Christmas Music Review: Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration

 Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration,  Chloë Agnew, Órla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, with violinist Máiréad Nesbitt.  David Downes producer and arranger.  Manhattan Records, 2006.

For the past 20 years no one has made music like Celtic Woman.  This is an early Christmas album, in fact their second album.  Their combination of Celtic themes with traditional hymns is magnificent.  On this album their are 15 songs, inluding: O Holy Night, Away in a Manger, Silent Night, Let it Snow and many more favorites.  I enjoyed this album very much.

Christmas Movie Review: ***^ Jingle all the Way

 This is a Christmas story of a different type.  It shows the commercialism around Christmas very well, as people fight for the perfect toy, an action figure, Turbo Man.  Most particularly Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Myran Larabee (Sinbad) are after the toy on Christmas Eve, which has long been sold out.  They fight and trick each other, and go to the radio station and look for the toy.  In the end, Langston ends up in a Turbo Man costume for the parade, and Larabee steals the Dementor (Turbo Man's enemy) costume and they face off over the toy.  This includes Larabee grabbing Langston's son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd).  Cameos to Robert Wagner as the police officer who keeps crossing paths with Langston and James Belushi as a store Santa Claus running a con game..  Langston must also contend with the divorced neighbor, Ted Maltin (Phil Hartman) who keeps hitting on his wife.

It has it funny parts, but sometimes the fighting is just over the top.  

DC Movie Review: *** The Flash (2023)

 Lots of action but the time line, multiverse thing is very confusing.  The Flash (Ezra Miller) goes back in time to save his mother.  He does so by changing something insignificant.  However he gets pushed out of his own timeline, and meets himself at a younger age.  And based on the changes he made, his mother is living, but the world is changed.  The superheroes are different.  We get Batman (Michael Keaton instead of George Clooney).  We do not have a Superman, but they rescue Supergirl (Sasha Calle).  They stand against someone from Krypton, General Zod (Michael Shannon),  come to conquer the world.  It isn't until The Flash realizes that things are hopeless.  He needs to go back and change what he changed to put things right. 

There were a cameos by Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and Batman (George Clooney).  

This movie has its action, and it is so good to see Michael Keaton back in the Batman role.  However the plot is confusing with the different times or universes or whatever.  

DC Animated Movie Review: *** Superman: Doomsday (2007)

 In this Superman (Adam Baldwin) dies, a lot of times.  He faces a being from Krypton, made as a super warrior.  In killing the creature he too dies.  But that is not the end.  Lex Luthor (James Marsters) wanted to kill Superman and he feels cheated.  So Superman is restored by Lex Luthor who then kills him with red sun and kryptonite.  In the meantime  Luthor clones Superman.  The new Superman is not the same however.  He does not have qualms about killing others in keeping Gotham safe.  Luthor mentions he has a fail safe, so the new Superman finds the lead line Kryptonite ball in his head, and removes it.  In the meantime Superman does come back to life as his body heals itself.  He goes to face the cloned Superman before he is fully healed.  The cloned Superman destroys all the other clones Luthor has made, and leaves Luthor under a pile of rubble.  It is only with Lois Lane's (Anne Heche) help that he is able to bring done the cloned Superman.

DC Animated Movie Review: Batman: *** The Killing Joke (2016)

 This movie has an R rating, but other places it is TV14.  I feel it is more a TV14.  It has a few bloody animated scenes.  It has the Joker (Mark Hamill) being incredibly bad.  And Commissioner Gordon's daughter/ Batgirl (Tara Strong) is shot and her spinal cord severed, leaving her in a wheel chair.  The Commissioner (Ray Wise) is actually kidnapped, and the Joker does everything in his power to break him, but he doesn't break.  It is Batman (Kevin Conroy) who comes to rescue him.  Batman is torn between needing Batgirl's help and needing her to be safe.  

