Season 11 of "New Tricks"

     As season 11 of this hit British cop series opens, the retired detectives of the Unsolved Crimes and Open Case Squad (UCOS) have a new boss. Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman) was offered a position with INTERPOL toward the end of season 10; and now, beautiful and young DCI Sasha Miller (Tamzin Outhwaite) has taken over as gov'ner of this motley crew of veteran detectives. Also missing is the eccentric, but brilliant Brian "Memory" Lane (Alun Armstrong), whose antics were always interesting to watch. Replacing Brian is the scientifically minded detective, Danny Griffin (Nicholas Lyndhurst), who has his own set of quirks. Joining Danny and Sasha are no-nonsense Scotsman Steve McAndrew (Denis Lawson), and (the solo holdout from the original team) Gerry "last man" Standing (Dennis Waterman). This unlikely powerhouse team use their considerable experience and classic skills to solve daunting cases; and it doesn't hurt that they also use a great deal of humor to offset the bleakness of their work. They find themselves tackling crimes involving antinuclear protesters, battle reenactors, an amateur sleuth, illegal immigrants, and state secrets from the Cold War era.

     I wasn't sure how I would like the replacement characters this season, but I have to admit that they have grown on me quite a bit. I also love that each episode isn't just about the case-of-the-week; there are also personal stories that allow a glimpse into each individual's family and past.

 *Warning: Spoilers* 

     Sasha has to work in the building with her lying, cheating, good-for-nothing ex-husband who also happens to be a command officer. Last season, we learn that Danny has a wheelchair-bound daughter named Holly. This season we learn why she is in a wheelchair and what happened to her mother. We also learn that Steve has reconnected with his son after ten years and that Steve's abusive father is dying. Gerry's family life is also a bit in chaos. His youngest daughter is about to marry a *gasp* solicitor (lawyer) and the angst that Gerry inflicts on his soon-to-be-son-in-law makes for a bit of fun. Sadly, it looks like the actor who plays Gerry, Dennis Waterman, will be leaving the show in season 12.

     These stories and the chemistry between these characters have kept this popular series going for a long time now. I hope to see more of these characters' antics in the future. They really do prove that you CAN teach an old dog New Tricks!

Two Beautiful & Atmospheric Movies on DVD

I've had some time off recently and I've been able to watch some of our newest movies--two of which stand out more than the others. Calvary from Fox Searchlight Pictures and The Calling from Sony Entertainment Networks. Both of these haunting films have the element of mystery to them, but they are very much character driven stories.

Calvary begins with Father James--played by Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter Series)--listening to confession of the congregants of his small Irish town. Father James is a widower and former alcoholic who joined the priesthood after the death of his beloved wife. A man enters the confessional and tells Father James that in a week's time, he is going to kill the priest. The mysterious man gives the Father one week to get his affairs in order and tells him that the reason he is to die is because the would-be murderer was sexually abused by a priest when he was a boy. The murderer goes on to say that no one cares if a bad priest is killed, so he has chosen Father James precisely because he is a good man and priest. Even with this threat over his head, the priest must take care of his congregation as well as his emotionally fragile daughter who has come from London for a visit. Father James deduces who this man is, but the audience doesn't get to know until the next-to-last scene of the movie. Will the murderer go through with his plan? Will Father James flee or will he stay to take care of his flock? Some of the scenes and characters in this movie are hard to watch, but if you can stand a bit of cursing, some grit and gore (not too much), then you may just enjoy this darkly comedic tale of religion and faith and what it means to face your own Calvary.

The Calling stars Susan Sarandon as Hazel Micallef. She is a detective in a small Canadian town who has a drug and alcohol problem stemming from an accident that left her with severe back pain. The same accident took the life of her unborn baby, so, understandably, she is not the most religious or faithful person. When she goes to check on an elderly citizen, she finds the woman murdered in an unusual fashion. Soon, another murder takes place; this one looks like suicide, but there are a few similarities. Micallef's long suffering partner--played by Gil Bellows--and a rookie cop (Topher Grace), who has transferred from the city, are finding victims of a serial killer who is crossing Canada and whose modus operandi includes elements of a Christian mystical prayer that is supposed to raise the dead. The audience learns who the killer is about halfway through, but the reasons for the killings remains a mystery. This movie is beautifully rendered. The bleak landscape of the Canadian winter is an apropos backdrop for this atmospheric mystery/thriller.

If you are a fan of atmospheric mysteries, then you may enjoy both of these movies as much as I did.

