Uriah43

This film begins at a costume ball where a young woman named "Sophie von Riedesel" (Marina von Ditmar) dances with the host, "Baron Hieronymus von Münchhausen" (Hans Albers), while her fiancé, "Baron von Hartenfeld" (Hans Brausewetter), stands by and watches. After excusing himself from the dance, Hieronymus is followed by Sophie, who then tries to seduce him. When he politely declines, she drives off in her car, leaving her fiancé alone at the party. The next day, after some reflection, Hieronymus invites both Baron von Hartenfeld and Sophie to dinner and entertains them with stories about his distinguished ancestors. What his guests don't realize at the time, however, is that there is more to the story than Hieronymus is initially revealing. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that many people consider this film one of the best movies made by the German film industry during the Third Reich, earning both commercial success and critical praise. Admittedly, the special effects are somewhat primitive compared with modern technology, but even so, it turned out to be an enjoyable fantasy film, and I rated it accordingly.

This unusual movie starts with an attractive young woman named "Mary Meadows" (Katie Holmes) moving into a suburban neighborhood that has recently seen an increase in criminal activity. Although her neighbor, "Mrs. Davenport" (Mary Kay Place), warns her about the dangers of walking alone on the sidewalks, Miss Meadows responds that she isn't worried at all. The reason quickly becomes clear when, after being assaulted at gunpoint by a man in a pickup truck, she pulls out her own pistol and shoots him dead. Even more surprising is the fact that, after killing this man, she continues her walk as if nothing had happened. Needless to say, this murder attracts the attention of the local police, with "Sheriff Mike Dunn" (James Badge Dale) assigned to investigate. During this time, he encounters Miss Meadows, and a romantic relationship develops between them. What he doesn't realize is that, as the murders keep happening, he's dating the person responsible for them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I'll just say that, although it was a fairly entertaining movie, I would have preferred more genuine comedy instead of the dark humor shown, as the film seemed more weird than funny. But that's just my opinion. Despite that critique, I thought Katie Holmes performed her role quite well, and all things considered, I have rated this film accordingly.

After irritating every member of his family, an energetic 8-year-old named "Kevin" (Macaulay Culkin) is taken by his mother, "Kate" (Catherine O'Hara), upstairs to the attic as a form of time-out. The next morning, rushing to catch a family trip to Paris, everyone accidentally forgets he's up there. It isn't until they are about to land in Paris that Kate realizes how serious the situation is. To make matters worse, a recent storm in Chicago has knocked out the phone lines, so she can't call to check if he's okay. That said, with no other options available to her, she immediately tries to catch a flight back to Chicago, but the holidays make that difficult as well. Meanwhile, two burglars, "Harry" (Joe Pesci) and "Marv" (Daniel Stern), who have scoped out the neighborhood believing no one is home, decide to break in and steal everything of value. What they don't count on, however, is the clever young boy who decides to have some fun at their expense. Now, instead of revealing more, I will just say this is one of the funniest holiday movies I've ever seen, with the actual break-in scene being particularly hilarious. Likewise, I also enjoyed the performances of both Macaulay Culkin and Joe Pesci, who both seemed perfectly suited for their roles. Be that as it may, I believe that viewers looking for a good comedy during the holiday season could certainly do a lot worse, and I have rated it accordingly.