DC Animated Movie Review: ***Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

 This is an intriguing story.  Batman (Bruce Greenwood) is too late to save Robin (Alexander Martella) from the Joker (Joe DiMaggio).  The Joker beats him to death with a crow bar.  Batman does take him home and bury him.  Years later, a vigilante in a red hood (Jensen Ackles) appears and begins taking out the mob.  One of the mobsters finally breaks the Joker out of jail to protect them.  The Joker arranges for the Red Hood to be put in an awkward position of having to save people from the Joker.  Turns out however this is what the Red Hood wanted.  He is seeking revenge on the Joker, who killed him.  Robin was brought back to live by Ra's al Ghul (Jason Isaacs).  This lead to a classic confrontation.  Nightwing (Neal Patrick Harris) is also involved.  Very good show with lots of action.

DC Movie Review: **^ Catwoman (2004)

 Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) is basically a struggling commercial design artist, working for and belittled by her boss, George Hedare (Lambert Wilson) and his wife, Laurel Hedare (Sharon Stone).  She happens upon them as they discuss negative reports about their new beauty product; it causes bad skin problems.  Laurel orders her to be killed, and she is.  But she had met a cat who gave her multiple lives, and catlike abilities.  And so Phillips takes on two personalities, as Patience and as Catwoman.  She also has a love interest, a police officer, Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt).  Catwoman had forgotten, but when she realizes she was really killed, she wants to get even with those who killed her.  

This will eventually lead her to Laurel, but after she killed her husband.  She frames Catwoman for the murder.  

This movie was corny through out.  There was some action, but sometimes it really looked fake.  I thought some interaction with Batman may have improved things.  

Music Review: Andrea Bocelli: My Christmas

 Andrea Bocelli: My Christmas was released in 2009.  It includes many traditional Christmas songs with Bocelli's high tenor voice.  It is very relaxing and mellow.  Several of the hymns are duets, "The Christmas Song" with Natalie Cole, "What Child is This" with Maty J. Blige has a very nice arrangement, and "Blue Christmas" with Reba McEntire.  He performs the "Lord's Prayer" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and "Jingle Bells" with the Muppets.  "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" includes a children's choir.  It is a very catchy arrangement.

James Bond Movie: ****^ The World Is Not Enough (1999)

 James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) must save the world again.  This time from an oil heiress, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau); who has long schemed taking over her father's company.  And she manages this while making herself seem the victim.  She is helped in this by planning with Renard (Robert Carlisle) who is seen as the murderer of her father, and her enemy.  He kidnapped her when she was young, and M (Judi Dench) advised not to pay the ransom.  There is an addition to the Bond support staff.  In addition to Q (Desmond Llewelyn) there is R (John Cleese) his replacement in training.  Moneypenny (Samantha Bond) also provides support.  The men of Renard infiltrate a nuclear storage site and steal a bomb.  Here Bond meets nuclear scientist Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards).  She becomes an ally and will play a key part in recovering nuclear material.  Bond is captured, and rescues by Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane).  The goal of Renard and Elektra is to cause a nuclear submarine to have a melt down by using nuclear material they took from the bomb.  This will pollute Instanbul, and close the area to oil shipments; so they will all have to ship through Elektra's pipeline.  

I enjoyed this Bond episode more than most.  Lots of action.  It starts with a boat chase, but Bond is in a boat that also goes on land.  It also includes a balloon ride with Bond hanging off the bottom.  It includes gambling and torture

and lots of intrigue.

DC Animated Movie Review: ***^Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)

I really enjoyed this Batman/Superman movie.  It is a sequel to Public Enemies.  In Public Enemies Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Superman (Tim Daly) stopped a meteor.  In this movie we learn that it was actually a spaceship from Krypton and Superman's cousin, Kara (Sumer Glau) was inside.   She has some difficulty adjusting to her powers as she is no longer n Krypton.  Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg) takes her to home of the Amazons where she can train.  However Darkseid (Andre Braugher) learns of this, and sends his minions to kidnap her.  The Amazons and the minions have quite a battle, but while they battle Kara is kidnapped and her friend killed.

Superman recruits Big Barda, (Julianne Grossman) Darkseid's former underling to take him to the Darkseid world, Apokolips.  Darkseid tries to capture Wonder Woman as an alternative, but fails, and Superman takes Kara home to the farm to meet his folks, and Darkseid is there.  He has incredible power in his eyes; more than Superman.

