Groundhog Day (1993) - 8.5/10 - It's been around 20 years since I last watched this film, but I still love it.
Shanghai Blues / Shang Hai zhi yen (1984) - 8.5/10 - In the late 1940s, a nightclub singer befriends a girl from the country and the two women also become friends with a songwriter who lives on the floor above. The three of them form a sort of friendly love triangle. There is a lot of humor throughout, including plenty of physical comedy. I loved the characters, the humor, and the music as well.
Dragon Inn / Long men kezhan (1967) - 8/10 - A general has been executed and his children banished, but that isn't enough for the Emperor's eunuch. He has his men set a trap at an inn, but they meet resistance from the owner of the inn and several martial artists/swordsman who stop at the inn. There is plenty of entertaining action and a decent story.
Wild Boys of the Road (1933) - 8/10 - Frankie Darro gives a nice performance as Eddie, a high school student who loves hanging out with friends and driving around in his jalopy. When his father loses his job, Eddie sells his beloved jalopy to help support the family. When that isn't enough, he hops a train with his buddy Tommy so that they can go look for work. Life on the road isn't easy and the pair soon end up with another companion, a girl named Sally, plus a number of other teens in the same situation. It's a very nice film and while the 'happy' ending was forced on the director, it doesn't detract from the rest of the film.
After Hours (1985) - 8/10 - Paul is a word processor who meets a woman in a coffee shop. She invites him to come visit her in SoHo and when he goes, it is the start of a very long and strange night for Paul. He eventually just wants to go home, but fate has other ideas. This was a pretty funny black comedy.
Under the Bridges (1946) - 8/10 - Henrik and Willy are bargemen who travel back and forth between ports on the barge that they co-own. They spot a pretty young woman one night who appears ready to jump off a bridge. They offer her a ride on their barge to her home in Berlin. Each man falls for the woman and attempts to court her. The film is nicely photographed and has an engaging story and characters.
Pastorela (2011) - 7.5/10 - Chucho is a federal officer who always plays the devil in the annual pastorela. However, he was caught up in a case and missed that the local priest died and the new one has given his part to someone else. He isn't about to give up that easily. The movie is pretty funny with swearing priests, possession, and all sorts of craziness.
Broken Lullaby (1932) - 7.5/10 - A French violinist suffers from extreme guilt after killing a German soldier during WWI. The German soldier had also been a violinist before the war and had studied in France. After the war, the Frenchman travels to the hometown of the man he killed to place flowers on the man's grave and to seek forgiveness. He finds himself unable to confess and becomes close with the family instead. Not my favorite Lubitsch, but still very good.
Queen Christina (1933) - 7.5/10 - Greta Garbo stars as Queen Christina of Sweden who became Queen at the age of 6 when her father, Gustavus Adolphus, died in 1632. She later abdicated the throne in 1654 and left Sweden, living a fair amount of time in Rome. Garbo is good in the role and it is interesting to have a Swede portraying a Swedish Queen and that Garbo was the same age as Christina in the film. Much of the film is fictional apart from her childhood and her abdicating the throne, but it still made for a fairly entertaining film.
Winners & Sinners / Qi mou miao ji: Wu fu xing (1983) - 7/10 - The movie starts out showing us how a number of small time crooks are captured by the police . I found this section of the film to be pretty amusing. After they are released from prison, they decide to go straight together and form a cleaning company along with the sister of one of the crooks. Unfortunately, they find themselves in the middle of a Triad battle over counterfeit US currency. There are plenty of fun parts later in the film as well, including one of the crooks who thinks that he can make himself invisible and the others play along with it, but the opening section remained the most entertaining for me.
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953) - 7/10 - Abbott and Costello are police officers during the time of the suffragette movement. Dr. Jekyll is the guardian of a woman leading the local suffragettes. It's a pretty good take on the character.
Artists and Models (1955) - 7/10 - Dean Martin is an artist and his roommate, Jerry Lewis, is a writer, but neither one is currently employed. They find out that a comic book artist lives upstairs (Dorothy Malone). Malone creates a comic called Bat Lady and uses her friend (Shirley MacLaine) as a model. Lewis is a huge fan of the comic, but doesn't recognize MacLaine as being the model. There are a pair of romances going on here plus spy intrigue, the comic book scare of the 1950s, and plenty of jokes. I thought it was going to be pretty bad early on, but it got better and I ended up enjoying it.
Camera Buff (1979) - 7/10 - Filip is a factory worker whose wife is about to have a baby. He's purchased an 8mm camera, the first one in town, so that he can document the life of his new baby. Filip's boss asks him to use his camera to film other events and this leads to an obsession with Filip as his filmmaking starts to gain notice. It also causes marital problems as he neglects his family life for his interest in film. It's a good story, but not one that is told in the most interesting way.
Critters (1986) - 7/10 - Small, but deadly creatures, escape from a prison in space and make their way to Earth. They are pursued by a pair of bounty hunters who assume the form of two earthlings. I probably watched this back in the 1980s, but didn't remember anything about it. It was fun.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Cops (1955) - 6.5/10 - Abbott and Costello are tricked into buying a non-existent film studio and head out to California to try and get their money back from the con artist. The film is a bit lackluster before they get to California, but it gets a bit better after that.
If Looks Could Kill (1991) - 6/10 - Richard Grieco stars as high school student Michael Corben who fails to graduate with the rest of the class. His only way to get summer school credit so that he can graduate is to go on a school trip to Paris with a teacher who doesn't like him. At the airport he is mistaken for a secret agent with the same name and he fumbles his way through the assignment with a good dose of luck. There are a lot of Bond style gadgets in play here. It's dumb, but I still enjoyed it.
God of Gamblers / Dou san (1989) - 5.5/10 - Chow Yun-fat stars as a well known and talented gambler called the God of Gamblers. After suffering a head injury, he has memory loss and reverts to child-like behavior. His gambling instincts are still there, though, and a low level gambler and his friends make use of it. Meanwhile, the God of Gambler's enemies (and friend) are looking for him. This was kind of lame.
Basket Case (1982) - 5/10 - A young man arrives in NYC from upstate and takes up residence in a low cost hotel room. He carries around a large wicker basket that contains something within that kills a number of people. This was very low budget and the acting isn't really all that great, but it does have some moments here and there.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) - 4.5/10 - Dave takes the chipmunks on a cruise only to have them all end up stuck on a tropical island with a volcano near eruption. This wasn't as good as the first two, which is a low bar as it is.
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972) - 4/10 - An amateur theater troupe (and not a good one based on the acting in the film) decides to have some fun in a graveyard, including digging up bodies to play with. It's pretty dumb.
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Birth Certificate / Swiadectwo urodzenia (1961) - 9/10 - The film tells three tales of WWII from the point of view of different Polish children. In the first story, a young boy catches a ride with a Polish soldier driving a cart as he tries to go East. In the second story, a boy is taking care of his two younger brothers while his mother is in the country picking potatoes and his father is a POW. In the third story, a young Jewish girl is on her own and wanders the streets for some time, evading authorities. She is eventually helped by a doctor and his wife. All three stories are very good and effective.
Godzilla -1.0 (2023) - 8.5/10 - This prequel to the original Godzilla movie has a very nice story, good characters, and good special effects.
Sidewalls (2011) - 8/10 - Martin is a web designer who spent years rarely leaving his apartment. Now he is trying to overcome this by venturing out to take photographs of the city and also to walk the dog that used to belong to his ex-girlfriend. Mariana wants to be an architect, but she makes a living by setting up window displays at stores. She has her own issues in connecting with others. They live in neighboring apartment building and each seems a little lonely as they go through a variety of relationships. They may be just right for each other, but will they ever meet? The film is strongest at the beginning and end of the film, but it paints a nice portrait of the two individuals.
Main Street / Calle Mayor (1956) - 8/10 - Federico travels from Madrid to visit his friend Juan. He finds that his friend is hanging out with a group of men who are loud and obnoxious. They also like to play cruel pranks and after Federico returns home, they decide to have Juan pretend to fall in love and get engaged to a 35 year old woman whose hopes of marriage have dimmed over the years. Juan soon realizes the cruelty of the prank, but doesn't see a way out.
Tasio (1984) - 8/10 - Tasio is a charcoal burner and sometime poacher in a rural mountainous area. We get to see slices of his life as a child, teen, and adult, including meeting his future wife. He's a pretty good poacher, evading the local warden most of the time in a sort of cat and mouse game. This is a pretty nice film.
What Have I Done to Deserve This? / ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? (1984) - 8/10 - Gloria is a housewife who has a number of interesting people in her life. Her husband drives a taxi and has a love for a German singer he used to work for. Gloria's mother-in-law is headstrong and perhaps slightly crazy. One of Gloria's sons sells drugs and the other one is gay. Gloria's best friend is a neighbor who works as a call girl. There are a number of zany things that happen and it is a pretty entertaining film with plenty of humor.
Death Rides a Horse (1967) - 7.5/10 - Two men are out for revenge against the same gang, but for different reasons. Ryan (Lee Van Cleef) was set up for a 15 year prison sentence by the gang. Bill saw the gang murder his family when he was a little boy. Ryan and Bill compete with and sometimes aid each other in their separate quests. The actor who plays Bill is a bit wooden, but Van Cleef is his usual good self.
Cousin Angelica / La prima Angélica (1974) - 7.5/10 - Luis is a middle aged man who travels to his hometown to inter his mother's ashes in their family vault. He stays with his cousin Angelica who he loved when they were both children. Angelica is now married with a daughter of her own who is about the same age that Angelica was when she and Luis were close. The past and the present get mixed up for Luis as he becomes lost in his memories at times. This is now my second favorite film from Saura (after Cría cuervos), though I've only seen seven of his films to date.
My Name is Nobody (1973) - 7.5/10 - Henry Fonda stars as Jack Beauregard, an aging sheriff with a big reputation. He'd like to retire, but there are others who have different ideas. A younger gunfighter known as Nobody (Terence Hill) shows up. He is a big admirer of Beauregard and has his own ideas on how Beauregard should go out and arranges for him to face a gang of 150 men. There's plenty of humor and it's generally a fun film.
Mr. Vampire / Geung see sin sang (1985) - 7.5/10 - Ghosts and hopping vampires are part of the fun here. A priest and his two bumbling assistants try to put a stop to the mayhem. The special effects are pretty good and it's an entertaining film.
Baby Face (1933) - 7.5/10 - Barbara Stanwyck stars as a woman who is tired of men expecting to have their way with her so she decides to use her charms to her own advantage. She alternately seduces men and plays the innocent to work her way up the ladder into better social and financial positions. Stanwyck is pretty good in her role and Theresa Harris has a small, but decent supporting role as her friend (and later maid).
The Private Eyes / Ban jin ba liang (1976) - 7.5/10 - The Hui brothers star in this comedy about a kung fu expert named Lee (Samuel Hui) who loses his factory job and seeks employment at a detective agency run by a man named Wong (Michael Hui) with an overworked assistant (Ricky Hui). There is plenty of physical comedy as well as other types of comedy and it is a nice ride as they go from situation to situation. There's also plenty of fun stuff when they are not working on any particular case.
The Magnificent Butcher / Lin Shi Rong (1979) - 7/10 - Butcher Wing (Sammo Hung) is a student of Wong Fei-Hung, a master who runs one of two rival school. The people at the Five Dragons school are quick to take offense at real or imagined slights. Butcher's brother comes to town with his young and attractive wife. He is searching for his brother, but hasn't seen him for 10 years. The son of the master of the Five Dragons school kidnaps the wife and beats up the brother. A number of fights follow, some coming from misunderstandings or lies told by the kidnapper. There's a lot going on, but it is pretty entertaining and there are a couple of characters who cross over from Drunken Master.
The Specialists (1969) - 7/10 - Hud is a loner with a big reputation as a gunslinger. He returns to the town of Blackstone to find out who killed his brother. His brother was lynched after being accused of stealing a fortune from the town bank. He also has to contend with a sheriff who believes in keeping the peace by disarming everybody in town, though many seem to be secretly armed in spite of this. The film is pretty good in parts, less so in others, but overall I liked it.
Waiting for Guffman (1996) - 7/10 - A director/actor in the small town of Blaine, Missouri (the footstool capital of the world) puts on a show to celebrate the town's 150th anniversary. A good portion of the screen time toward the end is dedicated to the actual show. It was a bit hit or miss, but I mostly enjoyed it.
A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora’s Box (1995) - 7/10 - The Monkey King is kicked out of heaven and is reincarnated as a human named Joker who leads a group of outlaws. When a couple of supernatural beings come in search of Monkey, it sets off a chain of events with plenty of action and humor. It's pretty silly, but still fun.
Dragons Forever / Fei lung mang jeung (1988) - 7/10 - Jackie Chan stars as a hotshot lawyer who is hired to protect a chemical plant by whatever means. He targets an activist opposed to the chemical plant, but ends up falling for her instead. He enlists two friends and there are some humorous mixups early on.
City Streets (1931) - 7/10 - Sylvia Sidney stars as the daughter of a man who works for the mob. When the father sees an opportunity to move up in the organization, he doesn't hesitate to involve his innocent daughter and let her take a rap as an accessory to murder. When she gets out, she is disillusioned and wants nothing more to do with her father and the mob. Gary Cooper has a relatively small role as her love interest with a talent for using a gun who eventually joins the mob.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) - 6.5/10 - Abbott and Costello find themselves stuck in Egypt. After finding a special medallion, a number of people try to acquire the medallion from them. Costello is also thought to have murdered a man. The film was okay and had a funny ending, but it isn't one of their better outings.
A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1995) - 6.5/10 - More silliness ensues as the story from the first part continues. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Pandora's Box.
Frisco Jenny (1932) - 6.5/10 - Ruth Chatterton stars as a woman who loses her father and boyfriend in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Soon after, she gives birth to a son, but eventually has to give him up due to her connections to vice in the city. Chatterton gives a decent performance, but the story was somewhat lacking in emotional impact.
Hell's Highway (1932) - 6/10 - A chain gang is being used as a road building crew where the man running the prison camp doesn't hesitate to employ the lash on prisoners and to use things like a sweat box as punishment. One tough prisoner sees his younger brother arrive and tries to protect him. Richard Dix isn't bad, but the movie itself is only okay.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) - 6/10 - I read this book back in the early 1990s and didn't like it very much. The movie seems to be a pretty good adaptation of the book from what I can recall and I did end up enjoying it more than the book itself based on the visuals and performances. It's still pretty bizarre.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) - 5/10 - A number of videotapes are found in an abandoned home which turn out to be the work of a serial killer who has operated in the area for some time. It's sort of an interesting idea, but the film itself isn't that great.
The Ladies Man (1961) - 5/10 - Jerry Lewis gets a job at a big rooming house where most residents are attractive young women. I'm not much of a Lewis fan, but this had decent sets and use of color. There were also a few good gags mixed in with the usual Lewis schtick.
Blindman (1971) - 4.5/10 - A blind gunman was supposed to escort fifty mail order brides to a group of miners, but they were taken by bandits instead and moved to their base in Mexico. The blind gunman goes after them in order to rescue the women, deliver them to the miners, and fulfill his contract. This was mostly pretty dumb.
No Retreat, No Surrender (1985) - 4/10 - A man who runs a karate school moves his family from Seattle to Los Angeles after a gangster has his leg broken in a bid to take over the school. His teenage son idolizes Bruce Lee, but runs into a few bullies after the move and needs to get better at karate so he ends up getting help from an unexpected source. The acting was pretty bad and so are the fights and the movie.
Babo 73 (1964) - 3.5/10 - This is a strange film about a new elected President and an odd cast of characters. I didn't really get much out of it. It was directed by Robert Downey (Sr.).
Chafed Elbows (1966) - 3/10 - Another strange film from Robert Downey Sr.
Godzilla -1.0 (2023) - 8.5/10 - This prequel to the original Godzilla movie has a very nice story, good characters, and good special effects.
Sidewalls (2011) - 8/10 - Martin is a web designer who spent years rarely leaving his apartment. Now he is trying to overcome this by venturing out to take photographs of the city and also to walk the dog that used to belong to his ex-girlfriend. Mariana wants to be an architect, but she makes a living by setting up window displays at stores. She has her own issues in connecting with others. They live in neighboring apartment building and each seems a little lonely as they go through a variety of relationships. They may be just right for each other, but will they ever meet? The film is strongest at the beginning and end of the film, but it paints a nice portrait of the two individuals.
Main Street / Calle Mayor (1956) - 8/10 - Federico travels from Madrid to visit his friend Juan. He finds that his friend is hanging out with a group of men who are loud and obnoxious. They also like to play cruel pranks and after Federico returns home, they decide to have Juan pretend to fall in love and get engaged to a 35 year old woman whose hopes of marriage have dimmed over the years. Juan soon realizes the cruelty of the prank, but doesn't see a way out.
Tasio (1984) - 8/10 - Tasio is a charcoal burner and sometime poacher in a rural mountainous area. We get to see slices of his life as a child, teen, and adult, including meeting his future wife. He's a pretty good poacher, evading the local warden most of the time in a sort of cat and mouse game. This is a pretty nice film.
What Have I Done to Deserve This? / ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? (1984) - 8/10 - Gloria is a housewife who has a number of interesting people in her life. Her husband drives a taxi and has a love for a German singer he used to work for. Gloria's mother-in-law is headstrong and perhaps slightly crazy. One of Gloria's sons sells drugs and the other one is gay. Gloria's best friend is a neighbor who works as a call girl. There are a number of zany things that happen and it is a pretty entertaining film with plenty of humor.
Death Rides a Horse (1967) - 7.5/10 - Two men are out for revenge against the same gang, but for different reasons. Ryan (Lee Van Cleef) was set up for a 15 year prison sentence by the gang. Bill saw the gang murder his family when he was a little boy. Ryan and Bill compete with and sometimes aid each other in their separate quests. The actor who plays Bill is a bit wooden, but Van Cleef is his usual good self.
Cousin Angelica / La prima Angélica (1974) - 7.5/10 - Luis is a middle aged man who travels to his hometown to inter his mother's ashes in their family vault. He stays with his cousin Angelica who he loved when they were both children. Angelica is now married with a daughter of her own who is about the same age that Angelica was when she and Luis were close. The past and the present get mixed up for Luis as he becomes lost in his memories at times. This is now my second favorite film from Saura (after Cría cuervos), though I've only seen seven of his films to date.
My Name is Nobody (1973) - 7.5/10 - Henry Fonda stars as Jack Beauregard, an aging sheriff with a big reputation. He'd like to retire, but there are others who have different ideas. A younger gunfighter known as Nobody (Terence Hill) shows up. He is a big admirer of Beauregard and has his own ideas on how Beauregard should go out and arranges for him to face a gang of 150 men. There's plenty of humor and it's generally a fun film.
