2023-2024 List
Films watched between Nov. 16th 2023 and Nov. 17th 2024
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- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsMikhail BaryshnikovGregory HinesJerzy SkolimowskiA Russian American ballet dancer's airplane is forced to land in USSR, where he's "repatriated". He stays with an American man married to a Russian. Will the American help him flee USSR?Starts off with an excellent performance, but can't live up to that promise. Needed more dancing, less slow plotting, and the ending is idiotic. More or less held my attention, but next time I'm hitting the fast forward button and skipping the boring bits.
- DirectorJosef von SternbergMel FerrerNicholas RayStarsRobert MitchumJane RussellWilliam BendixNick Cochran, an American in exile in Macao, has a chance to restore his name by helping capture an international crime lord. Undercover, can he mislead the bad guys and still woo the attractive singer/petty crook, Julie Benson?I thought I heard a joke here about Bendix being in Saigon before coming to Macao, but that joke actually makes no sense so I must have made it up myself. Noirvember review (and poem) to come! (This was probably a re-watch, but I don't remember for sure)
- DirectorMichael CurtizFriz FrelengStarsJack CarsonDoris DayLee BowmanAn agent must search for a new personality to replace a popular singer who refuses to renew his radio contract. He finds one in the form of a single mother, but complications soon occur.Surprisingly entertaining, but not fantastic. Apparently there was a legal contestion about the title song and if it was also the Johnny Dollar song.
- DirectorHal AshbyStarsBeau BridgesLee GrantDiana SandsAt the age of 29, Elgar Enders (Beau Bridges) "runs away" from home. This running away consists of buying a building in a black ghetto in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. Initially, his intention is to evict the black tenants and convert it into a posh flat. But Elgar is not one to be bound by yesterday's urges, and soon he has other thoughts on his mind. He's grown fond of the black tenants and particularly of Fanny (Diana Sands), the wife of a black radical; he's maybe fallen in love with Lanie (Marki Bey), a mixed race girl; he's lost interest in redecorating his home. Joyce (Lee Grant), his mother has not relinquished this interest and in one of the film's most hilarious sequences gives her MasterCharge card to Marge (Pearl Bailey), a black tenant and appoints her decorator.Watched the first few minutes of this and decided it was pretty stupid. Did not watch the rest.
- DirectorDon SiegelStarsClint EastwoodLee J. CobbSusan ClarkArizona Deputy Sheriff Coogan is sent to New York City to escort an escaped fugitive back for trial.Glanced at this again but after the first NYC scene in the police station decided I didn't need to see it again so soon. Keeping the 6 stars up I gave to it previously. (Incomplete re-watch)
- DirectorRonald NeameStarsPeter FinchMary UreNatasha ParryA doctor's sophisticated wife joins him at his remote Asian practice to try and patch up their marriage. Increasingly violent friction between local rubber plantation workers and the authorities force both parties to make decisions.This was not really what I expected. First of all, I thought it might be b+w. It wasn't. It's an okay story but not astonishingly exciting in any way.
- DirectorJack BernhardStarsJean GillieEdward NorrisRobert ArmstrongA mortally wounded female gangster recounts how she and her gang revived an executed killer from the gas chamber, to try and find out where he buried a fortune in cash.A delicious little b-noir with a tres fatale femme. (Side note: the policeman asks the doctor for "keep awake" pills) (A re-watch but it had been awhile)
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsTeresa WrightRobert MitchumJudith AndersonA boy haunted by nightmares about the night his entire family was murdered is brought up by a neighboring family in the 1880s. He falls for his lovely adoptive sister but his nasty adoptive brother and mysterious uncle want him dead.Dad wanted to watch this again so we did. (Re-watch)
- DirectorJack SholderStarsKyle MacLachlanMichael NouriClaudia ChristianA cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals.This movie seems to be teen-age summer block buster type repetitive nonsense, watched the first quarter or so but then stopped. Maybe watchable in a different mood. Advertised as a horror/sci-fi/comedy mash up, fails to be scary. Obvious McLachlan is also an alien from the very start, and I didn't even read the synopsis until after giving this movie a try. It's sort of mindlessly entertaining. Probably best watched with pizza, popcorn and friends.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsJack NicholsonCherSusan SarandonThree single women in a picturesque village have their wishes granted, at a cost, when a mysterious and flamboyant man arrives in their lives.Some of this is funny, (jack Nicholson on the bed being seductive is a highlight) a lot of it is strange, and all of it seems to go on long. (I might of seen this ages and ages ago but I'm not sure it should count as a re-watch because I really didn't remember it)
- DirectorRobert AldrichStarsRock HudsonKirk DouglasDorothy MaloneAt a Mexican ranch, fugitive O'Malley and pursuing Sheriff Stribling agree to help rancher Breckenridge drive his herd into Texas where Stribling could legally arrest O'Malley, but Breckenridge's wife complicates things.About a quarter into this movie I became fascinated with how skinny the intense Kirk Douglas was (his all-black clothing in this movie does nothing but accentuate this) and then I had trouble concentrating on anything else except his legs. And the fact he's here as one of those people who look like their heads are too big for their bodies. Sorry Mr. Douglas. (This was probably a re-watch)
- DirectorCharles LaughtonStarsRobert MitchumShelley WintersLillian GishA self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.The only question is - is this a seven or an eight? Need to write this a proper review for noirvember. Noir Eddy calls this a "noir fairytale" and I agree. (re-watch, but it's been... a decade and a half, at least?)
