The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Extended Edition) (2014)

April 15, 2020

The concluding chapter in The Hobbit Trilogy.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Cut) (2012)

April 13, 2020

Bilbo Baggins is recruited for an adventure that will send him galivanting across Middle Earth.

MV5BOTE0ZWY5N2UtZTlmMy00NGIwLTg4MGItMzkzYTY5OTYyOWIyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg — Titus (1999)

**Directed by: Julie Taymor**
**Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Osheen Jones, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Matthew Rhys**
**Rated: R for Strong Violent and Sexual Images**
**Running Time: 2 h 42 m**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Production Design**
**WEAKNESSES: Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Matthew Rhys**

Titus (1999)

March 13, 2020

Titus returns from war victorious, only to offend enemies that will cause him greater turmoil.

fc 1.jpg — Foreign Correspondent (1940)

**Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock**
**Starring: Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall**
**Rated: NR**
**Run Time: 2h**
**TMM Score: 3 Stars**
**Strengths: Cinematography, Execution of Some Sequences.**
**Weakness: Seems Slight, Dated Sentimentality, Weak Love Story**

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

January 31, 2020

John Jones is tasked with drumming up the news of what is going on in Europe during the lead up to WW2. As he probes for information he witnesses an assassination, falls in love with the daughter of a peace broker, and even avoids assassination himself. Whatever it takes to get the scoop.

MV5BNTFiZmU4NzMtMWY0NS00MGYyLThjMmMtNDk0ZmNlNTg3N2FmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA2ODMzMDU@._V1_.jpg — 1900 (1976)

**Directed by: Bernardo Bertolucci**
**Starring: Robert DeNiro, Gerard Depardieu, Dominique Sandra, Donald Sutherland**
**Rated: NR (Suggested NC-17 for Explicit Sexual Content, and Violence Including Animal Cruelty)**
**Running Time: 5 h 17 m**
**TMM Score: 2 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Cinematography, Acting, Some Amazing Sequences, Directing**
**WEAKNESSES: Animal Cruelty, Length, Themes, Also Directing**

1900 (1976)

January 17, 2020

An epic tale of class struggle in Italy, as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends- one wealthy, one poor.

MV5BOTdmNTFjNDEtNzg0My00ZjkxLTg1ZDAtZTdkMDc2ZmFiNWQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTAzNzgwNTg@._V1_.jpg — 1917 (2019)

**Directed by: Sam Mendes**
**Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch**
**Rated: R for Violence, Some Disturbing Images, and Language**
**Running Time: 1 h 59 m**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Direction, Cinematography, Production Design, Experience, Characters, Soundtrack**
**WEAKNESSES: Thin Story**

1917 (2019)

January 13, 2020

Two British soldiers must deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will halt an attack and possibly save the lives of 1,600 of their fellow soldiers.

5c3d240942cd15273059929d_Che - Part One (The Argentine) (2008).jpg — Che: Part One (2008)

**Directed by: Steven Soderbergh**
**Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, Julia Ormond, Oscar Isaac, Edgar Ramirez**
**Rated: NR (Suggested R for Violence and Language)**
**Running Time: 2 h 14 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Story, Directing, Acting, Perspective**
**WEAKNESSES: Depiction of a Controversial Figure**

Che: Part One (2008)

January 2, 2020

Ernesto Che Guevara and a band of Fidel Castro-led Cubans mobilize to topple the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.

MV5BMzY0Zjc4Y2YtNDM4Mi00NmRmLTg4Y2UtYmEyMTU0MmY3ZmM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQ2MjQ5NzM@._V1_.jpg — Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)

**Directed by: Nasiga Oshima**
**Starring: David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano**
**Rated: R**
**Running Time: 2 h 3 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Themes, Characters, Acting, Soundtrack**
**WEAKNESSES: Pacing**

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)

December 25, 2019

A British officer tries to bridge a cultural divide in a Japanese POW camp.

ro 1.jpg — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

**Directed By: Gareth Edwards**
**Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelsohn,**
**Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen**
**Rated: PG-13**
**Run Time: 2h 13m**
**TMM Score: 3 Stars**
**Strengths: Broad Story Strokes, Climax**
**Weakness: Muddled Plot, Main Characters**

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

December 20, 2019

Jyn Erso has been living and surviving aimlessly since The Empire killed her mother and captured her father to help build the Death Star. When the rebellion asks her to join an effort to steal plans for the doomsday weapon

MV5BMDAzM2M0Y2UtZjRmZi00MzVlLTg4MjEtOTE3NzU5ZDVlMTU5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDUyOTg3Njg@._V1_.jpg — Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

**Directed by: George Lucas**
**Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Lee, Samuel L Jackson, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Rose Byrne**
**Rated: PG for Sustained Sequences of Sci-Fi Action/Violence**
**Running Time: 2 h 22 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Some Action, Ewan McGregor, Production Design, World Building**
**WEAKNESSES: Dialogue, Ubiquitous CGI, Hayden Christensen**

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

December 16, 2019

Ten years after their initial meeting, Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala begin a forbidden romance, while Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates an assassination attempt on Amidala’s life.

