2022-2023 List
Films watched between Nov. 14th 2022 and Nov. 15th 2023
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- DirectorRobert AldrichStarsLee MarvinErnest BorgnineCharles BronsonDuring World War II, a rebellious U.S. Army Major is assigned a dozen convicted murderers to train and lead them into a mass assassination mission of German officers.A re-watch of a Dad movie to start this "new year" - this is a macho b.s. movie, but a pretty good macho b.s. movie.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsBenedict CumberbatchElizabeth OlsenChiwetel EjioforDoctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl who can travel across multiverses, to battle other-universe versions of himself which threaten to wipe out the multiverse. They seek help from the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.These superhero movies are really quite crap. They serve as a reminder to me that I don't need to worry about the future, I already don't understand vast swathes of today's culture.
- DirectorJoe DanteStarsDennis QuaidMartin ShortMeg RyanA test pilot is miniaturized in a secret experiment, and accidentally injected into a hapless store clerk.Super disappointing. Not funny, not particularly interesting, not particularly fantastic special effects, not much point to watching this.
- DirectorRobert AldrichStarsRalph MeekerAlbert DekkerPaul StewartA doomed female hitchhiker pulls Mike Hammer into a deadly whirlpool of intrigue, revolving around a mysterious "great whatsit".This movie is the bomb. Everyone and thing is so sleazy, it's hard to remember this was made in 1955. (And it's the reason why I don't give it an 8 - our hero is basically impossible to like - that and the girls running around without proper clothes on and barefoot like someone had a fetish - and oh my god, how did they get away with Velda and the pole - this film puts the sex and the dark and the ultimate "whatsit" to chase - into the noir.) I love the sounds at the end of this film. You'll know when. Rewatch.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsRobert RyanAudrey TotterGeorge TobiasExpecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.Possibly the last noir I'll watch in noirvember, cleaves much closer to the code than KMD - thoroughly satisfying if not quite as punchy as previous (hard to be) - I'm informed the movie takes exactly the same amount of time as shown on the clocks within, although I wouldn't have noticed - it does move fast, it does not cheat with flashbacks, it's solid. Rewatch. If KMD is about as noir as you can get, this isn't noir - this is hardboiled, literarily speaking.
- DirectorRobert MooreStarsPeter FalkAnn-MargretEileen BrennanSan Francisco, 1940, detectives, dames, documents, Nazis, and a treasure.Squeezed in a noir parody, and it was pretty good. Falk as Bogart is a lot of fun. A fair number of misses in the comedic line department, but also some moments which make you laugh - particularly if you've seen the movies this is riffing off. Not the world's greatest parody, but enough for an hour and a half.
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsLee MarvinAngie DickinsonKeenan WynnAfter being double-crossed and left for dead, a mysterious man named Walker single-mindedly tries to retrieve the money that was stolen from him.Re-watch. For some reason I thought this movie started with the most memorable sequence (Marvin walking down a hallway, echoing footsteps over a montage) This is a trippy, time-jumping crime caper/vengence film that feels like it's from later than the 1960s, except, of course, it's got all the 60s actors in it. Rounding it up to 7 for being unusual for it's time and still a bit unusual, but the truth is I prefer more straight-forward, less "artsy" story telling.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneClaire TrevorAndy DevineA group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.Such a standard-maker of a movie. Re-watch, although it's been awhile. It does feel a bit dated technologically these days, although there's one stunt in particular that still makes you go "um, woah" and the geography jumps are a bit funny, but what can you do, it's how old now? And it's okay, we all love Monument Valley. Made me start thinking how you could write a space-Stagecoach. Giving it a 7, could easily be 7.5, might not be an eight anymore.
- DirectorJoe DanteStarsJohn GoodmanCathy MoriartySimon FentonThe teenage son of a navy sailor newly stationed in Key West gets some excitement with his friends when a small-time film producer comes to town to premiere a kitschy horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis.I feel this was mis-described by my local station as primarily a comedy. Perhaps I'm just in a depressed state, but although there are definitely funny moments in it, I found it to be more a drama with scary reminders of nuclear war, and of how scared kids and everyone else must have been during the Cuban missile crisis, (and how we all can still be if we think about it) than the light, fun comedy that I was looking for. The ending shot of a helicopter felt completely random and I'm wondering if that was some sort of inside joke. Realized I'd seen this before after I started watching it this time.
- DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsMarlene DietrichJohn LodgeSam JaffeA German noblewoman enters into a loveless marriage with the dim-witted, unstable heir to the Russian throne, then plots to oust him from power.Apparently not a success when it came out, and you can understand why - there is not actually a lot of story-telling or plot going on - but there are lots and lots of gargoyles and weird sets and floofy costumes, which do hold your attention. I also wonder if this movie was actually filmed before the code came in, as there were some scenes that seem a bit "eh? how did that get in there?" code-wise, and I think I saw that it's certificate was number 16. Re-watch, mostly for the gargoyles and enormous doors, oh, and for the man being used as a bell clapper.
- DirectorChris WedgeCarlos SaldanhaStarsDenis LearyJohn LeguizamoRay RomanoThe story revolves around sub-zero heroes: a woolly mammoth, a saber-toothed tiger, a sloth and a prehistoric combination of a squirrel and rat, known as Scrat.Movie Club re-watch and a fun time.
