Movie Review - "Ocean's Thirteen"

Movie Review number 30

PLOT
This movie starts with Elliot Gould and Al Pacino closing a deal on a posh new hotel casino in Las Vegas, but Pacino forces Gould out of the deal so that Pacino has sole ownership of the hotel.  Gould then has a serious heart attack.
Then in come Gould's friends, including George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt to organise a major scam and heist on the opening night of the Posh Hotel!!  This also includes organising grief for the travel review writer so he writes an awful review!
The movie takes you through all the planning stages of the heist, from the making of dodgy dice in Mexico, to the drill the dug out the Eurostar tunnel, to fancy electronics to create black-outs in the hotel!!  It's a very exciting story, ending with two earthquakes under the Posh Hotel (one unexpected!!) and a helicopter ride off the roof and a double-handed diamond heist!!!!
(This story is based I believe on a 1950s story starring Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davies Jr and the rest of the rat pack!!)

RECOMMENDED
Definitely!  You need to pay attention but it's definitely worth watching!

RATING
9 squeaks out of 10

SCOOBY SNACKS
Champagne and caviar!!

Movie Review - Behind the Candelabra

Movie review number 26

PLOT
This is the story of a young kid called Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) who, some time in 1977, goes to Las Vegas with his cowboy mate (Scott Bakula from Quantum Leap) and is taken to a Liberace concert (played VERY well by Michael Douglas).  Liberace is playing his boogie woogie tune on the piano and Scott and the whole audience, as usual, is blown away with the skill and showmanship!  Scott is taken backstage and introduced to Liberace, who takes an immediate liking to the youngster.  Liberace invites both of them to his house the next day, and they go visit.  The house is as sumptuous, if not more so, than Liberace's stage show!!!
Before you know it, Scott has decided to move out of his foster home and dog training job, and move in with Liberace..... not just his house but his bed as well.  (At this time, homosexuality was still not tolerated in show biz and, had it been public knowledge that Liberace was gay, would have meant the end of his career.  Which is amazing now, because of his outrageous camp-ness!)
The story moves on to show Scott and Liberace's relationship develop, involving Scott in Liberace's stage show, Liberace's desire to adopt Scott, and Liberace's suggestion for plastic surgery on Scott so he would look like Liberace.  The plastic surgeon, played hysterically well by Rob Lowe, ultimately starts Scott's addiction to drugs - initially prescription, and then illegal - which then leads (along with Liberace's voracious sexual appetite) to the demise of their relationship in 1981.  The movie includes Scott's infamous and unsuccessful "alimony" lawsuit against Liberace.
The movie ends with Liberace's last meeting with Scott, before ultimately dying from an AIDS related illness.
Oh, and Debbie Reynolds plays Liberace's Mum terrifically well, too!

RECOMMENDED

Oh yes, this is brilliant!!  Although there are two "intimate bedroom" scenes and some rather gory plastic surgery scenes, this is well worth getting the DVD!!

SCORE

10 out of 10

SCOOBY SNACKS

Ben and Jerry's "Everything in it" icecream with as many sprinkles, toppings and additional extras as you can possibly think of!