We've all had dreams of some kind. Sometimes they were achieved with ease, other times we had to put our heads down and battle our way to the finish line and sadly sometimes, the dream simply dies, replaced by another one or it is flat out forgotten.

Regardless of the outcome when it comes to our dreams, what matters most is the journey. Even if we fail, we often times learn something more about ourselves. But the journey can be difficult and lonesome, and it is the journey to achieve that all fulfilling sense of achievement and all the hardships that come with that quest, that is at the central core of the incredible and inspiring film, Rudy. 

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger has heard the same irritating things over and over again when it comes to his dream. He isn't smart enough. He isn't fast enough. He isn't big enough. His entire life he hears how he won't be able to do what he truly wants to do...become a football player for Notre Dame. But despite hearing such negativity day in and day out, Rudy will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, to run out onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium and play football for the Fighting Irish. 

​There are few things in this life as inspirational as sports films and rightfully so since sports manage to do just that. They make us believe in the impossible and they leave us filled with joy. With that being said, I'm not sure there any other sports films as inspirational as Rudy. I mean, this really is an incredible film, one that is grounded in a simple concept because it is nothing more than a good old-fashioned underdog story that immediately captivates you thanks to stellar storytelling and top notch acting as well. Sean Astin as Rudy makes you believe in a guy that truthfully most of us would never believe could even play a sport much less hang on the practice squad at Notre Dame for two years. But I think what makes us believe in this film and the character is the fact that well...this guy is an everyman.  

We relate to Rudy because we have all had a dream that someone told us was a dumb idea. We sink right into this film because we want to see this guy succeed. Especially because of his dedication. There isn't a moment in this film that Rudy isn't hell bent on his goal, and man...it pumps you up, and the third act and ending will leave your cheeks wet with tears of joy. If anything, this film will remind you of how important it is to chase that dream. Regardless of whether you've forgotten it or achieved it, Rudy reminds us that it is worth the pain, the doubt and the suffering because maybe, just maybe...we can have it all.  

It's a beautiful story, based on a true one, and I've seen articles over the years slamming the flick for not being more accurate but what did we expect? Hollywood magic is Hollywood magic for a reason and the spell this film casts over you is just magnificent. See this one if you haven't. Watch it again if you have and own it if you don't. Rudy is a must see, plain and simple.  

Do you remember the days before the internet took its hold on society, the days of dial up modems, and the days when cell phones were used to make phone calls? I sure do. Being born into a great transition, an informational revolution of sorts, has allowed me to see the best of both worlds. Not only have I seen and been a part of the hype, I have also been able to stand back and watch our youth struggle with the idea that the internet was not a large part of my life growing up as they wonder exactly how I managed survive a day or two without it.      

With that being said, technology is great!  How far computers have come in my lifetime only leads me to believe that an actual learning computer is only a few years off. The things that can come from an artificial being would be fantastic, as long as we don’t let it gain control over us. What Virtuosity brings to the plate is a look inside of the ultimate computer learning program, Sid 6.7. Sid is a compilation of many different personalities that have been uploaded into a learning program. If this program was set to teach us new and wonderful things, everything would be great, however Sid was programmed with the 'finest' characteristics of the greatest killers known in history, over two hundred of them.

Sid also plays an important role in virtual simulations for the local police to train and help them learn what the worst of the worst could do in a virtual setting, but when he kills an inmate during a training session, the order is given to shut down the system, and shut down Sid. His creator is not willing to let his finest creation be shut down, so he devises a plan to move Sid to the real world. Nanocell regeneration has been discovered, and adapted to feed off of common glass, and so Sid is cooked up and released in the real world, with no weaknesses...except one…

​Sid's 'creation' means that Lt. Parker Barnes, an ex-peace officer that has been incarcerated for hunting down and killing the man who kidnapped his wife and daughter, is quickly called into action. Barnes had been the primary training convict using the virtual world to track down Sid 6.7, and now he will be the city’s only hope at catching the deranged program. Barnes understands the patterns that Sid uses and has to fall back on his own personal losses to find and incapacitate his virtual foe.

