MERMAIDS (1990)

 Directed By: Richard Benjamin  Written By: June Roberts Based on the book by: Patty Dann Cinematography: Howard Atherton  Editor: Jacqueline Cambas 

Cast: Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, Michael Schoeffling, Caroline McWilliams, Jan Miner 

An unconventional single mother relocates with her two daughters to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where a number of events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their familial bonds.

CELEBRITY (1998)

 

Written & Directed by: Woody Allen  Cinematography: Sven Nykvist Editor: Susan E. Morse 

Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Winona Ryder, Famke Janssen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gretchen Mol, Greg Mottola, Charlize Theron, Judy Davis, Douglas McGrath, Joe Mantegna, Andre Gregory, Sam Rockwell, Adrian Grenier, Michael Lerner, Melanie Griffith, J.K. Simmons, Famke Janssen, Becky Ann Baker, Issac Mizrahi, Anthony Mason, Kate Burton, Debra Messing, David Marguiles, Tony Sirico, Bebe Neuwirth, Patti D’Arbanville, Ingrid Rogers, Jeffrey Wright, Hank Azaria, Karen Duffy, Aida Turturro, Allison Janney, Donna Hanover, Celia Weston, Wood Harris, Donald Trump 

Lee Simon, unsuccessful journalist and wanna-be novelist, tries to get his foot in the door with celebrities. After divorcing his wife Robin, Lee gets to meet a lot folks of the rich and/or beautiful, partly through journalism, and partly because he has a script to offer. But life amongst those from out-of-this-world is hard, and his putative success always results in defeat. Meanwhile, Robin meets a very desirable television producer and takes the first steps in the world of celebrities.

WELCOME HOME, ROXY CARMICHAEL (1990)

Directed By: Jim Abrahms  Written By: Karen Leigh Hopkins Cinematography: Paul Elliott Editor: Bruce Green 

Cast: Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels, Laila Robins, Frances Fisher, Dinah Manoff, Thomas Wilson Brown, Graham Beckel, Stephen Tobolowsky, Robin Thomas, Beth Grant, Heidi Swedberg, Carla Gugino, Ava Fabian

 Although Roxy left town more than fifteen years ago, her memory has never faded. Her expected return starts to impact a number of lives, including that of her former partner Denton Webb. But it is Dinky, the adopted daughter of the Bossettis and ignored by most of her classmates as a strange loner, who may be most changed. She is convinced she is Roxie's secret child.

THE INFORMERS (2008)

Directed By: Gregor Jordan 
Written By: Bret Easton Ellis & Nicholas Jarecki 
Based on the Novel By: Bret Easton Ellis 
Cinematography: Petra Korner 
Editor: Robert Brakey 

Cast: Jon Foster, Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Amber Heard, Winona Ryder, Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Issak, Mickey Rourke, Brad Renfro, Rhys Ifans, Angela Sarafyn, Katy Mixon, Theo Rossi, Jessica Stroup 

One week in L.A. in 1983, featuring movie executives, rock stars, a vampire and other morally challenged characters in adventures laced with sex, drugs and violence.

MR. DEEDS (2002)

Directed By: Steven Brill 
Written By: Tim Herlihy 
Based On The Screenplay “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town” By: Robert Riskin 
Based on the Short Story “Opera Hat” By: Clarence Budington Keeland 
Cinematography By: Peter Lyons Collister 
Editor: Jeff Gourson 


Cast: Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, John Turturro, Conchata Ferrell, Peter Gallagher, Allen Covert, Jared Harris, Peter Dante, Harve Presnell, Steve Buscemi, J.B. Smoove, Blake Clark A sweet-natured, small-town guy inherits a controlling stake in a media conglomerate and begins to do business his way.

FRANKENWEENIE (2012)

Original Idea & Directed By: Tim Burton 
Written By: John August 
Based On The Original Screenplay By: Leonard Ripps 
Cinematography By: Peter Sorg 
Editor: Mark Solomon & Chris Lebenzon 
Music By: Danny Elfman 

Cast: (Voices) Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Martin Short, Catherin O’Hara, Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Conchetta Ferrell, Tom Kenny

THE ICEMAN (2012)

Directed By: Ariel Vromen 
Written By: Morgan Land & Ariel Vromen 
Based on the book: "The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer" by Anthony Bruno and the documentary "The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer” By James Thebaut Cinematography By: Bobby Bukowski 
Editor: Danny Rafic 

 Cast: Michael Shannon, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, Winona Ryder, David Schwimmer, James Franco, Stephen Dorff, Robert Davi, John Ventimiglia

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES: HALL OF FAME: FILE #0016: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990)

Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Caroline Thompson
Story By: Tim Burton & Caroline Thompson
Cinematography By: Stefan Czapsky
Editor: Richard Halsey
Production Design By: Bo Welch

Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price, Alan Arkin, Conchata Ferrell, O-Lan Jones

SEX & DEATH: 101 (2007)

Written & Directed By: Daniel Waters
Cinematography By: Daryn Okada
Editor: Trudy Ship

Cast: Simon Baker, Mindy Cohn, Dash Mihok, Leslie Bibb, Winona Ryder, Patton Oswalt, Robert Wisdom, Julie Bowen, Frances Fisher, Neill Flynn

THE INFORMERS (2009)

CAST: Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Foster, Amber Heard, Chris Issak, Brad Renfro, Rhys Ifans, Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Lou Taylor Pucci, Austin Nichols, Katy Mixon, Jessica Stroup

