Straight Time (1978)

Released March 17th in the US.

Filmed in California.

The story: Max has just got paroled after serving six years for armed robbery.

His parol officer orders that Max stay in a monitored setting but Max decides to get a hotel room instead.

When speaking to the parole officer the next day Max convinces him to let him stay wherever he wants, promising to get a job by the end of the week.

After doing so and meeting a girl, Max is finally on the right track.

But when his parole officer visits with him unexpectedly, he holds against Max something that had nothing to do with him.

Now Max is pissed. He lost his job and has decided to just go back to the life of crime he has always known.

Stars  Dustin Hoffman, Gary Busey , M Emmet Walsh, Jake Busey, Kathy Bates, Harry Dean Stanton, Theresa Russell, Rita Taggert, Sandy Baron, Tina Menard, Dave Kelly, Fran Ryan, Bob Jarvis

Directed by Ulu Grosbard and Dustin Hoffman

Rated R
DRAMA/THRILLER

Half Nelson (2006)

Released September 22nd in the US.

Filmed entirely in New York.

The story: Danny is a history teacher for junior high students.

He also coaches the girls' basketball team.

But Danny has a drug problem that he cannot seem to kick.

After befriending one of his female students, Danny tries to keep her on the straight and narrow.

But times are hard for everyone.

Stars  Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Karen Chilton, Tina Holmes, Jeff Lima, Nathan Corbett, Tyra Kwao Vovo, Rosemary Ledee, Tristian Mack Winds, Bryce Silver, Kaela C Pabon

Directed by Ryan Fleck

Rated R
DRAMA

"Not in my house."

Blue Ruin (2013)

Released April 24, 2014, in the US.

Filmed in Delaware and Virginia.

The story: Dwight has been missing from his sister and friends for some time.

He lives a life of homelessness, staying on the beachside in his run-down car.

Ever since his parents were murdered ten years ago, Dwight hasn't been okay.

One day, Dwight gets a visit from the police, telling him his parents' murderer will be released.

Dwight makes sure to be there for that.

When the man is released from prison, Dwight is there, in his car, ready to follow.

His plan is to take out the killer and be done.

But things don't go exactly as planned.

Stars Macon Blair, Sidne Anderson, Sandy Barnett, David W Thompson, Amy Hargreaves, Kevin Kolack, Brent Werner, Stacy Rock, Eve Plumb, John Plantz

Directed by ( & story written) Jeremy Saulnier

Rated R
MYSTERY/THRILLER

The Star (1952)

Released December 11th in the US.

Filmed in California.

The story: Just three short years ago, Margaret Elliot was a giant movie star.

Since those three years, she has lost her husband, home, most of her belongings, all of her money, and most importantly to her, her stardom.

Margaret wants to make a comeback in a specific picture and one day pesters her agent to get her foot in the door, but he is hesitant.

That evening she visits her daughter at her ex-husbands home, which drives her a bit mad.

She then gets a visit from her landlady asking for rent and then, an unwelcome visit from her sister and brother-in-law looking for dough.

Overwhelmed and angry,  Margaret finds herself in jail later that night.

But an old, grateful friend bails her out.

Now, with the help and encouragement of the friend she hasn't seen in years, Margaret has some time to think about getting her life back on track without the pressures she was trying to get away from.

Stars Bette Davis, Warner Anderson, Fay Baker, Natalie Wood, Sterling Hayden, Minor Watson, June Travis, Paul Frees, Robert Warwick, Barbara Lawrence, Herb Vigran

Directed by Stuart Heisler

B&W

Not Rated

DRAMA

Mad Love (1935)

Released July 12th in the US.

Filmed entirely in California.

The story: Doctor Gogol a popular, sought-after surgeon with extraordinary talent.

He also has a very unhealthy obsession with the lovely stage actress Yvonne Orlac.

On the evening after one of Yvonne's performances, which the doctor never misses, he decides to finally meet her and tell her how he feels about her.

What he learns is that Miss Yvonne is married and will never be performing onstage again after tonight.

She is off to meet her famous concert pianist husband for their long-awaited honeymoon.

Doctor Gogol cannot accept this news although he really has no choice.

When Yvonne goes to meet her husbands' train she finds he was in a terrible accident.

Her husband's hands were crushed.

Frantic, she calls for the help of Doctor Gogol, who will do anything she asks.

Little does she or her husband realize, his hands have been replaced by those of a killer who had a great talent for throwing knives.

Stars Peter Lorre, Frances Drake, Colin Clive, Ted Healy, Sara Haden, Edward Brophy, Henry Kolker, Keye Luke, May Beatty, George Davis, Billy Dooley, Harold Huber, Isabel Jewell

Directed by Karl Freund

B&W

Not Rated

THRILLER/MYSTERY/HORROR/COMEDY

Queen of Blood (1966)

Released March 2nd in the US.