Virtuosity is an action-packed ride as Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington) hunts down Sid 6.7 (Russell Crowe) in this psychological thriller. Crowe plays a dynamic psychopath that is only looking to play against his favorite opponent and gain as much media attention as possible when pursuing his ultimate goal, chaos. Barnes is followed by Madison Carter (Kelly Lynch), a psychologist that thinks she will be able to help capture Sid, but ends up having her daughter, played by a young Kaley Cuoco, kidnapped by the killer forcing Barnes to play into the same situation as he did with his wife and daughter years earlier.

With an indestructible villain on the loose, Barnes is forced to challenge his own demons as Sid 6.7 takes him on a ride that he will never forget. With the way this story is told, you are left to question what you would do if put in the same situation as Parker Barnes. With your family at risk, what would you do to protect them?  How far would you go? Could or would anybody be able to stop you? Strength is something you should never be afraid of using, but can you also practice restraint? That is the real question.

Perhaps the one item that is near or at the top of my list, when it comes to the many things that I love about cinema as a whole, is the sheer fact that movies can examine the human condition in unique and downright magical fashion. Because there really is no other medium out there that can isolate the best or worst parts of us and put them on display for two hours and leave us thinking about them long after the story has come to its end, and while many genres take the time to dissect the finer points of humanity, only one has more or less mastered it; science fiction.
 
Because Sci-Fi is able to provide us with an objective look at our world and who we are as a species by providing more tempered beings with situations and problems that we face every single day and that separation really does allow for us to see solutions we’ve never thought of before. But while this is an important part of Sci-Fi related storytelling, I think we can all agree that often times this societal analysis tends to focus more on the bad over the good and that’s understandable since it’s easier to dissect the darker side to our world. But there are Sci-Fi films out there that celebrate the beauty of our world and I recently took the time to revisit a movie that does just that in Starman.
 
Now this is a motion picture that most of us know, so there’s no point in taking the time to discuss the plot since it’s general knowledge by now and if by chance you haven’t seen it…get on that, please. Instead, I want to talk about what makes this film so magical and uplifting and one of the key elements that goes into that, is the acting. Because let’s be honest, the notion of an alien taking over a human clone is pretty out there in its own right and it takes phenomenal acting to sell that and Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen do just that. They’re simply brilliant on screen together and Bridges’ fascinating approach to inhabiting a human body allows for the audience to see our world through a fresh set of eyes and it draws you right into the story’s analysis of our beautiful world.

But how it examines our world is what matters the most since the film does take the time to show us the bad parts of humanity by way of some unsavory characters. After all, the good ol’ boy that is proud of his deer and Mark Shermin’s boss, George Fox, are more than happy to go after their own agendas, regardless of who they hurt along the way and that…it something we see just about every day on the news and in our everyday lives. And while that seems counterintuitive to my statement about this film looking at the beauty of things, it’s imperative to feature this part of humanity in the story because every single ugly act or dark moment in this movie is wonderfully counterbalanced by good deeds.
 
Throughout the entire film, we see people extend help or perform acts of kindness toward Jenny and the Starman and it’s equally as impressive to watch people immediately drop everything in order to help these star-crossed lovers get to where they need to go and seeing that outright gives you pause. Because it makes one realize that we tend to focus only on the negative in our lives and our world, and keeping that kind of focus, forces us to overlook all the good and decent acts that happen in our world on a regular basis and the story certainly seems to imply that the good outweighs the bad and we should embrace that fact and make it known to others as often as possible, and do what we can to counteract the bad, and it’s just rare to see a Sci-Fi tale offer up that level of hope and optimism.
 