Mr. Vampire / Geung see sin sang (1985) - 7.5/10 - Ghosts and hopping vampires are part of the fun here. A priest and his two bumbling assistants try to put a stop to the mayhem. The special effects are pretty good and it's an entertaining film.
Baby Face (1933) - 7.5/10 - Barbara Stanwyck stars as a woman who is tired of men expecting to have their way with her so she decides to use her charms to her own advantage. She alternately seduces men and plays the innocent to work her way up the ladder into better social and financial positions. Stanwyck is pretty good in her role and Theresa Harris has a small, but decent supporting role as her friend (and later maid).
The Private Eyes / Ban jin ba liang (1976) - 7.5/10 - The Hui brothers star in this comedy about a kung fu expert named Lee (Samuel Hui) who loses his factory job and seeks employment at a detective agency run by a man named Wong (Michael Hui) with an overworked assistant (Ricky Hui). There is plenty of physical comedy as well as other types of comedy and it is a nice ride as they go from situation to situation. There's also plenty of fun stuff when they are not working on any particular case.
The Magnificent Butcher / Lin Shi Rong (1979) - 7/10 - Butcher Wing (Sammo Hung) is a student of Wong Fei-Hung, a master who runs one of two rival school. The people at the Five Dragons school are quick to take offense at real or imagined slights. Butcher's brother comes to town with his young and attractive wife. He is searching for his brother, but hasn't seen him for 10 years. The son of the master of the Five Dragons school kidnaps the wife and beats up the brother. A number of fights follow, some coming from misunderstandings or lies told by the kidnapper. There's a lot going on, but it is pretty entertaining and there are a couple of characters who cross over from Drunken Master.
The Specialists (1969) - 7/10 - Hud is a loner with a big reputation as a gunslinger. He returns to the town of Blackstone to find out who killed his brother. His brother was lynched after being accused of stealing a fortune from the town bank. He also has to contend with a sheriff who believes in keeping the peace by disarming everybody in town, though many seem to be secretly armed in spite of this. The film is pretty good in parts, less so in others, but overall I liked it.
Waiting for Guffman (1996) - 7/10 - A director/actor in the small town of Blaine, Missouri (the footstool capital of the world) puts on a show to celebrate the town's 150th anniversary. A good portion of the screen time toward the end is dedicated to the actual show. It was a bit hit or miss, but I mostly enjoyed it.
A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora’s Box (1995) - 7/10 - The Monkey King is kicked out of heaven and is reincarnated as a human named Joker who leads a group of outlaws. When a couple of supernatural beings come in search of Monkey, it sets off a chain of events with plenty of action and humor. It's pretty silly, but still fun.
Dragons Forever / Fei lung mang jeung (1988) - 7/10 - Jackie Chan stars as a hotshot lawyer who is hired to protect a chemical plant by whatever means. He targets an activist opposed to the chemical plant, but ends up falling for her instead. He enlists two friends and there are some humorous mixups early on.
City Streets (1931) - 7/10 - Sylvia Sidney stars as the daughter of a man who works for the mob. When the father sees an opportunity to move up in the organization, he doesn't hesitate to involve his innocent daughter and let her take a rap as an accessory to murder. When she gets out, she is disillusioned and wants nothing more to do with her father and the mob. Gary Cooper has a relatively small role as her love interest with a talent for using a gun who eventually joins the mob.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) - 6.5/10 - Abbott and Costello find themselves stuck in Egypt. After finding a special medallion, a number of people try to acquire the medallion from them. Costello is also thought to have murdered a man. The film was okay and had a funny ending, but it isn't one of their better outings.
A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1995) - 6.5/10 - More silliness ensues as the story from the first part continues. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Pandora's Box.
Frisco Jenny (1932) - 6.5/10 - Ruth Chatterton stars as a woman who loses her father and boyfriend in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Soon after, she gives birth to a son, but eventually has to give him up due to her connections to vice in the city. Chatterton gives a decent performance, but the story was somewhat lacking in emotional impact.
Hell's Highway (1932) - 6/10 - A chain gang is being used as a road building crew where the man running the prison camp doesn't hesitate to employ the lash on prisoners and to use things like a sweat box as punishment. One tough prisoner sees his younger brother arrive and tries to protect him. Richard Dix isn't bad, but the movie itself is only okay.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) - 6/10 - I read this book back in the early 1990s and didn't like it very much. The movie seems to be a pretty good adaptation of the book from what I can recall and I did end up enjoying it more than the book itself based on the visuals and performances. It's still pretty bizarre.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) - 5/10 - A number of videotapes are found in an abandoned home which turn out to be the work of a serial killer who has operated in the area for some time. It's sort of an interesting idea, but the film itself isn't that great.
The Ladies Man (1961) - 5/10 - Jerry Lewis gets a job at a big rooming house where most residents are attractive young women. I'm not much of a Lewis fan, but this had decent sets and use of color. There were also a few good gags mixed in with the usual Lewis schtick.
Blindman (1971) - 4.5/10 - A blind gunman was supposed to escort fifty mail order brides to a group of miners, but they were taken by bandits instead and moved to their base in Mexico. The blind gunman goes after them in order to rescue the women, deliver them to the miners, and fulfill his contract. This was mostly pretty dumb.
No Retreat, No Surrender (1985) - 4/10 - A man who runs a karate school moves his family from Seattle to Los Angeles after a gangster has his leg broken in a bid to take over the school. His teenage son idolizes Bruce Lee, but runs into a few bullies after the move and needs to get better at karate so he ends up getting help from an unexpected source. The acting was pretty bad and so are the fights and the movie.
Babo 73 (1964) - 3.5/10 - This is a strange film about a new elected President and an odd cast of characters. I didn't really get much out of it. It was directed by Robert Downey (Sr.).
Chafed Elbows (1966) - 3/10 - Another strange film from Robert Downey Sr.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Open Range (2003) - 8.5/10 - Four men (including Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner) are herding cattle across the country when they come to a town where the marshal and a wealthy rancher named Baxter despise free rangers and attack the man sent into town for supplies. This leads to a confrontation between two of the men and a group of armed men in Baxter's employ. The long gunfight near the end of the film was pretty good.
The City of Lost Children (1995) - 8/10 - A scientist kidnaps children to steal their dreams. Ron Perlman has his first leading role here as a strong man. This was weird, but lots of fun with a great production design.
Gentleman Jim (1942) - 8/10 - Errol Flynn stars as James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, a boxing champion from the 19th Century. Corbett is a bank clerk in San Francisco who comes from a relatively poor family, but certainly isn't shy. His forward manner helps him gain entrance to a gentleman's club and affords him a number of opportunities to advance himself. Flynn is fairly charming in the role and Alexis Smith is good as the love interest/sponsor. The rest of the supporting cast is also good.
O Milagre segundo Salomé (2004) - 8/10 - Salomé is a prostitute in Lisbon in 1917. She is the subject of attention of a lieutenant named Brás who can be mean, especially when drunk if his will is thwarted. Salomé comes to the attention of a wealthy patron who wants to take her to his estate away from Lisbon where she can live as a lady from the upper crust of society. However, her past won't necessarily let her go so easily. I liked the characters and setting.
The Executioner / El verdugo (1963) - 8/10 - An old executioner is getting close to retirement. When he finds that an undertaker is seeing his daughter, he sees this as an opportunity to groom his successor. The undertaker marries the daughter, but doesn't really want to execute anybody, though he has trouble saying no. José Isbert is good as the executioner and Nino Manfredi is also good as the undertaker/son-in-law.
Trick or Treat (1986) - 7.5/10 - Eddie is into heavy metal, but is picked on constantly by a group of boys at his high school. He suddenly has the opportunity to get revenge with the aid of his idol, Sammi Curr, who recently died in a fire. Sammi's spirit lingers on in his last recording made before his death. The story may be a bit cliched, but I thought it was a lot of fun.
The Legend / Fong Sai Yuk (1993) - 7.5/10 - Fong Sai-yuk is a talented martial artist who falls for Liu Ting-ting. Sai-yuk does what he can to impress her and later enters a contest that her father set up to find a husband for his daughter. The catch is that the challenger has to defeat Ting-ting's mother who is also a very talented martial artist. The first hour or so of the movie is a lot of fun with some nice stunts and humor as well. I didn't enjoy the second part of the film quite as much when it turns a bit more serious with secret societies and a wicked governor and so on. It was still good, but not as good as the earlier section.
Tears of the Black Tiger / Fah talai jone (2000) - 7.5/10 - This Thai western, action, romantic melodrama has an interesting color scheme. It's over the top and almost gleefully so at times. It's also a lot of fun.
Five Days, Five Nights / Cinco Dias, Cinco Noites (1996) - 7.5/10 - In the late 1940s, a political prisoner has escaped from prison and needs to leave the country. He hires a guide to lead him cross country to Spain, but isn't sure if he can trust him. He meets a few people during the journey. There are some nice scenic views and while there really isn't a lot of tension, it's an interesting journey.
El cochecito (1960) - 7.5/10 - An elderly man feels left out when all of his friends have motorized wheelchairs and scooters. They give him a ride at times, but he has to hang on behind one of the others. He comes to desperately want a motorized chair of his own, but his lawyer son and the rest of the family ignore his wishes and dismiss it as the fancy of an old man. He goes to great lengths to get what he wants. I liked José Isbert in the lead here.
Zona J (1998) - 7/10 - Tó is a black teen from a rough neighborhood who hangs out with a group of friends who sometimes find trouble. Carla is a white teen who works at her mom's flower shop and has to fend off the advances of her mother's middle aged boyfriend. The two meet briefly at a rave and then later for a date. They fall for each other, but life throws obstacles in their way. The story itself may be a bit familiar, but I thought it was fairly well acted and entertaining.
Threads (1984) - 7/10 - Tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union ratchet up in Iran and elsewhere. The film follows two families and other citizens in the city of Sheffield, England both before and after a nuclear war. It's pretty grim and matter of fact. I liked the first part leading up to the war more than the aftermath.
Tempos Difíceis / Hard Times (1988) - 7/10 - This is a decent, though somewhat abbreviated, adaptation of Hard Times by Charles Dickens. It moves the story to 1980s Portugal and the characters and acting are generally pretty good. I'd rank the novel right around the middle of Dickens' novels, but it is still a very good book. This adaptation is good, butcould have benefited from being fleshed out a bit more.
Incident (1948) - 7/10 - A man gets beaten up on his way home from an evening with friends. It turns out that the intended target was a criminal named Slats, but there was a case of mistaken identity. The man who was beaten up sets out to find Slats, possibly to warn him that somebody is out to get him, but things get a little more complicated. The film moves at a nice pace and is pretty entertaining.
Splinter (2008) - 6.5/10 - A couple are on a trip out in the wilderness when they are taken prisoner by another couple with a gun. They stop at a gas station to get gas and supplies only to find that some sort of parasitic creature is loose and they are in danger. I enjoyed the film, but could have done without the shaky cam.
Eastern Condors / Dung Fong tuk ying (1987) - 6.5/10 - Various Chinese prisoners being held by the U.S. are offered a chance for freedom plus a large payday if they undertake a mission into Vietnam to destroy a cache of missiles that were left behind during the pullout. They will be parachuted into the country and then will have to make their way to the destination, but it will be pretty dangerous along the way. Some of the stunts and humor were pretty good, but overall the film was decent, but not great.
The Abominable Snowman (1957) - 6/10 - A British botanist (Peter Cushing) is in the Himalayas on an expedition with his wife and assistant when he comes across an American expedition searching to find and capture a yeti. He joins the expedition our of curiosity as their search takes them high into the mountains. Cushing is good, but the film is pretty dull overall.
The Missouri Breaks (1976) - 6/10 - A large landowner hangs a horse rustler which angers the rustler's associates (including Jack Nicholson). The landowner hires an odd gunman (Marlon Brando) to track down and dispose of the other rustlers. Nicholson is pretty good in the film, but I didn't care for Brando at all. His character was strange and seemed out of place. The story also took its time storywise between points of interest.
Ossos / Bones (1997) - 5.5/10 - A young father in a very poor area has custody of his baby after the mother doesn't want it. He doesn't seem to do much except for panhandle, asking people for money for the baby until he gets some help from a nurse. Some of the people just seem to sit around for long stretches saying nothing and doing nothing. I guess this is to get across a feeling of depression and hopelessness, but it ends up making the film seem kind of lifeless.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) - 5/10 - An epidemic leads to a need for organs and a large company provides them with financing. However, if you miss a payment, the repo men are likely to show up and repossess the organ. It's a musical that has some interesting parts here and there, but unfortunately the overall story and songs didn't really do much for me.
Requiem for a Vampire (1972) - 4/10 - Two young women in the French countryside are captured, raped, and forced to serve by the servants of an aging vampire. It wasn't very good.
Man Behind the Sun / Hei tai yang 731 (1988) - 4/10 - During WWII, the Japanese army had a special medical unit stationed in China to perform experiments on prisoners and civilians. Thousands were killed in search of information on biological weapons. The film doesn't really have much of a narrative other than to show a seemingly endless number of ways that they can torture and kill people.
The City of Lost Children (1995) - 8/10 - A scientist kidnaps children to steal their dreams. Ron Perlman has his first leading role here as a strong man. This was weird, but lots of fun with a great production design.
Gentleman Jim (1942) - 8/10 - Errol Flynn stars as James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, a boxing champion from the 19th Century. Corbett is a bank clerk in San Francisco who comes from a relatively poor family, but certainly isn't shy. His forward manner helps him gain entrance to a gentleman's club and affords him a number of opportunities to advance himself. Flynn is fairly charming in the role and Alexis Smith is good as the love interest/sponsor. The rest of the supporting cast is also good.
O Milagre segundo Salomé (2004) - 8/10 - Salomé is a prostitute in Lisbon in 1917. She is the subject of attention of a lieutenant named Brás who can be mean, especially when drunk if his will is thwarted. Salomé comes to the attention of a wealthy patron who wants to take her to his estate away from Lisbon where she can live as a lady from the upper crust of society. However, her past won't necessarily let her go so easily. I liked the characters and setting.
The Executioner / El verdugo (1963) - 8/10 - An old executioner is getting close to retirement. When he finds that an undertaker is seeing his daughter, he sees this as an opportunity to groom his successor. The undertaker marries the daughter, but doesn't really want to execute anybody, though he has trouble saying no. José Isbert is good as the executioner and Nino Manfredi is also good as the undertaker/son-in-law.
Trick or Treat (1986) - 7.5/10 - Eddie is into heavy metal, but is picked on constantly by a group of boys at his high school. He suddenly has the opportunity to get revenge with the aid of his idol, Sammi Curr, who recently died in a fire. Sammi's spirit lingers on in his last recording made before his death. The story may be a bit cliched, but I thought it was a lot of fun.
The Legend / Fong Sai Yuk (1993) - 7.5/10 - Fong Sai-yuk is a talented martial artist who falls for Liu Ting-ting. Sai-yuk does what he can to impress her and later enters a contest that her father set up to find a husband for his daughter. The catch is that the challenger has to defeat Ting-ting's mother who is also a very talented martial artist. The first hour or so of the movie is a lot of fun with some nice stunts and humor as well. I didn't enjoy the second part of the film quite as much when it turns a bit more serious with secret societies and a wicked governor and so on. It was still good, but not as good as the earlier section.
Tears of the Black Tiger / Fah talai jone (2000) - 7.5/10 - This Thai western, action, romantic melodrama has an interesting color scheme. It's over the top and almost gleefully so at times. It's also a lot of fun.
Five Days, Five Nights / Cinco Dias, Cinco Noites (1996) - 7.5/10 - In the late 1940s, a political prisoner has escaped from prison and needs to leave the country. He hires a guide to lead him cross country to Spain, but isn't sure if he can trust him. He meets a few people during the journey. There are some nice scenic views and while there really isn't a lot of tension, it's an interesting journey.
El cochecito (1960) - 7.5/10 - An elderly man feels left out when all of his friends have motorized wheelchairs and scooters. They give him a ride at times, but he has to hang on behind one of the others. He comes to desperately want a motorized chair of his own, but his lawyer son and the rest of the family ignore his wishes and dismiss it as the fancy of an old man. He goes to great lengths to get what he wants. I liked José Isbert in the lead here.
Zona J (1998) - 7/10 - Tó is a black teen from a rough neighborhood who hangs out with a group of friends who sometimes find trouble. Carla is a white teen who works at her mom's flower shop and has to fend off the advances of her mother's middle aged boyfriend. The two meet briefly at a rave and then later for a date. They fall for each other, but life throws obstacles in their way. The story itself may be a bit familiar, but I thought it was fairly well acted and entertaining.
Threads (1984) - 7/10 - Tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union ratchet up in Iran and elsewhere. The film follows two families and other citizens in the city of Sheffield, England both before and after a nuclear war. It's pretty grim and matter of fact. I liked the first part leading up to the war more than the aftermath.
Tempos Difíceis / Hard Times (1988) - 7/10 - This is a decent, though somewhat abbreviated, adaptation of Hard Times by Charles Dickens. It moves the story to 1980s Portugal and the characters and acting are generally pretty good. I'd rank the novel right around the middle of Dickens' novels, but it is still a very good book. This adaptation is good, butcould have benefited from being fleshed out a bit more.
Incident (1948) - 7/10 - A man gets beaten up on his way home from an evening with friends. It turns out that the intended target was a criminal named Slats, but there was a case of mistaken identity. The man who was beaten up sets out to find Slats, possibly to warn him that somebody is out to get him, but things get a little more complicated. The film moves at a nice pace and is pretty entertaining.
Splinter (2008) - 6.5/10 - A couple are on a trip out in the wilderness when they are taken prisoner by another couple with a gun. They stop at a gas station to get gas and supplies only to find that some sort of parasitic creature is loose and they are in danger. I enjoyed the film, but could have done without the shaky cam.
Eastern Condors / Dung Fong tuk ying (1987) - 6.5/10 - Various Chinese prisoners being held by the U.S. are offered a chance for freedom plus a large payday if they undertake a mission into Vietnam to destroy a cache of missiles that were left behind during the pullout. They will be parachuted into the country and then will have to make their way to the destination, but it will be pretty dangerous along the way. Some of the stunts and humor were pretty good, but overall the film was decent, but not great.
The Abominable Snowman (1957) - 6/10 - A British botanist (Peter Cushing) is in the Himalayas on an expedition with his wife and assistant when he comes across an American expedition searching to find and capture a yeti. He joins the expedition our of curiosity as their search takes them high into the mountains. Cushing is good, but the film is pretty dull overall.
The Missouri Breaks (1976) - 6/10 - A large landowner hangs a horse rustler which angers the rustler's associates (including Jack Nicholson). The landowner hires an odd gunman (Marlon Brando) to track down and dispose of the other rustlers. Nicholson is pretty good in the film, but I didn't care for Brando at all. His character was strange and seemed out of place. The story also took its time storywise between points of interest.