I liked the cusi showing up.  I thought she was a good addition, and trying to find her place.  

DC Animated Movie Review: ***Superman/ Batman: Public Enemies (2009)

 This movie asks the question, What would the world be like if Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown) became president.  It doesn't go well for Luthor's enemy Superman (Tim Daly), and also Superman's friend, Batman Kevin Conroy).  It seems every superhero in the world has been sent to bring Superan in.

In the meantime a meteor from Krypton is heading toward earth.  Luthor says he will handle, but a nuclear missile fails to alter its course.  He then tells people he will stop it but in reality does nothing.  So a few people will die. However Batman and Superman are planning on intervening.  But Luthor comes out in an Iron Man type suit.  The other super heroes are starting to see through him.  

Robin Williams Movie Review: *** Jack (1996)

 The premise of this movie is a child has a strange ailment which causes his cells to magture 4x faster than normal.  Jack Powell (Robin Williams) is ten with the body of a 40 year old, with shaving and everythig.  His mother (Diane Lane) is very protective, but finally convinced to allow him to go to school.  Father (Brian Kerwin) is more open to the idea.  You can imagine someone with a 40 yo body attending elementary school.  The other kids, initially don't treat him very well, but he is tall when when they play basketball he finds a niche, and begins to fit in.  He actually makes a few friends, Louise, Edward, John-John, George and Johnny (Adam Zolotin, Todd Bosley, Seth Smith, Mario Yedidia and Jer Adrienne Elliott.). They invite Jack to their tree house.  Before Jack went to school, he had a private tutor (Bill Cosby),  The tutor comes to the tree house has well, and the tree falls.  I didn't understand the motivation for having th tutor in the tree house.  It didn't make sense to me.  Jack has some difficulty navigating his world looking like an adult.  He makes a pass at his teacher (Jennifer Lopez) and is rejected.  His life spirals down and he quits school until his friends convince him to come back.

Enjoyable but I didn't understand the tutor character.  Seems the motivation was off.

Animated Movie Review: ***^Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)

 Adding Harley Quinn (Melissa Rauch)  to Batman's (Kevin Conroy) team makes for an interesting movie.  Quinn is such a loss cannon.  Quinn is the Joker's ex girlfriend.  She has served time in prison and turned a new leaf.  Batman and Nightwing (Loren Lester) recruit her because Poison Ivy (Paget Brewster) is making havoc.  She has teamed with Floronic Man (Kevin Michael Richardson) and they intend to change all creatures to plant creatures, forcing everyone to be green.  However nothing they do can turn Floronic Man from his goal.  Quinn does Poison Ivy in with her tears and big eyes.  But Floronic Man is different, until they realize he is a plant and susceptible to fire.  

DC Movie Review: Wonder Woman 1984

 This is a very enjoyable music, but sometimes it is a bit too much.  Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) works in the Smithsonian, where coworker Barbara (Kristin Wiig) has received delivery of a special stone.  She wishes to be like Wonder Woman and begins to get her powers.  However Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) has been stufying rocks, and steals it when he sees it.  It grants wishes.  Wonder woman had wished that her love would come back, and Lord wishes to actually be the stone.  Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) does come back, her boyfriend from forty years before.  Lord needs more and more people to ask him for wishes, as this increases his power.  He finally goes big time, but Wonder Woman knows something has to change or the whole world will be destroyed. 

Lots of neat action.  A great fight between Barbara and Wonder Woman.  But nothing works as long as people as asking for wishes.  Lord has to remember his son and who he is or the world is lost.  

Animated Movie Review: Batman: **** Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

 Mask of the Phantasm is a very good animated Batman movie.  A person, the Phantasm (Stacy Keach) dressed like Batman is taking out Gotham's crime bosses.  This feature also talks of Batman (Kevin Conroy) almost being engaged, but his girlfriend, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany) leaves town and he doesn't see her for several years.  She returns about the same time as the Phantasm showing up.  One of the crime bosses goes to the Joker (Mark Hamill) for protection.  The Joker goes too far and kills the man himself.  