Directed by: Gregor Jordan
Written By: Nicholas Jarecki & Bret Easton Ellis
Based on the novel by: Bret Easton Ellis
Cinematography By: Petra Korner
Editor: Robert Brakey

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE (2009)

Written & Directed By: Rebecca Miller
Based On The Book By: Rebecca Miller
Cinematography By: Declan Quinn
Editor: Sabine Hoffman

CAST: Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Monica Belucci, Blake Lively, Maria Bello, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Mike Binder, Zoe Kazan, Cornel West, Shirley Knight

STAR TREK (2009)

Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Written By: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Cinematography By: Daniel Mindel
Editor: Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo Markey

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Eric Bana, Tyler Perry, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Ben Cross, Jennifer Morrison, Rachel Nichols, Lisa Vidal, Oz Perkins




There is a certain gloss and openness that separates this film from the others that maybe because this s a resurrection of the series with a cast that wasn’t started from the television series. making the cast for this film more big screen ready then previous casts.

This is a restart for the series it is grander even though it takes place before the series and films the technology and effects are way better plus ahead of there time.

The film shows how the enterprise crew came together and gives each member of the crew and cast a scene in which to shine to show how vital they are to the crew. The ymake each cast member essential even the lovely Uhura. The filmmakers also implant a genius idea as to how this and if there are any future sequels don’t necessarily have to follow the adventures we have already seen or have past knowledge of the history of the characters opening it up to novice audiences

The film is well cast especially Simon Pegg as Scotty he is a particular standout he brings energy and much needed humor to the Preceedings. Karl Urban also makes things lively as Dr. McCoy but it still feels mostly like a comedic performance with a dramatic scene here or there. At least he gets a chance to show some range since he is commonly associated with action roles. The give Eric Bana the villain role and while he is scary he doesn’t make a impression on me as a memorable villain.

I have always bee a mild star trek fan I still am a bigger star wars fan but this film instilled a interest in the series for me.

The film still keeps up the philosophy of decisions and technical talk but also adds what most of the movies lacked, general tension and full blown exciting action sequences. Which may have been not as big in the other films due to the age of the cast and the fact the TV episodes were low when it came to action .

J.J. Abrams makes a noticeable improvement in his directing style, Since his last film. There are some scenes of silent comedy, Drama, Physical Comedy, Special effects and action all handled admirably. Though I still feel his direction is still too boxy and Televison styled. Which makes sense, Since that is the medium he has garnered the greatest success in. He still has room to improve but this is his first big screen endeavor that I thoroughly enjoyed .

This is a film well worth seeing and adding to your film library even if you are not a big fan of the series or previous films.

GRADE: B

BEETLEJUICE (1988)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Glen Shadix, Robert Goulet, Sylvia Sidney, Dick Cavett

Directed By: Tim Burton
Story By: Tim Burton
Written By: Larry Wilson, Michael McDowell & Warren Skaaren
Director Of Photography: Thomas Ackerman
Original Score: Danny Elfman
Production Design By: Bo Welch
Edited by: Jane Kurson

Dated a little but still brilliant. This film is truly a person’s imagination run amuck like his brain threw up on the screen and this is what came out. This is true creativity at work. can you honestly say that you could have come up with this film?

A couple build there dream house die then comeback as ghosts haunting the place. when a new family moves in and wants to not only redesign the house but demolish it. So when the two ghosts can’t do it on there own and the supernatural case worker they have been assigned isn’t really any help. They call a ecto-plasmic human exterminator named (You Guessed it) beetlejuice who is gross, crude and perverted. but then they form a bond with the family’s daughter. Who beetlejuice lusts after. It all ends with a confrontation at a exorcism/wedding with scary huge sandworms. Exactly I didn’t think you could.

Michael keaton is in perfect form he has never been as good as this again. A young alec baldwin and winona ryder are humorous. If you haven’t seen it yet. I am shocked. it’s been around awhile unless of course your parents are ultra religious and if they are why are you on here reading this.

From all the visual gags alone. You realize that mr. burton has a wildly inventive visual style and somewhat grace. It comes as no surprise he started as an animator. As this film is a live action cartoon filled with impressive special effects for the time period. This film is filled with dark comedy as it not only satirizes suburbia, nouveau riche and the art crowd. The affluence it portrays and appears to have the first three dimensional goth character in a film. This film is like a fairy tale or fable I love it.

It holds a special place in my heart. i used to watch it all the time as a kid. I loved it when it came on wpix channel 11. Which was like once a month. And everytime it came on I always watched it even though I already had it on video. It also launched me on one of my first crushes. Winona Ryder for a span of three years she was my dreamgirl. Now I just wait for her comeback. Hopefully tim burton makes another film as manic and magical as this

Everything about this film is magical it an play for kids as much as it does for adults plus it is darker then anyone who watches it realizes. As you watch it it is playful and fun but the more you watch you see the subtlety of subjects it challenges. All the office workers in the office seem to be suicides. it makes fun of suburbia as usual in tim burton films. There is the strange Dark character his alter ego. who in one scene keeps proofreading her suicide note to make it more dramatic.

This is the tim burton i miss who had artistic senesabilites but still had a toe in what it took to tell a mainstream story. this film is like a big screen carnival for him which is also reflected in the amazing score by Danny Elfman. this film could almost be a silent film for some scenes with the score taking over the dialogue for the scenes and they would still be as good.

Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors and his classic films like these seem more original and come from his imagination more then the studio films he has been making recently.

GRADE: A