If anything, all of those elements make this movie one of my favorite Science Fiction films and surprisingly, this one has held up well for being made in 1984 since the effects still work on film. But truly, it’s the story that shines above all else and after seeing it again after all these years, I’m quite taken aback at how good I felt after watching it. It’s simply a treat through and through, and what’s also quite incredible, is that it is directed by horror legend John Carpenter and his steady hand here makes one wonder exactly why he never received more directing gigs outside of horror. But I digress, because what matters the most is that this is a special film, one that leaves your spirits soaring and one that should be revisited as often as possible in these troubled times. 

It is a question we have all asked ourselves or been asked at one time or another...what would you do with a million dollars? It's a valid question. We all work hard for a living, do our best to pay our bills and make sure there is a roof over our heads and food on our tables, and a million bucks would certainly make our lives easier.

If we had that kind of money, those bills would likely be paid off, we could possibly own the roof over our heads and heck, we might even hire a personal chef. But as we all know, there is a dark side to having that kind of cash in our possession. In fact, it is even documented by former lottery winners that people they never met before would show up at their doorstep expecting a handout, or...the money simply ran out. Truly the possibilities are endless, and it is the roller coaster ride of suddenly becoming a millionaire that is explored in the 1994 comedy/drama, A Million to Juan.  

Juan Lopez, an immigrant, wants nothing more than a chance to live the American Dream. He would love to own his own business, see his son get a good education and come home to a comfortable house where he can be greeted by the love of his life. But time appears to be running out for Juan to accomplish all of his goals. There is a chance immigration may deport him and he is helpless to do anything about it. That is until a stranger provides him with the opportunity to take part in a 'social experiment', wherein he receives a check for a million dollars. He is not allowed to cash the check and must return it in thirty days...but the sheer fact that it is in his possession will change his life forever. 

This is hands down, a warm and endearing film that sadly only managed to find its way to home video. I say that it is warm and endearing because while this movie has a chance to play off of everything in a ridiculous and over the top fashion, it instead gives us a down to earth story of Mexican immigrants just trying to get by and be as honest as they possibly can all while the miracle surprise of a million dollars turns their lives upside down.  

It's refreshing to say the least because of the fact that Juan Lopez, played by comedian Paul Rodriguez, has no aspirations to be rich.  He simply aspires to live a happy and fulfilling life, one where he can be a great father to his son and share the rest of his days with someone he truly loves. If anything, the villain of the film is the check itself and the evil that it seems to do to the people around Juan. Suddenly everyone is his friend and willing to give him anything he wants when they normally wouldn't give him the time of day without that money in his hands and it's wonderful to see a film that features such a grounded and all around good guy such as Juan, especially now in an era where so many people aspire to be rich and famous over anything else.

Either way, this is just a lovely little film that does its best to send nothing but heartwarming messages our way and it reminds us just how important it is to keep our family in our lives and that it is critical to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way, because you never know what wonders will come from taking a chance. Sadly, this movie a tough find these days, in fact I got my copy on Amazon. But I will tell you this, this is definitely the film one needs to watch when you feel like the world is against you, because it does such a great job of making you smile and helps you believe that you can truly achieve anything regardless of the odds.  

The true magic of motion pictures, is that anything and everything we can dream up can and will come to life on the silver screen and this is a fact that has been reinforced by the power of computer generated imagery, and while we have seen wonders appear before our eyes because of this and practical effects for that matter, the end result isn't always perfect.

Sometimes the CGI is a little too CGI, or you can tell the actor is wearing a mask or worse yet...the effects draw your attention away from the story, making the whole thing forgettable through and through. But once in a great while, a strange and perfect storm occurs, where the special effects overshadow a quality film and because it feels like a forced spectacle, the film ends up being a bomb and regarded as a grand mistake, as was the case with 1986's...Howard the Duck.

Now, before you complete your eye roll over the fact that I just called Howard the Duck a quality film, hang on for a second, because it isn't a perfect movie by any means. There are some genuinely weird moments in this motion picture, in fact the one that instantly comes to mind is whether or not ol' Howard is going to get it on with Lea Thompson and while it's scenes like that and the over the top acting from Tim Robbins that tends to make all of us groan when watching this movie, there are some redeeming values to be found in this feature. 