- DirectorAlbert DupontelStarsNahuel Pérez BiscayartAlbert DupontelLaurent LafitteIn November 1919, two soldiers--a disfigured but brilliant artist and an ex-accountant--start a memorial con. But in Roaring Twenties France, their adventures soon turn dangerous.Got to feeling a bit long, there's only so much masked symbolism that I can take before I feel like I'm in some kind of lecture I'm not following, giving this the benefit of the doubt and assuming that it's actually subtle, and not, instead, exactly as it seems, which seems rather obvious. I am giving it an extra star for effort and costumes, though.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsJim CaviezelMonica BellucciMaia MorgensternDepicts the final twelve hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, on the day of his crucifixion in Jerusalem.This is an Easter movie, so we watched it as our Christmas movie this year. Look, it's intense, it's got lots of blood, it's a bit Catholic with the lingering on the collection of the blood, I'm not sure it makes sense to anyone who doesn't know their Chirst-crucifixion story (I was a bit confused about who some of the dudes were, myself.) It's good for what it is. It's unapologetic. It is definitely not "family-friendly." This is the first time I've seen this, and I was favourably impressed, but I'm not sure I need to see it again for quite some time. Having said that, it could have been even more bloody, I suppose -- although I'm not sure if I watched the slightly cut version or not. It was a bit short on hope, I felt. Isn't Easter (and Christmas) supposed to be about hope? I might of given it another star if it had done a bit more to explain itself and to explain the hope aspect of the story.
- DirectorPier Paolo PasoliniStarsEnrique IrazoquiMargherita CarusoSusanna PasoliniThe life of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Matthew. Pasolini shows Christ as a Marxist avant-la-lettre and therefore uses half of the text of Matthew.Held my attention for longer than I expected given it's rudimentary aspects, but eventually I got tired of all the reading of subtitles required and started to feel like I was being held captive as someone made a long long speech for which I only occasionally had context. For some bizarre reason, I was reminded of listening to Castro speechifying. I don't understand either Spanish or Italian, I think it was just the oratory style. A few images were interesting, but again, only for awhile. Perhaps this has greater impact if you understand Italian and can better let it wash over you or grasp nuances in delivery or something. Very hard not to shake your head in disbelief they thought this would look credible when they start throwing around the dolls in the killing babies scene.
- DirectorIrving ReisStarsGeorge SandersLynn BariJames GleasonThe Falcon and reporter Ann Riordan try to solve a string of murders after an ex-wrestler, released from jail, goes looking for his girl friend.Re-watch for Christmas, wanting something enjoyable and light after grinding through to the end of st. matthew. This delivers that, funny, quick, and they paid their actors and writers more than they spent on set design, as it should be. :P Rounding it up from a 6.5 to a 7. Not original (this is the Farewell My Lovely/Murder My Sweet story again) and I would say a bit of a rushed wartime filler, but a good Christmas choice for me.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsGary CooperBarbara StanwyckOscar HomolkaA group of professors working on a new encyclopedia while living in a Manhattan mansion take in a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover.Rewatch, as you suspected. At first I had some doubts this time, but it seems to get better/funnier as it goes along - and I remembered the bad guys being nicer at the end but that turned out to be not as I recalled, I thought DA ultimately conceeded, but he doesn't.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsJodie FosterMatthew McConaugheyTom SkerrittDr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, sending plans for a mysterious machine.Pretty good movie. A bit long though, with a slow set-up that probably wouldn't be as extended in a movie today. Re-watch, but it's been probably a decade and a half, anyway. Didn't remember much.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsKevin CostnerDavid Marshall GrantRae Dawn ChongMarcus takes his kid brother, David, with him for a physical test and a brain scan, suspecting cerebral aneurysm like their dad died of. They head off on bikes for the big Rockies bike race with Marcus' Sarah driving the van.Not a good movie. Fastforwarded through most of it. The fact that the race was still mildly exciting simply confirms that races are very hard to do extremely badly. The music is terrible. On the plus side, this was a new-film-to-me.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsJames CagneyVirginia MayoEdmond O'BrienA psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist.Re-watch. 7.5 - some of it (credibility/plot wise) is aging a bit difficultly.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsCharlton HestonEdward G. RobinsonLeigh Taylor-YoungA nightmarish futuristic fantasy about the controlling power of big corporations and an innocent cop who stumbles on the truth.Re-watch. I've seen this film a couple of times before, I think. It's creepy how relevant a lot of this film seems today. There are some world-building things that go completely unexplained, mostly related to Charlton Heston's age - I guess we're supposed to see him as younger ? Did that dude ever look young? (Should have watched this in 2022, when it's set.)
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsGeorge RaftHumphrey BogartAnn SheridanWhen one of two truck-driving brothers loses an arm, they both join a transport company where the other is falsely charged as an accessory in the murder of the owner.The primary problem with this movie is... George Raft. Who would actually want George Raft in their bedroom? These two dames are fighting over him? Please. Anyway. This is quite interesting sociologically - the way Ann Sheridan as a waitress is talked to... and the way she just seems to accept this... the story itself is okay. I'm glad Ida is in this. Does not make a lot of sense, particularly towards the end. Maybe a little bit long, and it's only an hour and 35 minutes. I think they were more fascinated with the driving scenes than we are today - it might be a "this was relatively new to do at the time so they were showing it off" problem. re-watch.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsNick NolteEddie MurphyAnnette O'TooleA hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him in order to track down a killer.This is a fun movie. It is what it is.
- DirectorSarah PolleyStarsRooney MaraClaire FoyJessie BuckleyDo nothing, stay and fight, or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith.This film is more interesting than it should be, given the difficulty of it's task (adapting a book I thought of as unfilmable.) It is not exactly exciting or hilarious, however. This is a serious film put together by serious people.
- DirectorFelix E. FeistStarsMichael O'SheaVirginia GreyCharles McGrawVicious hood 'Red' Kluger escapes from Folsom State Prison and follows through on his threats to the detective who arrested him and the D.A. who convicted him.I didn't know RKO was even still around in 1949 - I would say it had clearly seen better days, and this film is obviously a B-picture that hasn't been granted particular attention by the restoration people - but it is a perfectly fine B-movie, helped along by a pretty young looking Charles McGraw and the girl. (Virginia Grey) I don't know if I've seen this movie before or not - it's not one that is likely to stick to the mind, but it's fun for the short snappy time that it lasts. I was pleased with myself for recognizing Tony Caruso as one of the hoods.