Ossos / Bones (1997) - 5.5/10 - A young father in a very poor area has custody of his baby after the mother doesn't want it. He doesn't seem to do much except for panhandle, asking people for money for the baby until he gets some help from a nurse. Some of the people just seem to sit around for long stretches saying nothing and doing nothing. I guess this is to get across a feeling of depression and hopelessness, but it ends up making the film seem kind of lifeless.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) - 5/10 - An epidemic leads to a need for organs and a large company provides them with financing. However, if you miss a payment, the repo men are likely to show up and repossess the organ. It's a musical that has some interesting parts here and there, but unfortunately the overall story and songs didn't really do much for me.
Requiem for a Vampire (1972) - 4/10 - Two young women in the French countryside are captured, raped, and forced to serve by the servants of an aging vampire. It wasn't very good.
Man Behind the Sun / Hei tai yang 731 (1988) - 4/10 - During WWII, the Japanese army had a special medical unit stationed in China to perform experiments on prisoners and civilians. Thousands were killed in search of information on biological weapons. The film doesn't really have much of a narrative other than to show a seemingly endless number of ways that they can torture and kill people.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
It Happened in Broad Daylight / Es geschah am hellichten Tag (1958) - 8.5/10 - A police detective is about to take a job in the Middle East when a murdered child is found in the woods. There have been a couple of similar killings in other areas in recent years that may be the work of the same man. The detective becomes obsessed with solving the case and tracking down the murderer. It's very well done with a nice lead performance.
El sur (1983) - 8.5/10 - A young girl lives in the north of Spain with her parents. She is on good terms with each of them, but there is a mystery about her father since he doesn't talk about his past, though she learns some things from her mother. It's a very nice film and while it does feel complete, it would have been interesting if they had shot the rest of the film where she travels to the south, perhaps releasing it as a sequel.
Pellet / El bola (2000) - 8.5/10 - Pellet is a 12 year old boy without any real friends, though he sometimes hangs out with other boys from school who engage in a dangerous game. His home life is tough, but his life outside improves when a new boy joins his class and they become friends. The new boy's home life is very different from his own. The boy who played Pellet was very good.
Pale Rider (1985) - 8/10 - The owner of a mining company wants to chase out the independent prospectors from the area, so he has his employees harass, attack, and intimidate the miners and their families. Then one day a stranger (Clint Eastwood) shows up in town and protects a miner under attack. It's like the answer to a prayer as the stranger, who comes to be known as Preacher, extends his protection to the whole independent mining community. I liked the religious/supernatural elements of the film. Eastwood gives his usual good Eastwoodian performance.
Rio Conchos (1964) - 8/10 - Richard Boone stars as Jim Lassiter, a former Confederate major who has been pursuing vengeance against the Apache for killing his family. He comes into possession of a new, more powerful rifle that was part of a shipment stolen from the US Army and is 'recruited' by the army to go on a secret mission with an army captain (Stuart Whitman) and others (Jim Brown, etc.) to track down and destroy the stolen rifles before they can be used against the army or against civilians. The cast does a nice job and there is plenty of action.
Two Rode Together (1961) - 8/10 - A marshal named McCabe (James Stewart) is hired by the army to try and get back white people who have been kidnapped as children over the years by the Comanche. He is accompanied by an old army officer friend (Richard Widmark). McCabe doesn't hold out much hope that the captives who survived will be recognizable by their original families anymore, but does the job anyway. The interplay between Stewart and Widmark is generally fun and the two leads do a nice job in a pretty entertaining film.
Dodge City (1939) - 8/10 - Errol Flynn stars as Wade Hatton, a man leading a cattle drive into Dodge City, Kansas. He soon discovers that a gang led by Jeff Surrett (Bruce Cabot) does whatever they want in town, including robbery, murder, and so on. Hatton eventually takes on the role of sheriff in order to clean up the town. This is a very nice technicolor western. Olivia de Havilland is the love interest and Alan Hale the sidekick.
The Last Wagon (1956) - 8/10 - Richard Widmark is excellent as Comanche Todd, a white man who lived with the Comanches for most of his life. He is wanted for killing several brothers, but comes to the aid of the survivors of an Apache attack on their wagon train. The last five minutes aren't great, but it doesn't detract from the rest of the film very much.
Fair of the Dove / La verbena de la Paloma (1935) - 7.5/10 - This musical comedy/drama takes place toward the end of the 19th Century and features a typesetter who is in love with a young woman. He doesn't have a lot of money, but works hard and has a good job. The woman's aunt wants her to marry the (much older) wealthy pharmacist. The typesetter gets jealous when he sees the young woman and her sister in a carriage with the pharmacist. There is quite a bit of humor in the film and I enjoyed the music and setting.
The Unforgiven (1960) - 7.5/10 - The Zachary family is a respected ranching family, living peacefully and happily until a stranger arrives and turns some of the people in the area against them. He tells a story that the adopted daughter Rachel (Audrey Hepburn) was actually a Kiowa baby taken as an infant. Soon after, a group of Kiowa show up wanting her to be returned to their tribe. That doesn't exactly go down well.
Warlock (1959) - 7.5/10 - The town of Warlock has a problem with a gang of cowboys who do whatever they want when they are in town, including killing people and chasing the sheriff out of town. They recruit noted gunfighter Clay Blaisedell (Henry Fonda) to be the town marshal and bring order to the town. He is accompanied by his friend Tom Morgan (Anthony Quinn) and later aided by Johnny Gannon (Richard Widmark), a former member of the gang who is tired of the behavior of the others. It's a battle of wills and bullets to clean up the town and bring back law and order. Fonda, Quinn, and Widmark are all pretty good as usual.
The Tall Men (1955) - 7.5/10 - After the Civil War, two brothers (Clark Gable, Cameron Mitchell) decide to rob a businessman (Robert Ryan), but instead are talked into leading a cattle drive from Texas to Montana since there is a lot of money to be made. They are later joined by the survivor of a Sioux raid (Jane Russell) which leads to a love triangle. There's a lot of fun stuff throughout the film, including Jane Russell singing a song at various times and a variety of hijinx.
The Big Trail (1930) - 7/10 - John Wayne's first leading role has him as a scout who helps guide a wagon train from Missouri to the Oregon Territory. Along the way they encounter numerous and varied trials and tribulations. The acting is decent, though unspectacular. The camerawork and scenery are very good and a number of the scenes are interesting, such as crossing the rivers with all the dangers that entailed.
Compañeros (1970) - 7/10 - A Swedish arms dealer arrives in Mexico to broker a sale, but the money to pay him is locked in a very strong vault. He travels to the United States to free the only man who knows the combination. That man is a pacifist professor who leads a faction that opposes the general buying the weapons. There is plenty of humor mixed in throughout the film. It's generally a fun film, if a bit long.
Scanners (1981) - 7/10 - A drifter has the ability to hear other people's thoughts, but has no control over turning it off or muting the voices. A scientist takes him in and introduces him to a drug that can help him control his abilities. He also informs him about another 'scanner' who is either recruiting or killing his fellow scanners and the drifter is on the target list in his bid to take over the world. The scientist is working toward stopping that end. I'm not a big Cronenberg fan, but this was decent.
Major Dundee (1965) - 7/10 - Toward the end of the Civil War, a Union major named Dundee (Charlton Heston) takes a troop of soldiers which includes civilians and Confederate prisoners into Mexico in pursuit of Apaches who have been raiding U.S. bases in Texas. The leader of the Confederate soldiers has a grudge against Dundee, but has given his word to play nice until the Apaches are dealt with. It was decent enough, but nothing particularly special.
Ramrod (1947) - 6.5/10 - Connie Dickinson (Veronica Lake) gains a ranch when the man she was going to marry decides to leave town and sign the ranch over to her instead of going against local boss Frank Ivey and his gang of thugs. She hires Dave Nash (Joel McCrea) to act as he foreman. He wants to play everything legal, but that may not be possible. This is kind of a lackluster western, though it was entertaining enough at times.
Viva Maria! (1965) - 6.5/10 - Maria (Brigitte Bardot) is the daughter of an Irish revolutionary/terrorist. After her father's death, she travels to Central America where she meets Maria (Jeanne Moreau), a singer in a traveling circus. The two Marias team up to form an act and later to become revolutionaries. It's not a great film, but there were some parts that I enjoyed quite a bit, including the section at the Rodriguez estate.
Dolls (1986) - 6/10 - When their car breaks down on a stormy night, a little girl with her father and stepmother take refuge in an old mansion. The father and stepmother are very poor parents. Also joining them are a somewhat hapless man and two punk girls that he picked up hitchhiking. The mansion is the home of an elderly couple who make dolls. These dolls are alive, though, and willing to kill. The acting is generally not very good and the film isn't great, but is certainly watchable and has some fun parts.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) - 6/10 - A rock band made up of three young women heads to Hollywood where they find plenty of sleazy behavior. This is a batshit soap opera with a cool soundtrack.
The Fury of a Patient Man (2016) - 5/10 - Jose gets into a relationship with Ana, but he is using her as part of a plot to get revenge for something from his past. Some parts are better than others, but overall it was fairly lifeless and dull.
Tepepa (1969) - 5/10 - A Mexican revolutionary battles a police chief while an English doctor seeks to kill the revolutionary for his own reasons. Orson Welles co-stars as the police chief and gives a lackluster performance. The whole film is rather dull and overlong. The soundtrack is decent, though.
Surcos (1951) - 5/10 - A farm family arrives in the big city to seek out a new life in this Spanish attempt at neorealism, but are met with one misfortune after another. some of the scenes aren't bad, but when added together, it amounts to misery porn and I didn't really enjoy it.
Arrebato (1979) - 4/10 - That was a weird movie and not really my kind of film, though I can see why some might love it.
Bilbao (1978) - 3.5/10 - A man becomes obsessed with a prostitute and eventually kidnaps her. I couldn't really get into this one.
British Sounds / See You at Mao (1970) - 2/10 - Godard goes to the UK and does Godard things.
El sur (1983) - 8.5/10 - A young girl lives in the north of Spain with her parents. She is on good terms with each of them, but there is a mystery about her father since he doesn't talk about his past, though she learns some things from her mother. It's a very nice film and while it does feel complete, it would have been interesting if they had shot the rest of the film where she travels to the south, perhaps releasing it as a sequel.
Pellet / El bola (2000) - 8.5/10 - Pellet is a 12 year old boy without any real friends, though he sometimes hangs out with other boys from school who engage in a dangerous game. His home life is tough, but his life outside improves when a new boy joins his class and they become friends. The new boy's home life is very different from his own. The boy who played Pellet was very good.
Pale Rider (1985) - 8/10 - The owner of a mining company wants to chase out the independent prospectors from the area, so he has his employees harass, attack, and intimidate the miners and their families. Then one day a stranger (Clint Eastwood) shows up in town and protects a miner under attack. It's like the answer to a prayer as the stranger, who comes to be known as Preacher, extends his protection to the whole independent mining community. I liked the religious/supernatural elements of the film. Eastwood gives his usual good Eastwoodian performance.
Rio Conchos (1964) - 8/10 - Richard Boone stars as Jim Lassiter, a former Confederate major who has been pursuing vengeance against the Apache for killing his family. He comes into possession of a new, more powerful rifle that was part of a shipment stolen from the US Army and is 'recruited' by the army to go on a secret mission with an army captain (Stuart Whitman) and others (Jim Brown, etc.) to track down and destroy the stolen rifles before they can be used against the army or against civilians. The cast does a nice job and there is plenty of action.
Two Rode Together (1961) - 8/10 - A marshal named McCabe (James Stewart) is hired by the army to try and get back white people who have been kidnapped as children over the years by the Comanche. He is accompanied by an old army officer friend (Richard Widmark). McCabe doesn't hold out much hope that the captives who survived will be recognizable by their original families anymore, but does the job anyway. The interplay between Stewart and Widmark is generally fun and the two leads do a nice job in a pretty entertaining film.
Dodge City (1939) - 8/10 - Errol Flynn stars as Wade Hatton, a man leading a cattle drive into Dodge City, Kansas. He soon discovers that a gang led by Jeff Surrett (Bruce Cabot) does whatever they want in town, including robbery, murder, and so on. Hatton eventually takes on the role of sheriff in order to clean up the town. This is a very nice technicolor western. Olivia de Havilland is the love interest and Alan Hale the sidekick.
The Last Wagon (1956) - 8/10 - Richard Widmark is excellent as Comanche Todd, a white man who lived with the Comanches for most of his life. He is wanted for killing several brothers, but comes to the aid of the survivors of an Apache attack on their wagon train. The last five minutes aren't great, but it doesn't detract from the rest of the film very much.
Fair of the Dove / La verbena de la Paloma (1935) - 7.5/10 - This musical comedy/drama takes place toward the end of the 19th Century and features a typesetter who is in love with a young woman. He doesn't have a lot of money, but works hard and has a good job. The woman's aunt wants her to marry the (much older) wealthy pharmacist. The typesetter gets jealous when he sees the young woman and her sister in a carriage with the pharmacist. There is quite a bit of humor in the film and I enjoyed the music and setting.
The Unforgiven (1960) - 7.5/10 - The Zachary family is a respected ranching family, living peacefully and happily until a stranger arrives and turns some of the people in the area against them. He tells a story that the adopted daughter Rachel (Audrey Hepburn) was actually a Kiowa baby taken as an infant. Soon after, a group of Kiowa show up wanting her to be returned to their tribe. That doesn't exactly go down well.
Warlock (1959) - 7.5/10 - The town of Warlock has a problem with a gang of cowboys who do whatever they want when they are in town, including killing people and chasing the sheriff out of town. They recruit noted gunfighter Clay Blaisedell (Henry Fonda) to be the town marshal and bring order to the town. He is accompanied by his friend Tom Morgan (Anthony Quinn) and later aided by Johnny Gannon (Richard Widmark), a former member of the gang who is tired of the behavior of the others. It's a battle of wills and bullets to clean up the town and bring back law and order. Fonda, Quinn, and Widmark are all pretty good as usual.
The Tall Men (1955) - 7.5/10 - After the Civil War, two brothers (Clark Gable, Cameron Mitchell) decide to rob a businessman (Robert Ryan), but instead are talked into leading a cattle drive from Texas to Montana since there is a lot of money to be made. They are later joined by the survivor of a Sioux raid (Jane Russell) which leads to a love triangle. There's a lot of fun stuff throughout the film, including Jane Russell singing a song at various times and a variety of hijinx.
The Big Trail (1930) - 7/10 - John Wayne's first leading role has him as a scout who helps guide a wagon train from Missouri to the Oregon Territory. Along the way they encounter numerous and varied trials and tribulations. The acting is decent, though unspectacular. The camerawork and scenery are very good and a number of the scenes are interesting, such as crossing the rivers with all the dangers that entailed.
Compañeros (1970) - 7/10 - A Swedish arms dealer arrives in Mexico to broker a sale, but the money to pay him is locked in a very strong vault. He travels to the United States to free the only man who knows the combination. That man is a pacifist professor who leads a faction that opposes the general buying the weapons. There is plenty of humor mixed in throughout the film. It's generally a fun film, if a bit long.
Scanners (1981) - 7/10 - A drifter has the ability to hear other people's thoughts, but has no control over turning it off or muting the voices. A scientist takes him in and introduces him to a drug that can help him control his abilities. He also informs him about another 'scanner' who is either recruiting or killing his fellow scanners and the drifter is on the target list in his bid to take over the world. The scientist is working toward stopping that end. I'm not a big Cronenberg fan, but this was decent.
Major Dundee (1965) - 7/10 - Toward the end of the Civil War, a Union major named Dundee (Charlton Heston) takes a troop of soldiers which includes civilians and Confederate prisoners into Mexico in pursuit of Apaches who have been raiding U.S. bases in Texas. The leader of the Confederate soldiers has a grudge against Dundee, but has given his word to play nice until the Apaches are dealt with. It was decent enough, but nothing particularly special.
Ramrod (1947) - 6.5/10 - Connie Dickinson (Veronica Lake) gains a ranch when the man she was going to marry decides to leave town and sign the ranch over to her instead of going against local boss Frank Ivey and his gang of thugs. She hires Dave Nash (Joel McCrea) to act as he foreman. He wants to play everything legal, but that may not be possible. This is kind of a lackluster western, though it was entertaining enough at times.
Viva Maria! (1965) - 6.5/10 - Maria (Brigitte Bardot) is the daughter of an Irish revolutionary/terrorist. After her father's death, she travels to Central America where she meets Maria (Jeanne Moreau), a singer in a traveling circus. The two Marias team up to form an act and later to become revolutionaries. It's not a great film, but there were some parts that I enjoyed quite a bit, including the section at the Rodriguez estate.
Dolls (1986) - 6/10 - When their car breaks down on a stormy night, a little girl with her father and stepmother take refuge in an old mansion. The father and stepmother are very poor parents. Also joining them are a somewhat hapless man and two punk girls that he picked up hitchhiking. The mansion is the home of an elderly couple who make dolls. These dolls are alive, though, and willing to kill. The acting is generally not very good and the film isn't great, but is certainly watchable and has some fun parts.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) - 6/10 - A rock band made up of three young women heads to Hollywood where they find plenty of sleazy behavior. This is a batshit soap opera with a cool soundtrack.
The Fury of a Patient Man (2016) - 5/10 - Jose gets into a relationship with Ana, but he is using her as part of a plot to get revenge for something from his past. Some parts are better than others, but overall it was fairly lifeless and dull.
Tepepa (1969) - 5/10 - A Mexican revolutionary battles a police chief while an English doctor seeks to kill the revolutionary for his own reasons. Orson Welles co-stars as the police chief and gives a lackluster performance. The whole film is rather dull and overlong. The soundtrack is decent, though.
Surcos (1951) - 5/10 - A farm family arrives in the big city to seek out a new life in this Spanish attempt at neorealism, but are met with one misfortune after another. some of the scenes aren't bad, but when added together, it amounts to misery porn and I didn't really enjoy it.
Arrebato (1979) - 4/10 - That was a weird movie and not really my kind of film, though I can see why some might love it.
Bilbao (1978) - 3.5/10 - A man becomes obsessed with a prostitute and eventually kidnaps her. I couldn't really get into this one.