Turns out the criminal element is out to kill Miss Beaumont's father based on past debts.  That is why they left town.  He is the Phantasm.  The mobsters eventually kill him, the Joker.  Miss Beaumont takes his place and goes after the Joker.  

Great movie, and the romance was just not meant to be.  

Tom Hanks Movie Review: ****A Man Called Otto (2022)

 Otto (Tom Hanks) is the grouchiest man there is.  Not only that he has appointed himself keeper of the neighborhood rules.  He is forcibly retired from his job, but leaves the retirement party.  His wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller) passed away six months ago.  He took care of her since she was in a bus accident and sustained a spinal cord injury; and lost their baby.  (Young Otto is played by Truman Hanks.)  He wants nothing more than to join his wife.  He turns off the power and gas, having determined to take his life after buying five feet of rope at the hardware store.  But the neighbors keep getting in the way.  New neighbors, Marisol (Mariana Treviño) and Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) who don't know how to back up their trailer; so he does it for them.  They have two daughters, Luna (Christiana Montoya) and Abbie (Alessandra Perez.). They become friends, Otto in his grumpy way and Marisol making food and reaching out.  He actually calls Otto on his gumpiness, "Don't be rude Otto."  Otto continues with his idea of joining his wife, until he adopts a cat.  He must stay around for the at.  Otto teaches Marisol to drive, gives her rides, and they become friends.  He eventual tells her about his own life.  Otto forms a team to save their neighbors, Anita (Juanita Jennings) and Reuben (Peter Lawson Jones,) from being expelled from their house.  This includes standing up to the business managers.  

Very good movie about relationships and their importance.  My complaint is the many ways this movie shows how to kill yourself.  Might not be for someone looking for ideas.  Otto does finally get his way, but not by suicide.  He succumbs

to a genetic heart condition.  

Animated Movie Review: *** Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)

 There is a new actor in town, Batwoman (Kyra Sedgwick) .  She is attacking Penguin's (David Ogden Stiers) organization who are smuggling weapons to outside the country.  He is preparing for a big shipment.  Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Robin (Eli Marienthal) Are trying to figure out who Batwoman is, even though they have the same aims to a degree.  But in truth there are three women who make up the Batwoman.  Kathy Duquesne (Kimberly Brooks) is the daughter of Carlton Duquesne (Kevin Michael Richardson), Penguin's security.  Penguin's henchman Bane (Hector Elizondo) destroyed the business of detective Sonia's (Elisa Gabrielli) parents, and the tech geek, Rocky (Kelly Ripa) is struggling because Penguin framed her fiancé and he is in jail.  All three are motivated to take down the Penguin.  But it doesn't happen without th efforts of all three, and Batman and Robin.  Alfred (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is valways present and always supporting Batman.  

I enjoyed this animated feature.  Each of the women had their own talents and they worked well as a team.   

Animated Trilogy Movie Review: *** Batman: Son of Batman, Batman vs. Robin and Bad Blood (2014, 2015, 2016)

 This is a Batman (Jason O'Mara) trilogy of animated movies which tell the story of Batman's son Damian/Robin (Stuart Allan) Damian's mother, Talia (Morena Baccarin), and Nightwing (Sean Maher) who previously was Robin but outgrew the costume.  

In the movie Batman's son is living with his mother and grandfather. Ra's al Ghul (Giancarlo Esposito) at a monastery, League of Assassins.  Deathstroke (Thomas Gibson) and his men attack the monastery, leaving it in ruins and killing al Ghul.  Mother then brings Damian to Batman to care for him for a time. 

In "Batman vs. Robin" Talon (Jeremy Sisto) plays a large part; especially in turning Damian/Robin against his father.  He is working with a group called Court of Owls.  However in the end he betrays the court as he is actually working on a way to create immortality, so people can regenerate.  He uses these as his minions.  Robin was actually going to join Talon, but he realizes he is still loyal to Batman and the thought, justice not vengeance.  Leads to a large battle at the end, including Batman, Robin and Nightwing, and even Alfred (David McCallum).  