- DirectorRobert ParrishStarsRoy ThinnesIan HendryPatrick WymarkThe European Space Exploration Council sends two astronauts to explore a planet similar to the Earth but located on the opposite side of the sun.It's sort of amusing in a so-bad-it's-funny/good way, and all things considered they try hard to do what they can with their apparently super-low budget, but really, it's just not very good. I am giving it an extra star for some creativity with the "future" gadgets.
- DirectorFelix E. FeistStarsRuth RomanSteve CochranLurene TuttleAn ex-convict and a woman fall in love, after she shoots her police Lt. boyfriend dead in self defense, and falsely leads him to believe that he did the shooting.A surprisingly enjoyable b-flick, that I don't think I've seen before.
- DirectorArmando IannucciStarsTom HollanderPeter CapaldiJames GandolfiniA political satire about a group of skeptical American and British operatives attempting to prevent a war between two countries.Re-watch for my Dad. This is definitely a movie for people who like political insider stuff. For the rest of us, it's a bit boring, especially a second time around.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.Movie Club movie for February. Re-watch. It's cool, but it's long and the plot is a bit difficult to follow - I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that there is a plot at all. This is not something you really need to see three times in 13 years, but maybe it'll be worth seeing again in another six or seven. However, by then, it's possible the special effects will have aged further. Right now, they're still looking pretty good, thank goodness, because the action/effects is really what this movie has going for it.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsRonald ColmanJane WyattEdward Everett HortonWhen a revered diplomat's plane is diverted and crashes in the peaks of Tibet, he and the other survivors are guided to an isolated monastery at Shangri-La, where they wrestle with the invitation to stay.Very slow. You can understand why it was cut by about half an hour. ( I watched the incompletely restored version) It is unfortunate that the film is no longer completely available, but I don't think it was exactly a masterpiece at any time. Re-watch, but it's been awhile, and I don't think I'll watch it again for a very long time. It's like... the concept was potentially quite interesting, but then everything after that failed.
- DirectorPreston SturgesStarsBarbara StanwyckHenry FondaCharles CoburnA trio of classy card sharks targets a socially awkward brewery heir, until one of them falls in love with him.A classic romcom. I think I might be watching this again next month for a cooking-watching party? (Edit: Nope, different 'Eve')
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsCarole LombardFred MacMurrayRalph BellamyA loafer and a manicurist, both planning to marry money, meet and form an uneasy alliance.Not nearly as funny as I hoped. Actually, when I picked it, I thought it was going to be a crime story. Then the comedy music started... but it's just not that funny. Did Ralph Bellamy EVER get the girl?
- DirectorCathy YanStarsMargot RobbieRosie PerezMary Elizabeth WinsteadAfter splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroines Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.Watched this for movie club. Probably wouldn't have watched it otherwise, which is why I like movie club. I found it a bit eeeh at first but eventually I got in to it and it became more enjoyable as it went along. 6.5, maybe 7?
- DirectorKing VidorStarsRichard ToddRuth RomanMercedes McCambridgeSent to a dude ranch in the west to recover her health, a New York actress falls in love with a ranch owner recently acquitted of the murder of his wife.Enjoyable, not terrific. Not entirely credible. More Mercedes please. (Probably a re-watch.)
- DirectorBlake EdwardsStarsGlenn FordLee RemickStefanie PowersA man with an asthmatic voice telephones and assaults clerk Kelly Sherwood at home and coerces her into helping him steal a large sum from her bank.This was fun. I suspect it was a re-watch, but if it was, I only remembered it very vaguely. Glenn Ford is actually perfect for this role!
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsGinger RogersRay MillandRita JohnsonA frustrated city girl disguises herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with a handsome Major.This is a very weird movie. There is absolutely no way it would be made today. It essentially flirts with paedophilia for laughs. And then it adds some ra-ra patriotism. It's just bizarre to watch now. I gather it was popular at the time, and apparently some people still really like it! There are some actually funny moments, but over all, it's just too weird! And Ginger doesn't even get a big dance sequence! (Possibly a re-watch, but I don't remember)
- DirectorBudd BoetticherStarsRay DantonKaren SteeleElaine StewartNeo-noir about a small-time New York City criminal whose ambition is to become a big-time crime boss during the Prohibition era.It's okay, but not great. The lead is obviously working hard hoping for a big break that never happened. (Possibly a re-watch, but again, I don't remember)
- DirectorJack ConwayRobert Z. LeonardStarsRonald ColmanElizabeth AllanEdna May OliverA pair of lookalikes, one a former French aristocrat and the other an alcoholic English lawyer, fall in love with the same woman amidst the turmoil of the French Revolution.It's a little slow at times, but what do you expect from a 2 hour 1935 movie? All considered, it's quite good. Must have been either a Christmas or Easter release.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsGene HackmanRoy ScheiderFernando ReyA pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.There is so much eating in this movie, I did not remember all the eating. Also, you probably already know this, lots of driving, and lots of artistic grime.
- DirectorIrving PichelStarsRobert YoungSusan HaywardJane GreerOn trial for murdering his girlfriend, philandering stockbroker Larry Ballentine takes the stand to claim his innocence and describe the actual, but improbable-sounding, sequence of events that led to her death.Good title, kinda silly movie, with a sleaze bag eventually successfully convincing a jury that although he's a sleazebag, his wife accidentally died and he "just" left her there in the river... And his mistress's death was an accident too. Re-watch, it's okay, it comes around.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsLana TurnerKirk DouglasWalter PidgeonAn unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, a director and a writer to achieve success.Considering the title they don't get up to too much bad. This is okay. Lana Turner is not my favourite movie star. She always looks slightly... sick? maybe? or just older than she's trying to be? dunno. Anyway, this movie feels slightly too long but it's perfectly fine of it's type. A rounding up to 7.
