Sara & Steve’s Take

Playing himself as a poor bastard, Paul Giamatti stars in this wine-lovers classic that takes place in Santa Barbara Wine Country; with cameos from local destinations such as Los Angeles, Oxnard, Solvang, Lompoc, and Los Olivos.

Synopsis

Struggling writer and wine enthusiast Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes his engaged friend, Jack (Thomas Haden Church), on a trip to wine country for a last single-guy bonding experience. While Miles wants to relax and enjoy the wine, Jack is in search of a fling before his wedding — sending the trip into disarray.

Sara and Steve’s Take

Set in Ventura County’s bucolic countryside, this heartwarming documentary tells the story of a couple that transforms a uniculture farm into a thriving diverse organic ecosystem. This film leaves you feeling that the area is a little garden of eden (which it is).

Synopsis

A couple are followed through their successes and failures as they work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles. Over the years, the desolate they purchase begins to thrive and its transformed.

Sara and Steve’s Take

This film has Ventura stand in as Redondo Beach in LA and features the Ventura Ocean Promenade, pier, and our own (iconic for what it is) 101-Southbound onramp.

Synopsis

The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin) -- puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into a VW bus and heading to California to support a daughter (Abigail Breslin) in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. The sanity of everyone involved is stretched to the limit as the group's quirks cause epic problems as they travel along their interstate route.

Sara and Steve’s Take

If intense dramas are your thing, it doesn’t get much better than Daniel Day Lewis’ performance as Daniel Plainview, a California oilman at the turn of the 20th century. The film features an ocean swim in Ventura, business dealings in Santa Paula, and makes multiple references to nearby Port Hueneme. The soundtrack will haunt your nightmares.

Synopsis

Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview moves to oil-rich California. Using his adopted son HW to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainviews motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.

Sara and Steve’s Take

Halle Berry and John Travolta star in this action adventure flick. The climax of the film was shot on location at the current “Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust” bar on Main Street in Ventura.

Synopsis

The world's most dangerous spy is hired by the CIA to coerce a computer hacker recently released from prison to help steal $6 billion in unused government funds.