Alfred Hitchcock Movie: ***^ The Skin Game (1931)

 An industrialist, Mr. Hornblower (Edmund Gwenn) has moved to town, buying up real estate with the end goal of puttig in a pottery factory.  Mr. Hillcrist (C.V. France) represents old money and has sold some properties with the understanding that nothing will change.  However when Hornblower evicts a tenant Hillcrist confronts him, and they enter a skin game to see who will control the community.  It is obvious Hornblower is winning when he buys another property through a third party.  He will do whatever he needs to do to win, and change the community forever.  

However the Hillcrists have some hope when it comes to light that the daughter-in-law (Phyllis Konstam) of Mr, Hownblower has a checkered past Hillcrist's wife (Helen Haye) blackmails Hornblower into selling the property to Hillcrist, destroying his plans.  However, as will happen, the checkered past becomes common knowledge around the house, destroying a marriage, and the daughter-in-law attempts to take her life.  Hillcrist relents, and the industrial future takes over represented by the felling of a tree to make way for the factory.  

Alfred Hitchcock Movie: **^ Juno and the Paycock (1930)

 This film is based on a stage play by Sean O'Casey and adapted to the screen by Alfred Hitchcock.  This is Hitchcock's first film that was talking from the start.  A previous movie, "Blackmail" was first filmed as a silent movie and then parts re-filmed with talking.  It is set during the Irish Civil war and death is very near.  The movie is about the Boyle family.  The father Captain Boyle (Edward Chapman) is a vagabond who always says he is injured so as to not work.  The matriarch, Juno Boyle (Sara Allgood) keeps the family together.  Their son, Johnny (John Laurie) has been injured in the civil war and is suffering shell shock (PTSD).  Their daughter, Mary (Kathleen O'Regan) has a suitor who is a solicitor and announces that Captain Boyle is to inherit money.  The family then begins to live lavishly on credit.  The also have many friends for a time.  When the inheritance doesn't turn out the bill collectors start to pile up and the friends disappear.  They are ruined.  Juno leaves the Captain who continues in personal personal oblivion.  

This story seems it would be better in a play than a movie.  However the highlight was people singing around the table.  They were having a good time.  Sara Allgood does a very good job portraying the mother, and dealing with the captain, even when Mary is pregnant.  She goes with her daughter.  Then Johnny is killed and she deals the grief.  

Tom Clancy/Harrison Ford Movie: ***^ Patriot Games (1992)

Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) is back and quickly becomes a hero when he says a British Royal from attack.  In his heroics he kills a terrorist.  The brother of the terrorist, Sean Miller (Sean Bean) is now gunning for Ryan, and his family, wife Cathy (Anne Archer) and daughter Sally (Thora Birch).  Sean Miller is the muscle while the head of the group is Kevin O'Donnell (Patrick Bergin) and his girlfriend Annette (Polly Walker).  Turns out she is a liability as the head of the Irish Republican Army, Paddy O'Neil (Richard Harris) will not turn on a fellow Irishman but she is British.  So through her they are able to track them down in Libya.  They mount an operation, but it misses them.  Instead the attack the Ryan residence when the Royal is there.  Lord Holmes (James Fox) is visiting.  Holmes' secretary Watkins (Hugh Fraser) is a traitor and Miller and the team are coming.  

This movie is more intense than the other Jack Ryan movies.  There is more swearing and more violence, and it earned an R rating.  Samuel Jackson and James Earl Jones also have parts, Jackson as Ryan's boss and Jones as director of the CIA.