- DirectorArthur PennStarsWarren BeattyFaye DunawayMichael J. PollardBored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.I don't know what to call it, but the sort of hazy-shimmery-retro-glamourizing photography effect in use in a lot of this film is not my favourite. Re-watch. It was more fun than I remember it being. And more sexual. Maybe we fast-forwarded through some of this before, has it been since I was a kid since I last saw this??
- DirectorPhilip KaufmanStarsSam ShepardScott GlennEd HarrisThe U.S. space program's development from the breaking of the sound barrier to selection of the Mercury 7 astronauts, from a group of test pilots with a more seat-of-the-pants approach than the program's more cautious engineers preferred.Watched probably 4/5ths of this before the spring time change problem with the PVR cut it off. I've probably seen this before, but it must have been a long time ago. This seems like a very lengthy movie with an interesting mix of humour, earnestness, patriotism, and "manliness." Apparently it did not do well at the box office, I'm guessing because of length - but what I saw of it was pretty good despite being so long. And a plus to it, I wasn't sure while I was watching it if it was an 80s or 90s release, so it's obviously been aging fairly well.
- DirectorMichael PowellEmeric PressburgerStarsRoger LiveseyDeborah KerrAnton WalbrookFrom the Boer War through World War II, a soldier rises through the ranks in the British military.Really very strange, especially the first bit. (re-watch) You could probably fast-forward through some of this. Whoever is playing the lead is kind of annoying, actually. I'm amused that Churchill apparently tried to ban this movie because he thought it would hurt morale. Certainly, it's message at the end is a bit... strange... strangely forthright? for propaganda. Would probably have been a better movie at 2/3rds the length. (And I see it has been released in much shorter cuts...) More Anton Walbrook would have been nice. Giving it an extra little rating boof for being so strange.
- DirectorBlake EdwardsStarsJulie AndrewsJames GarnerRobert PrestonA struggling female soprano in 1934 Paris finally finds work after posing as a female impersonator, but it complicates her personal life when a visiting Chicago gangster finds himself inexplicably attracted to the seemingly male performer.I wonder if when I "watched" this as a kid if it got a lot of fastforwarding in our house, because I do not remember much of the, you know, gay stuff. Weirdly, it seems a lot of people find Preston's character funny --- I found him sympathetically sort of both fun and sad --- but not particularly funny, if that makes sense. There are funny bits, this is after all a comedy-musical, and the musical bits are generally solid, as you would expect from all the talent present. It is a bit long, and since this was made in 1982, the ending is a bit predictable, however, it does feel a bit surprising that this was made not-only-for-laughs in 1982.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsPeter FalkPeter BoyleAllen GarfieldA fictional retelling of the infamous Boston Brink's Company robbery on January 17th, 1950, of $2.7M, and cost the American taxpayers $29M to apprehend the culprits with only $58,000 recovered.I don't think I've seen this before. Columbo is always fun, and here he gets to play a criminal. Dad says he remembers getting a "baseball card" type thing about the robbery when he was a kid - it was a real thing, although probably not as goofy as depicted in this film. This movie isn't exactly fantastic, and some of the jokes don't work, but it's an entertaining enough way to spend some time and there's some rather surprisingly good moments of acting in here. With some better decisions made, this could have been a better movie.
- DirectorRobert RossenStarsDick PowellEvelyn KeyesLee J. CobbA high-class crook gets in trouble with the law.Yes, I know I watched this last year. So I watched it again. I see that last year I gave it six stars. I think this year I'm going to give it seven. Because I can! P.S. - I am revising my thoughts about the butler/bodyguard - now it seems like the relationship is more older-younger brother.
- DirectorGraham MooreStarsMark RylanceZoey DeutchJohn Gumley-MasonAn expert cutter must outwit a dangerous group of mobsters in order to survive a fateful night.For some reason I thought I'd already seen this movie but now I think I just saw the trailer a bunch of times. I have NOW seen this movie, and it was fun.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsAntonio BanderasAnthony HopkinsCatherine Zeta-JonesA young thief seeking revenge for his brother's death is trained by the once-great, aging Zorro, who is pursuing his own vengeance.Well, this has not aged well. I watched this about when it came out, when I was about the right age for it, and I remember it was fun, if stupid, and Banderas was cute... now not so much, the script seems quite dumb, some of the lines and moments are eye-rollicking stupid, the action is okay but seems to go on too long, and, I'm sorry to say, Mr Banderas no longer seems particularly appealing. It's a teenager popcorn movie that does not seem to have much for you if you're not a teenager, and I wonder how it is for today's teenagers - my guess it they find Zeta-Jones's character dissapointingly without anything to do.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsKirk DouglasDewey MartinElizabeth ThreattThe success of the journey focuses on keeping the Indian girl alive as well as themselves to complete trade with the Blackfeet.It seems some of this film has deteriorated pretty badly, probably because it has a history of being cut. Anyway, it's a serviceable "early" western story about fur trading up the Missouri into yellowstone country, coming up again the rather mysetriously undefined "Company" which i've been saying was the Astor company, basically because I don't want HBC to be the bad guys... it's a bit hard to judge this movie because of the deterioration it's experienced. I wonder why it wasn't in colour.
- DirectorMichael PowellEmeric PressburgerStarsDavid NivenKim HunterRobert CooteA British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.Probably a re-watch. A bit lame, as many of these "man should have gone to heaven, but something went wrong" films from the era are. But David Niven is eminently watchable.
