The Bad and the Beautiful

A dark, yet I'm sure realistic look at Hollywood in the 1950s through the eyes of a director, writer and actress. Kirk Douglas stars as the son of a vicious and unloved Hollywood studio head who even has to have his son bribe people to come to his funeral. His son, idealistic at first, soon has the movie business corrupt and harden him, just as it had done to his father. Told in a series of three flashbacks from each of the main players in Douglas' life (the writer, the director and the actress), it is a well-done film that didn't hold back any punches when it came to the truth about the movie business and its players.

State of Play (2009)

Since I wrote a post on the 2003 version, here's my post for the 2009:
As I wrote in my post for the 2003 BBC TV production of this tale, it is a well-done, intense political thriller...that is a must see. This one is about 4 hours shorter than the British TV production, but it is just as taut and gripping as the first...maybe even better since it does that same job in a feature film length. Keeping most of the story in tact, this version has a congressman caught in a sex scandal with a murdered young researcher from his office. The congressman's former roommate is a reporter who is on the story and trying his best to keep both his loyalties to his congressman friend and his newspaper job. Like All the President's Men, this film really takes you inside the inner workings of a Washington D.C.'s newspaper office...keeping the nightmare pace and the cutthroat-ness in tact. I'm sure the newspaper biz is hectic and frantic in most of the country, but add in the turmoil of political and you get a hellish frenzy. Excellent performances by all make this movie a fabulous political and journalistic thriller. Watch both versions and compare for yourself!

State of Play (2003)

I know the point of this blog is to highlight films on DVD -- and the 2009 version of State of Play is still in theaters, as of today (May 6, 2009). But, the 2003 BBC production of this story is on DVD -- and Niles owns it. So, in the meantime, while you're waiting for the 2009 version to hit Niles' shelves on DVD, do yourself a favor and check out the 2003 version. I'm not saying it's better than the new version -- it's just different. More intense and more gripping -- mostly because it's 6 hours -- compared the the new version's 2 hour running time.

A well-done, intense political thriller that delves deep into the heart of British politics and journalism. Two friends…one a writer at a major London newspaper and the other a member of Parliament…get entwined in a series of twists and turns that do not let up until the very end. Extremely well-acted, this series will keep you guessing until the final scene…literally. In addition to the great performances, the writing is top-notch…fast and intense -- the fast-paced script crackles with wit and is chocked filled with details about politics and insights on the "rag" trade. For anyone who likes thrillers, this one is a must see!