- DirectorPhilippe FalardeauStarsReese WitherspoonArnold OcengGer DuanyA group of Sudanese refugees, given the chance to resettle in the U.S., arrive in Kansas City, Missouri, where their encounter with an employment agency counselor forever changes all of their lives.Pretty much goes as you expect. Sentimental scenes, check. Happy ending, check. Witherspoon doing her patented busy modern woman thing, then discovering she has a heart, check. Watched this for library film club. Not bad. Not terribly good. Just a movie.
- DirectorJerry HopperStarsSterling HaydenGloria GrahameGene BarryA chief of police detectives fired for brutality, tries to get evidence on a man suspected of killing 3 of his officers.I see that I previously gave this five stars. On this re-watch, I would probably give it a six. Going to have to track down my first review of it here on IMDB now... okay, well, very unhelpfully, I just say back in 2020 or 2021 it was a bit disappointing. Well, it was fine this time. Let's upgrade that rating, shall we? Not all of the plot makes terrific sense, that's true, and it's abit of a tale of two halves, but as a little noir crunchy it's quite satisfactory. You can't eat steak every night. (re-watch)
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack NicholsonFaye DunawayJohn HustonA private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.7 or 8? Maybe an eight, because even though I was resisting watching this for close to a year (it's been on my PVR for quite some time) when I finally decided that on the last night of noirvember, I really should give it a try (this is a re-watch but I didn't remember it well enough to remember if I liked it or not and my resistance was based on the descriptions of it that I was picking up from writing craft books) I didn't want to stop the movie until it was over even if it did mean staying up late.
- DirectorTom GriesStarsCharlton HestonJoan HackettDonald PleasenceAging cowboy Will Penny gets a line camp job on a large cattle spread and finds his isolated cabin is already occupied by an abandoned woman traveler and her young son.nice. definite echoes of shane, I would say, but also a bit of it's own thing - definitely going for "more realistic" and a bit of a surprise ending. (re-watch but it's been awhile)
- DirectorMark SandrichStarsFred AstaireGinger RogersRalph BellamyA psychiatrist falls in love with the woman he's supposed to be nudging into marriage with someone else.Realized after I started watching this I've already seen it and not toooo long ago (although my watching it predates my lists on imdb) but who cares, it's what I wanted to watch - a silly dance-y movie during the dark of december (re-watch)
- DirectorDanny DeVitoStarsDanny DeVitoBilly CrystalKim GreistA bitter ex-husband wants his former spouse dead. A put-upon momma's boy wants his mother dead. Who will pull it off?This is silly. Part of this movie is in that compilation of writer's block moments in movies. There was (another) silly slapstick moment in this film that made me laugh a lot, unexpectedly. I'd watch this again, even if it's not a great movie.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsRichard WidmarkCarroll BakerKarl MaldenThe Cheyenne, tired of broken U.S. government promises, head for their ancestral lands but a sympathetic cavalry officer is tasked to bring them back to their reservation.This movie must have had a weird history, because it clearly ran out of money at the end, and the whole dodge city segment has very little relationship to the rest of the story - it's like they started filming it without knowing where it was going and just went with whatever occurred to them at the time until the studio said "woah!" It looks really good for most of it, though. Even if the geography gets pretty questionable, you don't really care, because it's still pretty. (Re-watch)
- DirectorLewis AllenStarsFrank SinatraSterling HaydenJames GleasonIn the city of Suddenly, three gangsters trap the Benson family in their own house, on the top of a hill nearby the railroad station, with the intention of killing the president of the USA.This is essentially a silly movie, which ignores some basic physicality (Hayden looks like he could just flick Sinatra with a finger and would be Presidential assassin Sinatra would be a threat no more - although Sinatra is trying real hard to be intense) in general, it tries hard, and there's lots of location shooting which is nice from a historical interest perspective. It's just that the script and set up is fundamentally unconvincing. I don't remember seeing this before.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonDanny DeVitoMichelle PfeifferWhile Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin wreaking havoc across Gotham with the help of a cruel businessman, a female employee of the latter becomes the Catwoman with her own vendetta.Movie club watch! (Also actually almost certainly a re-watch, but without any memories attached.) Thanks to Dad going deaf, he seems to have enjoyed this more than me, with this movie played too damn loud.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandLionel AtwillAfter treating a Monmouth rebel against King James II in 1680s England, a young Irish doctor is exiled as a slave to Jamaica where he captures a Spanish galleon and becomes the most feared pirate of the Caribbean.This is fun (re-watch)
- DirectorGeorge SeatonHenry HathawayStarsBurt LancasterDean MartinGeorge KennedyA bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.And this is fun, too. Van Heflin as the mad bomber looks like an somewhat unwell 70-something-year old smoker, (he was actually in his early 60s) but anyway he's still got his voice. I wondered while watching if this was his last film because he looks done - turns out it was. This film has a ridiculous script, but it's not a terrible performance to go out on, you feel sorry for the character (as well as the actor.) However, and pushing top-billed Lancaster aside, Helen Hayes is one of the highlights as the habitual stowaway - she adds needed humour and lightness to what would otherwise be in risk of being a terrible grind. I can understand why this film is mocked - some of the special effects are not so special, for starters - but it's not meant to be taken too seriously, it's just a big dumb holiday-time film, and you don't have to turn it into camp to enjoy it. Most of the people in this movie are doing the best they can with a silly situation, many of them, I'm sure, recognized the lack of artistic merit in the film (not just Lancaster, who apparently called it a piece of junk) ---- (a piece of junk that is also an obvious propaganda piece for the airline industry) but we also need to recognize this film was one of the first of the big disaster movies. I recommend going into this movie knowing as little as possible about what others think about it, you'll probably enjoy it more that way. 6.5 stars. P.S.- Dad says he didn't have to put his carry-on through any x-ray machines when he flew to London at roughly about this time but can't remember when that screening practise became standard - anyway this film is clearly made before that security measure was undertaken. (Rewatch)
- DirectorGeorge AbbottStanley DonenStarsDoris DayJohn RaittCarol HaneyAn Iowa pajama factory worker falls in love with an affable superintendent who had been hired by the factory's boss to help oppose the workers' demand for a pay raise.(probably a re-watch) What can I say. I was in an unusual musical mood for Christmas this year. This worked.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsFred AstaireCyd CharisseOscar LevantA pretentiously artistic director is hired for a new Broadway musical and changes it beyond recognition.Not as fun as some of the other Astaires, but still an enjoyable Christmas-time watch, there's a bit of sarcasm in here (courtesy of Oscar Levant, of course, who turns on "come on gang, let's put on a show") - and it just doesn't quite fit with Astaire. (I suspect this was a re-watch)
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonShirley MacLaineFred MacMurrayA Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.(Re-watch for Dad at Christmas) I'm torn between giving it a 6 or a 7. It felt too long to me, but I have seen it a couple of times already and that could be part of it. There are some nice scenes.
