. Angela Lansbury co-stars as the ambitious wife of a politician. Forget Jessica Fletcher! [Not Rated]
Play Misty for Me
Before any one had a Fatal Attraction, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in this terrifying saga of unrequited love. [R]
Swing Shift
Goldie Hawn does her bit building warplanes during World War II and finds unexpected romance and job satisfaction. [PG]
The Thrill of It All!
Bubbly sixties sitcom starring Doris Day as a housewife who stumbles into a career in television commercials. James Garner is her bewildered husband. [Not Rated]
Movies with sub-titles or accents
Diva
A young fan secretly tapes an opera singer who refuses to make recordings. Throw in a sub-plot of confused tapes for a little mob intrigue. The music is heavenly even if you don't like opera. And for those of you who still don't like the sound of this film, there's a motorcycle chase scene sure to excite those of lesser cultural sensibilities. [R] 
Muriel's Wedding
Muriel lives in an Australian town called Porpoise Spit - isn't that alone enough to make you want to see this movie? She's obsessed with getting married and ABBA. While it's full of laughs it also takes a serious look at life and the dreams we all have. [R]
King of Hearts
Set during WWI, this French cult film stars Alan Bates as a Scottish soldier who enters an abandoned town to find that everyone has left except the occupants of the local insane asylum. A must see! [Not Rated]
The Wedding Banquet
Another wedding movie? Another twist. He's a gay Taiwanese-American trying to fool his parents by staging a fake wedding. A clash of cultures and lifestyles make for lots of truly funny moments. [R]
Last updated: March 18, 2010