New British (and Irish) Mysteries on DVD

Anyone who knows me can be sure that I am one of the first in line for any new British mystery series that we may get on DVD. Two of our newest are Jack Taylor Set 2 and Rosemary & Thyme: the Complete Collection.

     Jack Taylor is based upon a series of books by Irish author Ken Bruen. The second set includes the episodes: "The Dramatist," "Priest," and "Shot Down." Each one is a feature-length episode. The titular character is a former member of the Irish Guards who left the job before he was kicked out, taking only his Guard coat. The stories take place in Galway, Ireland and the setting offers a sufficiently bleak and gritty backdrop for these dramas. Taylor is a completely fallible ex-cop who, in the second series, is trying to give up on drinking and is taking care of his ailing mother. In "The Dramatist," Taylor is tasked with finding the murderer of a young woman who has fallen to her death from one of the buildings at the university. The Guard believe that she has suffered from a drug overdose, but one of her professors is convinced otherwise and asks Taylor for help. After his mother succumbs to another stroke in the middle of his investigation and dies, Taylor seems to lose his way once more and returns to drinking. Taylor's young assistant goes undercover at the university to find out more information about the girl and finds out that another young woman is missing as well. In "Priest," Taylor is asked to look into the beheading of a priest. He discovers that the victim had abused two boys several years earlier and now, it seems, that the victims have taken revenge on their abuser. Taylor must wade through some pretty dark secrets in the church to find the killer. All the while, Taylor is slipping back into his bad habits and his demons are rearing their familiar heads. In "Shot Down," Jack Taylor leaves his home in Galway for Dublin, hoping to abate his grief. Once there, he gets involved in a traveler's feud and he meets a young girl named Rosie. She witnessed her mother's murder, but has suppressed the memory. Taylor must help her remember what happened before the killer strikes again. All-in-all, I love this series. It is a little darker than most of the series that I watch, but it is worth it to see Iain Glen (Game of Thrones). I also think that it's nice to see stories from Ireland that aren't all leprechauns, shamrocks, and shenanigans.

     Rosemary & Thyme is a British cozy mystery that ran for twenty-two episodes from 2003-2006. It stars Felicity Kendal as Rosemary Boxer and Pam Ferris as Laura Thyme. Laura is a housewife and former policewoman whose husband leaves her for a younger woman after more than twenty years of marriage. Her only regret is having to leave the beautiful garden she tended at their home together. She meets Rosemary, a university lecturer in horticulture, who has just lost her job and has agreed to look into the dying gardens of an acquaintance. The two women team up to find out what is going on with the garden and to find out who has killed Laura's friend. The series takes place in some very beautiful gardens all over England and Europe. There always seems to be a mystery to solve along with the tilling of the soil. These are fun, light-hearted mysteries that will have you cheering for these two strong-willed and hard-working women. Throughout the series, you meet Laura's two children along with a string of characters and villains. These two don't always get it right on the first try, but by the end, they have solved the mystery and helped many a garden to bloom.

British Mysteries on DVD

I have recently finished two new British Mystery series on DVD. The first one is Death in Paradise (Season 1) and it stars Ben Miller (Primeval, Johnny English) as the pent-up and proper Detective Inspector Richard Poole. DI Poole has been sent from Scotland Yard to the Caribbean Island of Saint Marie to solve the murder of a fellow police officer. he encounters an island full of colorful characters and a police station manned by an equally raucous crew. Paired with DI Poole is Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey (Sara Martins). Where Poole is up-tight and a little OCD; Camille is laid back and free-spirited. Needless to say, these two but horns at almost every turn, but Camille and her mother, Catherine, take every opportunity to try to get the DI to relax. Adding to Poole's headaches are Officer Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules) and Fidel Best (Gary Carr). Dwayne just wants to revel in the island that he loves so much. Fidel is a about to be a new father and while quite competent, he is a little on the green side when it comes to police work, but he is more than willing to learn. This eight episode season is full of character driven stories without all the blood and gore of grittier police shows and it is peppered with enough humor to keep it light and watchable.