Filmed in California.

The story: It is the future. The year is 1990 to be exact.

Earth has landed on the moon various times and the astronauts who have made the mission believe they have any and all under control.

While listening to something strange through radio transmission one typical day at the office, the astronauts in charge of traveling back and forth to the moon believe there is something going on they should investigate.

Soon the astronauts learn that alien life is trying to contact them and they are quickly on yet another mission to the moon.

The astronauts find there is a lone alien, of the female gender, who seems to be the only survivor of her kind.

Happy to have a giant breakthrough which they assume will end with them all becoming famous,  the astronauts take in the alien to study and help her, only to find she is a blood-sucking monster...

Stars John Saxon, Judi Meredith, Dennis Hopper, Basil Rathbone, Robert Boon, Don Eitner, Virgil Frye, Robert Porter, Terry Lee, Forrest J Ackerman, Florence Marly

Directed by (& story written) Curtis Harrington

Not Rated

SCIFI/THRILLER/HORROR

Patriot's Day (2016)

Released January 13, 2017, in the US.

Filmed entirely in Massachusetts.

Based on truths.

The story: It is the afternoon of Monday, April 15, 2013, the day of the 117th Boston Marathon.

Boston police officer Tommy Saunders is working security at the finish line.

Just after many of the runners pass the finish line, two bombs go off near the finish.

Tommy, along with many other fellow officers witness first hand the explosion and its effects.

The police rush to help the injured and do everything they can to subdue the chaos.

Now it is a race against the clock to find out who caused this horrible attack and take them down.

Stars Mark Walhberg, John Goodman, Michelle Monaghan, JK Simmons, Themo Melikidze, Alex Wolff, Dicky Eklund Jr , Michael Marchand, Rhett Kidd, Chris O'Shea, Rachel Brosnahan, Frank Czarnowski, Kevin Bason, Jake Picking, Lana Condor, Jimmy O Wang, Melissa Benoist

Directed by Peter Berg

Rated R
ACTION/THRILLER/HISTORY

"Dedicated to all those injured, to the first responders and medical professionals, and to all the members of law enforcement who demonstrated courage, compassion, and dedication throughout the tragic events of April 2013."

Magic Boy AKA Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke (1959)

Released June 22, 1961, in the US.

The story: Sasuke is a young boy who is very protective of his older sister and gentle woodland friends.

One day when his young deer friend Tinkle is captured by a hawk, Sasuke runs to his rescue.

The hawk then drops Tinkle into the water where a giant salamander captures him.

Tinkles mother jumps into the water to save her baby but before she can save him, she is taken by the salamander.

Sad, Tinkle and Sasuke return home.

Big sister tells a story of a mean witch, who was changed into the salamander by a great magician, as to banish her from doing people harm.

Now the magician has grown old and the spell that was cast over the witch is fading, causing her to gain her spiteful powers back.

Sasuke decides to travel far away to learn magic so he can be stronger than the witch.

Stars (voices by)Teruo Miyazaki , Katsuo Nakamura , Hiroko Sakuramachi , Tomoko Matsushima , Tokuko Sugiyama , Shunji Sakai , Kenji Susukida , Akira Kishii , Ryoei Ito , Kazuo Kishida

Directed by Akira Daikubara & Taiji Yabushita

Rated G
AMINATION/ADVENTURE

Clean and Sober (1988)

Released August 10th in the US.

Filmed in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and California.

The story: Daryl is a high-paid real estate agent with a whole lot of self-inflicted debt.

One morning, after being awoken by a phone call and a bit of cocaine. he offers the sleeping woman in his bed that he met last night some as well.

Only to find she isn't waking up.

Freaking out, Daryl calls in the police and recieves the third degree.

Really worried now, Daryl tries hiding out but cannot find any place other than a rehab facility to stay at.

He checks himself in, not taking any of it seriously.

But as time goes on, Daryl slowly learns how to cope with his problems, realizing rehab was the best thing he could have done.

Stars Michael Keaton, J David Kassner, Henry Judd Baker, Terri Hanauer, Patricia Quinn, Veronica Reed, Morgan Freeman, Tate Donovan, Kathy Baker, Claudia Christian, Dakin Matthews, Mary Catherine Martin, Sharie Doolittle, Sharon Medearis, Nick Savage, E Emmet Walsh, Luca Bercovici

Directed by Glenn Gordon Caren

Rated R
DRAMA

"I would like you to make a list of fearless and searching moral inventory."