- DirectorMichael CurtizWilliam KeighleyStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandBasil RathboneWhen Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence in 1190s England, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a resistance movement.Seeing that this was from 1938, I asked, "is this in colour? I'm not sure." Whoooboy is it EVER. This is definitely a kid's movie, but who cares? My only real complaint is Basil Rathbone doesn't get more lines - I think (I am just making this up, don't take it seriously) that he was offered the chance to play Prince John, and he said naaaah I wanna be in a sword fight. (There is some rather alarming hair/wiggery in this movie, snigger and move on.) (Re-watch)
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartGrace KellyWendell CoreyA wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window and, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.(Re-watch) I have seen this movie multiple times. It still makes me smile.
- DirectorBrian Desmond HurstStarsAlastair SimJack WarnerKathleen HarrisonEbenezer Scrooge, a curmudgeonly, miserly businessman, has no time for sentimentality and largely views Christmas as a waste of time. However, this Christmas Eve, he will be visited by three spirits who will show him the error of his ways.(re-watch) for London Jenny's Movie Club - enjoyable enough, potentially a bit too creepy for the very young, scrooge is always better at the start of this story when he's so amusingly cranky, and then he gets all gooey, how disappointing, but nice.
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsCary GrantDoris DayGig YoungA rich businessman and a young woman are attracted to each other, but he only wants an affair while she wants to save herself for marriage.I don't know if I've seen this before or not. It wasn't bad. There's a sub-plot/running joke that's introduced part of the way about a therapist thinking his patient is gay - 100% not a joke today and would almost certainly earn this movie content warnings on some channels. Grant and Day are charming, as you expect. main plot is a bit old-fashioned too, but it's all very professional, the opening credits are fun.
- DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsHumphrey BogartJosé FerrerVan JohnsonWhen a U.S. Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardises the ship, the first officer is urged to consider relieving him of command.This was apparently a huge box-office hit, made from a popular novel. It's pretty good, although I feel I do have to note the special effects during the storm are not perfectly credible, (for obvious reasons they're using a model in a tank) and the romance plot I suspect is mostly there because it was there in the book, not because it's particularly interesting for the film. I was surprisingly impressed by Van Johnson in this, and MacMurray is working - everyone talks about Bogart, but we already know he's Bogart, he's gunna be fun to watch. Apparently there was some feeling this film should be longer, and it's true that some aspects seem a bit unexplored, MacMurray's character's switch to cowardice for example, seems a bit sudden, but I don't think we needed the film to be too much longer, maybe just a little differently focused. (What if we gave the other characters more time to develop and left out the girl?) It also seems to switch tones rather abruptly now and then, sometimes kinda funny/happy and then serious, and it takes a few seconds to figure out which we're doing now when a scene starts. (The score contributes to this problem as it's quite upbeat.) I'm sure this is a re-watch, but I didn't remember it much at all. Feel like I'm rounding up slightly to 7.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsMarilyn MonroeTony CurtisJack LemmonAfter two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.Re-watch for Jenny's movie club. I think it might have been my mood, and it might have been the circumstances that had me watching this over two nights, but I just didn't find this as funny as I expected to. It's not that it's not funny, it's just that I don't remember ever laughing out loud. The third and most worrying possibility is that I'm now brainwashed by the present and incapable of finding some of these jokes amusing. (The fourth possibility is that I'm just not a huge Marilyn fan.)
- DirectorFrank BorzageStarsCharles BoyerJean ArthurLeo CarrilloA wealthy divorcée falls for a charming Parisian, but her insanely jealous ex-husband will do anything to get her back.This is a crazy movie, I think the screenwriter(s?) went mad in the second half and we somehow go from your fairly standard romance to the sinking of a ship that is totally not the Titanic after a vengeful super-rich husband orders it to travel full-speed ahead. It keeps going and going far longer than you have any expectation that it will. Boyer and Arthur are tres charmant and almost keep the thing alive, but they can't stop you from wondering what the hell happened to the script. Note for self: This film unexpectedly includes several refrains of the "I get ideas, boom boom" song.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsGabriel ByrneAlbert FinneyJohn TurturroTom Reagan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.Finally I go around to re-watching this, basically a month late. Anyway. This is fun. They know it's about the hats. Wildly not actually as bloody as I remember it, oh what a difference three decades make. (But it is violent, don't worry.) I enjoyed this movie as it's own, and I'm also looking forward to comparing it to The Glass Key soon. Maybe. Hopefully. Jesus.
- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsJulia RobertsDenzel WashingtonSam ShepardA law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger.This is not a very good movie, although it must have been an expensive movie. It... does not make a lot of sense, and it takes a long time doing it. like, a really long time. Not sure I've seen this before.
- DirectorMark SandrichStarsFred AstaireGinger RogersEdward Everett HortonAn American dancer comes to Britain and falls for a model whom he initially annoyed, but she mistakes him for his goofy producer.Back to good ol' Fred. And Ginger. (Re-watch)
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.Movie Club re-watch. I've seen this enough times now. I think for a first time watcher, it's more exciting - probably a six or even a seven then.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsJohn WayneRobert MitchumJames CaanCole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with old friend, Sheriff J.P. Hara. Together with an old Indian fighter and a gambler, they help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher who's trying to steal their water.Hilariously, they claimed this was totally different from Rio Bravo, because it's "backwards." Whatever, dudes. It's Rio Bravo - only everyone is older and a bit slower, and there's no singing. Also no Walter Brennan. Basically, it's an inferior remake of Rio Bravo by a bunch of people who really liked what they did in Rio Bravo. It's not bad, but it's not Rio Bravo. It's like an old shoe. Nothing wrong with a comfortable old shoe, but this one is pretty old and probably should be retired. This movie is actually shorter than RB, but it feels longer. Instead of this one... watch... Rio Bravo. (Re-watch)
- DirectorJalmari HelanderStarsJorma TommilaAksel HennieJack DoolanWhen an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, German soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.This was stupid and gory and just ridiculous. Rating it against movies of it's kind, it does everything it sets out to do, and does it pretty well, so I'm going to give it a 7, but there's absolutely no depth to it and no reason to watch it every again.
- DirectorGordon WilesStarsBarry SullivanBelitaJoan LorringShubunka (Barry Sulivan) is a cynical gangster who controls the Neptune Beach waterfront. He runs a numbers racket with the local soda shop owner. The police are in his pocket and the local hoods are on his payroll.I liked the tile and the polkadot and stripe wallpapers. They clearly had fun designing the relatively few sets to work as accentuates of the black and white - unfortunately the set designers seem to have been the ones having the most fun - this is quite a strange one, probably worthy of another watch to see what I can make of the mood at another time. At the moment, I'm thinking it could probably have used a different lead, but they probably couldn't afford one. The supporting cast is good, as you expect from all the "oh, yeah, that guy!" names in the credit.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsJason SchwartzmanScarlett JohanssonTom HanksFollowing a writer on his world famous fictional play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to small rural Asteroid City to compete in a junior stargazing event, only to have his world view disrupted forever.Very strange. I have no idea what I was supposed to take from this. Also, it was physically hard to watch, until my eyes adjusted somewhat, but definitely not the the best Wes Anderson, who I assume was thinking all of this was super clever, and heck, maybe it was, but as an audience member who likes to think she's reasonably intelligent, I was alternately bored, kinda confused, tired of playing "name that star" and wondering when the laughs would happen. (Answer - possibly at the end, when the roadrunner dances. And the random car chase was funny too.) (P.P.S. - possibly we're supposed to derive great meaning from the repetition of the line that goes something like "you can't wake up unless you fall asleep.")
- DirectorRichard QuineStarsDoris DayJack LemmonErnie KovacsJane Osgood runs a lobster business, which supports her two young children. Railroad staff inattention ruins her shipment, so with her lawyer George, Jane sues Harry Foster Malone, director of the line and the "meanest man in the world".I was wondering why the blond seemed so familiar, until it finally dawned on me that he must have been Steve Forrest (who I don't remember seeing so much of before) and of course, being Dana Andrews brother, that would explain why he seemed vaguely familiar... anyway, this is a pretty good movie. In real life, of course the railway company would "win" but it's enjoyable and satisfying (if not totally believable, particularly towards the end) and it's funny and as an unexpected bonus you get steam trains. (Also, very minimal singing.)
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsJoel EdgertonSigourney WeaverQuintessa SwindellA meticulous horticulturist is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate and pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager.Spent most of this movie dreading potential incoming darkness and intensity due to past experience with director - considering who this is, it's surprisingly light... I might have enjoyed it more if I had brought less (dreading) expectation to it. This didn't seem as certain as it could have been, and it was somewhat disappointingly lacking in a spectacular finale.
- DirectorRanald MacDougallStarsHarry BelafonteInger StevensMel FerrerA miner trapped in a cave-in resurfaces, and upon discovering mankind has been wiped out in a nuclear holocaust, sets out to find other survivors.Not sure I've ever seen this before. I would watch it again, even if the ending is fairly stupid. (They have not actually solved the problem, as far as I can tell.) P.S. - According to Dad, Nana crushed hard on Belafonte.
- DirectorJames B. HarrisStarsRichard WidmarkSidney PoitierJames MacArthurAn American destroyer Captain is determined to confront a Soviet submarine caught violating territorial waters. Perhaps too determined.I liked this one. I don't think I've seen it before, but I may have seen it before. I wrote a poem/review about it. I like the setting and the mood and the ping! even if it all ends quite badly.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJim SturgessEd HarrisColin FarrellSiberian gulag escapees travel four thousand miles by foot to freedom in India.This is long. It starts to feel longer than it is. The ending sequence is totally unnecessary. And the reason that you may find yourself wondering if certain geographical occurrences make sense is - there are doubts about the veracity of this journey actually taking place. Still, it's not terrible, it's just long. Lots of pretty scenery, but its not Lawrence of Arabia (which it might remind you of, what with the desert.)