The second set of British mysteries I've watched recently is called Scott & Bailey (Season 1). It stars Lesley Sharp (The Full Monty, Cranford) as Detective Constable Janet Scott and Suranne Jones (Coronation Street) as Detective Constable Rachel Bailey. This show is more serious and drama driven than the other series discussed here. DC Scott is the sensible, family-oriented detective. She is kind, intelligent and a by-the-book copper. DC Bailey is a single woman with a penchant for the wrong men. She, too, is intelligent and good at her job, but she is more likely to bend the rules than her partner. These two ladies are best friends as well as partners. They may not always see eye-to-eye, but when things get hairy they have each other's backs. This series doesn't have a lot of gore either, even though the cases are more gritty and urban than Death in Paradise. This is definitely a buddy-cop show and well worth watching.

Longmire - Season 2

Walt Longmire gets a heap of trouble in the second season of the popular series on the A&E Network. First of all, he is in the midst of a heated re-election campaign against one of his own deputies--namely, Branch Connelly. Second, his daughter takes off for a few weeks without letting anyone know where she's going. Turns out that after she finds out that her mother was killed by a meth addict and not from cancer like her father told her, she goes to Denver to see what the police there know about the case. Third, we learn that Deputy Victoria "Vic" Moretti left Philadelphia under a dark cloud not of her making and it seems the cloud has found her. Then all hell breaks loose! I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say that this is a wonderful television series that runs during the summer months on A&E and is based on a series of books by Craig Johnson. There is no mistaking that this is a modern-day western--complete with horses, cowboy hats, rodeos, and cattle rustlers. I thoroughly enjoy the characters and the actors who play them. Robert Taylor, an Aussie import, does a fine job of portraying the rough, intelligent, and caring Sheriff of Absaroka County. Lou Diamond Phillips--still as handsome as ever--plays Longmire's longtime and long suffering best friend, Henry Standing Bear. The first season was more of a way to introduce the characters; the second season goes deeper into their relationships and their pasts. While the television show is not exactly like the books by Craig Johnson, I think that it captures the spirit of Johnson's characters and of the people and places in Wyoming that are so lovingly drawn in the books.  The library owns both Season 1 and 2 of the show and it may be checked out in the audio-visual department.

Cast of Longmire (A&E Network)

Philomena

I like to watch as many Academy Award Nominated films that I can every year, and I was just able to view Philomena, which was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay in 2013.  Judi Dench and Steve Coogan star in this wonderful story about Philomena Lee, an Irish mother who conceived a child out of wedlock and unwillingly gave him up for adoption.  Almost fifty years after his birth, Philomena meets Martin

Sixsmith, a former BBC reporter looking for his next big break, With a few clues in hand, they set off on a journey to find Philomena's long lost son---a journey that takes them from the Abbey in Ireland where Philomena lived and had the baby, then to America and back again.  Based on the 2009 book by Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, the movie is a wonderful story about an unlikely friendship full of humor and warmth.  The movie is rated PG-13 and contains special features such as "A Conversation with Judi Dench," "The Real Philomena Lee," a "Q & A with Steve Coogan," and "Feature Commentary with Steve Coogan and Screenwriter Jeff Pope."  The library has The Lost Child of Philomena Lee in both book and audio format.

Last Vegas

I recently watched a really fun movie that I checked out on DVD from the library.  Last Vegas stars Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline.  Best friends since childhood, the four "older gentlemen" decide to fly to Las Vegas to celebrate Billy's (Michael Douglas') marriage to his long-time, 32-year-old girlfriend.  Billy is the group's sworn bachelor and the group promises to stop acting their ages and relive their glory days in Vegas before the big wedding.  When they arrive, they realize that the decades have changed them and Sin City and they test the boundaries of their friendship as they take Vegas by storm.  The movie is a hilarious exploration of life and what it means to grow old gracefully.  The movie is rated PG-13  and contains special features such as filmmaker commentary and stories about "The Flatbush Four."

The Lone Ranger and...Johnny Depp Being Weird

I just finished watching "The Lone Ranger" with Armie Hammer as the titular character and Johnny Depp as his sidekick, Tonto. (Although, to be fair, in this movie, Tonto is more a partner than a sidekick.) I was a little apprehensive about watching this movie because it got so many bad reviews, but I checked it out anyway. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.Keep in mind that this is not your grandparents' version of the Lone Ranger. The story is dark at times, yet, there is a bit of humor and a lot of action.

The story is presented as a flashback and the movie opens in the 1930's with a young boy dressed as the Lone Ranger at a fair. He enters the exhibit for the Wild West and finds himself in front of a display with a native American standing in the desert. Thinking it's just a display, the boy takes off his mask and that is when the man with a dead crow on his headdress speaks. "Never take off the mask," he tells the child. And with that, he proceeds to tell the story of how the Lone Ranger came to be and how Tonto became his friend and accomplice.