British Sounds / See You at Mao (1970) - 2/10 - Godard goes to the UK and does Godard things.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Les trois mousquetaires: D'Artagnan (Martin Bourboulon, 2023) 8/10
Part one of an adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel "The Three Musketeers". It is in a way also a french remake of the classic two-part Richard Lester version of the story made during the 1970s. While the former was a fairly sanitized version in terms of hygeine, this version reeks of realism. Squalor and filth are the order of the day as most humans in Europe back then almost lived like pigs in a pigsty. The rich here look sparkling but the truth is that Europeans rarely bathed - the rich just doused themselves with perfume and makeup - and one can here feel the grime and smell the body odor wafting off the screen. Hygeine in the form of bathing would be eventually introduced courtesy of the Muslims - the Moors - when they took on Spain and beyond. The familiar plot - country bumpkin D'Artagnan (François Civil) arrives in Paris, befriends the three Musketeers - brooding Athos (Vincent Cassel), debonair Aramis (Romain Duris), gregariously "swinging" Porthos (Pio Marmaï) - and find themselves swashbuckling loyalists to King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel) while the conflict between Catholics and Protestants rises. Meanwhile the Queen - Anne of Austria (Vicky Krieps) - wants her diamond necklace retrieved from her lover - the British Duke of Buckingham (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) - which the mysterious and wily Milady de Winter (Eva Green) tries to circumvent. The Musketeers to the rescue!! Green is a sexy (plunging necklines help) and treacherous villain. Lavishly produced film is a feast for the eyes - it won the César award for production design and was nominated for its sound design, costumes, music score, cinematography & visual effects. Flamboyant, old-fashioned fun.
Les trois mousquetaires : Milady (Martin Bourboulon, 2023) 8/10
The plot turns very grim during the second part of the film adapted from the novel, "The Three Musketeers", by Alexandre Dumas. D'Artagnan (François Civil) takes center stage as he pursues the kidnappers of his lady love, Constance Bonacieux (Lyna Khoudri), and comes across the notorious Milady de Winter (Eva Green) who he rescues from prison and is shocked to discover her connection to Musketeer Athos (Vincent Cassel) - the other two comrades Aramis (Romain Duris) & Porthos (Pio Marmaï) are only seen on the periphery in the scenes set during the civil war whereby someone is plotting to topple King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel). Gritty action packed romp has superb fencing sequences - harking back to the days of Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Basil Rathbone - and a deliciously evil villain in the sexy shape of Eva Green who grabs the film and runs off with it. Although it's hard to top Faye Dunaway's interpretation of Milady in the classic 1970s Richard Lester version but Green more than holds her own in the part. Truth be told the part of Milady is quite foolproof - Barbara La Marr, Lana Turner, Rebecca De Mornay & Milla Jovovich have all been delightfully evil in the different screen versions of the story. The action comes together surrounded by outstanding production values with stunning cinematography that is to die for.
Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper, 1942) 10/10
Swooningly romantic film about a blueblood Bostonian spinster, dumpy Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) - "I'm one of the lesser Vales" - who blossoms into a lovely swan once she is hit by romance with a married architect (Paul Hebreid) during an ocean voyage and later while stranded together in Rio. She has just finished a stint at a sanatorium under the care of a sympathetic psychiatrist (Claude Rains) while away from the clutches of her brutally cold mother (Gladys Cooper at her imperious best), an aristocratic Boston dowager. One of Bette Davis' signature roles where she transforms from an overweight frump into a chic woman, stands up to her formidable mother and finds comfort in caring for her lover's young daughter. Supreme soap opera is capped by one of the most romantic lines in Hollywood history - when the architect asks her if she is happy, she replies: "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the Moon. We have the stars." And then there is that wonderful moment with the two cigarettes. What is basically a soggy script turns into something magical due to the superb chemistry of the two stars, Sol Polito's camerawork, and Max Steiner's iconic Oscar winning music score. Both Davis and Cooper received richly deserved Oscar nominations for their memorable performances. A must see.
The Fall Guy (David Leitch, 2024) 4/10
Big screen version of the hit 1980s tv series (which had Lee Majors as a stuntman) is an excruciating bore and is very difficult to sit through. Like most Hollywood movies today this too has a screenplay that surrounds itself with large scale action sequences with the sound level blaring at fever pitch - action for the sake of action trying hard to beat what came before it in another film. The two stars here - Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt - are delightful and have great screen chemistry but are totally wasted in this soggy project which shows that Hollywood has run out of original ideas. Blunt plays a director working on a big budget action packed science fiction epic while Gosling is a stuntman for the film's leading actor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). There is a murder and Gosling is framed and spends most of the film trying to figure out who is the actual culprit. Apart from one witty action set piece - Gosling battling it out on a rubbish truck on the streets of Sydney which is intercut with scenes of Blunt singing "Against All Odds: Take a Look at Me Now" at a karaoke bar - this messy film has forced humour and boring action sequences involving car crashes and rolls (which apparently created a Guinness record).
The Doughgirls (James V. Kern, 1944) 2/10
Corny loud farce, based on a hit Broadway play, is set during the WWII housing shortage in Washington, D.C. Newly wed couple (Jack Carson & Jane Wyman) arrive at a hotel for their honeymoon and manage to find a room at a hotel. However, to their horror they discover two other couples are also in residence in their suite creating confusion. Wyman is most annoying playing a bimbo - better are Ann Sheridan and Alexis Smith as her friends who are both the extra residents with their respective husbands. Eve Arden, as a Russian with a shotgun, also joins the fray but is equally unfunny. The screenplay was revised to show the couples as married to appease the censors - none of them were married in the original play
One More Tomorrow (Peter Godfrey, 1946) 7/10
Rich playboy (Dennis Morgan) buys a liberal activist magazine, falls in love with a sassy journalist (Ann Sheridan), but ends up married to a conniving socialite (Alexis Smith). Providing laughs as second leads are the friends of the lovers - a butler (Jack Carson) and a photographer (Jane Wyman). Witty comedy of manners is loosely based on Philip Barry's play "The Animal Kingdom".
Hart's War (Gregory Hoblit, 2002) 7/10
At it's center a WWII POW drama but within it the screenplay throws up a court-martial along with a look-in at how African-American soldiers suffered racism at the hands of their fellow white soldiers. Lt. Hart (Colin Farrell) is captured and brought to Stalag VI-A, a Nazi POW camp for captured allied soldiers. He comes into conflict with the American Colonel (Bruce Willis) at the camp when he is assigned to defend an African-American pilot (Terence Howard) accused of murdering a racist white soldier. The trial, conducted in front of the Nazi high command of the camp, digs up various twists eventually leading to a dramatic sacrifice that does not ring true. Farrell is very good and runs circles around Willis who has his usual smug expression planted across his face throughout. The film's exploration of racial prejudice quietly hits home - especially during the moments when Howard is on the stand.
The Guilty (Antoine Fuqua, 2021) 7/10
American remake of a highly acclaimed Danish film. LAPD officer (Jake Gyllenhaal), awaiting a hearing for shooting and killing a 19-year-old man, is assigned to answer emergency calls at a 911 call center. He responds to a call from a woman who claims to have been abducted by her husband leaving two small children alone at her house. Later he contacts her distressed daughter who says she is alone with her baby brother. He gets the cops to go to the house where they discover the baby covered in blood. Riveting scenario is a tour-de-force for Gyllenhaal who is on screen mostly all alone as he tries to resolve the situation by keeping in contact by phone with the woman, her husband, their daughter and assorted law enforcement officers. As the night wears on he comes to the realization that the abduction playing out is not exactly how he visualized it to be leading him to make some hard decisions about his personal life. Tense well acted thriller with the voices of Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Dano & Peter Sarsgaard providing support to Gyllenhaal who reacts to their voices.
Fallen (Gregory Hoblit, 1998)
Police procedural with a supernatural element. When a serial killer (Elias Koteas) is executed a series of mysterious murders start taking place which mimic the deaths earlier caused by the serial killer. A homicide detective (Denzel Washington) and his partner (John Goodman) investigate and discover that an invisible being passing from person to person could be the killer. And then the detective's finger prints are found at the site of two murder victims. Is he the killer or is it some entity framing him for the deaths? The camera suddenly starts taking on a point of view shot as if something or someone is observing the action. Washington narrates in true noir-like fashion while interacting with his boss (Donald Sutherland), a dead cop's daughter (Embeth Davidtz) and a sleazy colleague (James Gandolfini) at the precinct. Atmospheric film with a twist ending is one of Denzel's most underrated films.
Mother of the Bride (Mark Waters, 2024) 6/10
Familiar plot that has been through the wringer numerous times but with a different cast - George Clooney & Julia Roberts romped through something quite similar sometime back also on Netflix. Bride springs a surprise on her geneticist Mom (Brooke Shields) about her upcoming destination (Phuket, Thailand) wedding which then turns out to be very awkward when the father (Benjamin Bratt) of the groom turns out to be her college boyfriend who disappeared on her and broke her heart decades ago. As with all such plots the location stands head and shoulders above all else followed by the cast who all appear to be going through the motions strictly for their paychecks plus the added attraction of shooting in an exotic resort - sun, the beach and lots of cocktails. Through it all Shields and Bratt make a cute couple who overcome the trite dialogue and corny situations and somehow make it work......but then its Shields on a beach which was where she really made an impact all those years ago in "The Blue Lagoon"....so the familiarity of it all probably makes it bearable.
Arcadian (Ben Brewer, 2024) 7/10
Kick-ass action horror film uses the oft-used trope - a group of people trapped inside a house battling either Indians, robbers or monsters. Strictly B-movie formula works in this post-apocalyptic scenario. A father (Nicolas Cage) and his twin sons survive the end of civilization and live on a remote farm in a valley. During the day they live a normal life but at night they board themselves inside with fear as strange mutant monsters roam the dark which attack and kill humans. It's an absolute bloodbath once the attack begins as human flesh is torn apart while the survivors use shotguns, knives and hammers to defend themselves. For a change Cage appears in a worthwhile film full of suspense even if the plot is strictly old hat.
Part one of an adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel "The Three Musketeers". It is in a way also a french remake of the classic two-part Richard Lester version of the story made during the 1970s. While the former was a fairly sanitized version in terms of hygeine, this version reeks of realism. Squalor and filth are the order of the day as most humans in Europe back then almost lived like pigs in a pigsty. The rich here look sparkling but the truth is that Europeans rarely bathed - the rich just doused themselves with perfume and makeup - and one can here feel the grime and smell the body odor wafting off the screen. Hygeine in the form of bathing would be eventually introduced courtesy of the Muslims - the Moors - when they took on Spain and beyond. The familiar plot - country bumpkin D'Artagnan (François Civil) arrives in Paris, befriends the three Musketeers - brooding Athos (Vincent Cassel), debonair Aramis (Romain Duris), gregariously "swinging" Porthos (Pio Marmaï) - and find themselves swashbuckling loyalists to King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel) while the conflict between Catholics and Protestants rises. Meanwhile the Queen - Anne of Austria (Vicky Krieps) - wants her diamond necklace retrieved from her lover - the British Duke of Buckingham (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) - which the mysterious and wily Milady de Winter (Eva Green) tries to circumvent. The Musketeers to the rescue!! Green is a sexy (plunging necklines help) and treacherous villain. Lavishly produced film is a feast for the eyes - it won the César award for production design and was nominated for its sound design, costumes, music score, cinematography & visual effects. Flamboyant, old-fashioned fun.
Les trois mousquetaires : Milady (Martin Bourboulon, 2023) 8/10
The plot turns very grim during the second part of the film adapted from the novel, "The Three Musketeers", by Alexandre Dumas. D'Artagnan (François Civil) takes center stage as he pursues the kidnappers of his lady love, Constance Bonacieux (Lyna Khoudri), and comes across the notorious Milady de Winter (Eva Green) who he rescues from prison and is shocked to discover her connection to Musketeer Athos (Vincent Cassel) - the other two comrades Aramis (Romain Duris) & Porthos (Pio Marmaï) are only seen on the periphery in the scenes set during the civil war whereby someone is plotting to topple King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel). Gritty action packed romp has superb fencing sequences - harking back to the days of Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Basil Rathbone - and a deliciously evil villain in the sexy shape of Eva Green who grabs the film and runs off with it. Although it's hard to top Faye Dunaway's interpretation of Milady in the classic 1970s Richard Lester version but Green more than holds her own in the part. Truth be told the part of Milady is quite foolproof - Barbara La Marr, Lana Turner, Rebecca De Mornay & Milla Jovovich have all been delightfully evil in the different screen versions of the story. The action comes together surrounded by outstanding production values with stunning cinematography that is to die for.
Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper, 1942) 10/10
Swooningly romantic film about a blueblood Bostonian spinster, dumpy Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) - "I'm one of the lesser Vales" - who blossoms into a lovely swan once she is hit by romance with a married architect (Paul Hebreid) during an ocean voyage and later while stranded together in Rio. She has just finished a stint at a sanatorium under the care of a sympathetic psychiatrist (Claude Rains) while away from the clutches of her brutally cold mother (Gladys Cooper at her imperious best), an aristocratic Boston dowager. One of Bette Davis' signature roles where she transforms from an overweight frump into a chic woman, stands up to her formidable mother and finds comfort in caring for her lover's young daughter. Supreme soap opera is capped by one of the most romantic lines in Hollywood history - when the architect asks her if she is happy, she replies: "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the Moon. We have the stars." And then there is that wonderful moment with the two cigarettes. What is basically a soggy script turns into something magical due to the superb chemistry of the two stars, Sol Polito's camerawork, and Max Steiner's iconic Oscar winning music score. Both Davis and Cooper received richly deserved Oscar nominations for their memorable performances. A must see.
The Fall Guy (David Leitch, 2024) 4/10
Big screen version of the hit 1980s tv series (which had Lee Majors as a stuntman) is an excruciating bore and is very difficult to sit through. Like most Hollywood movies today this too has a screenplay that surrounds itself with large scale action sequences with the sound level blaring at fever pitch - action for the sake of action trying hard to beat what came before it in another film. The two stars here - Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt - are delightful and have great screen chemistry but are totally wasted in this soggy project which shows that Hollywood has run out of original ideas. Blunt plays a director working on a big budget action packed science fiction epic while Gosling is a stuntman for the film's leading actor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). There is a murder and Gosling is framed and spends most of the film trying to figure out who is the actual culprit. Apart from one witty action set piece - Gosling battling it out on a rubbish truck on the streets of Sydney which is intercut with scenes of Blunt singing "Against All Odds: Take a Look at Me Now" at a karaoke bar - this messy film has forced humour and boring action sequences involving car crashes and rolls (which apparently created a Guinness record).
The Doughgirls (James V. Kern, 1944) 2/10
Corny loud farce, based on a hit Broadway play, is set during the WWII housing shortage in Washington, D.C. Newly wed couple (Jack Carson & Jane Wyman) arrive at a hotel for their honeymoon and manage to find a room at a hotel. However, to their horror they discover two other couples are also in residence in their suite creating confusion. Wyman is most annoying playing a bimbo - better are Ann Sheridan and Alexis Smith as her friends who are both the extra residents with their respective husbands. Eve Arden, as a Russian with a shotgun, also joins the fray but is equally unfunny. The screenplay was revised to show the couples as married to appease the censors - none of them were married in the original play
One More Tomorrow (Peter Godfrey, 1946) 7/10
Rich playboy (Dennis Morgan) buys a liberal activist magazine, falls in love with a sassy journalist (Ann Sheridan), but ends up married to a conniving socialite (Alexis Smith). Providing laughs as second leads are the friends of the lovers - a butler (Jack Carson) and a photographer (Jane Wyman). Witty comedy of manners is loosely based on Philip Barry's play "The Animal Kingdom".
Hart's War (Gregory Hoblit, 2002) 7/10
At it's center a WWII POW drama but within it the screenplay throws up a court-martial along with a look-in at how African-American soldiers suffered racism at the hands of their fellow white soldiers. Lt. Hart (Colin Farrell) is captured and brought to Stalag VI-A, a Nazi POW camp for captured allied soldiers. He comes into conflict with the American Colonel (Bruce Willis) at the camp when he is assigned to defend an African-American pilot (Terence Howard) accused of murdering a racist white soldier. The trial, conducted in front of the Nazi high command of the camp, digs up various twists eventually leading to a dramatic sacrifice that does not ring true. Farrell is very good and runs circles around Willis who has his usual smug expression planted across his face throughout. The film's exploration of racial prejudice quietly hits home - especially during the moments when Howard is on the stand.
The Guilty (Antoine Fuqua, 2021) 7/10
American remake of a highly acclaimed Danish film. LAPD officer (Jake Gyllenhaal), awaiting a hearing for shooting and killing a 19-year-old man, is assigned to answer emergency calls at a 911 call center. He responds to a call from a woman who claims to have been abducted by her husband leaving two small children alone at her house. Later he contacts her distressed daughter who says she is alone with her baby brother. He gets the cops to go to the house where they discover the baby covered in blood. Riveting scenario is a tour-de-force for Gyllenhaal who is on screen mostly all alone as he tries to resolve the situation by keeping in contact by phone with the woman, her husband, their daughter and assorted law enforcement officers. As the night wears on he comes to the realization that the abduction playing out is not exactly how he visualized it to be leading him to make some hard decisions about his personal life. Tense well acted thriller with the voices of Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Dano & Peter Sarsgaard providing support to Gyllenhaal who reacts to their voices.
Fallen (Gregory Hoblit, 1998)
Police procedural with a supernatural element. When a serial killer (Elias Koteas) is executed a series of mysterious murders start taking place which mimic the deaths earlier caused by the serial killer. A homicide detective (Denzel Washington) and his partner (John Goodman) investigate and discover that an invisible being passing from person to person could be the killer. And then the detective's finger prints are found at the site of two murder victims. Is he the killer or is it some entity framing him for the deaths? The camera suddenly starts taking on a point of view shot as if something or someone is observing the action. Washington narrates in true noir-like fashion while interacting with his boss (Donald Sutherland), a dead cop's daughter (Embeth Davidtz) and a sleazy colleague (James Gandolfini) at the precinct. Atmospheric film with a twist ending is one of Denzel's most underrated films.
Mother of the Bride (Mark Waters, 2024) 6/10
Familiar plot that has been through the wringer numerous times but with a different cast - George Clooney & Julia Roberts romped through something quite similar sometime back also on Netflix. Bride springs a surprise on her geneticist Mom (Brooke Shields) about her upcoming destination (Phuket, Thailand) wedding which then turns out to be very awkward when the father (Benjamin Bratt) of the groom turns out to be her college boyfriend who disappeared on her and broke her heart decades ago. As with all such plots the location stands head and shoulders above all else followed by the cast who all appear to be going through the motions strictly for their paychecks plus the added attraction of shooting in an exotic resort - sun, the beach and lots of cocktails. Through it all Shields and Bratt make a cute couple who overcome the trite dialogue and corny situations and somehow make it work......but then its Shields on a beach which was where she really made an impact all those years ago in "The Blue Lagoon"....so the familiarity of it all probably makes it bearable.
