Frost Nixon

A few weeks ago I initiated a self-imposed exile. I shut off my phone, I went on lots of walks, runs, took lots of naps, read, and rented a ton of movies On Demand. This was the first one I watched and it started off my weekend right!
I had heard a lot about this during Oscar season and was intrigued by the idea that it was originally a stage play; and not only that, but the actors in the film are the same who portrayed Frost and Nixon on stage. I must say, they certainly knew these characters, both of whom I realized quickly I knew very little about. Obviously I knew the gist of the Nixon scandal, but knew very little about what came before and, more importantly (for the film), after Richard Nixon left office.
I thought the story was compelling, the acting was top notch, and the film moved along at a pretty good pace. The supporting cast, which consisted of (among others) Kevin Bacon and Oliver Plath were also, I would say, top notch. I found it funny, intriguing, mesmerizing....everything you want from a self-imposed exile movie weekend!
I highly recommend this to all of you - and that's saying something! I just talked to dad tonight as he and mom were about to pop it into the dvd player, so I'll be curious to hear their thoughts. But, for my money and time, this is certainly worth your while. Enjoy!

The Prestige

I had not heard of this movie and went with a Netflix recommendation. Am I glad I did! This came out in 2006 and is about 2 competing magicians at the turn of the 20th century. They continue working on more elaborate and dangerous tricks and sleights of hand and eye. The setting is Victorian London with a trip to see Tesla (of electricity discoveries) in Colorado Springs! It all fits together and when the finale came I was both smiling and horrified. I decided to watch it a second time the next night and think I enjoyed it even more, as things made much more sense. It has a creepiness that, well, creeps up on you as in the middle of the movie on viewing #1 I was engrossed, the cat wandered in and meowed/said hello, and I jumped! I really liked it.

Star Trek

I'll have to deviate from posting a logo and available synopsis since it just opened and all I seem to find are trailers.
The film involves a time prior to the beginning of the original Star Trek series. The director also used for the first time all new cast members to portray those characters, with one exception which is the complicated part of the movie. Picking this time frame allowed him to tell a story less tied to the shows portrayed in the other films, which were based on the original cast members of Star Trek or Star Trek-Next Generation. The result is more fun and less rigid than the other movies and allows for a back story somewhat different than the other films because of the complicated plot twist in the middle of the film mentioned earlier.
If you are a Star Trek fan, you'll probably like the film and accept some of the changes. It will allow for more movies in the future that are not chained to the original Star Trek series. If you are not a Star Trek fan but like action movies and can live with some suspension of reality like those present in the Bond and Bourne movies, you still should like the film. It moves quickly, the characters are likable, the casting choices were very good, and the plot skims the suspension of belief thing close enough that you'll probably like the movie depending on how you're feeling that day. If action adventure is not your thing, you won't like the movie.
I liked it. The opening 5-10 minutes were so good that it set me up to accept whatever came later. It's one of the best Star Trek movies and a good action film in its own right. It's a fun ride.