- DirectorGeorge MillerGeorge OgilvieStarsMel GibsonTina TurnerBruce SpenceAfter being exiled from the most advanced town in post apocalyptic Australia, a drifter travels with a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.This is a fun movie, maybe not as fun as the earlier (and much later) "episodes" and the plot, particularly in the second half, makes no damn sense, but who really cares when you're got these sets, these costumes, these vehicles, and these stunts!?
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsRobert RedfordLena OlinAlan ArkinIn 1950s Cuba, a professional gambler falls for a woman heavily involved in the revolution movement.As I added this to this list I initially thought when it popped up "well it's not 1990" but hey, this movie was made in 1990. Wow. I would have said earlier than that. I would also have said Redford is dead, which... sorry Mr Redford, I did know better. Anyway, I forgot to give this stars when I typed it into the database and now I'm trying to remember what I thought about it so I guess since I can't remember this can't be anything more than a five or six. Oh I remembered. Okay, five is good. It's very shiny but it disappoints with a lack of revolution and about three different endings.
- DirectorOtto PremingerStarsJames StewartLee RemickBen GazzaraAn upstate Michigan lawyer defends a soldier who claims he killed an innkeeper due to temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife. What is the truth, and will he win his case?Re-watch. The code is dead. Long live the code! This movie must have been one of the first American films to use the words "rape" and "panties" out loud since the early 1930s, the way it rather emphasizes them (especially the panties. There is a speech from the judge about the use of the word panties, and the weird thing is that i remembered it!) Actually I probably still wouldn't show this movie to kids, which is another indication that it was complicit in the murdering of the code. Bonus points, this film name checks Blind River. Negative points, it's a courtroom drama that goes on a bit. Also, it's unclear if it's based on a true story or what. Probably considered quite daring at the time, it still has an edge, but the length is a serious problem. Watched it over two nights, which helped. It's also nice to see a movie set somewhere else beyond the big cities, where complicated crimes still happen.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneGeorge GeorgiouJohn Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.Somewhat disappointing, not as many laughs as there could have been, complete tease with the lack of a subway car fight, and after awhile the epic fight scenes start feeling repetitive. Opening is clearly but rather for no apparent reason saluting Lawrence of Arabia, wonder what other films they mimicked in places without me noticing. Very video game. Much flashing lights and bang bang. Very style. Very loud. Very indestructible. Very much hair. It seems this is the last, or at least the last with Keenu, and it was probably time. Liked the dances that keep dancing, although even that sequence was over-extended. Saw this in theatre, felt like I got my money's worth, but only just. Rounding up to seven.
- DirectorCharles VidorStarsDoris DayJames CagneyCameron MitchellA fictionalized account of the career of jazz singer Ruth Etting and her tempestuous marriage to gangster Marty Snyder, who helped propel her to stardom.Very sing-y. I probably have seen it before but didn't really remember it. Story is more complicated than it appears at first.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsDennis O'KeefeWallace FordAlfred RyderTwo US Treasury agents hunt a successful counterfeiting ring.Re-watch. I think I was extra tired and warm, but I was actually starting to fall asleep watching this last night, which does not happen often. It's not a bad movie, there are some excellent shadows, but I have seen it before, and... is it just me, or does Dennis O'Keefe look a bit like a much taller middle aged Alan Ladd?
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsGene TierneyRex HarrisonGeorge SandersIn 1900, a young widow finds her seaside cottage is haunted and forms a unique relationship with the ghost.Extra point for not being my "type" of movie and yet utterly charming me over this re-watch.
- DirectorDavid LeitchStarsBrad PittJoey KingAaron Taylor-JohnsonFive assassins aboard a swiftly-moving bullet train find out that their missions have something in common.Totally vapid entertainment. 6 stars. I feel like I've seen most of this before. Did have me wondering "how old is Brad now?"
- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsJude LawEd HarrisJoseph FiennesA Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad.The music is unfortunate. This could have been a good movie, but it fails due to someone somehow thinking a romance triangle was a good thing to stick in here. And due to Weisz somehow always having her lipstick with her. And fairly random "humanizing" lines being dropped in suddenly. Look, there was nothing wrong with just telling a story about a Soviet sniper dueling with a Nazi sniper. It would have probably been under two hours if you'd kept it more simple. 6.5 stars rounded down. Better than Bullet Train. Basically giving it points for the inherent interest here.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsEdward G. RobinsonIda LupinoJohn GarfieldAfter being fished out of the sea by a sailer, three fugitives find themselves prisoners of the ship's brutal skipper who refuses to put them ashore and they hatch an escape plan during a crew mutiny.Re-watch, and I remember it being sort of disappointing the last time, too. This movie has a a good set up and a rather lame second half. Apparently cuts are partially to blame. 7 or 8 star first half, barely watchable 4 or 5 star second half.
- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsHarrison FordBrad PittMargaret ColinA police officer uncovers the real identity of his house-guest, an I.R.A. terrorist in hiding.Re-watch. They had the Cranberries lady for the title song and then they went for extremely generic and rather annoying "Celtic" soundtrack?? Poor choices. I confused this one a bit with Patriot Games, in my mind. Patriot Games is the one with more 'splosions. This one is okay, but not as exciting as I thought it might be, because I was confused. Patriot Games review will probably come some time soon. Over all, this movie is a bit of a shrug. You probably don't need to see it. Bonus eyeroll points for two evil unionists - the para that shoots Brad's daddy and the SAS officer with the gleaming bad teeth.