Finally in the last movie, Bad Blood, we are introduced to two more characters, Batwoman/Katherine Kane (Yvonne Strahovski) and Batwing/Luke Fox (Gaius Charles).  Batman wants to keep the fighting inside the family, meaning he and Robin and Nightwing.  However without the help of others they would not have survived.  Infact Batman is taken captive, and Nightwing and Robin cover for Batman.  They eventually rescue him, but he has been brainwashed with the use of a trigger.  The same trigger has been put in many prominent people.  It is Damian's mother who is actually wanting to control the world as leader of the League of Assassins.  

James Bond Movie Review: ****^Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

 The Bond movies just keep getting bigger and. bigger.  James Bond is a tried and true formula.  Pierce Brosnan plays Bond in this movie.  The support cast are the same, M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny; as well as CIA agent Wade (Joe Don Baker).  

Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) is working at being on top of the media world; even if he must create the story.  In this case the story is war between the Chinese and Britain, which he is manipulating into existence with a stealth boat in which he sinks a British frigate.  He also steals a cruise missile.  Stamper (Götz Otto) provides the muscle.  Helping Bond is Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) of Chinese intelligence.  The make a very good team.  The key is making it so people can see the stealth boat.  Bond accomplishes this with a bomb on the ship, and Lin sabatoges the engines so the British can fire on the boat.

This movie is excellent.  I really like Yeoh as the Chinese spy.  The people fighting against Bond are very bad shots.  Great fun.

Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep Movie Review: ****^ The Post (2017)

 This is a movie exploring the inner workings of the Washington Post and the decision to print the Pentagon Papers, secret documents that were stolen.  The documents disparaged the Viet Nam War pointing out that for some time the American government did not think the war winnable.  Howev er they kept on to avoid the embarrassment of losing the war.  Daniel Ellsburg (Matthew Rhys) stole the documents in an efort to end the war.  Ben Bagdikian (Bob Odenkirk) tracks down Ellsburg and gets the documents for the Post.  Bob Bradlee (Tom Hanks) directed the operation, including asking Bagdikian to pursue Ellsburg.  Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) is the publisher at the Post.  Her husband had the position before he passed away.  They take the documents to Bradlee's home rather than to the newspaper office for more security and a more peaceful place.  Bradlee's daughter sells lemonade and his wife (Sarah Paulson) becomes involved in the process.  

This movie is very intriguing as they are decided whether or not to publish or whether or not to wait on things.  Th government already has an injunction against the Nwq York Times about publishing.  Watching the struggle is very interesting.  In the end it is Graham who has to make the final decision.  She has to make the decision several times as more information comes to light.  

This movie was Oscar nominated for best picture and Meryl Streep for best actress.  Steven Spielberg directed.

The Marksman (2021)

 The Marksmen, Jim (Liam Neeson) falls into the crosshairs of the Mexican cartel.  They are after a mother (Teresa Ruiz) and son, Miguel (Jacob Perez) who have just crossed the border.  The cartel already killed the uncle.  In the firefight over the border the mother is shot, and the Jim agrees to take the boy to Chicago.  The mother passes away.  Jim decides to actually take the boy when he realizes the cartel is not stopping at the border.  At first he takes the boy for the bag of money the mother had.  But his attitude changes over time.  

Jims daughter, Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), works for the border patrol, and tries to keep track of him as he travels north.  But it is hard as they are on different sides of the law, and who knows who will take money from the cartel.  

The cartel has good technology.  They track his credit card usage as they follow him north.  They also buy people as they go, including a police officer who pulls them over.  With the dog's help they are able to get away, and then the cartel kills the officer.  

Eventually they get to the final show down, the Marine with his gun, and the cartel members with theirs.

Vewry tenseful movie.  The burning of the bag of money shows they have created a relationship.  

Animated DC Movie Review: ***^ Batman The Dark Knight Returns, parts 1 and 2 (2012, 2013)

 Batman (Peter Weller) has been retired for ten years.  However he doesn't like the way things are going in Gothem, so he decides to return to crime fighting, even though he is now in his 50s.  The minions have formed a gang of young people, with a devious leader who is strong and wants to face Batman.  They are committing crimes against people for the fun of "slicing and dicing."  In the meantime Harvey Dent, Two-Face (Wade Williams) has been treated and his face restored (but mentally he still sees it as ugly but now matching).  Batman has to stop his evil intentions.  