In Theaters: **** Moana (2026)

 Of all the disnay remakes, this movie most closely reflects the original animated version.  The story is pretty much exact but we now have live characters with the obvious exceptions.  Moana (Catherine Laga'aia) is chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti.  Many years ago Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole the heart to give to people so they would have the power of creation.  However instead of being a good thing, with out her heart Te Fiti is unable to bless the people and everything is starting to rot, which spreads further and further each year.  Moana lives on an island, and is expected to stay there and serve the people.  Her father, Chief Tui (John Tui) and his wife Sina (Frankie Adams).  Even though she is told to stay, Moana always feels pulled by the ocean.  Her grandmother Tala (Rena Owen) encourages her in this.  When things get worse on the island, she finally gets the courage to go on her journey, to seek out Maui and restore the heart.  I really enjoyed this show, as did all those who went with us.  Where it was the same story as the animated feature, Tony stayed home.

Movie Review: ***^ A Beautiful Mind (2001)

 Russel Crowe stars as John Nash, a mathematical genius who developed a genius idea about economics when he was in school.  He also suffers from a mental illness.  The journey is very intense.  He has to learn how to distinguish what is delusion or hallucination vs what is real; and then ignore the hallucination.  He says he chooses not to acknowledge them even though he still sees them.  John Nash received a Nobel Prize for economics and this movie portrays this and how he overcame his mental illness.  In addition to Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly plays his wife, Christopher Plummer plays the psychiatrist, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany and Vivien Cardone all play hallucinations. School companions include Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas and Anthony Rapp.  This is a film directed by Ron Howard.  He likes to direct movies based on true stories. 

 

Alfred Hitchcock Movie: ***^ Jamaican Inn (1939)

 This is the las Hitchcock film in which Hitchcock himself did not have a cameo role.  Mary Yellen (Maureen O'Hara) travels to live with her aunt after her mother's death.  She is left at the home of the local squire, justice of the peace, Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton).  The next day she walks to her aunts, Patience Merlyn (Marie Ney) home, and is not so warmly welcomed by her uncle, Josh Merlyn (Leslie Banks).  It doesn't take her long to figure that something is not right.  She discovers her uncle is the leader of a band of cutthroats who are causing shipping accidents and then stealing the goods.  They attempt to hang a member of their company, Robert Newton (Jem Trehearne).  They try to hang him and Yellen is successful in cutting the rope.  She and Newton make their way to Pengallan for protection.  Pengallan in truth is the leader of the gang, telling them what ships to attack based on information he gleams from his rich friends.  Pengallan goes along with Newton, who is a spy sent to stop the murder and theft of crewmen on the ships they have been sabotaging.  The group is doing another job, with Yellen captured and forced to go with.  They turn out the light warning of rocks, but while they are distracted, Yellen is able to restor the light and the ship escapes.  Everything goes to pot, with the men turning on Banks.  Banks and Yellen escape with Banks being shot.  When they get back to the Inn he dies, and Pangallan shooting his wife before she can divulge that Pengallan is the crime boss.  Pengallan leaves with Yellen, on their way to America.  He has an attraction to her.  Newton also has an attraction and follows with a group of officers.  They track him to the boat, where he jumps from a mast causing his own demise.

Lots of action and good acting.  Maurene O'Hara's firt major roll.  Alfred Hitchcock directs based on a book by Daphne Du Maurier.  Jamaican Inn is a real place in Cornwall, England and had problems with marauders.

In Theaters Movie Musical Review: ****^ Hadestown (2026)

 A telling of the Orpheus/Eurydice (Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada) love story.  I should have known things would not turn out happy.  Hermes (André De Shields) the narrator kept sing "it's a sad song."  The story also recounts the love of Hades and Persephone (Patrick Page and Amber Gray).  Hades had a boot on his leg and determined this was not part of the character but an actor playing the part with an injury.  Hades has a very deep voice, and Orpheus is a high tenor.  I really like his song, which he must sing to win his love's release.  I did not like the ending, but it was sealed by the fates make this a true Greek Romance.  So we start the story again hoping for a better ending.  The music is haunting and very effective.  Hades, Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice and Persephone are all very strong musically. 

Only in theaters for a week, but I highly recommend this movie.  This is an on stage production.  The floor of the stage plays several different tricks to facilitate traveling.  It goes around and up and down.