|
|
Visual Review Index Numbers, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, Current |
 HANNIBAL
(2001)
Following the Last Supper, Hannibal sacrifices part of himself to bring
freedom, Clarice assumes a crucified position and Hannibal ascends into
the heavens. The connections to the story of Jesus abound.
|
 HAPPY ENDINGS (2005)
Mamie is being blackmailed. This filmmakeJune 18, 2005e she gave up for adoption – but Nick won’t introduce her to him unless he can film the reunion. Enter Javier, Mamie’s massage therapist boyfriend, who convinces Nick to film him instead. Now they’re all making a movie about massage. And ‘happy endings’…
|
 HARRY
POTTER and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
I have not felt that elated or happy watching a movie in a long time.
We couldn't stop talking about it afterwards. It gave me the same thrill
that movies like Star Wars and The NeverEnding Story gave me as a child.
As a movie lover, it ranked up to being one of my new favorites.
|
 HARRY
POTTER and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Harry is not about to let his friends down and, with or without the support
of Gilderoy Lockhart, he will confront the dark force lurking in his beloved
school.
|
 HARRY
POTTER and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
The best part of the Harry Potter series is the grand themes that Rowling
weaves throughout the stories. She uses bits of mythology, fairy tale,
and folk stories in her work, which have always been vehicles to carry
profound human truth and morals..
|
 HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005)
The pivotal fourth novel in the seven-part tale of Harry Potter's training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. Overview (dial up speed)
|
 HART'S
WAR (2002)
When Lieutenant Tommy Hart is captured and thrown into a German prisoner
of war camp, top ranking Colonel William McNamara assigns him to defend
Lieutenant Lincoln Scott, a black POW accused of murdering a fellow white
prisoner.
|
 THE
HAUNTED MANSION (2003)
Realtor Jim Evers and his business partner wife Sara get a call late one
night from mansion owner Edward Gracey, who is looking to sell his property.
Smelling the biggest deal of their career, Jim, Sara and their two children
pay a visit to the mansion, located on a remote bayou.
|
 THE
HAUNTING (1999)
Is it the house or is it the mind?
|
 THE
HEART BREAKERS (2001)
The day after viewing this film I listened to a lecture on the biblical
book of Proverbs. And lo and behold, there are three women in Proverbs,
who fulfill similar roles. |
 HEARTS
IN ATLANTIS (2001)
Drama based on Stephen King’s best seller, "Hearts in Atlantis"
is the story of a mysterious man who enlists the aid of a brilliant young
boy to save his life. |
 HEIGHTS (2005)
There is a sense in which watching film is an exercise in voyeurism. We are looking at a world that we are not a part of. Good film can draw us into that world and make us feel a part of it, or at least help us to understand our connection to that world. There is nothing wrong with this kind of voyeurism in film. Indeed, it is one of the three V’s that make up film. (Jon Boorstin refers to the “voyeur’s eye,” the “vicarious eye,” and the “visceral eye.”) |
 HEIST
(2001)
What was the real question of Heist? I came to the conclusion it was “How
far would you go for...?” So, how far would you go for a lot, I
mean a lot of money? How far would you go for loyalty? How far would you
go for freedom? How far would you go to save your own skin? Or someone
else's? |
 HELLBOY
(2004)
Hellboy seems to be a demonic angel who is confused by the fact that he
has been raised to combat evil. We are never quite certain if he is a
demon from hell or an angel from heaven. He is marked similarly to Night
Crawler of X-2 fame. He buffs down his horns to avoid appearing like a
devil and chooses instead to be as human as possible. |
 HELLRAISER
V: INFERNO (2000)
Too smart, sensitive and spiritual for the audience it's broadly aimed
at, and too hard-core and powerful for the audience that would, in the
safe light of day, argue many of its uncomfortable points about obsession,
morality, 'goodness,' and damnation. |
 HE
LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT (2003) À la folie... pas du tout
One of the lessons this film teaches is that we need not be too quick
to judge. In most every situation, there are many things we don't know.
We are usually told the situation from a single perspective. We may know
that we need to hear other versions, but we often use that first hearing
to form our opinion and will judge further information from that point
of view. |
 HERBIE FULLY LOADED (2005)
Maggie Peyton is the new owner of Number 53 - the free-wheelin' Volkswagen bug with a mind of its own - who puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor. Herbie's got some new tricks under his hood in an action-packed spin high-speed |
 HERE
ON EARTH (2OOO)
There
is a grand design behind the events of our lives. |
 HERO
(2002)
Zhang Yimou has created a stunning epic. The martial arts scenes, reminiscent
of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, are awe-inspiring. The story engages
mind and emotion and draws us into the mystery of where the truth lies.