First and foremost, let's talk about the giant egg in the room, the special effects. While this flick is regarded as nothing more than a bloated effects film, there is actually some impressive work to be found here. They flat out created a fully functional Howard without the aid of computer graphics and well, the personality that the animatronics exude in this film give the character a life I don't recall noticing the first time I watched this film. Not to mention, the Dark Overlord turned out to be quite the impressive monster as well, especially when it came to the amount of details the effects team added to this disturbing creature.

But more importantly, having watched this film again recently on Blu Ray, I've come to realize that this movie is also a good old fashioned comic book adventure and it delivers through and through when it comes to that. We travel to exotic locales, take to the skies in a thrilling chase scene and all of this is inspired by John Barry's beautiful and haunting score and once you get past the silly and deep into the action this ends up being one fun motion picture through and through and I am truly coming to appreciate this film more and more as time goes on.

Regardless of the joy I've found in it however, this is one of those films that you either love or flat out hate, and I understand completely why some folks just cannot handle this motion picture. But, I am in the camp that firmly believes that this one deserves a second chance based on how unique it is, since let's be honest...we haven't seen a film or a story remotely resembling anything like Howard The Duck since its arrival, but it also deserves another shot due to the fact that in many ways, this was a comic book film released way ahead of its time. It's humor, its design and its wild premise would be incredibly successful today and since the closest thing we'll get to a new Howard story in the modern era is his cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy, it makes this movie worth a second look and I highly recommend that you do so.

Love is and will always be an important part of our lives. It simply has to be. We need the positivity of love, we need the strength that it gives us, and we need the feeling of it filling up our souls. It may not always be limited to another human being, since we do things we love, and we eat things we love but in the end the love that matters most comes from the people who tell us how much they need us.  

Yet a grand question we have all had to ask ourselves at some point or another, is how far would we go for love? There are sacrifices that must be made, hardships to endure and bleak days where it seems like the fight for it isn't quite worth the effort, yet we often press on and try to do whatever we must for love because we understand the power it holds over us, since it is one of the few things in this universe that can provide us with complete and utter bliss.

At the same time however, there are those of us out there, searching for that perfect someone that fit a concept or a mold. Since love is something we read about, learn about and romanticize about...there are preconceived notions of what we want out of it and it is the dangers that come with opening ourselves up to other people that we think fit a preconceived notion that is the focus of the beautiful and haunting motion picture, Shopgirl. ​

Mirabelle Buttersfield is searching for what she feels is the one great thing missing in her life...love. But being a shy girl living in the massive city that is Los Angeles, she is just another face in the crowd. She goes to work, she pays her bills and lives her life but there is no one to come home to. But chance encounters with a romantically inept man named Jeremy and a suave older man named Ray Porter will change her life forever since each of them will inadvertently help her discover exactly what she needs in life, and what love is really all about.
 
What caught me off guard about this film at first, was how completely unconventional it was. While this film is touted as a romantic comedy and yes, there are laughs to be found here, the romantic side of the story is like nothing you've ever seen on the silver screen before, since it gives us a raw look at modern dating by way of some colorful characters. There's Jeremy who is completely clueless and boorish and the least romantic man on the planet and then there is Ray Porter, who quite frankly is equally as unromantic for reasons that I don't want to reveal without you seeing the film but needless to say, it is his B.S. that Mirabelle falls for.  

Based on the novella of the same name, Shopgirl is a compelling love story because it does challenge all the things I mentioned before. Mirabelle is the personification of all of our darkest hours when it comes to love. That place we have all been where we wonder if we are worthy of another human being's attention or if we are even remotely destined to find true love, and of course the biggest question of all...how far will we go to feel complete in matters of love. It makes her journey all the more compelling and all the more tragic when we see how hard she falls for Ray Porter before later discovering what Ray is really all about.