But still the minions are waiting and threatening a general attack on the city.  Batman confronts them, but the leader is able to defeat him and send him packing.  He is saved by his new Robin (Ariel Winter) a young woman.  There Alfred, (Michael Jackson) the butler, helps but him back together and reminds him that brawn for brawn he is going to lose.  He has to use his intelligence.  

So after Batman is healed enough, he invites all the minions to a place where he chooses to fight, in the mud which will work to slow the head minion down.  He then proceeds to slowly take him apart, and in doing so wins the respect of the minions.  Part One ends with the minions becoming smaller gangs of vigilantes, following Batman's example.

The Joker (Michael Emerson) enters part two.  His psychiatrist arranges for him to be on a TV talk show.  Commissioner Gordon (David Selby) retires, and the new commissioner is out to get Batman.  Joker of curse, kills his psychiatrist, and then all the people in the studio and the host with his laughing gas.  He seems to really like killing.  Batman has to fight the police to get away, making is so he is too late to save anyone.  Robin again helps him get away.  

Batman is being blamed for troubles in Gotham, and the president recruits Superman (Mark Valley) to fix the problem, even killing him if necessary.  In the meantime the Russians and USA are at odds fighting over an island, and Superman's intervention turns the battle in the USA favor.  

Batman traces the Joker to a carnival.  He makes the tunnel of love a tunnel of murder.  However Batman finally catches up to him, and Batman is witnessed killing the Joker.  The police are hard on his tail now.  Batman barely escapes again, with Robin piloting the Batcopter.  

Russia retaliates with a nuclear weapon, which although diverted by Superman, still explodes injuring SUperman and causing all electronics to go out on the sea coast, including Gotham.  Chaos ensues, but Batman, with the help of the minions is able to restore some sense of order.  

Superman is still coming for Batman.

This movie is very exciting.  Here we have a Superman vs Batman battle.  

Movie Review: ***^The Batman (2022)

 This movie is very entertaining with the Riddler (Paul Dano) creating havoc and leaving his riddles all over town.  It is a very dark version of Batman.  The Batman armor saves him on several occasions. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Robert Pattinson) must battle a man no one knows who is leaving riddles and killing notorious gangsters or corrupt politicians.  He puts a bad name on vigilanteism.  

Falcone (John Torturro) is the head of the syndicate.  He is a very bad man who is seldom seen.  He is the father of Selina (Zoë Kravitz) who dresses like the cat woman and is a vigilante in her own right.  She goes after Falcone who is her father and killed her mother.  An un betweener is Penguin (Colin Ferrell) who is done in by the Riddler. 

 They finally catch up to the Riddler when he murders Falcone.  He is arrested and in jail.  Batman visits him in jail and the Riddler taunts him because he didn't figure out his plans, to blow the sea wall and 500 members of his social network will create chaos by shooting the crowds of people escaping.  The 500 wear masks similar to the Riddler's mask.  Batman doesn't stop the explosions, but he mostly stops the shooting.  Selina helps him.  Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) saves the new mayor.  

As I noted the action is very intense.  The dark nature of the movie makes it hard to understand what is happening at times.   

At the Movies ****^ Nuremberg (2025)

 I think this movie may very well be considered for the best movie of the year.  It portrays the trial of the Nazi leadership at Nuremberg.  It made a great Veteran's Day activity.  It is about the relationship and interviews between Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) and the military psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek).  Göring was the number two leader of Germany behind Adolf Hitler.  Kelley is trying to get him to open up.  He even visits his wife and child for him, and carries letters.  The relationship comes to a head after the showing of a film about the holocaust, and the way the Jews were treated.  There is a very emotional scene when Kelley confronts him.

There were actually 22 men on trial at Nuremberg.  One suicided, and eleven were sentenced to death, including Göring.  However Göring missed the gallows by eating a cyanid capsule the day before.