Hero is one of those near perfect blends of visual and story that film
makes possible. |
 HIGH
CRIMES (2002)
You live the life you had always pictured: a thriving career, a beautiful
house, and most importantly, a wonderful husband. Someone you love and
know better than anyone else. |
 HIGH TENSION (2005)
Marie and Alexia are schoolmates and best friends. Hoping to prepare for their college exams in peace and quiet, they decide to spend a weekend in the country at Alexia’s parents’ secluded farmhouse. But in the dead of night, a stranger knocks on the front door. And with the first swing of his knife, the girls’ idyllic weekend turns into an endless night of terror... |
 HILARY
AND JACKIE (1998)
If I performed in the greatest music halls of the world and had
not love, I would be...
|
 THE
HILLS HAVE EYES (2006)
Director: Alexandre Aja.
Stars:
Ted Levine, Kathleen Quinlan, Dan Byrd
A car accident strands a vacationing family deep in the desert, where a group
of savages target them for death. |
 A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2004)
Director: David Cronenberg. Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris. The life of a small-town diner owner (Mortensen) and his family is forever changed when he commits a murder in self-defense -- and the resulting media coverage brings him some decidedly unwarranted attention. Overview (dial up) |
 HITCH
(2004)
Sometimes the romantic comedy formula
seems dead. I mean, how many last-minute-realization/mad-dash-to-the-airport
scenes can we endure? How many quirky best friend characters? How many
predictably happy endings? But still, I for one don’t mind seeing
a well-worn formula done well—after all, formulas become formulas
because, at some level, they work. Hitch works. |
 HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (2005)
Review by Kevin Miller: Arthur Dent, the hero of this tale, is the everyman—so preoccupied by the trivialities of life that when the end comes, he is caught completely unaware. Never mind that plans for the demolition of his house have been on display for a year, and that plans for the destruction of Earth itself have been available for centuries. |
 HOLES
(2003)
When I went to see Holes, the theatre was packed, and mostly with Gen
Y. I really had to look for an available seat --this film is exceedingly
important.Unique movie reviews with a spiritual point of view. |
 HOLLOW
MAN (2000)
Reflects the real evil that lies within.
|
 HOLLYWOOD
HOMICIDE (2003)
Harrison Ford portrays veteran boomer detective Joe Gavilan, a weary but
tenacious police veteran clashes with his Gen X partner, K.C. Calden (Josh
Hartnett). To very different life styles and interest come together on
common ground. |
 HOLY
MAN (1998)
When ratings and sales start go down on a home shopping cable TV show
the network enlists the aid of a TV evangelist. |
 HOME
ON THE RANGE (2004)
Walt Disney Feature Animation's final traditionally animated feature film,
ending the 44-film legacy that began with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
All future Disney feature animation films into the foreseeable future
will be done completely in CGI. |
 THE HONEYMOONERS (2005)
The story of two best friends – bus driver Ralph Kramden and sewer worker Ed Norton – who hatch a get-rich-quick scheme to get them out of Brooklyn and onto easy street. Standing by their husbands are devoted wives Alice and Trixie, who help their guys make ends meet by waitressing at a neighborhood diner. |
 HOODWINKED (2006)
Director: Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards. Stars: Tara Strong, Patrick Warburton, Sally Struthers. Set at the end of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, police officers from the animal world investigate a report of a disturbance at Grandma's house. They discover two suspects, a weapon, numerous criminal offenses, and a potential connection to a case involving the elusive "Goody Bandit." |
 HOOLIGANS (2005)
Director: Lexi Alexander. Stars: Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani.Journalism student Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) has been expelled from Harvard for a crime he didn't commit. His promising career ended and his future looking bleak, he heads for London to seek refuge with his married sister Shannon (Claire Forlani) and her husband Steve (Marc Warren). Overview (dial up speed) |
 HOOT
(2006)
Director: Wil Shriner. Stars: Logan Lerman, Luke Wilson, Brie Larson. A young
man (Lerman) moves from Montana to Florida with his family, where he's compelled
to engage in a fight to protect a population of endangered owls. |
HOPE
FLOATS (1998)
The importance of commitment, relationship and family. |
HORSE
WHISPER (1998)
This movie begins with great conflict and injury and ends with
peace. |
 HOSTAGE
(2005)
Devastated by a hostage situation which resulted in the deaths of a young
mother and her child, LAPD negotiator Jeff Talley exits Los Angeles for
a low-profile job as chief of police in the low-crime town of Bristo Camino.