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsGlenn CloseJohn MalkovichMichelle PfeifferA scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.Time for some clearance of the PVR. This looked slow and trashy, so after a few minutes, I deleted it.
- DirectorJack NicholsonStarsJack NicholsonMary SteenburgenChristopher LloydDue to the lack of men after the Civil War, a western town allows a young bachelorette who lives alone to save a thief from hanging by marrying him. They must deal with his old gang, the Sheriff, the railroad, a gold mine, and each other.This was still stupid after about half an hour, so I deleted it.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsSteve GuttenbergElizabeth McGovernIsabelle HuppertA young executive starts an affair with his boss's wife which then escalates into a nightmare after he lies to the police in order to protect her.This one I actually watched all the way through, but I'm not really sure why. I guess I just needed a reminder of how bad bad movies are?
- DirectorH.C. PotterStarsCary GrantLaraine DayCharles BickfordA gambler has plans to swindle money from a charity program, but starts to have second thoughts when he falls for a rich society girl.Re-watch. I like how they unashamedly use the sound stage doors as part of the framing device for this film.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsHenry FondaVera MilesAnthony QuayleIn 1953, an innocent man named Christopher Emanuel "Manny" Balestrero is arrested after being mistaken for an armed robber.Re-watch. Not a lot wrong with this movie. Although it might have been a little more interesting if someone less obviously innocent than Henry Fonda played the lead. (According to TCM host blurb he was chosen exactly because they knew audiences would believe him.) Feels slightly long, but perhaps that's only because I've seen this several times now.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsCary GrantAnn SheridanMarion MarshallAfter marrying an American lieutenant with whom he was assigned to work in post-war Germany, a French captain attempts to find a way to accompany her back to the States under the terms of the War Bride Act.I decided to make myself a mini-series of movies already on the PVR with man/male/mr's in the title. Wonder how long I can keep it up? Re-watch for this one, too, just about perfect length and tone for a night where I was tired. Feel like I'm rounding it up slightly to 7 - apparently based (sort of) on a true story.
- DirectorSam WoodStarsJean HarlowClark GableStuart ErwinA woman is sent to a reformatory when her con artist lover flees after killing a man during a botched blackmail scheme.I may have seen this a long time ago, but I'm not sure. Contender for best 30's movie I've watched this year, although the wrap-up seems a little uncertain/probably the result of censorship - although I'm a bit confused if this was made under Hays Code or just before it. Certainly a lot of it feels pre-code. Anyway, it's fun.
- DirectorRudolph MatéStarsGlenn FordBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA bitter land dispute causes a Civil War veteran to take extreme action.It's okay. Not too exciting. Not very many surprises. Probably a re-watch but possibly it's just that I've seen everything in here before in other westerns. (I think there are atleast two more "Men" titles on my PVR right now- and more in my DVD rack!) The stampede is obviously from another movie. Lone Pine location.
- DirectorGarson KaninStarsGinger RogersDavid NivenCharles CoburnAn unemployed woman discovers an abandoned baby on the steps of an orphanage, and accepts an offer to take responsibility for the child in return for a job.There is a surprisingly lewd joke at the very end. Re-watch. This is fun, it grows on you. David Niven is charming. Some of the humour is a bit over-extended, and the whole plot does, of course, come across as quite dated... but not as silly as the plot in the next movie.
- DirectorMark RobsonStarsCarol WhitePaul BurkeMala PowersA mentally disturbed man stalks a woman who had once aborted the child he had fathered.Watched almost an hour of this. A woman gets an abortion, and the father who is nuts, seeks revenge... slowly. The review book promised a suspense-filled climax, but the pace was so brutally slow and the general tone so cheap that I decided to abandon the thing.
- DirectorRichard WilsonStarsRobert MitchumJan SterlingKaren SharpeWhen a notorious tough 'town tamer' is hired by the citizenry to rid of the gunmen driving them off their land, he finds the local saloon madam to be an old friend.Probably a re-watch. Does about what you'd expect in a western.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsFarley GrangerRobert WalkerRuth RomanA psychopathic man tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.Re-watch
- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsJames WhitmoreEdmund GwennJoan WeldonThe earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.Re-watch. It's fun.
- DirectorRichard QuineStarsKim NovakJack LemmonFred AstaireAn American junior diplomat in London rents a house from, and falls in love with, a woman suspected of murder.Stick with it, it does get better, but the first part is pretty slow.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsRussell CrowePaul BettanyBilly BoydDuring the Napoleonic Wars, a brash British captain pushes his ship and crew to their limits in pursuit of a formidable French war vessel around South America.Feels maybe a teeny tiny bit too long, but an old-fashioned good time with still-modern-looking-special effects (it's from a whole generation ago, ahhhh!)
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsStephen BoydRaquel WelchEdmond O'BrienWhen a blood clot renders a scientist comatose, a submarine and its crew are shrunk and injected into his bloodstream in order to save him.Takes itself way more seriously than I expected - I always thought this was a comedy, but it's not!
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsJake GyllenhaalDar SalimSean SagarDuring the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain.Much better than I expected. But don't expect funny.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsLaurence OlivierJoan FontaineGeorge SandersA self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.Rewatch for London Jenny's club! Pretty fun.