- DirectorLloyd BaconMichael CurtizStarsBette DavisHumphrey BogartLola LaneA crusading district attorney persuades a clip joint hostess to testify against her mobster boss after her innocent sister is accidentally murdered during one of his unsavory parties.Feels dated, feels a little long, (and it's only an hour and a half!) probably a rewatch, feels like both bette and bogart were slumming here, or maybe just in a hurry to get on to the next film. don't really feel I'll need to see this one again. Apparently it was taking advantage of an at the time headline grabbing trial of Lucky Luciano, gangster and runner of dames. Apparently this film had a hard time getting past the censors in various parts of the world because it was so "obvious" that the women were prostitutes --- now, it is not obvious at all.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsCarole LombardFredric MarchCharles WinningerAn eccentric woman learns she is not dying of radium poisoning as earlier assumed, but when she meets a reporter looking for a story, she feigns sickness again for her own profit.also feels a bit dated, and the colour goes funny in places, but hey, it's less than an hour and a half. Also probably a rewatch, don't feel like I need to see it again anytime soon, although lombard is fun and I don't see her much so it was interesting for that alone.
- DirectorPaul BogartStarsJames GarnerGayle HunnicuttCarroll O'ConnorA young woman from Kansas hires LA private detective Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother.Amusing but not as fun as the earlier marlow movies. Probably a rewatch, I wouldn't mind seeing this one again sometime, in awhile. 6.5 maybe, on a day you're in the mood for a little late 60s late sleeziness and smooth catness.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsBoris KarloffElsa LanchesterColin CliveMary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Baron Henry Frankenstein, goaded by an even madder scientist, builds his monster a mate.Well, the finale of this film, with the vivifying machines crackling and the thunderstorms and the shadows, and the The Bride awakening, is quite good. Unfortunately, it does not last long, and you have to sit through the rest of the movie first, and although the movie-makers clearly realized they could have a good time with it, it is not great except for when you occasionally laugh at an over-the-top moment. The finale makes it almost worth it, but not quite - you mostly wonder why they couldn't do more like those moments. 8 star finale attached to a 5 star film. Oh, and Minnie is fun, although you wouldn't want too much of her.
- DirectorMichelangelo AntonioniStarsDavid HemmingsVanessa RedgraveSarah MilesA fashion photographer unknowingly captures a death on film after following two lovers in a park.My Dad admits that you probably had to be there but also says that he still thinks the "hero" of this movie is super cool. It is existential and it is very what we have now learned to call "male gaze" and I think it's ultimately kind of depressing, but that's possibly because I wasn't there ;) It does seem to have more pace and focus than a lot of Antonionis, I give it that. Is that because it's shorter? I think it might be. I guess it's fair to call this a movie that's definitive of it's era. I like the trees in the park and the tennis game at the end is okay too. (Re-watch)
- 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.Re-watch as part of London Jenny's Dinner and A Movie club! This is not my "type" of movie, as it's... all about actors and "the struggle" of being a star... but it is, in it's way, fun, and there are a huge number of stars in it, making it just the sort of capsule that Hollywood loves to reward. Don't worry if your eyes close now and then, you can listen to it and keep up quite well --- although you will miss a bit of non-verbal acting that way! Not quite a seven, due to self-involved plot.
- DirectorAlex ProyasStarsRufus SewellKiefer SutherlandJennifer ConnellyA man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from.Re-watched this because my Dad didn't remember it. Might give it another half star this watch, maybe because its easier to follow if you remember what's going to happen...
- DirectorRonald NeameStarsShirley MacLaineMichael CaineHerbert LomAn English cat burglar needs a Eurasian dancer's help to pull off the perfect heist, but even the most foolproof schemes have a way of backfiring.This is a bit so-so. There's nothing terrible with it, but it's also not great. The pacing is a bit slow, I found. Felt more like two hours than the hour and 45ish it actually is. Tastes a tiny bit dated. Not maybe as funny anymore as it hopes it is/maybe once was. I think probably men like this movie more than women due to Shirley MacClaine's outfits. Fair enough.
- DirectorAndré De TothStarsGene NelsonSterling HaydenPhyllis KirkReformed parolee Steve Lacey is caught in the middle when a wounded former cellmate seeks him out for shelter.This is pretty good. Watched it over two nights, unfortunately, and the second half didn't seem quite as excellent as the first half/set-up, that might have just been my differing mood, or an actuality, but regardless it was fun to watch a good solid B film noir that I didn't remember (although I have probably seen it before...) Apparently shot in two weeks. Lots and lots of location shooting. As my Dad said, an "excellent reproduction of the 1950s" :D 7.5 stars.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsBruce WillisMilla JovovichGary OldmanIn the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.I think this might be the third time I've seen this movie, and I have a vague memory that the second time I saw it I wasn't too impressed, but this third time I just enjoyed it, that's all.
- DirectorArchie MayoStarsPaul MuniBette DavisMargaret LindsayIn Mexico, a former lawyer becomes the invaluable second-in-command to a casino owner, whose wife begins to fall for him.Half way through this movie, it suddenly became apparent that the Ida Lupino movie I watched not too long ago was a remake of the second half of this movie - this is confirmed in IMDB notes. Paul Muni as a Mexican is a bit excruciating. Mind you, his very stage-y acting is a bit excruciating anyway. Weird and odd and socio-historically interesting use of the word "equality" at the end of the film. Still don't get it. Not a great film, but serves a sociological-study purpose.
- DirectorRoger DonaldsonStarsKevin CostnerGene HackmanSean YoungA coverup and witchhunt occur after a politician accidentally kills his mistress.Not bad. Not fantastic. Some of the things don't make a lot of sense. Played "guess the end" about half way through and one of my two possible predictions turned out to be correct. Passable entertainment.
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsViola DavisMichelle RodriguezElizabeth DebickiFour women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities take fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.Movie Club Watch!
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsEdward G. RobinsonMarlene DietrichGeorge RaftTwo friends, who are members of a road crew employed by a Los Angeles power company, battle the elements to restore electrical power, and trade punches over the same woman.This is a fun movie that feels a bit B but in a having-fun way. It just enjoys it's dialogue and wise cracks and it seems to know it's all over the top and is just like "yeah, so?"
