Harrison Ford Movie: **** What Lies Beneath (2000)

 This is a very good Halloween/Ghost story.  After taking her daughter, Caitlin (Katharine Towne) to school, Claire Spencer (Michelle Pfeiffer) starts seeing a ghost.  The new neighbors Mary and Warren Feur (Miranda Otto and James Remar) have a love hate relationship, and then the wife disappears so she assumes he has murdered his wife and the ghost if of her.  However when she confronts him, his wife is there.  Her husband, Norman Spencer (Harrison Ford) is not very sympathetic.  She sees a psychiatrist (Joe Morton) who suggests she ask the ghost what it wants.  She and her friend, Jody (Diana Scarwid) try a seance but with limited success.  A woman disappeared a year ago, about the time of Claire's accident.  She slowly becomes convinced that this is the ghost, and it has something to do with her husband.  

If you are into a good fright this is a very good movie.  Harrison Ford is in a different type of role for him.

In Theaters: Star Wars: ****^ The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

 What ever you say about this movie it is a fun ride.  Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) (Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder assist) and Grogu have been recruited to help out factions of the old empire.  They take an assignment from Colonel Ward (Sijourney Weaver) to rescue Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), son of Jabba in exchange for information from Jabba's twin brothers who now run the crime syndicate.  Zeb Orellios (Steve Blum) travels with them.  They find Rotta who is a gladiator fighter.  He does not care to be rescued.  However the gladiator boss intends for Rotta to die in the ring.  Turns out Rotta and Mando fight a large group of monsters intended to be a killing move by the arena leader, Lord Janu (Johnny Coyne).  Mando and Zeb capture Rotta but he reports the person they are looking for is actually Lord Janu and his uncles want to kill him so they can have legitimate claim to Jabba's network.  So they take Janu with them and facilitate Rotta's escape.  Now they Hutt are after Mando and send a bounty hunter to bring him in.  They end up as captives in the Hutt stronghold.  Mando is de-helmeted, a great shame for a Mandalorian.  He is cast into a monster pit.  Grogu helps him escape, but not before the dragon serpent poisons him.  Thanks to a local fisherman (Stephen Mckinley Henderson) who provides an antidote for the poison.  They then decide to storm the castle and rescue Rotta.  Rotta fights the uncles and the all fall into the dragon serpent pit.  However Grogu lifts Rotta with the force and rescues him.  

Lot of cool action and interesting characters based on the Star Wars franchise.  I think Mandalorian could do with the return of Gina Carano as Cara Dune.  I really liked her but she was fired by Disney for not being politically correct.  

Movie Review: **** The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

 The action continues, but we start with a tragedy.  Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), head of Treadstone is intent on getting Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) based on something he might remember.  The frame him for a CIA operation that went bad.  They then someone to kill Bourne.  Instead of killing him, they kill his girl, Marie (Franka Potente).  So Bourne is back and needing answers.  Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) now works high up in the CIA.  She and Nicky (Julia Stiles) are trying to get to the bottom of things.  Again Bourne is chased by the world, and finally things turn on Cox, who instead of being arrested does himself in.  Bourne is equal to the tasks of those who are sent to kill him, and he finally gets the person who pulled the trigger that killed his girl, Kirill (Karl Urban).  Some memories return for Bourne.  He is able to apologize to the daughter of a couple he murdered.  

Movie Review: **** Bourne Identity (2002)

 The Bourne movies are action from start to finish.  This is th first of a series.  Bourne (Matt Damon) has botched an assassination attempt, an was shot in the back twice.  He is fished from the ocean by some fishermen, and they save his life.  He does not know who he is, but they discover a chip in his. body with a safe deposit box number.  There he finds cash and passports from several countries with his picture and the name Jason Bourne.  He recruits a young woman, Marie (Franka Potente) for a ride.  However his former boss, Conklin (Chris Cooper) of Treadstone is not willing to let him go.  Conklin's boss is Ward Abbott (Brian Cox).  They send several assassins after Bourne, but they are not successful.  He gets Marie away.  In the end he get away himself.  Abbott orders an assassin to take out Conklin.  The woman who was Bourne's handler is Nicki Parsons (Julia Stiles).  She does not believe Bourne has gone rogue.

High action and the amnesia angle makes this a more interesting movie.  

Music Review: You Are My Sunshine: Elizabeth Mitchell

 This is a lovely set of children's songs.  The title song, "You are my Sunshine" she actually sings twice.  It is lovey.  Other songs that are very impressive include: "Hey Bo Diddley" written by Bo Diddley.  This is a take of "Hush Little Baby" with a vamped up rhythm.  "Skip to my Lou" is nice.  "Car, Car? written by Woody Guthrie is very fun.  I also like "Froggy Went a Courtin.'"  :The Crawdad Song" is also very nice.  

Movie Review: ****^ Picnic (1955)

 This is a very good movie where passion wins out over what would make sense financially.  Madge Owens (Kim Novak) has a boy, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson) who has claimed her as she is the most beautiful girl in town.  However she is not satisfied being a thing instead of a person.  When Hal Carter (William Holden) comes to town things change.  He is a transient and down on his luck, but knows Benson from college and hopes to get a job.  It is also the day of the Labor Day  picnic.  Carter goes to the picnic with Madge's younger sister, Millie (Susan Strasburg).  She is obviously young for him but Madge is with Benson.  Madge's mother (Betty Field) does what she can to keep her daughter with Benson; but before the night is over, Madge leaves with Carter.  A school teacher (Rosalind Russell) rents a room from the mother.  She has a long term boy friend (Arthur O'Connell) who does not commit.  After she has drunk some she makes a pass at Carter who rejects her.  She rips his shirt.  The evening turns out well for her as her boyfriend finally proposes marriage.  Shortly after his shirt is ripped, Carter and Madge take off in Benson's car which Carter had been using all night.  He returns the car in the morning, and the police want to arrest him for stealing the car, he runs and has to leave town, but not before seeing Madge.  He confesses his love, as does she.  He runs and catches the train.  Benson calls to say he forgives Madge; but Madge decides to follow Carter, taking the bus.  

The actors do very well at their rolls.  This is a movie based on a stage play of the same name written by William Inge.  A couple musicals were written based on the same play, but were not successful.

Movie Review: ***^ Leave No Trace

 A father and son choose to live in the forrest (outside of Portland).  The father, Will (Ben Foster) suffers from PTSD.  He sells his medication from the VA to buy supplies.  His daughter, Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) and he live together quite comfortably.  They have their own little home in a tent.  And are able to take care of themselves, until Tom is seen by a logging crew.  Shortly after police and social services intervene.  The government finds them a place to live and work.  However Will has difficulty living with others, so the run.  This time they head to Washington state with higher elevation and colder temperature.  Will takes a fall and breaks his leg, but they are rescued and taken to a commune type place.  They stay until Will heals, but he again gets antsy.  They take off again.  But Tom sticks up for herself, says she likes living where she is and turns back.  However they stay in contact as Tom leaves him supplies regularly.  

This is a good study of personalities and PTSD, of being young and trying to make your way in the world.  This family does not consider themselves homeless, but society does.