The movie tended to drag in a couple of places, but once you got to the action sequences, the story progressed a great deal more and was fun to watch. This movie isn't for little children; the action got quite violent in some places. My favorite character was Silver, the noble (I use the term loosely) steed. At one point, the horse winds up in a tree wearing the Lone Ranger's hat. Over all, I quite liked this movie and if you like a little mindless entertainment every now and then; you may like it as well. I did get tired of Tonto feeding the dead bird on his headdress,but, frankly, I just think that was Johnny Depp being weird. Remember Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland? If you want a movie with some humor and a lot of shoot-em-up action, then this might be a good choice for you.

An Unsuitable Job? I think not!

Recently, the library purchased the DVD version of An Unsuitable Job for a Woman which aired on PBS's Mystery! television series in the year 2000. This British series is based on the book (with the same title) written by author P.D. James, who also wrote the Adam Dalgliesh novels. The series revolves around twenty-something Cordelia Grey (played here by Helen Baxendale).

Cordelia's father died of multiple sclerosis while living in Italy and Cordelia was there to nurse him during his final years. Upon returning to England, she gets a job in the office of private investigator Bernie Pryde. It starts out as a temporary position as secretary, but Bernie sees something in Cordelia and takes her under his wing. Poor Bernie tries to teach Cordelia all he knows about being an investigator. In fact, Bernie used to be a policeman, but he was fired from the force because, as Scotland Yard's Chief Superintendent Ian Fergusson put it "Bernie just couldn't handle being a detective".

One morning, Cordelia comes into the office and finds Bernie dead at his desk. He has taken his own life and left everything he had to Cordelia: house, car, and detective agency. After returning from Bernie's funeral, Cordelia and her secretary, Mrs. Edith Sparshott, find a somewhat distraught woman in the office. She has come to engage Cordelia's services on behalf of her employer/lover Ronald Callender. Mr. Callender is a brilliant medical researcher, or so we are told. His son has also recently committed suicide and he wants to know why. This is just the beginning of the first story in series one. Cordelia goes on to investigate a philandering hotelier, an attempted kidnapping that turns out to be an art theft, and finally, she investigates the doctor-boyfriend of Superintendent Fergusson's daughter. These stories are full of twists and turns and just a bit of that wry British humor. The interactions between Cordelia and Mrs. Sparshott are smart, funny, and touching. Mrs. Sparshott tries to mother Cordelia, but the younger woman stands on her own feet and asserts herself without being a bully.

I highly recommend this series if you like detective fiction. Cordelia and her secretary are both more than suited for their jobs as detectives. Cordelia is warm, charming, and whip-smart. Mrs. Sparshott is wise, kind, and every bit as capable as Cordelia in the sleuthing department. These DVDs also include the Mystery! opening sequences with actress Diana Rigg's commentary on the stories.

Girl in Progress

I was working the library's audiovisual desk this week and I stumbled across the cutest movie!  Girl in Progress stars Eva Mendes, a carefree waitress with a teenage girl named Ansiedad who desperately wants to grow up and be an adult.  Ani is very disappointed in her mom 's behavior, because her mom acts more like a teenager than she does.  Ani decides to create her own "coming-of-age story" by becoming a nerd, attracting the attention of her teachers, then having an abrupt spiral downwards into "bad girl mode" by partying, suddenly making bad grades, shirking her chores and other duties and getting involved with the popular girls in school and dating the "baddest" boy in school.  What follows is a hilarious romp through the life of a teen.  The story is set in Seattle and features some of the famous landmarks in the town.  The movie is rated PG-13 and is perfect to watch with your own teenage girl!

