The Men Who Stare at Goats

By Barrie Bastianelli Daniels

While this movie has funny moments or lines I never really understood why we were there… what the story line was. The movie starred George Clooney, Jeff Daniels and Ewin McGregor and was directed by Grant Heslov, so you might think “How can it go wrong?”… Well, I think they only went wrong with the script. I think they did the best that they could do with what they had. The movie was about “A reporter, trying to lose himself in the romance of war after his marriage fails, gets more than he bargains for when he meets a Special Forces agent who reveals the existence of a secret, psychic military unit whose goal is to end war as we know it. The founder of the unit has gone missing and the trail leads to another psychic soldier who has distorted the mission to serve his own ends.” says Rob Harris. See, does it not sound involved and confusing?? And uninteresting too boot. George Clooney isn’t even really cute. I would pass on this one.

DVD Pairing Suggestion: see Burn after Reading instead

Thanksgiving DVD’s

By Barrie Bastianelli Daniels

As turkey day rolls around you might be thinking “Is there anything but football to watch?” Perhaps there are two TVs in the household and after 2 games you are tired of football and you need to know that your family is not alone with dysfunction. Enter help. There are very few Thanksgiving films that are not your typical sicken-ly sweet, sappy ones so I would like to offer 3 alternatives to you on the Thanksgiving, enjoy:

Pieces of April: As a new cook in NYC on this Thanksgiving, April Burns (Katie Holmes… ok yes, this is before tomcat and is the only good thing I have seen her in as an adult… I know what you are thinking) tries to make Thanksgiving dinner for her family. To top it all off her oven does not work. This movie proves that you are not alone with dysfunction. April is not only introducing her family to her new apartment but also to her new boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke). Oliver Platt, Sean Hayes and Patricia Clarkson also star in this drama that ends up with April’s family accepting one another and their lifestyles. Think back to a time where you made your first Thanksgiving meal … this film is an Indie Comedy

Hannah and Her Sisters: Well it is a Woody (Allen) film… that stars Dianne Wiest, Barbara Hershey, Michael Caine and Mia Farrow. This film, Hannah and Her Sisters, is about the lives of a group of crazy Manhattan sisters. Hannah (Mia Farrow) and Michael Caine, a lawyer, are married. Michael’s character Elliott, has an affair and falls in love with Lee, Hannah’s sister. Hannahs other sister goes through a deep crisis and meets Mickey, the former husband of Hannah (a famous actress, who is a good mother, sister, wife, and perfect) all over Thanksgiving. Talk about making your family look good.

What’s Cooking?: Set in Los Angeles's middle-class this film displays typical family tensions as four ethnic families -- black, Latino, Asian and Jewish all prepare for the Turkey dinner. The story follows all four families preparing for Thanksgiving illustrating typical family arguments, frustrations and battles thus revealing family secrets. This film stars Mercedes Ruehl, Kyra Sedgwick, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert, Joan Chen and others. And it not only shows human frustrations but also human kindness. What else do you need this Thanksgiving?