JayFlix

Starring Charlie Chaplin Written, directed, produced, and music  by Charlie Chaplin Rated G The Circus: 1 hour 11 minutes Modern Times: 1 hour 27 minutes I had previously only seen clips of Charlie Chaplin – never a full movie, so I figured it was about time to really experience this icon of American film.  I chose to watch [...]

Starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, and Drew Barrymore Directed by Steven Spielberg Rated PG for language and mild thematic elements 1 hour 55 minutes My kids had never met E.T. and I hadn’t seen him for years, so I thought it was about time to pay a visit to my friend from outer space.  As [...]

Starring Peter Billingsly, Melinda Dillon, and Darren McGavin Directed by Bob Clark Rated PG 1 hour 34 minutes After seeing various parts of this Christmas classic dozens of times on cable TV, I finally was able to view it as a whole and was glad I did.  It really is amazing how many classic scenes are [...]

Starring Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman Directed by Richard Donner Rated PG for peril, some mild sensuality and language 2 hours, 23 minutes It’s only been 31 years since the last time I saw this movie, so I thought I was ready to see it again.  This time, it was with my children [...]

Having attended high school in the late 1980s, I have a special fondness for the films written (and in some cases directed and/or produced) by the late, great John Hughes. Here is my top 10: 10. Weird Science 9. Home Alone 8. Some Kind of Wonderful 7. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 6. Pretty in Pink [...]

Starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer Directed by Jeannot Szwarc Production/Distribution: Universal Rated PG 1 hour 44 minutes A friend told me that this movie prominently featured the Grand Hotel of Mackinac Island, Michigan.  Having recently visited there and having read some online reviews singing the praises of the film, I decided it [...]

Starring Timothy Bottoms, John Houseman (Best Supporting Actor Oscar), and Lindsay Wagner Directed by James Bridges Rated PG (but likely PG-13 today) for language and adult situations 1 hour 52 minutes I decided to pick this one up from the library after hearing a lawyer talk about what it’s like to go to law school [...]

Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, and Jean Hagen Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly Not Rated, but likely G 1 hour 43 minutes The other day I was checking out IMDb’s Top Rated Musicals and found that this movie was at the top of the list.  Sure, I knew the song and [...]

Starring Woody Allen, Diana Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, and Shelley Duvall Directed by Woody Allen Rated PG (but probably would be PG-13 for language and adult themes) 1 hour 33 minutes 1977 Best Picture Oscar Winner This is one of those ‘all-time best picture list’ films that I felt I had to [...]

Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford, and Ron Howard Directed by Morton DaCosta Rated G 2 hours 56 minutes 1962 Best Picture Oscar Winner No, I didn’t just watch this for the first time, but I did watch it for the first time with my children and I loved it [...]