New British Mysteries

I've just spent my weekend watching two of our newest British mystery series. First was Set 22 of the Midsomer Murders series. I love this series, but, as loyal watchers know, two seasons ago, the beloved Tom Barnaby was replaced by his cousin John Barnaby. I enjoy the second Barnaby, but no one can replace the wonderful performance of John Nettles as Tom. This newest series was very good and like the others, features the plethora of quirky small town personalities that have made this series so popular. There is no guts and gore here, so die-hard CSI fans may not like what they see, but if you can stand just a little blood, then this show may be for you. If you have never seen this series before, I would suggest starting at or near the beginning of the show, so that you can get a feel of how the dynamic between the senior detective and his plodding side-kick works. The library has just about all of the show starting with the "Killing at Badger's Drift".
The second show I watched was Series 6 of Inspector Lewis. For those of you who aren't familiar, this series is a spin-off of the Inspector Morse series based on the books by Colin Dexter. Lewis also features the wise lead detective and his long suffering sergeant, but instead of the Midsomer counties, these two muddle around the area of Oxford University. Unlike the sergeant in Midsomer, Sergeant James Hathaway is well educated and a bit brooding, but extremely wise for someone so young. Detective Inspector Lewis, himself, is a streetwise old-school copper who favors common sense and opera. From the way this series ended, I think it may be the last, or next-to-last for Inspector Lewis; which is quite sad, because I love the dynamic of these two characters and the wonderful characterization of the supporting cast. (It also helps that the young man who plays DS Hathaway is a cutie!)
We have several more different British series that our regular patrons adore, so if you want a good old murder mystery without the guts and gore, pick up one of these and give them a try.

Re-reading Old Favorites

     Back in high school, I found a love for spy stories and read the James Bond series by Ian Fleming.   Having recently come across the set again, I've started to re-read them again and am finding that the older me is getting as much if not more enjoyment out of them as the teenaged me did.  I've already re-read Goldfinger, Casino Royale and You Only Live Twice and am now in the middle of Thunderball.

     Some of the technology and world situations are, of course, rather dated, but for a series of books that were written around fifty years ago, they hold up very well and are still highly entertaining.  Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the release of You Only Live Twice, the last Bond book published while Ian Fleming was still alive (The Man with the Golden Gun, Octopussy and The Living Daylights were all published posthumously).  If you've ever enjoyed a Bond movie, why not give one of the books a try?  Our library collection includes nine of the Bond series.

Take a Trip Into the Clouds

I have been watching many new movies lately and one that has made a huge impact on me is Cloud Atlas.  The movie explores six stories in the span of the almost three hours of film, but the movie is so intense and exciting that you don't even realize that three hours is over until you see the ending credits.  Tom Hanks and Halle Berry are two among the "star-filled" cast who star in the tales that weave in and out of each other, time, place and circumstances.  It does take a bit of time to get used to the jumps from storyline to storyline, but what stands out to me is the love story that manages to shine within the action.  The movie combines science fiction, drama, mystery, action and romance, all into one package, and the six stories resolve into a beautiful and believable ending.  The graphics are stunning and the acting is wonderful.  The movie is rated R, and is available on DVD at the library. 

The Good Doctor

I watch a lot ot movies, and am not easily scared or disturbed---however, The Good Doctor is a DVD I recently watched that truly creeped me out!  The novel stars (and is directed by) Orlando Bloom.  He is a new "resident" doctor and the movie opens with him beginning a new job in a hospital.  Bloom is a loner, and becomes captivated by one of his patients, a beautiful girl in her 20's suffering from an infection.  The creepy part of the movie is not Bloom's relationship with the young woman, but the steps he takes to keep her in the hospital.  His actions are believable (and his acting is superb) and will really make you think twice about your next hospital visit!  The movie is rated PG-13. 

A Beginner's Guide to Endings...

I stumbled across a very entertaining movie that I had to watch!  It is a quirky comedy with some very memorable characters and is hilarious.  A Beginner's Guide to Endings stars Harvey Keitel as Duke White, a man who has not been a good example of a father to his five sons (from three different moms).  After Duke learns that a foolish action of his youth has endangered the lives of his three eldest sons, he sets about trying to kill himself.  Thinking that they only have a few weeks to live, the three eldest boys create their own "bucket lists" and set out to accomplish all of the risky things they have wanted to do, before they die.  The result is a zany, madcap adventure full of twists, turns and unlikely circumstances.  All five boys characters' are wonderfully acted and Harvey Keitel is the perfect grizzled, remorseful dad.  This movie is rated R (for language and some sexual references) and won the Jury Award for Best Feature Film, Cinematographer and Screenplay at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2011.  Funny and sensitive, this movie will make you think twice about living every one of your days to its fullest capacity.

