Fort Apache, the Bronx (1981)

A police drama that’s based on the lives of real policemen but is nevertheless set in a fictionalised version of the South Bronx.
Paul Newman is Murphy, a straight-talking cop who knows that in order to get through the day you sometimes have to let the rules bend, but only so far as they don’t break. A sound judgement is as important as a steady hand.
It’s a standard character-driven film about cops and their daily trials that includes bag-snatchings, drug pushers pushing their trade and their luck, and even a pimp in a fur coat. It’s nothing special, but nor is it any slouch.

3 neighbourhood sights out of 5

ELF [2003]

I normally steer clear of Will Ferrell films but I have a big ol' soft spot for director Jon Favreau's refreshing Christmas comedy Elf.
Ferrell plays a hopelessly optimistic man, raised by Santa's elves, who finds himself searching for his roots in the cynical world of New York City.  It follows some pretty clichéd plot-points and you know exactly where it's headed within the first 5 minutes but due to Ferrell and the rest of the cast you can't help but find your heart warming up to it's simplicity.  As safe as it is for the kids, it thankfully supplies enough laughs for the whole family to enjoy, with a few faces gramps will recognize as well.

4 Cotten-Headed Ninny Muggins out of 5