- DirectorStanley DonenStarsJane PowellHoward KeelJeff RichardsWhen a backwoodsman in 1850s Oregon brings a wife home to his farm, his six brothers decide that they want to get married too.In the competition for musicals that have songs (and plots) which have really not aged well - we have - this one, with it's whole second half devoted to dragging women off and finding it funny when the possibility of a baby sees everyone married. I know this is meant to be funny, but I gotta wonder how many people even when it first came out were like, hang on now, this seems to be saying it's cool to throw sacks over any woman you talk to for five minutes and then you drag them off into the mountains and keep them prisoners, after which they will become your devoted wives, really? This is not going to be the first musical I show any hypothetical children. The barn-raising-related dance/fight is fun, but that's really the highlight. There are a couple of other half-decent dances and jokes, but really. Also, the copy I saw was clearly in need of restoration - given the plot I'm not surprised it hasn't been at the top of the restoration list! Rewatch, but it's been a while. Feel like I'm rounding this up slightly out of sympathy for the (misguided) effort and bad print. I mean, in some ways, it's too realistic.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantIngrid BergmanClaude RainsThe daughter of a convicted German spy is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?This is okay. Rewatch. It's not as fun as Rebecca.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsJames CagneyBarbara HaleAnne FrancisA charismatic peddler from the bayous finds his true calling in politics. Is he a demagogue in the making?It's like someone went back in time and made an allegory about trump. not necessarily a good one. it's weird. I spent a lot of time assuming Cagney's character would do the right thing in the end because love, but, nope. I wonder what/who this movie was actually about when it was made. The opening credits lion is cool.
- DirectorClive DonnerStarsPeter SellersPeter O'TooleRomy SchneiderA playboy who refuses to give up his hedonistic lifestyle to settle down and marry his true love seeks help from a demented psychoanalyst who is having romantic problems of his own.Rewatch, I think, but it's been a really long time. This is... not a great movie. It's not all that long, but it feels quite a bit longer than it actually is. Some of the jokes/trips/clonks on the head are actually funny, a lot of it is just... stupid... thank goodness peter o'toole was in this, otherwise it would have been impossible. He's got the best self-referential line, repeated several times, that goes something like "you know, in certain lights, I am quite handsome."
- DirectorTom FordStarsAmy AdamsJake GyllenhaalMichael ShannonA wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.Did not complete this, it seemed pretty sleazy, and I might be pretty done with the "rural poor people are gunna rape you" trope
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsIngrid BergmanGregory PeckMichael ChekhovA psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.Re-watch. We agree we remembered more of the Dali sequences. This is okay. I would say the only real problem with it, is that it's make ten fifteen minutes longer than necessary, and also, absolutely no one believes gregory peck could be a murderer. even when he's sleepwalking with a razor in his hand, you're just like, oh, no, it's fine, nothing's going to happen.
- DirectorCarol ReedStarsJames MasonRobert NewtonCyril CusackA wounded Irish nationalist leader attempts to evade police following a failed robbery in Belfast.Irish day rewatch. For whatever reason, I never seem to remember this quite right, I always expect Mason to die alone in the street, and I continue to feel like the streetcar sequence was longer at some point. Anyway, I see I previously gave this 7 stars, and I'll stick with that.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth BerridgeThe life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.May technically be a rewatch, but I didn't remember this very much at all - this was quite a lot of fun, although at first I was a bit unsure. There are some compelling sequences, and that laugh is fantastic. Almost an eight, but it is a trifle on the long side, and some of the makeup does not come off as convincing today on a big screen as it may have forty years ago.
- DirectorLarry PeerceStarsTony MusanteMartin SheenBeau BridgesLate one night, two young toughs hold hostage the passengers in one car of a New York subway train.Not entirely believable, but energetic, for the most part. I kept waiting for Thelma Ritter to lay down the law.
- DirectorDaniel MannStarsAnna MagnaniBurt LancasterMarisa PavanA Sicilian seamstress who idolizes her husband must deal with several family crises upon his sudden death.This is quite strange, not really in a good way. I don't really know what they were thinking - was the play so popular they thought they had a guaranteed audience of size??
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsRock HudsonDoris DayTony RandallA series of misunderstandings leaves an advertising executive with a campaign for a product which has not yet been invented, while he romances his rival in the guise of its inventor.Re-watch. It's okay. Picked it one night when I just wanted to veg, and it served that purpose
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsFred AstairePetula ClarkTommy SteeleAn Irish immigrant and his daughter move into a town in the American South with a magical piece of gold that will change people's lives, including a struggling farmer and African American citizens threatened by a bigoted politician.Did not need to be over two hours long. Re-watch, but I think the last time I saw this I was still a teenager. Thank goodness Fred is in this, even though the makeup men let him down, because he might be older, but he still seems happy to share his dancing with us. The plot is pretty nothing. The other people in it are okay. Most of the songs are pretty forgettable. It's all kind of a shrug. Apparently Fred was annoyed because they cut off his feet when they changed the aspect ratio after filming. Stupids.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsGlenn FordGloria GrahameBroderick CrawfordA Korean War vet returns to his job as a railroad engineer and becomes involved in an affair with a co-worker's wife following a murder on a train where they meet.Dudes - when Gloria Graham looks at you, run away! You'd think they'd figure this out. This is a pretty good film noir-y crime story, with trains as an unexpected bonus. Remake of a French movie (which also has trains.) Slightly lacking in the pace department. Rounding up due to trains. (Probably a re-watch, although I don't remember for sure.)