Being Flynn

I just watched a very moving film that was powerful, honest and entertaining.  Being Flynn stars Robert DeNiro and Paul Dano and is a portrait of a young man and aspiring author, Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) who is struggling to find his place in life at the same time as his dad, Jonathan Flynn (Robert DeNiro), a taxi driver who imagines himself to be a great writer.  Nick is unsure of his life's calling until he meets a girl in a bar who suggests he apply for a job at Harbor House, a local men's homeless shelter.  Nick takes the job because he needs the money, but soon he grows to understand that his life has meaning and purpose when he helps others less fortunate than himself.  Nick has not had a relationship with his father, until Jonathan calls him out of the blue and asks Nick to help him move out of his apartment.  Through a set of odd circumstances, Nick and Jonathan meet again and the exploration of their burgeoning relationship is the heart of this tough but tender story.  The film is rated R, and is not a gentle movie, but the acting is wonderfull and the story is moving.  Check it out and let us know what you think!

Cheer on the "Mighty Macs!"

Every now and then I stumble across a wonderful movie that deserves to be watched over and over.  The Mighty Macs is a movie that everyone in your family will enjoy!  The movie explores the history of the women's basketball team at Immaculata College, who made it to the first Women's College Basketball National Championship in 1972.  Interestingly enough, Immaculata beat the Mississippi State team in the the semi-finals and they are featured a tiny bit in this movie too!  The movie is as much a history of the team as it is an exploration of the life of Immaculata's coach, Cathy Rush, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.  The story is one of grit, determination and beating all the odds as Immaculata rises above obstacles to win recognition for themselves, their team, and the sport of women's basketball.  Humorous and uplifting, this movie is a sports story that deserves to be told.  The movie is rated G and includes deleted scenes, an ESPN segment on The Mighty Macs as well as a "making the movie" segment.   Check out this website http://www.immaculata.edu/mightymacsthemovie/history.php for more information on this stellar moment in the history of women's sports.

Find "The Way Back"

Every now and then I view a movie that makes a big impact on me. The movie that I have recently checked out from the library and really enjoyed is called The Way Back. Inspired by real events, the movie details the struggle of seven prisoners who attempt the impossible---escape from a brutal Siberian gulag in 1940. They begin a treacherous 4,500-mile trek to freedom across some of the world's most merciless landscapes (Siberia, Mongolia, the Himalayas) in their desperate attempt to beat the odds and live. The prisoners have very little food and water and barely trust each other, and their trek is further complicated when a teenage runaway asks to travel with them. This movie is a gripping wilderness adventure as well as a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. This is an incredible story that you will not soon forget. The movie stars Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saqirse Ronan and Colin Farrell and is directed by six-time Oscar-nominee Peter Weir.

Humorous Movies

I recently spent some "brrrr-y" days watching movies at my house. Two of my recent favorites were Despicable Me and The Lottery Ticket. Despicable Me stars Steve Carell and is a wonderful story about a villain named Cru who is trying to pull off the greatest "steal" ever by stealing the moon. He and his thousands of adorable minions (trust me, you'll think they are cute too) invent gadgets and steal things in their attempt to make Cru (voiced by Steve Carell) the "World's Greatest Villian." While on this journey Cru ends up adopting three orphaned girls, and the way they wrap Cru around their fingers is one of sweetest things I have ever seen. This movie is rated PG (Rude Humor and Mild Action) and is a great family movie night pick.

The Lottery Ticket is a great "what-if" movie that describes what happens when a young man from the local neighborhood wins the lottery. Kevin Carson (played by Bow Wow) buys a lottery ticket on a whim and ends up winning $370 million--the bad news is that the lottery office is closed for the long July 4th weekend and Kevin must figure out how to keep a lid on his good fortune and survive the three-day weekend. This movie is full of twists and turns and very funny scenes, and the viewer discovers, with Kevin, the "good, the bad and the ugly" in his friends. There is a brilliant cast in this film (Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Loretta Divine, Ice Cube, Bill Bellamy, T-Pain, Ketih David, Terry Crews, and Mike Epps) and it is truly a great experience to watch it. The movie is rated PG-13 (Sexual content, Language including a Drug Reference, Some Violence and Brief Underage Drinking) and could be a great choice for a couples movie night.

Remember Me

Every now and then I watch a movie that is so beautifully written it makes me want to cry. Remember Me, starring Robert Pattinson and Emilile De Ravin is one of those types of movies. It takes place in the Summer of 2001, in New York city, and is the story of a young man and woman, who each have had their own tragic experiences, who meet and begin a passionate love affair. The couple each let go enough to work through their own pain and the end result is a stunning piece of acting. The emotions and feeliings are so raw, that the viewer is totally sucked in to the film. This movie is an unforgettable story about the power of the heart, the strength of family, and the importance of treasuring every day of one's life. This is a great film to watch if you want to be inspired to live your life to its fullest!