Arcadian (Ben Brewer, 2024) 7/10
Kick-ass action horror film uses the oft-used trope - a group of people trapped inside a house battling either Indians, robbers or monsters. Strictly B-movie formula works in this post-apocalyptic scenario. A father (Nicolas Cage) and his twin sons survive the end of civilization and live on a remote farm in a valley. During the day they live a normal life but at night they board themselves inside with fear as strange mutant monsters roam the dark which attack and kill humans. It's an absolute bloodbath once the attack begins as human flesh is torn apart while the survivors use shotguns, knives and hammers to defend themselves. For a change Cage appears in a worthwhile film full of suspense even if the plot is strictly old hat.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Big Gundown (1967) - 8/10 - Lee Van Cleef plays a bounty hunter named Corbett who sets out to track down and capture a Mexican named Cuchillo who is supposed to have raped and killed a 12 year old girl. The pursuit takes them into Mexico with a few twists and turns along the way. It's very well done and entertaining.
Snow White / Blancanieves (2012) - 8/10 - The fairytale of Snow White is re-imagined in the world of bullfighting. The daughter of a famous bullfighter knows love and loss as a child. As an adult, she teams up with a group of bullfighting dwarves. It's well told in black and white with nice cinematography and a very nice soundtrack. It also serves as a silent film with title cards.
The Law and Jake Wade (1958) - 8/10 - Jake Wade (Robert Taylor) is the marshal of a small town who breaks a prisoner named Clint Hollister (Richard Widmark) out of the jail in another town. He sees it as a one time thing where he is paying off a debt, but it ends up bringing a lot more trouble than he bargained for. The two men used to be part of the same gang who robbed a bank years before with Wade burying the take and going straight rather than giving Hollister his share. Now Hollister wants the money from the job. Widmark is excellent as he often is while Taylor is serviceable in his role.
Snoopy, Come Home (1972) - 8/10 - Snoopy gets a letter from a girl in the hospital and leaves home to go see her. Charlie Brown is worried about Snoopy and wonders why he left. Snoopy has a few adventures along the way. Not as good as the first film, but still pretty entertaining.
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) - 7.5/10 - Jason assembles a crew and goes off in search of the Golden Fleece to help him regain his rightful kingdom. It's a fun adventure with good stop motion effects.
Welcome Mr. Marshall! / Bienvenido, Mister Marshall! (1953) - 7.5/10 - A small Spanish town gets excited about the prospect of American money flowing into their town as part of the Marshall Plan. They have word that the Americans will be visiting their town soon and so they set about to prepare festivities in order to make a good impression. I thought it was fun.
The Brood (1979) - 7.5/10 - A man is concerned about his young daughter while his wife is under the care of a psychologist with unique therapies. The film has nice atmosphere and a nice score.
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) - 7/10 - Anthony Quinn portrays Lewis "Mountain" Rivera, an aging professional heavyweight fighter who is forced to give up fighting after too many blows to the head. He only has a sixth grade education and has no marketable skills, but goes to an employment agency in hopes of finding a job. A lady who works there takes an interest in him and tries to help him, but Rivera's manager (Jackie Gleason) has his own ideas for Rivera's next line of work. Mickey Rooney plays a friend of Rivera and is also part of his boxing team. Quinn is excellent throughout the film. Gleason and Rooney are also decent, but the story doesn't quite rise up to match their performances, though it isn't bad.
Sabata (1969) - 7/10 - Sabata comes to town and foils a brazen safe theft sponsored by some of the leading citizens of the town. He then gets into a sort of game of cat and mouse with the main bad guy, sometimes aided by a banjo playing gunslinger. Sabata's motivation in all this is pretty murky unless he just likes messing with people, but there are certainly a lot of fun scenes mixed in to the film and Lee Van Cleef is good.
The Love Eterne / Liang Shan Bo yu Zhu Ying Tai (1963) - 7/10 - A young woman from a wealthy family convinces her parents to let her dress as a male and send her off to attend school. Over the next three years, she forms a strong bond with a classmate and they become 'brothers'. They also find themselves strongly attracted to each other. This is an adaptation of an opera and most of it is sung, which could be a turnoff.
The Last Sunset (1961) - 7/10 - Kirk Douglas stars as Brendan O’Malley. a man who arrives at a Mexican ranch with a Texas lawman (Rock Hudson) not far behind. O'Malley is wanted for killing a man in Texas and the two form a truce to take part in a cattle drive from the ranch to the market in Texas. O'Malley has an ulterior motive in the wife of the rancher (Dorothy Malone), an old flame of his from many years before.
O Sangue (1989) - 6.5/10 - Vicente has to look after himself and his little brother Nino after their father disappears. His girlfriend, Clara, moves in with them and helps keep things going. The uncle of the boys eventually becomes suspicious and wants to take Nino away while a couple of toughs who are owed money from the father want to collect from Vicente. There are a number of things that I liked in the film, but I didn't think it quite flowed together very well at times.
A Man Called Blade (1977) - 6.5/10 - A bounty hunter who carries a hatchet in addition to a gun brings a prisoner into a mining town. That's an excuse as he is looking to get revenge. There is also treachery in the wind involving the local silver mine and the mine owner. The movie was okay. I liked the soundtrack.
The Tower of the Seven Hunchbacks / La torre de los siete jorobados (1944) - 6/10 - A superstitious young man is approached by the ghost of a professor to protect his niece. It turns out that the professor was murdered and the niece may also be a target. The culprits? A group of hunchbacks with a secret they want to keep hidden. There are some nice elements and overall I liked it, but it lacked tension and could be a bit plodding at times.
I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes (1948) - 6/10 - An out of work dancer finds himself on trial for murder. He's innocent, but the evidence, while circumstantial, points his way, His wife tries to find the real killer. It's entertaining, but there are a few too many coincidences.
O Processo do Rei (1990) - 5/10 - The wife and brother of the King of Portugal work to get the King off the throne and locked away so that the two can marry. The film looks really nice, but is way too slow and dull.
Xtro (1982) - 3/10 - Sam is abducted by aliens, leaving behind his son, Tony, and wife, Rachel. He returns under mysterious circumstances three years later in this horror/sci-fi film. It's pretty weird and I couldn't get into it at all.
Lonesome Cowboys (1968) - 0/10 - This was pretty wretched.
Snow White / Blancanieves (2012) - 8/10 - The fairytale of Snow White is re-imagined in the world of bullfighting. The daughter of a famous bullfighter knows love and loss as a child. As an adult, she teams up with a group of bullfighting dwarves. It's well told in black and white with nice cinematography and a very nice soundtrack. It also serves as a silent film with title cards.
The Law and Jake Wade (1958) - 8/10 - Jake Wade (Robert Taylor) is the marshal of a small town who breaks a prisoner named Clint Hollister (Richard Widmark) out of the jail in another town. He sees it as a one time thing where he is paying off a debt, but it ends up bringing a lot more trouble than he bargained for. The two men used to be part of the same gang who robbed a bank years before with Wade burying the take and going straight rather than giving Hollister his share. Now Hollister wants the money from the job. Widmark is excellent as he often is while Taylor is serviceable in his role.
Snoopy, Come Home (1972) - 8/10 - Snoopy gets a letter from a girl in the hospital and leaves home to go see her. Charlie Brown is worried about Snoopy and wonders why he left. Snoopy has a few adventures along the way. Not as good as the first film, but still pretty entertaining.
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) - 7.5/10 - Jason assembles a crew and goes off in search of the Golden Fleece to help him regain his rightful kingdom. It's a fun adventure with good stop motion effects.
Welcome Mr. Marshall! / Bienvenido, Mister Marshall! (1953) - 7.5/10 - A small Spanish town gets excited about the prospect of American money flowing into their town as part of the Marshall Plan. They have word that the Americans will be visiting their town soon and so they set about to prepare festivities in order to make a good impression. I thought it was fun.
The Brood (1979) - 7.5/10 - A man is concerned about his young daughter while his wife is under the care of a psychologist with unique therapies. The film has nice atmosphere and a nice score.
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) - 7/10 - Anthony Quinn portrays Lewis "Mountain" Rivera, an aging professional heavyweight fighter who is forced to give up fighting after too many blows to the head. He only has a sixth grade education and has no marketable skills, but goes to an employment agency in hopes of finding a job. A lady who works there takes an interest in him and tries to help him, but Rivera's manager (Jackie Gleason) has his own ideas for Rivera's next line of work. Mickey Rooney plays a friend of Rivera and is also part of his boxing team. Quinn is excellent throughout the film. Gleason and Rooney are also decent, but the story doesn't quite rise up to match their performances, though it isn't bad.
Sabata (1969) - 7/10 - Sabata comes to town and foils a brazen safe theft sponsored by some of the leading citizens of the town. He then gets into a sort of game of cat and mouse with the main bad guy, sometimes aided by a banjo playing gunslinger. Sabata's motivation in all this is pretty murky unless he just likes messing with people, but there are certainly a lot of fun scenes mixed in to the film and Lee Van Cleef is good.
The Love Eterne / Liang Shan Bo yu Zhu Ying Tai (1963) - 7/10 - A young woman from a wealthy family convinces her parents to let her dress as a male and send her off to attend school. Over the next three years, she forms a strong bond with a classmate and they become 'brothers'. They also find themselves strongly attracted to each other. This is an adaptation of an opera and most of it is sung, which could be a turnoff.
The Last Sunset (1961) - 7/10 - Kirk Douglas stars as Brendan O’Malley. a man who arrives at a Mexican ranch with a Texas lawman (Rock Hudson) not far behind. O'Malley is wanted for killing a man in Texas and the two form a truce to take part in a cattle drive from the ranch to the market in Texas. O'Malley has an ulterior motive in the wife of the rancher (Dorothy Malone), an old flame of his from many years before.
O Sangue (1989) - 6.5/10 - Vicente has to look after himself and his little brother Nino after their father disappears. His girlfriend, Clara, moves in with them and helps keep things going. The uncle of the boys eventually becomes suspicious and wants to take Nino away while a couple of toughs who are owed money from the father want to collect from Vicente. There are a number of things that I liked in the film, but I didn't think it quite flowed together very well at times.
A Man Called Blade (1977) - 6.5/10 - A bounty hunter who carries a hatchet in addition to a gun brings a prisoner into a mining town. That's an excuse as he is looking to get revenge. There is also treachery in the wind involving the local silver mine and the mine owner. The movie was okay. I liked the soundtrack.
The Tower of the Seven Hunchbacks / La torre de los siete jorobados (1944) - 6/10 - A superstitious young man is approached by the ghost of a professor to protect his niece. It turns out that the professor was murdered and the niece may also be a target. The culprits? A group of hunchbacks with a secret they want to keep hidden. There are some nice elements and overall I liked it, but it lacked tension and could be a bit plodding at times.
I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes (1948) - 6/10 - An out of work dancer finds himself on trial for murder. He's innocent, but the evidence, while circumstantial, points his way, His wife tries to find the real killer. It's entertaining, but there are a few too many coincidences.
O Processo do Rei (1990) - 5/10 - The wife and brother of the King of Portugal work to get the King off the throne and locked away so that the two can marry. The film looks really nice, but is way too slow and dull.
Xtro (1982) - 3/10 - Sam is abducted by aliens, leaving behind his son, Tony, and wife, Rachel. He returns under mysterious circumstances three years later in this horror/sci-fi film. It's pretty weird and I couldn't get into it at all.
Lonesome Cowboys (1968) - 0/10 - This was pretty wretched.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Civil War (Alex Garland, 2024) 6/10
Dystopian story follows a group of journalists on a familiar road trip - there have been many featuring zombies - across a war torn United States ruled by a dictatorial president. The group is led by a Reuters journalist (Wagner Moura), a renowned war photojournalist (Kirsten Dunst), her mentor - veteran journalist for The New York Times (Stephen McKinley Henderson) - and a rookie photographer (Cailee Spaeny) who latches onto the veterans as they journey to Washington, D.C., to interview and photograph the president before the city falls. Along the way they encounter skirmishes with snipers, and a deadly encounter with a racist ultranationalist (Jesse Plemons) which recalls shocking moments from the Holocaust. The first hour of the film is deathly slow - almost fell asleep numerous times - but the story becomes gripping with the sequence with Plemons (his red eye shades are a great touch), and is then followed by brilliantly staged battle scenes just outside and within the White House. Well acted film - both Dunst and Spaeny are standouts - is an interesting look at a situation whereby the United States faces war on its shores for the first time in almost 160 years - Pearl Harbor does not count as that was an attack too far away for the citizens to be directly effected. Also something to seriously think about is the Trump-like reactionary character played by Plemons - a type of person that is all too prevalent today across the United States, one who has been around forever but is also sadly here to stay for a long time to come and could eventually be the cause of the nation's self-destruction.
The Durrells - Season 2 (Steve Barron and Edward Hall, 2017) 6/10
The family Durrell - widowed Mum (Keeley Hawes), eldest son and aspiring writer Lawrence (Josh O'Connor), second son Lesley (Callum Woodhouse), daughter Margo (Daisy Waterstone) and youngest son Gerald (Milo Parker) - are finding their move to Corfu difficult. There is no money for rent and they are under threat of eviction by the landlady. So they come up with various schemes to make money - selling British food items (Spotted Dick, Roly-Poly) which are not too much of a success. Meanwhile Margo decides to become a nun after her monk friend insists on celibacy. Larry is not happy with the response towards his newly published book and becomes involved with the landlady. Charming series relies on the lovely on-location filming on the island of Corfu which provides the often meandering plots a lot of much needed colour.
Dystopian story follows a group of journalists on a familiar road trip - there have been many featuring zombies - across a war torn United States ruled by a dictatorial president. The group is led by a Reuters journalist (Wagner Moura), a renowned war photojournalist (Kirsten Dunst), her mentor - veteran journalist for The New York Times (Stephen McKinley Henderson) - and a rookie photographer (Cailee Spaeny) who latches onto the veterans as they journey to Washington, D.C., to interview and photograph the president before the city falls. Along the way they encounter skirmishes with snipers, and a deadly encounter with a racist ultranationalist (Jesse Plemons) which recalls shocking moments from the Holocaust. The first hour of the film is deathly slow - almost fell asleep numerous times - but the story becomes gripping with the sequence with Plemons (his red eye shades are a great touch), and is then followed by brilliantly staged battle scenes just outside and within the White House. Well acted film - both Dunst and Spaeny are standouts - is an interesting look at a situation whereby the United States faces war on its shores for the first time in almost 160 years - Pearl Harbor does not count as that was an attack too far away for the citizens to be directly effected. Also something to seriously think about is the Trump-like reactionary character played by Plemons - a type of person that is all too prevalent today across the United States, one who has been around forever but is also sadly here to stay for a long time to come and could eventually be the cause of the nation's self-destruction.
The Durrells - Season 2 (Steve Barron and Edward Hall, 2017) 6/10
The family Durrell - widowed Mum (Keeley Hawes), eldest son and aspiring writer Lawrence (Josh O'Connor), second son Lesley (Callum Woodhouse), daughter Margo (Daisy Waterstone) and youngest son Gerald (Milo Parker) - are finding their move to Corfu difficult. There is no money for rent and they are under threat of eviction by the landlady. So they come up with various schemes to make money - selling British food items (Spotted Dick, Roly-Poly) which are not too much of a success. Meanwhile Margo decides to become a nun after her monk friend insists on celibacy. Larry is not happy with the response towards his newly published book and becomes involved with the landlady. Charming series relies on the lovely on-location filming on the island of Corfu which provides the often meandering plots a lot of much needed colour.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) - 9/10 - Charlie Brown enters the school spelling bee and has unexpected success, though that only brings added pressure. The first Peanuts movie is very good. I hadn't watched it in around 40 years.
Chunhyang (2000) - 8.5/10 - The son of a regional governor and the daughter of a courtesan fall in love and get married, though it is kept a secret from the governor lest he disown his son. The governor and his family are summoned to move to Seoul and the son vows to return for his wife once he has past the exam to become an official for the King. His wife suffers when the new governor takes a fancy to her and won't take no for an answer. The pansori singer narration made this watch a bit different, but I soon got used to it.
Yellow Sky (1948) - 8.5/10 - Stretch Dawson (Gregory Peck) leads a gang that robs a bank and then flees into Death Valley to evade the posse that pursues them. Hungry, thirsty, and tired, they happen upon a ghost town where the only residents are a young woman (Anne Baxter) and her grandfather, each armed and not looking for company. The story, acting, and setting are all very good. The supporting cast of characters in the gang also features some nice talent to complement the leads.
The Breaking Point (1950) - 8/10 - Harry Morgan (John Garfield) runs a fishing boat with a friend (Juano Hernández), but business hasn't been great and he is barely squeaking by. When he gets stiffed on a job and doesn't even have the money to get out of port, he starts considering other options. He's also prideful and doesn't win to give in and also doesn't like the idea of his wife helping make ends meet. This is a nice and entertaining noir.
Wrony / Crows (1994) - 8/10 - A young girl is neglected by her mother. She yearns for her mother's love and attention, but her mother is almost never there and the girl is left to fend for herself. She spends her days at the sea, wandering around the town, visiting the church, and playing by herself. One day, she decides to kidnap a happy little toddler and act as her mother. They spend the day together and the girl finds out that being a mother isn't easy and also isn't a substitute for her own mother. The actress who played the girl did a very nice job. The toddler was also good.
Vacancy (2007) - 7.5/10 - David and Amy Fox are on their way to a family gathering late at night when they have car trouble along a deserted stretch of road. They walk to a gas station, but find it closed, and end up checking in at a nearby motel to wait out the night until the gas station reopens. Unfortunately for them, the hotel is used to make snuff films and they are the intended next victims. I enjoyed this more than expected and thought it was pretty good.
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) - 7.5/10 - This sprawling crime epic covers nearly 70 years of rival gangs going after each other with the occasional alliance. The police are often on the take and murders sometimes take place right out in the open. The acting is pretty good and it is an entertaining film. I liked the second part a little bit more than the first part.
Day of Anger (1967) - 7.5/10 - Scott does the dirty work in the town, picking up garbage, sweeping floors, etc., and is treated poorly by many of the residents as a result. About the only one who treats him kindly is Murph, the man who runs the stables. Scott falls in with a deadly gunfighter named Talby, becoming his apprentice and learning from him. This also causes quite a change in his demeanor. This was pretty entertaining right from the beginning. It's a fairly simple tale, but also very effective.
A Dog's Will (1999) - 7.5/10 - João and Chicó are two poor friends living in Northeast Brazil in the 1930s. João's got a quick tongue and Chicó's got the looks. A lot of shenanigans go on during the course of the film, involving the baker's wife, the local priest, the bishop, a wealthy landowner, and others. I thought the film was dumb at first, especially with the style of acting, but it grew on me as it went along and I found myself enjoying it by the end. The longer mini-series version is better than the shorter theatrical cut.
The Grey Fox (1982) - 7/10 - Bill Miner had a career robbing stagecoaches and was known for doing it in a 'gentlemanly' fashion, perhaps even coming up with the 'hands up' approach. He also spent quite a bit of time in prison. After being paroled from San Quentin in 1901, he travels to Canada, adopts a different name, and takes up robbing trains. Richard Farnsworth gives a decent performance in a fairly laid back film.