- DirectorCornel WildeStarsCornel WildeGert van den BerghKen GampuDuring the 1800s, a safari guide, two elephant hunters and their crew run into trouble with the natives in the South African veld when they refuse to offer gifts to the tribesmen.Kind of neat. (Warning: Animals are shown being killed and butchered, including elephants.) (Apparently they tried not to hurt animals during the film making, but clearly they also used archival footage that is disturbing) The violence of the animal interactions sets the scene - this story takes place in a brutal life and death world. This is, in a way, almost a silent movie - there is hardly any dialogue, and a lot of what dialogue there is, is not in English. I called it a remake of The Most Dangerous Game while watching it, but it seems like it's (also?) a transposed "real-life" incident that actually happened in North America, but in the movie happens in Africa. I wonder a bit about Cornel Wilde's motivation - it feels a bit like he wanted to make this movie 'cause he wanted to run around minimally clothed. Not that there was anything particularly objectionable about that. He was a bit skinny looking compared to my idea of an 19th century wilderness guide, but not hard to look at, either. Starts to feel a bit long after awhile (there actually is only so much running around you can do before it starts to seem a bit boring) but overall, more enjoyable than not, and while the portrayal of the African tribesmen might not be perfect by today's standards, they are shown as being fairly justified (and honourable) in their actions as they try to catch Wilde after his hunting party disrespects their request for a gift in exchange for the use of their territory. Ken Gampu as the lead warrior is quite good. (Filmed on location) Occasionally stretches credibility, but a more than adequate adventurous time, an interesting experiment, and I've never seen it before. (Relatively brutal for it's time.)
- DirectorLew LandersStarsAllan LaneLinda HayesRobert BarratRadio officer Kendall discovers seaman Carlson sending unauthorized messages. Carlson is killed, and Kendall flees ashore, meeting Carlson's sister Nedra, part of a sabotage ring. Nedra seeks help as both saboteurs pursue Kendall.This is a very b b picture. Clearly filmed during that weird time while Hollywood was not permitting itself to say "Nazis," we get a slippy-accented, unspecified European country and a rather hard-to-believe plot about secret cargo (elements for making poison gas) a doofus American who didn't realize what the ship he was on was carrying and a girl to help him escape once he clues in and the bad guys get after him. There is a secret passage, and a lot of hitting people over the heads. This was basically only interesting to note people were worried about poison gas at this time.
- DirectorRichard BrooksStarsBurt LancasterJean SimmonsArthur KennedyA fast-talking traveling salesman with a charming, loquacious manner convinces a sincere evangelist that he can be an effective preacher for her cause.Rewatch. This is a super-fun movie. Hypnotic. Almost an eight. Maybe it is an eight. I've seen this movie more than a few times now, and yet I somehow forgot how it ends.
- DirectorSean EllisStarsJamie DornanCillian MurphyBrian CaspeBased on the extraordinary true story of Operation Anthropoid, the WWII mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution and the Reich's third in command after Hitler and Himmler.The ending shoot-em-up sequence was pretty good. The first three-quarters of this movie is so dull and predictable (and so lacking in evil Nazis actually doing evil Nazi things) we fast forwarded through a fair amount of it. I think this movie suffered from the idea it needed to be relatively faithful to history, and that makes its two hours feel longer. And it's hard to take is seriously as a historical recreation when your lead "Czechoslovakian" is Cillian Murphy. Once the evil Nazi torturers showed up, the entertainment factor increased substantially, and like I said, the action towards the end is quite impressive. 4 star first half, seven to eight star second half.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsRichard AttenboroughJudy GeesonJohn HurtWhat happened to the women at 10 Rillington Place? The story of British serial killer John Christie, who committed most or all of his crimes in the titular terraced house, and the miscarriage of justice involving Timothy Evans.This more or less keeps your interest, but while I was watching it I thought it was from the 60s.
- DirectorBuzz KulikStarsBurt ReynoldsDyan CannonJohn P. RyanMillions in diamonds are stolen from a safe in NYC and later the burglar is killed. Shamus is paid $10,000 by the owner to find the diamonds or killer.More fun than I expected it to be. Forget about the plot, no one cares about the plot - (what the heck was with the sequence in the military base?) it is a sort of remake of The Big Sleep, but just like the other big sleeps, the plot is basically besides the point. You're mostly here for zany-crime-y things to happen. Some pretty good stunts, some actual laughs. I don't really like Burt Reynolds much, but I found him mostly believable here, leaving aside the women throwing themselves at him, but what else would you expect in a 1970s movie?
- DirectorJohn MaddenStarsGwyneth PaltrowJoseph FiennesGeoffrey RushThe world's greatest ever playwright, William Shakespeare, is young, out of ideas and short of cash, but meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.I would swear I've seen this movie at least twice before (rewatch) but I remembered quite little of the plot. It's not as sleazy as I thought I remembered it, either. Weird. Felt a bit on the long side.
- DirectorGregory RatoffStarsIngrid BergmanLeslie HowardEdna BestA violinist's piano accompanist retires. He hears his daughter's piano teacher (Ingrid Bergman) play, asks her to play on his next international tour, and they fall in love.This is only a little more than an hour long, but it feels significantly longer. Watched basically for the leads, and they did keep me engaged throughout, but barely.
- DirectorRob SitchStarsMichael CatonAnne TenneyStephen CurryA working-class family from Melbourne, Australia fights city hall after being told they must vacate their beloved family home to allow for infrastructural expansion.Movie Club Watch thanks to rt who showed me the way to watch it! This was an enjoyable, happy movie, and I'm glad that I saw it.
- DirectorRichard QuineStarsFred MacMurrayKim NovakPhilip CareyAn undercover police officer falls for the beautiful moll of a bank robber on the run, and together they plan to double-cross the hood and the cops.Fred McMurray falls for a wrong gal again. This is enjoyable, although eventually the coming and goings in out and on top of the apartment building stretches credibility - when you're a noir fan, you don't mind so much if things get a bit silly that way. This is definitely not the best noir I've ever seen, and Fred is Fred, but it's watchable.
