Movie Review: ***^ The Last of Sheila (1973)

 The Last of Sheila script was written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins.  It starts as a bunch of friends having a week long party aboard a yaht, but turns into a murder mystery.  The host is Clinton Greene (James Coburn), a movie producer.  The guests include Alice Wood (Raquel Welch) and her manager husband, Anthony (Ian McShane); screenwriter Tom Parkman (Richard Benjamin) and his wife Lee (Joan Hackett); Christine (Dyan Cannon) who is a talent agent; and director Phillip Dexter (James Mason).  A year earlier at a similar party, Greene's wife was killed by a hit and run driver.  He has devised a game in her honor in which he divulges secrets of members of the party.  This gets him killed on the second night.  He had distributed cards with a secret to be revealed to each of the party, "You are a shoplifter, you are a homosexual, you are an ex-convict, you are an informer, you are a little child molester, you are a hit and run driver."  But it turns our one of the company had changed his card from "you are an alcoholic" to "you are a hit and run driver,"  Lee admits she was the hit and run driver.  She had been drinking.  She also admits to killing Greene.  She ends up dead from apparent suicide the next day, having cut her wrists.  

The case is apparently resolved, but to Dexter something does not seem right.  Greene had said the slues were available without leaving the boat.  He notices a picture taken the first day.  each person is below a letter of the boat name, Sheila.  Except the card, hit and run driver does not match.  That person is under the A, for alcoholic.   He presents his information to Parkman, accusing him of changing the card, and being responsible for the two murders.  He had framed his wife for the murder of Greene, as he was already dead when she accidently struck him.  He admits to doing it as he was unhappy in marriage and was to inherit her $5,000,000.  Christine overheard this, and she and Dexter agree to keep quiet if he uses the inheritance to fund their next picture.  

This movie is very entertaining.  He has a very good cast.  However the story was a bit confusing with the murderer not being the murderer.  There is a book based on the movie, but I noticed it is very expensive as a collector's item.

Movie Review: ***^ Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

 Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is a farm boy, who saves a monk by trading his horse for magic beans.  However his uncle throws the beans out, disappointed in him.  One of them grows, and the others Jack recovers.  The princess, Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) who is not looking forward to her arranged marriage, and is seeking adventures, happens upon Jack when she sees his light.  She ends up going to the giant kingdom in Jack's house as it grows on the top of the bean stalk.  Jack fell down and is discovered at the bottom of the bean stalk by the king (Ian McShane) the next day.  

Jack becomes part of the group sent to rescue the princess.  The group includes Roderick (Stanley Tucci) who is the princess' intended.  It also includes Elmont (Ewan McGregor) a loyal captain of the guard.  When they encounter the giants, things do not go well for those seeking the princess.  Roderick does several treacherous things which eliminate some of the guards.  However when the giants are upon him, he removes a crown from his bag, placing it on his head, and claims to be the king of the giants.  He proposes leading them to earth to conquer first the kingdom of the princess, but then all the kingdoms.  Feast tonight (on the captured men) and war tomorrow.  

Roderick discovers Jack is the person with the beans and takes them from him; but doesn't get one.  Roderick's treachery becomes known to the company of men, as well as his desires to help the giants conquer the kingdom.  Jack is the only one nt captured, and helps them escape after killing the cook who was preparing Elmont for dinner.  They also are able to kill another giant, using bees and a sudden drop off.   Elmont is going back to get the crown from Roderick, and Jack and the princess escape down the bean stalk.  When the king sees proof of giants--the giant who fell--he order the bean stalk chopped down, even with his daughter on the other side.  Ghe ride the bean stalk to the ground and are able to land not dead.  This thwarted the giants as they have no way down.  However the betrayed roderick, seeking to get the crown from him.  Elmont and Roderick fight, resulting in Roderick's death, but the giants snatch the body before Elmont can get the crown.  One of the giants is king, but they cannot get down as the stalk is chopped.

However the discover Rodericks beans, and quickly use them to create a bridge to earth.  

There is enough action and enough romance in this movie to make it enjoyable.  It is rated PG13.  It is currently available on Netflix.