The Long Riders (1980) - 7/10 - The film follows the rise and fall of the James-Younger gang over a period of time in the 1870s-1880s. The gang robs a number of banks, trains, and stagecoaches, but the Pinkertons are after them and sometimes the townsfolk are also ready. I thought it was a decent film and I liked the casting of actual brothers to portray the four sets of brothers shown in the film.
An Enemy of the People (1989) - 7/10 - A doctor looks for the source of a rise in illnesses among the local people. He discovers that the temple holy water is contaminated and is the cause of the uptick in illnesses since many people drink the holy water each week. Some people believe him, but others refuse. to believe that holy water can possibly be contaminated and resist. The doctor's own brother acts against him. It's a decent film with a nice lead performance, but the film also doesn't quite feel real to life, probably due to its origin as a stage play.
Sisters (1972) - 7/10 - Margot Kidder plays a model named Danielle who spends the night with a man she met as part of a tv show called Peeping Toms. In the morning, a reporter named Grace who lives in a nearby apartment sees a man being murdered in Danielle's apartment. When the police find nothing amiss in the apartment, Grace starts investigating on her own. I thought the film dragged a bit in the middle, but overall was good.
The Purge (2013) - 7/10 - The Sandin family is fairly wealthy and is prepared to wait out the annual Purge behind their high tech security system. Trouble arrives when the son lets in a stranger on the run from a Purge gang and the gang gives an ultimatum - hand over the man or they become the targets as well. Overall, this wasn't bad, though I really dislike shaky cam fights.
Hush (2016) - 7/10 - Maddie is a published author working on finishing her next book. She had an illness when she was 13 that made her deaf and she is also mute now. A masked killer shows up at her cabin one night for whatever reason and decides to have some fun and games when he finds that she is deaf. She works hard to fight back. It's a fairly enjoyable film even if the killer is a bit lacking.
Bakumatsu taiyoden / Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957) - 6.5/10 - Much of the film takes place in a brothel where a number of clients are trying to enjoy the amenities without paying their bill, including a self styled grifter who extends his stay by doing odd jobs . We also have a group of nationalist samurai who want to expel the foreigners from Japan. We get to see a number of the ladies interact and they have their own schemes as well. It's a comedy and there are a few amusing bits. but some of it didn't quite land for me, perhaps because of cultural differences.
Victoria (2015) - 6.5/10 - Victoria is a Spanish woman living in Berlin. One night while riding her bike, she meets four men outside of a club. They hang out the rest of the night, make a few minor thefts, and generally have a good time. Things turn more serious in the morning when the men have to go to a meeting and ask her to come along because one of the members is drunk/sick. The story itself was okay, though a bit dull at times. The gimmick of getting it all in one take seems to have been the priority.
Intruder (1989) - 6.5/10 - A serial killer is loose in a grocery store after it has closed for the night for restocking and cleaning. The night crew is in serious danger. This was okay and I laughed when they referenced a place that I knew and realized that the story took place around 10 miles from where I grew up. It makes sense because that's where the director grew up. The Raimi brothers and Bruce Campbell have small roles in the film and they grew up in the area as well.
Jigoku (1960) - 6/10 - Shiro is a passenger in a car which is involved in a hit and run that kills a gang leader. He feels guilt and attempts to go to the police, but more misfortune strikes. A number of other unfortunate incidents follow as he and those around him seem destined to go to hell. The story itself is okay and some of the visuals in hell were good, but the film really drags throughout.
Yellow Earth (1984) - 6/10 - In 1938, a soldier for the Communist Party in China is sent to a rural village to gather folk songs that can be repurposed for propaganda. A young girl who lives in the house that has the soldier as a guest is unhappy with her fate of having to marry a much older stranger. She appreciates the Communist teachings and may see a way out. The film is a bit better toward the end, but overall it was fairly dull.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) - 5.5/10 - I'm not a fan of the tv show and wasn't really expecting to like this much. I was right. Some of the Lynchian weirdness was interesting, though.
Dead End (2003) - 5/10 - It's Christmas Eve and the Harrington family is on their way to visit relatives. Frank (Ray Wise) is driving and is the only one awake until he dozes off and almost gets into an accident. The family is on some remote back road that Frank took as a 'shortcut' and they have no idea where they are. Then a strange lady in white shows up and pretty soon people start dying. The acting here was generally pretty bad, especially the guy who played Richard. The reactions of the family members seem kind of off as well.
10,000 Dollars for a Massacre (1967) - 5/10 - A bounty hunter called Django is hired by a man to rescue his kidnapped daughter and to take out the gang that took her. Unfortunately, this is pretty mediocre in terms of the story and acting. The music was kind of annoying, too.
Goodbye to Language (2014) - 2/10 - How can a 70 minute film feel like its longer than Gangs of Wasseypur?
Chunhyang (2000) - 8.5/10 - The son of a regional governor and the daughter of a courtesan fall in love and get married, though it is kept a secret from the governor lest he disown his son. The governor and his family are summoned to move to Seoul and the son vows to return for his wife once he has past the exam to become an official for the King. His wife suffers when the new governor takes a fancy to her and won't take no for an answer. The pansori singer narration made this watch a bit different, but I soon got used to it.
Yellow Sky (1948) - 8.5/10 - Stretch Dawson (Gregory Peck) leads a gang that robs a bank and then flees into Death Valley to evade the posse that pursues them. Hungry, thirsty, and tired, they happen upon a ghost town where the only residents are a young woman (Anne Baxter) and her grandfather, each armed and not looking for company. The story, acting, and setting are all very good. The supporting cast of characters in the gang also features some nice talent to complement the leads.
The Breaking Point (1950) - 8/10 - Harry Morgan (John Garfield) runs a fishing boat with a friend (Juano Hernández), but business hasn't been great and he is barely squeaking by. When he gets stiffed on a job and doesn't even have the money to get out of port, he starts considering other options. He's also prideful and doesn't win to give in and also doesn't like the idea of his wife helping make ends meet. This is a nice and entertaining noir.
Wrony / Crows (1994) - 8/10 - A young girl is neglected by her mother. She yearns for her mother's love and attention, but her mother is almost never there and the girl is left to fend for herself. She spends her days at the sea, wandering around the town, visiting the church, and playing by herself. One day, she decides to kidnap a happy little toddler and act as her mother. They spend the day together and the girl finds out that being a mother isn't easy and also isn't a substitute for her own mother. The actress who played the girl did a very nice job. The toddler was also good.
Vacancy (2007) - 7.5/10 - David and Amy Fox are on their way to a family gathering late at night when they have car trouble along a deserted stretch of road. They walk to a gas station, but find it closed, and end up checking in at a nearby motel to wait out the night until the gas station reopens. Unfortunately for them, the hotel is used to make snuff films and they are the intended next victims. I enjoyed this more than expected and thought it was pretty good.
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) - 7.5/10 - This sprawling crime epic covers nearly 70 years of rival gangs going after each other with the occasional alliance. The police are often on the take and murders sometimes take place right out in the open. The acting is pretty good and it is an entertaining film. I liked the second part a little bit more than the first part.
Day of Anger (1967) - 7.5/10 - Scott does the dirty work in the town, picking up garbage, sweeping floors, etc., and is treated poorly by many of the residents as a result. About the only one who treats him kindly is Murph, the man who runs the stables. Scott falls in with a deadly gunfighter named Talby, becoming his apprentice and learning from him. This also causes quite a change in his demeanor. This was pretty entertaining right from the beginning. It's a fairly simple tale, but also very effective.
A Dog's Will (1999) - 7.5/10 - João and Chicó are two poor friends living in Northeast Brazil in the 1930s. João's got a quick tongue and Chicó's got the looks. A lot of shenanigans go on during the course of the film, involving the baker's wife, the local priest, the bishop, a wealthy landowner, and others. I thought the film was dumb at first, especially with the style of acting, but it grew on me as it went along and I found myself enjoying it by the end. The longer mini-series version is better than the shorter theatrical cut.
The Grey Fox (1982) - 7/10 - Bill Miner had a career robbing stagecoaches and was known for doing it in a 'gentlemanly' fashion, perhaps even coming up with the 'hands up' approach. He also spent quite a bit of time in prison. After being paroled from San Quentin in 1901, he travels to Canada, adopts a different name, and takes up robbing trains. Richard Farnsworth gives a decent performance in a fairly laid back film.
The Long Riders (1980) - 7/10 - The film follows the rise and fall of the James-Younger gang over a period of time in the 1870s-1880s. The gang robs a number of banks, trains, and stagecoaches, but the Pinkertons are after them and sometimes the townsfolk are also ready. I thought it was a decent film and I liked the casting of actual brothers to portray the four sets of brothers shown in the film.
An Enemy of the People (1989) - 7/10 - A doctor looks for the source of a rise in illnesses among the local people. He discovers that the temple holy water is contaminated and is the cause of the uptick in illnesses since many people drink the holy water each week. Some people believe him, but others refuse. to believe that holy water can possibly be contaminated and resist. The doctor's own brother acts against him. It's a decent film with a nice lead performance, but the film also doesn't quite feel real to life, probably due to its origin as a stage play.
Sisters (1972) - 7/10 - Margot Kidder plays a model named Danielle who spends the night with a man she met as part of a tv show called Peeping Toms. In the morning, a reporter named Grace who lives in a nearby apartment sees a man being murdered in Danielle's apartment. When the police find nothing amiss in the apartment, Grace starts investigating on her own. I thought the film dragged a bit in the middle, but overall was good.
The Purge (2013) - 7/10 - The Sandin family is fairly wealthy and is prepared to wait out the annual Purge behind their high tech security system. Trouble arrives when the son lets in a stranger on the run from a Purge gang and the gang gives an ultimatum - hand over the man or they become the targets as well. Overall, this wasn't bad, though I really dislike shaky cam fights.
Hush (2016) - 7/10 - Maddie is a published author working on finishing her next book. She had an illness when she was 13 that made her deaf and she is also mute now. A masked killer shows up at her cabin one night for whatever reason and decides to have some fun and games when he finds that she is deaf. She works hard to fight back. It's a fairly enjoyable film even if the killer is a bit lacking.
Bakumatsu taiyoden / Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate (1957) - 6.5/10 - Much of the film takes place in a brothel where a number of clients are trying to enjoy the amenities without paying their bill, including a self styled grifter who extends his stay by doing odd jobs . We also have a group of nationalist samurai who want to expel the foreigners from Japan. We get to see a number of the ladies interact and they have their own schemes as well. It's a comedy and there are a few amusing bits. but some of it didn't quite land for me, perhaps because of cultural differences.
Victoria (2015) - 6.5/10 - Victoria is a Spanish woman living in Berlin. One night while riding her bike, she meets four men outside of a club. They hang out the rest of the night, make a few minor thefts, and generally have a good time. Things turn more serious in the morning when the men have to go to a meeting and ask her to come along because one of the members is drunk/sick. The story itself was okay, though a bit dull at times. The gimmick of getting it all in one take seems to have been the priority.
Intruder (1989) - 6.5/10 - A serial killer is loose in a grocery store after it has closed for the night for restocking and cleaning. The night crew is in serious danger. This was okay and I laughed when they referenced a place that I knew and realized that the story took place around 10 miles from where I grew up. It makes sense because that's where the director grew up. The Raimi brothers and Bruce Campbell have small roles in the film and they grew up in the area as well.
Jigoku (1960) - 6/10 - Shiro is a passenger in a car which is involved in a hit and run that kills a gang leader. He feels guilt and attempts to go to the police, but more misfortune strikes. A number of other unfortunate incidents follow as he and those around him seem destined to go to hell. The story itself is okay and some of the visuals in hell were good, but the film really drags throughout.
Yellow Earth (1984) - 6/10 - In 1938, a soldier for the Communist Party in China is sent to a rural village to gather folk songs that can be repurposed for propaganda. A young girl who lives in the house that has the soldier as a guest is unhappy with her fate of having to marry a much older stranger. She appreciates the Communist teachings and may see a way out. The film is a bit better toward the end, but overall it was fairly dull.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) - 5.5/10 - I'm not a fan of the tv show and wasn't really expecting to like this much. I was right. Some of the Lynchian weirdness was interesting, though.
Dead End (2003) - 5/10 - It's Christmas Eve and the Harrington family is on their way to visit relatives. Frank (Ray Wise) is driving and is the only one awake until he dozes off and almost gets into an accident. The family is on some remote back road that Frank took as a 'shortcut' and they have no idea where they are. Then a strange lady in white shows up and pretty soon people start dying. The acting here was generally pretty bad, especially the guy who played Richard. The reactions of the family members seem kind of off as well.
10,000 Dollars for a Massacre (1967) - 5/10 - A bounty hunter called Django is hired by a man to rescue his kidnapped daughter and to take out the gang that took her. Unfortunately, this is pretty mediocre in terms of the story and acting. The music was kind of annoying, too.
Goodbye to Language (2014) - 2/10 - How can a 70 minute film feel like its longer than Gangs of Wasseypur?
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Plein Soleil / Purple Noon (René Clément, 1960) 8/10
Is this the best version of Patricia Highsmith's novel about American Ripley who covets his rich friend's life? It is the first version with Alain Delon in one of his signature (and first major) roles that made him into a star. The character has been typically regarded as a "dapper sociopath", and an "agreeable and urbane psychopath". Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) arrives in Italy to lure a college mate (Maurice Ronet) back to America at the behest of the latter's father. He is unsuccessful and becomes a hanger on to the man and his adoring girlfriend (Marie Laforêt). The plan is to kill his friend, assume his identity, steal his money, and take his girl. The plan works and Ripley spends most of his time dodging the cops, committing a second murder, and moving between the two identities - his own and his dead friend's. Clément unfortunately changes the novel's original ending to appease the censors. While Delon is good - he is much better than Matt Damon in the 1999 Hollywood remake - it is shocking to see Italy looking not only very basic but also shabby. I suppose back in 1960 Italy had still not spruced up after the lashing it got during the War. The remake recreates the period in splendid detail with each Italian location (Rome, Naples, Palermo, Venice) shot with an eye to capture its specific beauty. Here Henri Decaë's camerawork is equally superb - the stunning blues of the sea and sky are magnificently seen during the scenes shot on the boat. Both Elvire Popesco and Romy Schneider (then Delon's off-screen lover) appear in brief roles.
Ripley (Steven Zaillian, 2024) 10/10
Arty, very moody, eight-part tv adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's classic 1955 crime novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley". Photographed in stunning black and white by Robert Elswit, with each shot achieving a striking, timeless quality, reminding one of classic noir or prime 1940s Hitchcock. Petty conman Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is suddenly lifted from his dingy New York life - decrepit apartment, pathetic cheque scams - by a shipping magnate who hires him to go find his son in Italy and bring him back. Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) has been living a life of leisure with his adoring girlfriend Marge (Dakota Fanning) and Ripley casually insinuates himself into their lives moving into his villa. He informs Dickie of his mission which is laughed off, and he soon begins to covet his rich lifestyle. Killing the rich young man and taking on his identity becomes the crux of the plot which is put into motion with icy precision. Circling Tom like predators are Marge, who is suspicious of him, Dickie's curt playwright friend (Eliot Sumner, the non-binary child of Sting), and an Inspector (Maurizio Lombardi) with whom a cat-and-mouse game ensues. Speaking of cats, episode 5 involves a fantastic feline who gets to view a whole lot, and later John Malkovich (who has also previously played Ripley) makes an appearance. The series is also a celebration of Italy, it's towns and art (Caravaggio gets more than a single look-in) which the camera captures almost with shimmering ecstacy. At the center of it all is the monumental presence of Scott who captures the shifty yet lethal quality of a sociopath.
Heera Mandi (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 2024) 7/10
Bhansali is reunited here with his former leading lady - Manisha Koirala - after almost 30 years. She plays the tough courtesan, Mallikajaan, at the notorious "kotha", Heera Mandi, in Lahore during the waning days of the British Raj. The screenplay depicts the various conflicts faced by the courtesans who provide entertainment - music, dance and sometimes sex - to the rich Nawabs in return for a heavy fee in the form of cash and jewels. At the center of the plot is the rivalry with another courtesan, Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), who arrives seeking revenge. The younger courtesans (Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chadha) have their own sub-plots which involve them in romance, attempted murder, broken hearts, suicide, and revolutionary fight against British rule. The sumptuous sets, costumes and jewels are quintessential Bhansali - a vision which seems to be strictly a personal view as reality was probably not steeped in so much grandeur. It all looks very opulent but the screenplay, which basically consists of small vignettes, not only falls short but also gets too convoluted, and does not seamlessly flow through eight episodes as it would have if this had been made for the big screen. And all the British characters reek of stereotypes with their moments on screen the least successful in the series, so the conflict showing the rallies and protests come off very stagy, melodramatic and fake. Koirala is mesmerizing in her various roles - the ageing but tough madam, older sister, mother and boss lady of the red-light area. Sinha's character makes the least sense as her part is strangely underwritten and very confusing. Fardeen Khan makes a brief comeback to the screen after 14 years as a Nawab but hardly makes a mark. The film is stolen by Indresh Malik as a sly, mincing servant who not only has sex with the local British officer but also encourages the battle between Koirala and Sinha. In the end it all boils down to the sights and sounds - the dazzling production values and superb musical interludes where the ladies get to perform in all their finery. Plus Bhansali could not resist repeating some of the classic dialogues from his own film version of Devdas (2002).
Cry of the Werewolf (Henry Levin, 1944) 4/10
Gypsy princess (Nina Foch), a werewolf, tries to protect her family secret when her lair is discovered inside the home of a scientist. So she kills the old man and then goes after his son (Stephen Crane) and his fiancé (Osa Massen) who is from Transylvania. Boring film wastes too much time with the comic cops on the case and instead should have provided Nina Foch more to do.
American Star (Gonzalo López-Gallego, 2024) 8/10
This film has the moody feel of a European thriller. One that moves at a languid pace about a subject we have seen all too often - that one about the aging hitman out on an assignment one last time. Alain Delon - in his outings with Jean-Pierre Melville or even Clint Eastwood in the Sergio Leone Westerns - come to mind. The strong steely-eyed, silent type who moves with stealth, but at a pace that screams languid. Stunningly shot on location on the Canary island of Fuerteventura, the hitman (Ian McShane) finds his target is absent. So he whiles away his time waiting - call it a mini vacation within the work space - and mixes with some local characters in and around the posh hotel he is staying at. He befriends a child, a bartender (Nora Arnezeder) and her observant and very suspicious mother (Fanny Ardant). Minimalist film relies on little dialogue and instead concentrates on McShane's face and expressive eyes which convey great depths of feeling - a long life lived dangerously - and also the film's sound design where the ocean and its waves are heard in the background. This peaceful interlude obviously comes to a sudden harsh end when the reality of his assignment hits home and he has to make an unpleasant decision towards an unlikely victim.