- DirectorDavid ButlerStarsDoris DayGordon MacRaeLeon AmesMarjorie Winfield's engagement to Bill Sherman, who has just arrived home from fighting in World War I, serves as the backdrop for the trials and tribulations of her family.Sequel to On Moonlight Bay. It's okay. Possible re-watch, with these kinds of movies, it's hard to know. Best part of the movie is the turkey handling.
- DirectorRobert MulliganStarsTony CurtisDebbie ReynoldsJack OakieAn aspiring musician arrives in New York in search of fame and fortune. He soon meets a taxi dancer, moves in with her, and before too long a romance develops.Totally believable? Nah. Is Tony Curtis energetic? Of course. Debbie Reynolds? Eh. Lookin' a bit outclassed to me, but then again, I'm not a guy. Somewhat predictable, but fine.
- DirectorStanley KramerStarsVivien LeighSimone SignoretJosé FerrerA varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early 1930s society.Didn't watch must of this, seemed waaaaay too serious in that pretentious "we have something to say" way - and also seemed very lacking subtly, although I understand the storyline about the doctor is actually decent. Did you know that Nazis were bad? Shocker.
- DirectorBuddy Van HornStarsClint EastwoodLiam NeesonPatricia ClarksonInspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan must stop a sick secret contest to murder various San Francisco celebrities, with himself being one of the targets.Also didn't watch all of this. We like young Dirty Harry, seeing older Dirty Harry was sort of sad, and the series was clearly over when they made this. Was funny seeing Liam Neeson looked the same in 1988, but I had trouble recognizing Jim Carey.
- DirectorArthur HillerStarsSteve MartinCharles GrodinJudith IveyA writer for a greeting card company discovers the struggles and tribulations of living alone after breaking up with his unfaithful girlfriend.It's funny in places. It's fine.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsTom CruiseJason RobardsJulianne MooreAn epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.Movie Club watch! Rewatch. Didn't remember it being this long. Didn't remember Cruise being so... yeah. Rounding up to 7 for the rain. The rain is pretty amazing. But, if I were told I needed to watch this again in the next five years or so, I would probably fast-forward a lot. I was also not really enamoured of the heavy music use. Actually this is probably more a six star movie even with the rain.
- DirectorNorman TaurogStarsKathryn GraysonMario LanzaDavid NivenA snooty opera singer meets a rough-and-tumble fisherman in the Louisiana bayous, but this fisherman can sing. Her agent lures him away to New Orleans to teach him how to sing opera, but comes to regret this rash decision when the singers fall in love.Didn't watch all of this one. Was interesting to see this movie exists (opera star makes a movie, kids!) but it seemed overly silly and I'm not super interested in opera - and if I was, I'd go to see a MetLive screening or something.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsRobert MitchumEleanor ParkerGeorge PeppardDramatic story of the influential Hunnicutt family set in Texas during the late 1950s.A bit on the over-done side. I sort of expected to hear the Young and the Restless theme music come up. Over-long. Stuck with it basically because of Mitchum, Parker, and the fact that Peppard amazed me by actually being sympathetic instead of kinda sleazy. I mean, I could almost understand why he was considered blandly attractive. (Not that I'm biased against Peppard for any reason or anything.)(I'm working on it, okay?)
- DirectorEttore ScolaStarsMarcello MastroianniMonica VittiGiancarlo GianniniA three-way love affair in the Rome of the early seventies.Did not watch all of this. I am insufficient of a fan of these actors to want to watch them wander around dubbed, slowly, through a plot and setting that only half-way made sense to me - and in a print that was lets just say not the greatest
- DirectorGeorge SeatonStarsFred AstaireLilli PalmerDebbie ReynoldsJessica Poole, is marrying Roger Henderson. When her father arrives, he disrupts the household of his ex-wife and befriends their cook.Forgot to review this awhile ago. Some of Fred's plots/scripts do not date particularly well. Still, he's relatively charming (when he's not speaking gobbly-gook to the "Orientals" - cringe) and over all this is passably entertaining, although not something to get too enthusiastic about. There is one good joke-line - "He was my first husband, not my number one husband."
- DirectorVictor FlemingStarsJean HarlowLee TracyFrank MorganA glamorous film star rebels against the studio, her pushy press agent and a family of hangers-on.I think this was a re-watch. It's dated, but motor-mouthing Harlowe keeps you more or less engaged in a story that seems likely to have been sold as a look into "real Hollywood life" (Although one member of our audience was surprised to learn the movie was over, so I guess it didn't keep everyone's attention...) It's not too long, but it might have been a bit shorter.
- DirectorHenry CorneliusStarsJulie HarrisLaurence HarveyShelley WintersIn Weimar-era Berlin, an aspiring writer strikes up a friendship with a vivacious, penniless singer.Also didn't watch all of this. It's a pre-make of Cabaret and has strong shades of that movie with Marlene that I can't remember the title of right now. Anyway, it seemed pretty glacial and dated and just not that interesting so i deleted it
- DirectorWalter HillStarsMichael ParéDiane LaneRick MoranisA mercenary is hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a motorcycle gang.Well, this was surprisingly enjoyable. I clicked on this thinking it would probably be another "did not watch all" but it was pretty fun, after my eyeballs grew somewhat accustomed to the fast cuts (or maybe they slowed down after the first few minutes?) I see them calling this neo-noir, but my instinct was to say it's dieselpunk. ? (There will always be only one true cinematic Raven for me, but the fact that Defoe is here playing another one does not make me angry.) Is it about anything? Nawh, and it does not have any lines that I remember two nights later, and that costs it a star.