However, Talley finds himself exactly in the same kind of situation he
never wanted to face again when three delinquent teenagers take a family
hostage. |
 HOSTEL
Director: Eli Roth. Stars: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson. Three backpackers head to a Slovakian city that promises to meet their hedonistic expectations, with no idea of the hell that awaits them. |
 HOTEL
RWANDA (2004)
Every
generation has its killing fields. Every generation also has its Oscar
Schindlers. And every generation has thousands of angry, hateful people
willing to slaughter defenseless scapegoats while millions more stand
by and watch, debating whether the slaughter is actually genocide or merely
a collection of genocidal acts. A fine, fine distinction. |
 THE
HOURS (2003)
Virginia Woolf is writing the novel. Laura Brown is reading the novel.
Clarissa Vaughn is living a life similar to Mrs. Dalloway's in the novel.
The movie shows a day in each of these women's lives just as the novel
covers a single day in Mrs. Dalloway's life. |
 HOUSE, M.D. TV Series
Review by Maurice Broaddus: Remember the halcyon days of the Fall TV Season of 2003, when we had the battle of the “girls dealing with the universe” shows? Wonderfalls was great, but was cancelled after four episodes. Joan of Arcadia was very good, has found its legs, and is flourishing. And Tru Calling, which was mediocre on its best days, was mercifully cancelled after one season. These days we have House versus Medical Investigation competing for audience’s attentions with similar premises. The upshot? House wins. |
 HOUSE
OF 1000 CORPSES (2003)
I am not ashamed to say that I personally like Rod Zombies music and believe
that as controversial as it is that there are lessons there that we can
learn from. |
 HOUSE
OF D (2005)
An American artist living a bohemian existence
in Paris, Tom Warshaw is trying to make sense of his troubled adult
life by reflecting upon his extraordinary childhood...The year is
1973, and thirteen-year-old Greenwich Village native Tommy Warshaw
is on the brink of becoming a man. While his bereaved single mother
continues to mourn the death of his father. |
 HOUSE
OF FLYING DAGGERS (2004)
Review by Darrel Manson: It speak to us of the power
of love that leads us to great sacrifice. Sometimes that coming together
of love and sacrifice can lead to tragedy, as it does here. But even in
the midst of the tragedy, there is also a vision of the salvation that
also comes from sacrifice. A reminder of the sacrifice God made to bring
salvation. |
 HOUSE
OF FOG AND SAND (2003)
Every so often a film gives us the bleakness of pure tragedy in which
forces build to a point where there can be no escape from the pain and
there is no hint of hopeful extenuation. House of Sand and Fog is such
a film. |
 HOUSE OF WAX (2005)
What begins as a weekend getaway for six friends becomes a terrifying fight for their lives in HOUSE OF WAX, an exciting re-imagining of the 1953 horror classic. |
 HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004)
Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") takes moviegoers on an amazing new animated adventure that celebrates the power of love to transform and the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Brimming with a blend of imagination, humor, action, and romance, "Howl's Moving Castle" recently played to great acclaim at the 2004 Venice Film Festival, and has become one of the biggest blockbusters of all time in Japan. The film has already earned more than $200 million at the international box office. |
 HOW
THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000)
The best meaning of Christmas is incarnation -a fancy theological word
signifying involvement with the human condition. God becomes involved
with the world through Jesus. Cindy-Lou becomes involved with the outcast
-the Grinch. |
 HOW
TO DEAL (2003)
Halley Martin is an independent and spirited teen. The people closest
to her are in the midst of major upheavals in their love lives. Her mother
is embittered by her recently finalized divorce. Her sister is marrying
a guy with whom she is constantly fighting. Her best friend, Scarlett
can’t keep her hands off of her first serious boyfriend. |
 HOW
TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS (2003)
The driving force behind the story is the idea of a committed relationship
that remains solid in spite of stupid actions. Unconditional love is the
thirst of every human soul. |
 THE
HULK (2003)
The spiritual connections in this movie that are worth discussing. The
aspect of David Banner struggling with improving on “God’s
Creation” and purpose is part of a worthwhile discussion. What results
is another failed attempt by humanity that results in destruction and
heartbreak. |
 HUSTLE & FLOW (2005)
Djay is a pimp suffering a midlife crisis, yearning to be a rap star, and after being galvanized by a gospel song, he gets to work, finding it a very hard road to fame and respect. |
 HURRICANE
(1999)
This is a great film. It brought tears to my eyes and, finally, a smile
to my face. The message of this film is about the triumph of love over
racism and hate. |
Visual Review Index Numbers, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, Current |
|
| |