MV5BYTRhNjcwNWQtMGJmMi00NmQyLWE2YzItODVmMTdjNWI0ZDA2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTAyODkwOQ@@._V1_.jpg — Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

**Directed by: George Lucas**
**Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Keira Knightley, Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz, Terence Stamp, Ahmed Best, Warwick Davis, Samuel L. Jackson**
**Rated: PG**
**Running Time: 2 h 16 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Ideas, World Building, Production Design, Action, Darth Maul, John Williams’ Score**
**WEAKNESSES: Dialogue, Cinematography, Pacing, Plot Holes, Acting, Jar Jar Binks**

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

December 16, 2019

Two Jedi caught up in a violent trade dispute between the Federation and Naboo discover a boy that may bring balance to the force.

jjr 1.jpg — Jojo Rabbit (2019)

**Directed By: Taika Waititi**
**Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, Archie Yates**
**Rated: PG-13**
**Run Time: 1h 48m**
**TMM Score: 3 Stars**
**Strengths: Characters, Humor, Touching Moments**
**Weakness: Cohesive Integrity, Slight**

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

November 22, 2019

Toward the end of WW2, a young boy, Jojo, a member of the Hitler Youth whose imaginary friend is also Adolf Hitler, discovers a Jew hiding in the crawlspace of his home in Berlin.

The Pianist (2002)

November 11, 2019

A Polish Jewish pianist struggles to survive during the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto during World War II.

MV5BMmY2NWYwOGUtNDliMi00MzViLTg4ZjYtNDdiZWIxOTNhZjgxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjM2NjU3MDc@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,768,1000_AL_.jpg — The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978)

**Directed by: Rainer Werner Fassbinder**
**Starring: Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Lowitsch, Ivan Desny, Gisela Uhlen, Elisabeth Trissenaar, Gottried John, George Eagles**
**Rated: R**
**Running Time: 2 h**
**TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Characters, Themes, Writing, Directing, Cinematography**
**WEAKNESSES: Some Pacing**

The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978)

November 8, 2019

Shortly after the end of World War II, a newly married woman in post-war Germany struggles to survive without her husband.

MV5BMjc4OTc0ODgwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjM1ODE0MQ@@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL_.jpg — 300 (2006)

**Directed by: Zack Snyder**
**Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Michael Fassbender, Vincent Regan, Dominic West, Rodrigo Santoro**
**Rated: R for Graphic Battle Sequences Throughout, Some Sexuality and Nudity**
**Running Time: 1 h 57 m**
**TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Style, Action**
**WEAKNESSES: Writing, Style Over Substance**

300 (2006)

September 27, 2019

King Leonidas leads three hundred Spartans in a fight against King Xerxes and his massive army.

id 1.jpg — In Darkness (2011)

**Directed By: Agnieszka Holland**
**Starring: Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Fürmann, Agnieszka Grochowska**
**Rated: R**
**Run Time: 2h 25m**
**TMM Score: 4 Stars**
**Strengths: Point of View, Character Relationships**
**Weakness: Pacing**

In Darkness (2011)

August 30, 2019

When the Germans occupying Poland round up the Jews into the ghettos, a Polish sewer inspector decides to help hide some of them from the Germans, for a price.

MV5BMjE2NTU2ODI0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTIwODU2NA@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,666,1000_AL_.jpg — Rob Roy (1995)

**Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones**
**Starring: Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, Brian Cox**
**Rated: R for Violence and Sexuality**
**Running Time: 2 h 19 m**
**TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Cinematography, Production Design, Some Acting, Some Writing**
**WEAKNESSES: Some Acting, Pacing, Length, Some Writing**

Rob Roy (1995)

August 23, 2019

A Scottish man seeks a loan from a British nobleman, and after his honor is wronged he seeks vengeance.

MV5BMzc3MjYxNzg2N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzQyMTkwNA@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,675,1000_AL_.jpg — Season of the Witch (2011)

**Directed by: Dominic Sena**
**Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy, Stephen Graham, Robert Sheehan, Christopher Lee**
**Rated: PG-13 for Thematic Elements, Violence and Disturbing Content**
**Running Time: 1 h 35 m**
**TMM Score: 2.5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Production Design, Claire Foy, Pacing, Fun**
**WEAKNESSES: Paint-By-Numbers Plot, Pointless Action Scenes, Character and Story Logic**

Season of the Witch (2011)

August 20, 2019

Crusader deserters are charged with bringing a suspected witch to an isolated monastery, where the monks that reside there will use a book to judge her.

MV5BYmViNmFhYjEtYWRmZi00OTE1LTljYzQtZjY2MjA4NzZhODBmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQ2MjQ5NzM@._V1_.jpg — A Touch of Zen (1971)

**Directed by: King Hu**
**Starring: Feng Hsu, Chun Shih, Ying Bai**
**Rated: NR (Suggested R for Sustain Sequences of Martial Arts Action Violence)**
**Running Time: 3 h**
**TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Unconventional Storytelling, Characters, Action, Excitement, Worldbuilding, Empowerment**
**WEAKNESSES: -**

A Touch of Zen (1971)

August 16, 2019

An unambitious small town painter and monks from a Buddhist monastery aid a lady fugitive in her run from corrupt government officials.

MV5BMjQ1NjM3MTUxNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDc5MTY5OTE@._V1_.jpg — Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

**Directed by: Mel Gibson**
**Starring: Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington**
**Rated: R for Intense Prolonged Realistically Graphic Sequences of War Violence Including Grisly Bloody Images**
**Running Time: 2 h 19 m**
**TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5**
**STRENGTHS: Directing, Story, Themes, Acting, Writing**
**WEAKNESSES: Pacing in First Half**

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

August 12, 2019

The true story of Desmond Doss, a soldier who helped to save wounded at the Battle of Okinawa without ever firing a shot at the enemy.

Search the Archives…