Is this the best version of Patricia Highsmith's novel about American Ripley who covets his rich friend's life? It is the first version with Alain Delon in one of his signature (and first major) roles that made him into a star. The character has been typically regarded as a "dapper sociopath", and an "agreeable and urbane psychopath". Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) arrives in Italy to lure a college mate (Maurice Ronet) back to America at the behest of the latter's father. He is unsuccessful and becomes a hanger on to the man and his adoring girlfriend (Marie Laforêt). The plan is to kill his friend, assume his identity, steal his money, and take his girl. The plan works and Ripley spends most of his time dodging the cops, committing a second murder, and moving between the two identities - his own and his dead friend's. Clément unfortunately changes the novel's original ending to appease the censors. While Delon is good - he is much better than Matt Damon in the 1999 Hollywood remake - it is shocking to see Italy looking not only very basic but also shabby. I suppose back in 1960 Italy had still not spruced up after the lashing it got during the War. The remake recreates the period in splendid detail with each Italian location (Rome, Naples, Palermo, Venice) shot with an eye to capture its specific beauty. Here Henri Decaë's camerawork is equally superb - the stunning blues of the sea and sky are magnificently seen during the scenes shot on the boat. Both Elvire Popesco and Romy Schneider (then Delon's off-screen lover) appear in brief roles.
Ripley (Steven Zaillian, 2024) 10/10
Arty, very moody, eight-part tv adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's classic 1955 crime novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley". Photographed in stunning black and white by Robert Elswit, with each shot achieving a striking, timeless quality, reminding one of classic noir or prime 1940s Hitchcock. Petty conman Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is suddenly lifted from his dingy New York life - decrepit apartment, pathetic cheque scams - by a shipping magnate who hires him to go find his son in Italy and bring him back. Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) has been living a life of leisure with his adoring girlfriend Marge (Dakota Fanning) and Ripley casually insinuates himself into their lives moving into his villa. He informs Dickie of his mission which is laughed off, and he soon begins to covet his rich lifestyle. Killing the rich young man and taking on his identity becomes the crux of the plot which is put into motion with icy precision. Circling Tom like predators are Marge, who is suspicious of him, Dickie's curt playwright friend (Eliot Sumner, the non-binary child of Sting), and an Inspector (Maurizio Lombardi) with whom a cat-and-mouse game ensues. Speaking of cats, episode 5 involves a fantastic feline who gets to view a whole lot, and later John Malkovich (who has also previously played Ripley) makes an appearance. The series is also a celebration of Italy, it's towns and art (Caravaggio gets more than a single look-in) which the camera captures almost with shimmering ecstacy. At the center of it all is the monumental presence of Scott who captures the shifty yet lethal quality of a sociopath.
Heera Mandi (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 2024) 7/10
Bhansali is reunited here with his former leading lady - Manisha Koirala - after almost 30 years. She plays the tough courtesan, Mallikajaan, at the notorious "kotha", Heera Mandi, in Lahore during the waning days of the British Raj. The screenplay depicts the various conflicts faced by the courtesans who provide entertainment - music, dance and sometimes sex - to the rich Nawabs in return for a heavy fee in the form of cash and jewels. At the center of the plot is the rivalry with another courtesan, Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), who arrives seeking revenge. The younger courtesans (Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chadha) have their own sub-plots which involve them in romance, attempted murder, broken hearts, suicide, and revolutionary fight against British rule. The sumptuous sets, costumes and jewels are quintessential Bhansali - a vision which seems to be strictly a personal view as reality was probably not steeped in so much grandeur. It all looks very opulent but the screenplay, which basically consists of small vignettes, not only falls short but also gets too convoluted, and does not seamlessly flow through eight episodes as it would have if this had been made for the big screen. And all the British characters reek of stereotypes with their moments on screen the least successful in the series, so the conflict showing the rallies and protests come off very stagy, melodramatic and fake. Koirala is mesmerizing in her various roles - the ageing but tough madam, older sister, mother and boss lady of the red-light area. Sinha's character makes the least sense as her part is strangely underwritten and very confusing. Fardeen Khan makes a brief comeback to the screen after 14 years as a Nawab but hardly makes a mark. The film is stolen by Indresh Malik as a sly, mincing servant who not only has sex with the local British officer but also encourages the battle between Koirala and Sinha. In the end it all boils down to the sights and sounds - the dazzling production values and superb musical interludes where the ladies get to perform in all their finery. Plus Bhansali could not resist repeating some of the classic dialogues from his own film version of Devdas (2002).
Cry of the Werewolf (Henry Levin, 1944) 4/10
Gypsy princess (Nina Foch), a werewolf, tries to protect her family secret when her lair is discovered inside the home of a scientist. So she kills the old man and then goes after his son (Stephen Crane) and his fiancé (Osa Massen) who is from Transylvania. Boring film wastes too much time with the comic cops on the case and instead should have provided Nina Foch more to do.
American Star (Gonzalo López-Gallego, 2024) 8/10
This film has the moody feel of a European thriller. One that moves at a languid pace about a subject we have seen all too often - that one about the aging hitman out on an assignment one last time. Alain Delon - in his outings with Jean-Pierre Melville or even Clint Eastwood in the Sergio Leone Westerns - come to mind. The strong steely-eyed, silent type who moves with stealth, but at a pace that screams languid. Stunningly shot on location on the Canary island of Fuerteventura, the hitman (Ian McShane) finds his target is absent. So he whiles away his time waiting - call it a mini vacation within the work space - and mixes with some local characters in and around the posh hotel he is staying at. He befriends a child, a bartender (Nora Arnezeder) and her observant and very suspicious mother (Fanny Ardant). Minimalist film relies on little dialogue and instead concentrates on McShane's face and expressive eyes which convey great depths of feeling - a long life lived dangerously - and also the film's sound design where the ocean and its waves are heard in the background. This peaceful interlude obviously comes to a sudden harsh end when the reality of his assignment hits home and he has to make an unpleasant decision towards an unlikely victim.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Verdict (André Cayatte, 1974) 6/10
A young man is charged with rape and murder of his lover and is brought to trial. His anguished mother (Sophia Loren) kidnaps the wife of a judge (Jean Gabin) and blackmails him so he can acquit her son. Rather hoary plot brings together for the first time two huge stars. Better late than never because this was Gabin's last screen appearance and both stars bring a special gravitas to the proceedings. The courtroom scenes are well staged.
Les Lions sont lâchés / The Lions Are Loose (Henri Verneuil, 1961) 4/10
Bored vivacious married woman (Claudia Cardinale) from Bordeaux comes to stay with her chic friend (Michèle Morgan) in Paris. Hoping to have a rollicking good time she attracts the attention of three men - the first turns out to be a nerd, the second a fashionable young novelist (Jean-Claude Brialy) who prefers to talk in bed instead of having sex, and the third, a boorish doctor (Lino Ventura) who wants to marry her. Boring satire about love and life in the big city is based on a racy novel - everyone talks to death about sex but nobody actually does it. Danielle Darrieux is an absolute hoot playing to the gallery as a bitchy Parisienne socialite. This was one of the first times Cardinale was not dubbed and her own distinct voice is heard in french which was her first language. The screenplay is one long talkfest.
Nell'anno del Signore / The Conspirators (Luigi Magni, 1969) 7/10
Two Carbonari / revolutionaries (Robert Hossein & Renaud Verley), plotting against civil and papal authorities in Rome, are warned by a shoemaker (Nino Manfredi) that they have been betrayed by a comrade. They try to kill him but he survives, informs the police and both men are condemned to death by a Cardinal (Ugo Tognazzi). Trying desperately to save the two accused are the shoemaker, his beautiful jewish assistant (Claudia Cardinale) who is in love with both men, and a friar (Alberto Sordi) who tries to delay the execution. Based on an actual story that took place in 1825. Dramatic story with comedic overtones has a superb cast of stars - Britt Ekland also appears - with Manfredi winning the David and Silver Ribbon awards for his sly performance. The memorable music is by Armando Trovajoli.
Victoria - Season Three (2019) 7/10
History often deviates here to come up with a series that almost resembles the tone of "Downton Abbey". We do get to see the often pugnacious Queen Victoria (Jenna Coleman) navigate her country and her marriage to Albert (Tom Hughes) with rocky undertones. Her confrontations with her scheming half-sister are fiction but her equally prickly run-ins with her Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston (Laurence Fox) are real. The season covers the years 1849-1851 - the Queen is on child # 7 of a total that would include two more in the future. A sub-plot - totally fictitious - involves a secret love affair of a Duchess with one of the royal household's footman much to the jealous and vindictive reaction of her husband. Albert continues to find his place in the hearts of the people and tries to ensure that his first born son, Edward/Bertie, is upto mark. Lavishly produced series is more on the lines of a soap opera but is very watchable.
The Guns of Fort Petticoat (George Marshall, 1957) 6/10
Army deserter (Audie Murphy) trains a group of women (Kathryn Grant, Hope Emerson, Jeff Donnell, Jeanette Nolan, Isobel Elsom) to defend themselves against an impending Comanche attack. Fairly rousing B-grade Western with an action-packed finale.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023) 6/10
The life of Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo), a former slave, who becomes the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. Slow moving 8-part mini-series is not without interest as it follows the family man's quest to bring in outlaws. An eclectic supporting cast - Donald Sutherland, Dennis Quaid, Barry Pepper - add colour to the proceedings.
A young man is charged with rape and murder of his lover and is brought to trial. His anguished mother (Sophia Loren) kidnaps the wife of a judge (Jean Gabin) and blackmails him so he can acquit her son. Rather hoary plot brings together for the first time two huge stars. Better late than never because this was Gabin's last screen appearance and both stars bring a special gravitas to the proceedings. The courtroom scenes are well staged.
Les Lions sont lâchés / The Lions Are Loose (Henri Verneuil, 1961) 4/10
Bored vivacious married woman (Claudia Cardinale) from Bordeaux comes to stay with her chic friend (Michèle Morgan) in Paris. Hoping to have a rollicking good time she attracts the attention of three men - the first turns out to be a nerd, the second a fashionable young novelist (Jean-Claude Brialy) who prefers to talk in bed instead of having sex, and the third, a boorish doctor (Lino Ventura) who wants to marry her. Boring satire about love and life in the big city is based on a racy novel - everyone talks to death about sex but nobody actually does it. Danielle Darrieux is an absolute hoot playing to the gallery as a bitchy Parisienne socialite. This was one of the first times Cardinale was not dubbed and her own distinct voice is heard in french which was her first language. The screenplay is one long talkfest.
Nell'anno del Signore / The Conspirators (Luigi Magni, 1969) 7/10
Two Carbonari / revolutionaries (Robert Hossein & Renaud Verley), plotting against civil and papal authorities in Rome, are warned by a shoemaker (Nino Manfredi) that they have been betrayed by a comrade. They try to kill him but he survives, informs the police and both men are condemned to death by a Cardinal (Ugo Tognazzi). Trying desperately to save the two accused are the shoemaker, his beautiful jewish assistant (Claudia Cardinale) who is in love with both men, and a friar (Alberto Sordi) who tries to delay the execution. Based on an actual story that took place in 1825. Dramatic story with comedic overtones has a superb cast of stars - Britt Ekland also appears - with Manfredi winning the David and Silver Ribbon awards for his sly performance. The memorable music is by Armando Trovajoli.
Victoria - Season Three (2019) 7/10
History often deviates here to come up with a series that almost resembles the tone of "Downton Abbey". We do get to see the often pugnacious Queen Victoria (Jenna Coleman) navigate her country and her marriage to Albert (Tom Hughes) with rocky undertones. Her confrontations with her scheming half-sister are fiction but her equally prickly run-ins with her Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston (Laurence Fox) are real. The season covers the years 1849-1851 - the Queen is on child # 7 of a total that would include two more in the future. A sub-plot - totally fictitious - involves a secret love affair of a Duchess with one of the royal household's footman much to the jealous and vindictive reaction of her husband. Albert continues to find his place in the hearts of the people and tries to ensure that his first born son, Edward/Bertie, is upto mark. Lavishly produced series is more on the lines of a soap opera but is very watchable.
The Guns of Fort Petticoat (George Marshall, 1957) 6/10
Army deserter (Audie Murphy) trains a group of women (Kathryn Grant, Hope Emerson, Jeff Donnell, Jeanette Nolan, Isobel Elsom) to defend themselves against an impending Comanche attack. Fairly rousing B-grade Western with an action-packed finale.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023) 6/10
The life of Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo), a former slave, who becomes the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. Slow moving 8-part mini-series is not without interest as it follows the family man's quest to bring in outlaws. An eclectic supporting cast - Donald Sutherland, Dennis Quaid, Barry Pepper - add colour to the proceedings.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Diane Ladd was also in the tv series but played a different part. Not Flo.gunnar wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2024 10:23 amI watched this about a decade ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. I hadn't known going in that the tv sitcom Alice was based on this movie, though. My family used to watch Alice back in the late 70s/early 80s. It wasn't a favorite, but I did like the show. I think the only actor who reprised their role was Vic Tayback as Mel.Reza wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2024 12:25 am Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Martin Scorsese, 1974) 8/10
In search of a better life a widow (Ellen Burstyn) and her precocious son (Alfred Lutter) hope to drive from Texas to California. Along the way she stops in Arizona where she works as a lounge singer, has a brief affair with a violent married man (Harvey Keitel), and then finds a job as a waitress at a diner. The perceptive screenplay charts her relationships with her son, two fellow waitresses - one sharp-tongued (Diane Ladd), the other shy (Valerie Curtin) - and a divorced local rancher (Kris Kristofferson) who falls in love with her. Charming film won Burstyn an Oscar - on the rebound from losing the year before for "The Exorcist" - and nominations for both Diane Ladd and the screenplay by Robert Getchell. Scorsese brings a touch of gritty realism to the plot which, in the framework of a road movie, scores feminist points as a tale about a woman's liberation who through life's hardships gradually finds her inner strength. Jodie Foster and Laura Dern appear in brief roles.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
A Tale of Winter (1992) - 8.5/10 - Felicie had a romance with Charles over the summer holidays, but messed up when giving him her new address upon their parting. Fast forward five years and Felicie is living with her mother, working in a hair salon, and is raising her four year old daughter. She dreams of one day finding Charles again, but makes do with relationships with two very different men that she does not love. This was very nicely done.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) - 8/10 - Basil Rathbone stars as Sherlock Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Watson in this nice adaptation of the Arthur Conan Doyle story.
Scream of Fear (1961) - 8/10 - Penny Appleby is confined to a wheelchair due to an accident years earlier. She has been away in Switzerland for some time, but returns home to her father's estate after receiving a letter from him. She meets her stepmother for the first time and is told that her father is away, but she starts seeing his dead body in different places on the estate. This was nicely done and pretty entertaining.
Drishyam (2015) - 8/10 - Vijay runs a small cable company and the two things he loves are watching lots of movies and his family, which includes his wife and two young daughters. When his older daughter has a serious problem with a boy from a camp that she attended, he will take whatever steps are necessary to protect his family. The police in his town are known for their corruption and brutality and pose a threat to his family. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I haven't seen the original version to compare the two (nor any of the other remakes).
Diva (1981) - 7.5/10 - Jules is a postman who rides a moped for work and loves opera. He is enamored with an American singer named Cynthia Hawkins who performs regularly in Paris and elsewhere in Europe. He makes a secret recording of one of her performances for his own use and this eventually leads to trouble with people who went to sell the recording. He also has problems when a woman fleeing from mob goons slips a cassette tape into his postal bag. This tape contains the name of the real boss of a large criminal ring. The film was pretty solid for the first hour, though it lost a bit of steam during the second hour. I still enjoyed it quite a bit.
The Body Snatcher (1945) - 7.5/10 - A doctor in Edinburgh in 1831 teaches anatomy and occasionally uses corpses delivered by an unpleasant cab driver (Boris Karloff). These corpses are usually obtained by robbing graves, but sometimes a more proactive approach is taken. A medical student who looks up to the doctor becomes aware of these liberties and struggles with it. Karloff is pretty good here. I also liked Russell Wade as the somewhat naive medical student.
The Phenix City Story (1955) - 7.5/10 - Phenix City, Alabama is a cesspool controlled by organized crime. The police department is bought and paid for and all sorts of vice are rampant. A prominent attorney is reluctant to run for State Attorney General on a platform of cleaning up the city, but eventually runs and is murdered shortly after gaining the nomination. The film dramatizes the story and while I think they took a number of liberties, it's a fairly entertaining film.
The Archies (2023) - 7.5/10 - I definitely seem to be in the minority here, but I enjoyed this take on the Archie Comics gang. The plot isn't anything special, but is serviceable. The costumes, sets, production design etc. are all pretty good and I liked the songs. There has been a big outcry about the nepo babies in the cast but I thought they were decent, though the actors who played Reggie and Jughead were a bit better. The scene where Betty and Veronica pressure Jughead was appropriate and funny. The film has its flaws, including a rather one note villain in Mayor Dawson plus a couple of other supporting characters, but overall, not bad.
Seemabaddha / Company Limited (1971) - 7.5/10 - Shyamalendu is an executive for a British fan company based in India. He wants to keep moving up the corporate ladder and expects a promotion soon. However, a problem with a major shipment arises that threatens his position. To solve the problem, he may need to resort to unethical means. Complicating matters are his wife's younger sister visiting for a few days. This was good, but I'd rate it around middle of the pack for the Ray films that I've seen.
Striking Distance (1993) - 7/10 - Bruce Willis stars as a detective named Tom Hardy who is ostracized by many fellow officers for turning his partner (and cousin) for excessive force. Meanwhile, a serial killer has been terrorizing the city. After his father is killed, Hardy starts drinking a lot, has his detective badge taken away, and is demoted to waterway duty. Now the serial killer may be back and this time is targeting people Hardy knows. Is it a great film? No. Was it an entertaining enough action thriller? Sure.
The Fog (1980) - 7/10 - A small town in California is about to celebrate it's 100th year when strange things begin to happen. The local pastor discovers his grandfather's journal from a century earlier which tells one of the town's buried secrets. A fog starts rolling in, bringing evil beings with it who kill unsuspecting residents. It's not bad, but some of the things seemed kind of random and I didn't feel much tension during the film.
Antaheen / The Endless Wait (2009) - 7/10 - Abhik is a police officer in his early 40s who lives a somewhat lonely life outside of work. Brinda is an investigative tv journalist in her early 20s. The two become close through anonymous online chatting, each serving as a sort of lifeline for each other. When circumstances lead to them meeting in real life (without knowing that they are online friends), their relationship is much rockier at first, though it becomes closer over time. The similarities to You've Got Mail are pretty obvious, but it's a decent film.