- DirectorWilliam BeaudineStarsPaul GraetzViolet FarebrotherChili BouchierThis is a story about Mr. Cohen, a father who owns a large department store in London and cares about being a good shopkeeper and good person. Mr. Cohen's elder son and a friend's son work there and have slowly taken on more and more responsibility with the inadvertent result that Mr Cohen has begun to feel unimportant. Mr. Cohen longs to start over with a small shop to regain what he feels he has lost. One subplot involves Mr. Cohen's attempts to remain relevant by helping a small shopkeeper both before and after a major life event for the family. Another subplot involves his younger son's marriage decision and Mr. Cohen's involvement. Mr. Cohen ultimately takes a trip for distraction and looks at buying a small shop. Just in time to save the day, he realizes that he is needed at home after all.i'm not even jewish and I'm offended. Only watched about ten minutes of this. Frankly don't understand who this was for.
- DirectorMichael GordonStarsLana TurnerAnthony QuinnRichard BasehartAfter a married woman and her lover murder her cruel husband, they find themselves targeted by someone who is aware of their crime.I thought this was going to be black and white but it's colour. Lana aged well, I actually like her better as an older actress. Huh. (Edit: I forgot to rate this when I first added it to the list and now I don't remember enough, so I'm just going to give it a six as that seems to be it's average rating.) (Another Edit: Lana is not as old here as I thought she was. Woops.)
- DirectorRoy Del RuthStarsBebe DanielsRicardo CortezDudley DiggesA lovely dame with dangerous lies employs the services of a private detective, who is quickly caught up in the mystery and intrigue of a statuette known as the Maltese Falcon.The older, lesser Maltese Falcon. The pace is noticeably slower, the acting noticeable older... it's still watchable, basically because you're surprised by how true-to-source they both must be (the script seems practically identical in many places) (might have seen this before, but I don't remember)
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsRichard PryorHarvey KeitelYaphet KottoWhen three automotive factory workers who're struggling financially try to steal from their own labor union, they discover corruption, and reluctantly decide to use this information for blackmail.This was a good movie, although as usual with this director/writer, it's not a giggle-fest. Not everything makes 100% sense, but that's all right. Bonus points for use of music.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsVan JohnsonVera MilesCecil ParkerA blind American writer living in London stumbles upon a criminal conspiracy involving kidnapping and extortion.Eh. Feels like we've seen this movie three million times. (Maybe it was fresher when it came out, but... eh.) Actually had never seen it before. There's some interest in the occasional shot of 1950s London, smoggy! But it's ultimately disappointing, and also a bit hard to follow the logic. So the big bad was actually a girl dressed up as a man? But still wearing perfume? Huh? What kind of costume is that??
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerLinda HamiltonMichael BiehnA human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.Re-watched for May Movie Club. Rounding slightly up to 8. The last sequence's special effects are a bit noticeably from the 80s, but I can't hold that against it!
- DirectorRichard WallaceStarsFred AllenJack BennyDon AmecheThe ringmaster of a flea circus inherits a fortune...if he can find which chair it's hidden in.about two weeks after seeing this movie, had to look it up to remember it in order to rate it, because the title tells you nada. This is a "collection of comedians in a silly script" movie. It's not bad. It is silly. It's not hilarious, although there are funny moments. It's okay. It was filling a need at the time, one presumes. probably a rewatch.
- DirectorAndré De TothStarsRandolph ScottDolores DornMarie WindsorA bounty hunter, hired by Pinkerton, trails 3 unknown murderous train robbers to a town and finds a host of suspects.OK western that does not have a lot of pace. or money.
- DirectorJohn SaylesStarsJohn CusackClifton JamesJace AlexanderA dramatization of the Black Sox scandal when the underpaid Chicago White Sox accepted bribes to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series.baseball movie that assumes not only do you watch baseball, but you also know all about the dudes who sold out the world series more than a hundred years ago. Heavy on the atmospherics, not too much on a focused plot. Somewhere between a 5 and 6 - I was sort of dozing off in places. may have seen this before but if i did it was ages ago.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsBurt LancasterAudrey HepburnAudie MurphyThe neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.Re-watch for Dad's birthday week. Yes, this is the one in which Audrey Hepburn is revealed to be playing a character who is ethnically Kiowa. And with long hair down the entire time despite that she is supposed to be living on a working ranch. Yes, you're right, it does not make huge amounts of sense, there are definite plot problems (one character just disappears completely part of the way through with no explanation, for example.) I guessed very early on how the two main characters would end up - I don't know if that's because I remembered it, or because it's so dang obvious.
However, there is one particularly great character here - the old soldier/cavalry dude that mysteriously shows up in the mists, and while none of it fits fantastically well together (nor does it fit fantastically well with today's social beliefs) it's worthwhile for Lancaster, landscapes and general western-ness, and the doom-soldier (who does not appear at all in the trailer, I guess they didn't know he was one of the best things in the movie.) - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsSamuel L. JacksonKurt RussellJennifer Jason LeighIn the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.Re-watch for Dad's birthday week. What can you say? It's Tarantino Tarantino-ing, and you'll either enjoy it or you won't. I don't love all of his movies, but this one I find pretty fun. (There is probably a genre-factor here.) I must admit I remember it being a bit more fun, though. Maybe some of the attitudes are not aging well, even after less than a decade of social envelope moving? Or maybe it's because I watched it in interrupted pieces this time?
