2024-Seen
Films seen lately, periodically moved to offline spreadsheet.
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21 titles
- DirectorDanny O'MalleyAlex RivestStarsLonnie ThompsonDaring to seek Earth's history contained in glaciers atop the tallest mountains in the world, Doctor Lonnie Thompson's life's work evolves into a salvage mission to recover priceless historical records before they disappear forever.Saw on video 24-04-21. Too many inaccuracies, lies and journalistic hype. Too little science and information. Tedious.
- DirectorAndy WilsonStarsDavid SuchetJames FoxEmma Griffiths MalinA wealthy American heiress honeymooning on a Nile cruise ship is stalked by a former friend, whose boyfriend she had stolen before making him her new husband.I thought it easily the equal of Branagh's recent film, maybe a bit better. Uncommonly good Poirot series installment. DVD, Apr-2024.
- DirectorSimon LangtonStarsDavid SuchetJonathan CakeMegan DoddsPoirot stumbles on the murder scene of philandering Dr Christow in a country house as his wife stands next to him with a revolver in her hand.Forgettable drawing-room murder mystery. DVD, Apr-2024.
- DirectorDavid MooreStarsDavid SuchetElisabeth Dermot WalshRupert Penry-JonesElinor Carlisle seems to be the obvious murderer of her ailing aunt and the beautiful romantic rival who broke up her engagement, but Poirot uncovers darker motives.Forgettable drawing-room murder mystery. DVD, Apr-2024.
- DirectorPaul UnwinStarsDavid SuchetRachael StirlingAidan GillenLucy Crale enlists Poirot to investigate the 14-year-old murder in which her mother was hanged for poisoning her artist father.Very strong Poirot episode about investigation of a 14-year-old murder. DVD, Apr-2024.
- DirectorJulio TorresStarsJulio TorresTilda SwintonRZAAlejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in NY. As time runs out on his work visa, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country.Very funny movie with Tilda Swinton as an unbelievably annoying matron and Julio Torres (who also wrote and directed) as the title character, a young El Salvadoran trying to get a work visa. Theatre, Apr-2024.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsBette DavisAnne BaxterGeorge SandersA seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.Saw this decades ago, but watched again in the Criterion edition, which includes some very engaging commentaries and extras. Not great visually, but wow what a script. DVD, Apr-2024.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsLuke WilsonOwen WilsonNed DowdThree friends plan to pull off a simple robbery and go on the run.Saw on DVD, 2024.04.29. Extras include the Sundance short film, 16mm, from a couple years before. Interesting to see the genesis of Anderson and the Wilson brothers, and shines at some moments, but mostly not very memorable.
- DirectorHideo GoshaStarsTetsurô TanbaIsamu NagatoMikijirô HiraWhen poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help.Good genre film, well done but some significant borrowings from 1961's "Yojimbo". Imaginative and competent; now a classic. Bluray, May-2024.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley GrangerTwo men try to convince themselves they've committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party after strangling a former classmate to death.Famous film; Hitchcock, humor, suspense, heavily repressed homosexuality, midcentury American mores, all action occurs in a single room in (narrative) real time. Bluray, May-2024
- DirectorWalter FordeStarsAnna May WongGeorge RobeyFritz KortnerMusical retelling of the "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" Arabian Nights tale.Shot to be an epic but more of a turkey. Anna May Wong is pretty good, but overall slow pace, clumsy script, weak editing make it more of an endurance contest than a pleasant evening. DVD, May-2024
- DirectorArthur RipleyStarsRobert CummingsMichèle MorganSteve CochranChuck Scott gets a job as chauffeur to tough guy Eddie Roman; but Chuck's involvement with Eddie's fearful wife becomes a nightmare.Gawd what an awful film. Mostly interesting for the consistent and uniform awfulness: script, direction, acting, cinematography all suck. DVD, May-2024.
- DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaChikage AwashimaA Japanese pacifist, unable to face the dire consequences of conscientious objection, is transformed by his attempts to compromise with the demands of war-time Japan.Depressing film. The lead character starts out idealistic and never learns anything about how to cope in the real world. Variations on this theme are tediously repeated. I also made it about halfway through Part II and he was still inept; stopped it there. Seen on DVD, May-2024.
- DirectorNitesh TiwariStarsAamir KhanSakshi TanwarFatima Sana ShaikhFormer wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two wrestler daughters struggle towards glory at the Commonwealth Games in the face of societal oppression.Seen on DVD, May-2024. Great story well told of an Indian man whose wife bears no sons but several daughters, who he trains to be wrestlers and who go on to become national champions. With a theme like that, yes, it's Disney.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRod TaylorTippi HedrenJessica TandyA wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.Mildly interesting, not very scary or suspenseful or plausible. Don't really see why it's so popular. Seen on bluray, May-2024.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartDoris DayBrenda de BanzieAn American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.One of Hitchcock's best, fine story, well cast and acted, suspenseful. Seen on bluray, May-2024.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.Kind of a dumb film, never quite hits plausibility for me, as a result of which the "suspense" falls flat. Seen on bluray May-2024.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.Vies with "Maltese Falcon" for the title of "first great noir" and is more noir-ish, the femme particularly fatal. Seen on DVD May-2024.
- DirectorHiroshi InagakiStarsYûzô KayamaChûsha IchikawaToshirô MifuneAfter their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.By most accounts the best cinematic retelling of "47 Ronin", albeit a bit overlong. It's due for a remake. Seen on DVD, May-2024.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsCillian MurphyEmily BluntMatt DamonThe story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.Pretty decent story of Oppenheimer's wunderchild years, the Manhattan Project, and his subsequent pillory. Good script except quite preachy in spots, and naturally the science isn't too accurate. Longer than necessary. Great cast.
- CreatorJon FavreauStarsPedro PascalChris BartlettKatee SackhoffThe travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.First episode was decent. Second OK. Third, not so much. Fourth, dreadful. Stopped at that point. No acting to speak of, not much plot, mostly it's special effects. Those are pretty good, otherwise it would get a 4. Seen on bluray, May-2024.