Another very emotional scene is when the sergeant who interprets for Kelley Sergeant Howie Triest (Leo Woodall) admits that he in fact is Jewish; a German Jew.  He escaped just before the borders were closed.  There was only enough money for one to travel.  His parents and younger sister stayed behind.  His parents were killed in the holocaust.  His sister made it out of the country and was still alive.

A member of the supreme court, Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon) was called upon to prosecute for the Americans.  Kelley thought that Göring would be able to escape the hang man's noose by out witting Jackson.  He told this to a journalist, Lila (Lydia Peckham) when he was drunk.  As a result he is fired an sent home.  But he stays for the rest of the trial, and is able to give some needed insight to Jackson.  The case hangs in the balance, saying he didn't know people were eliminating the Jews.  His order he reinterprets to mete complet solution rather than final solution.  However when the prosecutor from England, Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe (Richard E. Grant) is able to get Göring to praise Hitler, the cards are played.  

James Bond Movie: **** Goldeneye (1995)

 We have a new James Bond in Pierce Brosnan.  We also have the first woman M (Judi Dench), and a new actor play Miss Moneypenny (Samantha Bond).  Q is the same showing his gadgets.  Our villain turns out to be 006/ Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), who appears to die at the beginning of the movie.  Trevelyan is helped by Xenia Onatopp (Famke Jansen) who has many methods of killing including a good squeeze.  She kills with sexualized passion.  For his part, Bond refuses to die.  He is helped by Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), who escaped alive from the first use of the Goldeneye satellite, which fries all electronics.  She worked at a satellite dish which was used to control the device, but then targeted.  This time financial markets will be the target allowing them to steal assets without being seen as the device will destroy all records.  Bond's job is to prevent this.  Jake Wade (Joe Don Baker) with th CIA helps.  Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming) also helps Trevelyan as the inside computer geek who worked with Simonova.  

This movie has a chase scene, Bond in am army tank trying to rescue Simonova.  He runs over lots of car, and even puts the tank in front of a train for a spectacular collision.  

This movie continues the Bond fun and action.  There are plane crashes Bond walks away from, and lots of shooting.  And the effects of electrical pulses.  

DC Movie Review: ****Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

 In this movie our superheroes have two actors each, one for their normal person and one for their super hero person.  Shazam! is faced with a big test of his abilities as well as his character.  He is obsessed with Wonder Woman and keeps dreaming of her.  Three gods have stolen a staff which Shazam! discarded in the first movie.  They steal it from a museum.  With the staff, and their own powers they wreck havoc on the world.  Our team of superheroes, the Philly Fiascos, have their hands full.  The spend a lot of time dodging, but Pedro is not good a dodging.  The bolt from the staff takes your powers away.  An interesting character in the movie is Anthea.  She is one of the evil gods, but is also enamored with Freddy, one of the superheroes.  The wizard also has a prominent part, first with Freddy as the escape captivity together.  Kalypso is very very evil.  She is determined to eliminate all mankind as a punishment for past perceived wrongs.  Hespera is the third evil gos, but she changes before the end of the movie.  She wants her powers back but not at the expense of all humanity.

• 

  Zachary Levi

  Shazam
• 

  Asher Angel

  Billy Batson
• 

  Jack Dylan Grazer

  Freddy Freeman
• 

  Rachel Zegler

  Anthea
• 

  Adam Brody

  Super Hero Freddy
• 

  Ross Butler

  Super Hero Eugene
• 

  D.J. Cotrona

  Super Hero Pedro
• 

  Grace Caroline Currey

  Mary Bromfield

  /Super Hero Mary
• 

  Meagan Good

  Super Hero Darla
• 

  Lucy Liu

  Kalypso
• 

  Djimon Hounsou

  Wizard
• 

  Helen Mirren

  Hespera
• 

  Faithe Herman

  Darla Dudley
• 

  Ian Chen

  Eugene Choi
• 

  Jovan Armand

  Pedro Peña
• 

  Marta Milans

  Rosa Vasquez
• 

  Cooper Andrews

  Victor Vasquez