- DirectorAlberto CavalcantiStarsSally GrayTrevor HowardGriffith JonesAfter WW2, former RAF airman Clem Morgan joins a gang of black-market smugglers-thieves but when a robbery goes wrong, Clem is caught , framed for a policeman's murder, and is sent to prison where he plots his escape and revenge.Re-watch, or not? still Dad's birthday week. British noir. Can't remember if I liked it or not, so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a six for now. (Really should write these reviews sooner after seeing the movie.)
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsRobert MitchumKen TakakuraEiji OkadaAmerican private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.really quite boring. Dad says the version we most recently watched had violence cut from it, which jives with my memory - this cut especially is too ponderous for little pay off. re-watch.
- DirectorEdward H. GriffithStarsFred MacMurrayMadeleine CarrollAllan JonesA Manhattan career woman tries to resist a man who wants her to be his wife.To my shock, they actually DO go to Bali. (Well... you know what I mean.) This movie will absolutely infuriate feminists. It's okay. Not great, not terrible, just okay. Too bad there was so much of the kid, it deteriorates when she starts hogging the airtime. Very much a movie "of it's time."
- DirectorMichael BayStarsWill SmithMartin LawrenceLisa BoyleTwo hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct.This was so bad I fastforwarded through lots of it and by the time we reached the end even the xplosions were boring. But on the plus side, I remembered the song. Whatchya gunna do?
- DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettRaymond MasseyWhen a conservative middle aged professor engages in a relationship with a femme fatale, he's plunged into a nightmarish world of blackmail and murder.The ending is terrible and violates one of the cardinal rules of story telling, but the rest of it is pretty fun, although not quite enough Duryea. Giving it a seven for nine-tenths of the film.
- DirectorMichael PowellStarsIan HunterNancy O'NeilPeter GawthorneUnemployed car salesman Peter is encouraged by his girlfriend Cynthia to approach the head of a petrol company with his plan for making petrol stations more attractive to customers. When the man rejects the idea Peter joins a rival company and becomes a great success.No, no it does not. Watched some of this movie but gave up.
- DirectorSamuel FullerStarsLee MarvinMark HamillRobert CarradineA hardened sergeant and the four core members of his infantry unit try to survive World War II as they move from battle to battle throughout Europe.Huh. I would have placed this film in the '70s. It was close, I guess. This is... hmmm. The parts where they blow things up and shoot at stuff and people are fine, I guess, but some of the other stuff is either really not as funny as they must have thought, or sometimes overly saccharine, although there are also some effective "emotional" bits too... this is pretty uneven, some of it is kind of folklore-like and some of it is not. Apparently it's a sort of memoir, which is probably part of it's problem. This is apparently one of those films that has a "restored" "director's cut" and I don't know which one I saw. Since it felt a bit long, I'm going to assume I saw the restored version. I'm giving it a six since it works hard with a relatively small budget.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsChristian SlaterPatricia ArquetteDennis HopperIn Detroit, a pop-culture nerd steals cocaine from his new wife's pimp and tries to sell it in Hollywood, prompting the mobsters who own the drugs to pursue the couple.Probably re-watch. Very Tarantino, even if he's not the credited director. A bit silly.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsKirk DouglasVirginia MayoJohn AgarA U.S. Marshall and two deputies rescue a cattle rustler from a lynch mob led by a local cattle baron convinced that the rustler also killed his son.Probably also a rewatch. Not bad. Not great. It's okay.
- DirectorBill DukeStarsLaurence FishburneJeff GoldblumLira AngelA uniformed police officer is recruited by the DEA to infiltrate a drug smuggling ring looking to expand its operation.This was better than I expected it to be. Rounding up to 7. Some of the plotting is a bit perfunctory but the style is pretty cool
- DirectorPreston SturgesStarsClaudette ColbertJoel McCreaMary AstorA New York inventor needs cash to develop his big idea, so his adoring wife decides to raise it by divorcing him and marrying an eccentric Florida millionaire with a capricious high-society sister.Know this one was a re-watch. It's funny, if not quite side-splitting. One of those family movies of ours.
- DirectorRay EnrightStarsRandolph ScottRobert RyanAnne JeffreysBat Masterson's old friend Billy Burns convinces him to become marshal of Liberal, Kansas and help the residents fight drought and a destructive range war.Oh no, Gabby Hayes. Well, he's not particularly excruciating in this. A lot of my sense of suspense was waiting to find out what the wheat secret was going to be -- turns out I guessed right (they discovered winter wheat, hurray and Kansas was saved!) Oh and Bat Masterson sadly does not mention his brother. Or his famous friends. Watching this over two nights makes it a bit hard to judge fairly. I think it was another okay but not great western. Oh no! I just remembered, it's got a stupid final scene that is presumably supposed to be funny but mostly makes you go "Oooohkay" in a light-hearted eyeroll.
- DirectorRichard ThorpeStarsJoan CrawfordFred MacMurrayConrad VeidtOxford Professor Richard Myles and his new bride Frances are off on a European honeymoon. It isn't the typical honeymoon: they are on a spying mission for British Intelligence on the eve of World War II.Ack, I forgot to rate this when I added it to the list. Now I have to try and remember it! Ohhh the spy one. Okay. Well, my assumption is this was a war-effort quickie. It's a bit weird/awkward in that way many war-effort/propaganda films can be - it IS funny in places (and it's funny to see Joan Crawford making comedy) but some of it makes less than perfect sense, and it's disappointing that Rathbone gets so little time to be an evil Nazi. Could have been better, but probably didn't have the time, money or inclination to make too much of an effort.
- DirectorAnthony FabianStarsLesley ManvilleIsabelle HuppertLambert WilsonA widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own.Kept waiting for someone to bite, but no, it's fluffy all the way. Clearly, it was doing what it wanted to do, but it felt a lot like a movie designed for little old ladies and fans of Amelie. Totally bored my Dad, I was more okay with it I guess, but wouldn't want to watch all like this all the time, that's for definite sure.