Cleopatra Jones (1973) - 7/10 - Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson) is a federal agent who is out to bust Mommy's (Shelley Winters) drug ring. There's plenty of action, though generally fairly tame. Winters is pretty out there as the villain and Dobson is okay as the lead. The ending is good and it's a fun film.
The Gauntlet (1977) - 7/10 - Clint Eastwood stars as a Phoenix cop in a dead end position who is sent to Las Vegas to escort a prisoner/witness (Sandra Locke) back for a trial. After picking her up, it seems like everybody is out to kill them, including the police. They have quite the journey getting to their destination. Some aspects get kind of dumb after a while, including the tons of bullets which are used to try to kill them on more than one occasion, but it is still a fairly entertaining film and I enjoyed it.
Child's Play (1988) - 7/10 - A serial killer's soul is stuck in a doll's body, menacing the people around him, including a young boy named Andy and his mother. I hadn't watched this in 30-35 years and wasn't a big fan then. It's not a favorite, but is pretty good.
Child's Play 2 (1990) - 7/10 - Chucky's back and goes after Andy again. I'd put this on par with the first film with the first film maybe getting a slight edge.
Child's Play 3 (1991) - 6.5/10 - Eight years have passed and Andy has been sent to live at a military academy. Chucky revives and comes after Andy, gaining a new target along the way. It's maybe a step below the first two films, though with some fun sequences here and there, especially toward. the end. It's still decently entertaining.
Bride of Chucky (1998) - 7.5/10 - No Andy this time around, but Charles Lee Ray's girlfriend Tiffany resurrects Chucky before joining him in a doll body. There is plenty of humor and while not all of it quite lands, it is a slight step up from the earlier films.
Fair Game (1995) - 6.5/10 - Cindy Crawford is a lawyer who is targeted by an international criminal and his ex-KGB henchmen. William Baldwin is a police detective who ends up protecting her from the hit squad. The motivation for the villain seems kind of dumb. There undoubtedly would be easier and less conspicuous ways of handling things. The movie itself is kind of dumb, but has decent action sequences and I thought it was mostly fun. Sure, some of the humor might have been unintentional, but I still had a good time.
Mrigayaa (1977) - 6.5/10 - In the 1920s, tribal villagers are taken advantage of in a number of ways by the Indians in charge of their area. One talented hunter befriends the new British administrator through his prowess at catching big game. This doesn't keep his wife from being a target. Mithun Chakraborty is pretty good in his film debut, but the film as a whole is only okay, though it has some nice moments.
Terminal Velocity (1994) - 5/10 - Charlie Sheen stars as a skydiving instructor with a penchant for wild stunts. Nastassja Kinski costars as a woman who comes seeking a skydiving experience only to die during the lesson. Then things get complicated. This was a subpar thriller, though I did like the climax of the film.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) - 4.5/10 - Murli runs a small gang of criminals, but once a year when his parents visit, they pretend to run a hospital with Murli as a doctor since that is what his parents wanted him to become. His secret comes out and he attends medical school only to find it run by the man who outed him to his parents. It's a pretty dumb movie and the acting isn't really very good, though I did like Chinki. I started liking it more during the second half even as bad as it was. There were a few nice bits here and there.
Laser Mission (1989) - 3.5/10 - Brandon Lee stars as a freelancer who is sent by the CIA to get a top laser scientist before he can fall into Russian hands. The acting and action scenes are pretty bad. The plot is also pretty dumb.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) - 8/10 - Basil Rathbone stars as Sherlock Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Watson in this nice adaptation of the Arthur Conan Doyle story.
Scream of Fear (1961) - 8/10 - Penny Appleby is confined to a wheelchair due to an accident years earlier. She has been away in Switzerland for some time, but returns home to her father's estate after receiving a letter from him. She meets her stepmother for the first time and is told that her father is away, but she starts seeing his dead body in different places on the estate. This was nicely done and pretty entertaining.
Drishyam (2015) - 8/10 - Vijay runs a small cable company and the two things he loves are watching lots of movies and his family, which includes his wife and two young daughters. When his older daughter has a serious problem with a boy from a camp that she attended, he will take whatever steps are necessary to protect his family. The police in his town are known for their corruption and brutality and pose a threat to his family. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I haven't seen the original version to compare the two (nor any of the other remakes).
Diva (1981) - 7.5/10 - Jules is a postman who rides a moped for work and loves opera. He is enamored with an American singer named Cynthia Hawkins who performs regularly in Paris and elsewhere in Europe. He makes a secret recording of one of her performances for his own use and this eventually leads to trouble with people who went to sell the recording. He also has problems when a woman fleeing from mob goons slips a cassette tape into his postal bag. This tape contains the name of the real boss of a large criminal ring. The film was pretty solid for the first hour, though it lost a bit of steam during the second hour. I still enjoyed it quite a bit.
The Body Snatcher (1945) - 7.5/10 - A doctor in Edinburgh in 1831 teaches anatomy and occasionally uses corpses delivered by an unpleasant cab driver (Boris Karloff). These corpses are usually obtained by robbing graves, but sometimes a more proactive approach is taken. A medical student who looks up to the doctor becomes aware of these liberties and struggles with it. Karloff is pretty good here. I also liked Russell Wade as the somewhat naive medical student.
The Phenix City Story (1955) - 7.5/10 - Phenix City, Alabama is a cesspool controlled by organized crime. The police department is bought and paid for and all sorts of vice are rampant. A prominent attorney is reluctant to run for State Attorney General on a platform of cleaning up the city, but eventually runs and is murdered shortly after gaining the nomination. The film dramatizes the story and while I think they took a number of liberties, it's a fairly entertaining film.
The Archies (2023) - 7.5/10 - I definitely seem to be in the minority here, but I enjoyed this take on the Archie Comics gang. The plot isn't anything special, but is serviceable. The costumes, sets, production design etc. are all pretty good and I liked the songs. There has been a big outcry about the nepo babies in the cast but I thought they were decent, though the actors who played Reggie and Jughead were a bit better. The scene where Betty and Veronica pressure Jughead was appropriate and funny. The film has its flaws, including a rather one note villain in Mayor Dawson plus a couple of other supporting characters, but overall, not bad.
Seemabaddha / Company Limited (1971) - 7.5/10 - Shyamalendu is an executive for a British fan company based in India. He wants to keep moving up the corporate ladder and expects a promotion soon. However, a problem with a major shipment arises that threatens his position. To solve the problem, he may need to resort to unethical means. Complicating matters are his wife's younger sister visiting for a few days. This was good, but I'd rate it around middle of the pack for the Ray films that I've seen.
Striking Distance (1993) - 7/10 - Bruce Willis stars as a detective named Tom Hardy who is ostracized by many fellow officers for turning his partner (and cousin) for excessive force. Meanwhile, a serial killer has been terrorizing the city. After his father is killed, Hardy starts drinking a lot, has his detective badge taken away, and is demoted to waterway duty. Now the serial killer may be back and this time is targeting people Hardy knows. Is it a great film? No. Was it an entertaining enough action thriller? Sure.
The Fog (1980) - 7/10 - A small town in California is about to celebrate it's 100th year when strange things begin to happen. The local pastor discovers his grandfather's journal from a century earlier which tells one of the town's buried secrets. A fog starts rolling in, bringing evil beings with it who kill unsuspecting residents. It's not bad, but some of the things seemed kind of random and I didn't feel much tension during the film.
Antaheen / The Endless Wait (2009) - 7/10 - Abhik is a police officer in his early 40s who lives a somewhat lonely life outside of work. Brinda is an investigative tv journalist in her early 20s. The two become close through anonymous online chatting, each serving as a sort of lifeline for each other. When circumstances lead to them meeting in real life (without knowing that they are online friends), their relationship is much rockier at first, though it becomes closer over time. The similarities to You've Got Mail are pretty obvious, but it's a decent film.
Cleopatra Jones (1973) - 7/10 - Cleopatra Jones (Tamara Dobson) is a federal agent who is out to bust Mommy's (Shelley Winters) drug ring. There's plenty of action, though generally fairly tame. Winters is pretty out there as the villain and Dobson is okay as the lead. The ending is good and it's a fun film.
The Gauntlet (1977) - 7/10 - Clint Eastwood stars as a Phoenix cop in a dead end position who is sent to Las Vegas to escort a prisoner/witness (Sandra Locke) back for a trial. After picking her up, it seems like everybody is out to kill them, including the police. They have quite the journey getting to their destination. Some aspects get kind of dumb after a while, including the tons of bullets which are used to try to kill them on more than one occasion, but it is still a fairly entertaining film and I enjoyed it.
Child's Play (1988) - 7/10 - A serial killer's soul is stuck in a doll's body, menacing the people around him, including a young boy named Andy and his mother. I hadn't watched this in 30-35 years and wasn't a big fan then. It's not a favorite, but is pretty good.
Child's Play 2 (1990) - 7/10 - Chucky's back and goes after Andy again. I'd put this on par with the first film with the first film maybe getting a slight edge.
Child's Play 3 (1991) - 6.5/10 - Eight years have passed and Andy has been sent to live at a military academy. Chucky revives and comes after Andy, gaining a new target along the way. It's maybe a step below the first two films, though with some fun sequences here and there, especially toward. the end. It's still decently entertaining.
Bride of Chucky (1998) - 7.5/10 - No Andy this time around, but Charles Lee Ray's girlfriend Tiffany resurrects Chucky before joining him in a doll body. There is plenty of humor and while not all of it quite lands, it is a slight step up from the earlier films.
Fair Game (1995) - 6.5/10 - Cindy Crawford is a lawyer who is targeted by an international criminal and his ex-KGB henchmen. William Baldwin is a police detective who ends up protecting her from the hit squad. The motivation for the villain seems kind of dumb. There undoubtedly would be easier and less conspicuous ways of handling things. The movie itself is kind of dumb, but has decent action sequences and I thought it was mostly fun. Sure, some of the humor might have been unintentional, but I still had a good time.
Mrigayaa (1977) - 6.5/10 - In the 1920s, tribal villagers are taken advantage of in a number of ways by the Indians in charge of their area. One talented hunter befriends the new British administrator through his prowess at catching big game. This doesn't keep his wife from being a target. Mithun Chakraborty is pretty good in his film debut, but the film as a whole is only okay, though it has some nice moments.
Terminal Velocity (1994) - 5/10 - Charlie Sheen stars as a skydiving instructor with a penchant for wild stunts. Nastassja Kinski costars as a woman who comes seeking a skydiving experience only to die during the lesson. Then things get complicated. This was a subpar thriller, though I did like the climax of the film.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) - 4.5/10 - Murli runs a small gang of criminals, but once a year when his parents visit, they pretend to run a hospital with Murli as a doctor since that is what his parents wanted him to become. His secret comes out and he attends medical school only to find it run by the man who outed him to his parents. It's a pretty dumb movie and the acting isn't really very good, though I did like Chinki. I started liking it more during the second half even as bad as it was. There were a few nice bits here and there.
Laser Mission (1989) - 3.5/10 - Brandon Lee stars as a freelancer who is sent by the CIA to get a top laser scientist before he can fall into Russian hands. The acting and action scenes are pretty bad. The plot is also pretty dumb.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
I watched this about a decade ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. I hadn't known going in that the tv sitcom Alice was based on this movie, though. My family used to watch Alice back in the late 70s/early 80s. It wasn't a favorite, but I did like the show. I think the only actor who reprised their role was Vic Tayback as Mel.Reza wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2024 12:25 am Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Martin Scorsese, 1974) 8/10
In search of a better life a widow (Ellen Burstyn) and her precocious son (Alfred Lutter) hope to drive from Texas to California. Along the way she stops in Arizona where she works as a lounge singer, has a brief affair with a violent married man (Harvey Keitel), and then finds a job as a waitress at a diner. The perceptive screenplay charts her relationships with her son, two fellow waitresses - one sharp-tongued (Diane Ladd), the other shy (Valerie Curtin) - and a divorced local rancher (Kris Kristofferson) who falls in love with her. Charming film won Burstyn an Oscar - on the rebound from losing the year before for "The Exorcist" - and nominations for both Diane Ladd and the screenplay by Robert Getchell. Scorsese brings a touch of gritty realism to the plot which, in the framework of a road movie, scores feminist points as a tale about a woman's liberation who through life's hardships gradually finds her inner strength. Jodie Foster and Laura Dern appear in brief roles.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Gunfighters (George Waggner, 1947) 4/10
A gunslinger (Randolph Scott) lays down his guns in order to settle down. When he is framed for the murder of his friend he goes after a rich rancher, his foreman (Bruce Cabot), a corrupt deputy (Grant Withers), and a hired hand (Forrest Tucker). He is aided by a grizzled old rancher (Charley Grapewin) and gets involved with twin sisters (Barbara Britton & Dorothy Hart). Based on a Zane Grey novel this is a rehash of so many films in the genre that came before it. Stale to say the least.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Martin Scorsese, 1974) 8/10
In search of a better life a widow (Ellen Burstyn) and her precocious son (Alfred Lutter) hope to drive from Texas to California. Along the way she stops in Arizona where she works as a lounge singer, has a brief affair with a violent married man (Harvey Keitel), and then finds a job as a waitress at a diner. The perceptive screenplay charts her relationships with her son, two fellow waitresses - one sharp-tongued (Diane Ladd), the other shy (Valerie Curtin) - and a divorced local rancher (Kris Kristofferson) who falls in love with her. Charming film won Burstyn an Oscar - on the rebound from losing the year before for "The Exorcist" - and nominations for both Diane Ladd and the screenplay by Robert Getchell. Scorsese brings a touch of gritty realism to the plot which, in the framework of a road movie, scores feminist points as a tale about a woman's liberation who through life's hardships gradually finds her inner strength. Jodie Foster and Laura Dern appear in brief roles.
Outer Range - Season One (2022) 8/10
A grizzled Wyoming rancher (Josh Brolin) is in serious need of therapy. His wife (Lili Taylor) has taken to religion. Their daughter-in-law has been missing for nine months and their son is in a deep depression. Second son is a rodeo champ and grand daughter is a perky, happy presence in the house. Then weird things start happening - a giant hole is discovered on their land, a murder takes place, the body is dumped into the hole, the local indigenous lesbian sheriff is in charge of the investigation, a rival rancher (Will Patton) wants part of their land, a mysterious hippie-like woman (Imogen Poots) arrives and camps on the property, a strange mineral is discovered on the land, and the dead body mysteriously turns up on a hillside. The camper and the rancher both see things, he gets pushed into the hole but he comes out alive to discover there is some sort of government involvement and his wife whispers to him that he has been dead for the last two years. Quirky Western drama series is a cross between "Yellowstone" "The X Files" and "Twin Peaks". Excellent score and use of songs.
The Shootist (Don Siegel, 1976) 9/10
Its 1901 and Queen Victoria has just died with a great deal of dignity after a very long life. In the old West, which is beginning to change, an old, notorious gunslinger (John Wayne) also finds himself at the tail end of life courtesy of cancer. The local doctor (James Stewart) tells him in no uncertain terms that his end will be very painful. He hopes to go out too with dignity. He finds lodgings at a boardinghouse - the owner (Lauren Bacall) is a widow who is weary of him at first but soon warms towards him. Her young son (Ron Howard) hero worships him while the townfolk are in an uproar about his presence. Elegant, beautifully shot film is an elegiac tribute to Wayne who is extremely moving and has superb chemistry with Bacall who speaks volumes with her eyes. Siegel carefully paces the film and caps it with a superbly staged shootout involving Wayne, two gunslingers (Richard Boone & Hugh O'Brian) and Howard who gets the last "word". There are wonderful little vignettes peppered throughout the film with a bunch of superb character actors - John Carradine, Harry Morgan, Sheree North, Rick Lenz and Scatman Crothers. This was Wayne's last film and, like his character, would die of cancer within three years thus making this project extremely poignant.
The Cowboys (Mark Rydell, 1972) 5/10
This is the one where Bruce Dern did to John Wayne what nobody had ever done to him in any Western before. And Dern had to pay havoc after continuously getting death threats for many years afterwards. Aging rancher (John Wayne) heads a cattle drive and through circumstances is forced to take on a bunch of school kids as his drovers. Roscoe Lee Brown is the urbane cook on the trail with them and Bruce Dern is the head of a gang of rustlers out to steal the herd. Colleen Dewhurst cameos as a bawdy madam to a bunch of hookers. The episodic and rather slow plot got a bum rap - kids being hardened into revenge seeking killers which here seems highly improbable and far from reality but its the movies and we do want some semblance of revenge at the end. And Dern finally getting his comeuppance is the film's highlight.
Big Jake (George Sherman, 1971) 4/10
One of numerous latter-day Westerns John Wayne churned out during the 1960s & 1970s. A gang of cutthroats, led by Richard Boone, kidnap a child for a ransom of $1 million. His rich grandmother (Maureen O'Hara) organizes a team of rangers in motor vehicles - including her two sons (Patrick Wayne, Christopher Mitchum) - to retrieve the child. Her wayward estranged husband (John Wayne) also arrives and decides to pursue the old fashioned way with a bunch of mules and his pet dog. There are way too many comic moments with pratfalls and bar room brawls along the way. Most of the film has been shot inside the studio on obvious fake sets and the numerous skirmishes between Wayne and his estranged sons - mostly played for comedy - quickly become tedious. The film was criticized for its violence which is surprising considering its more like the cartoon variety. This was O'Hara's last teaming with Wayne and its not one of their good ones - she seems out of place here - after which she retired only to return one more time twenty years later.
A gunslinger (Randolph Scott) lays down his guns in order to settle down. When he is framed for the murder of his friend he goes after a rich rancher, his foreman (Bruce Cabot), a corrupt deputy (Grant Withers), and a hired hand (Forrest Tucker). He is aided by a grizzled old rancher (Charley Grapewin) and gets involved with twin sisters (Barbara Britton & Dorothy Hart). Based on a Zane Grey novel this is a rehash of so many films in the genre that came before it. Stale to say the least.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Martin Scorsese, 1974) 8/10
In search of a better life a widow (Ellen Burstyn) and her precocious son (Alfred Lutter) hope to drive from Texas to California. Along the way she stops in Arizona where she works as a lounge singer, has a brief affair with a violent married man (Harvey Keitel), and then finds a job as a waitress at a diner. The perceptive screenplay charts her relationships with her son, two fellow waitresses - one sharp-tongued (Diane Ladd), the other shy (Valerie Curtin) - and a divorced local rancher (Kris Kristofferson) who falls in love with her. Charming film won Burstyn an Oscar - on the rebound from losing the year before for "The Exorcist" - and nominations for both Diane Ladd and the screenplay by Robert Getchell. Scorsese brings a touch of gritty realism to the plot which, in the framework of a road movie, scores feminist points as a tale about a woman's liberation who through life's hardships gradually finds her inner strength. Jodie Foster and Laura Dern appear in brief roles.
Outer Range - Season One (2022) 8/10
A grizzled Wyoming rancher (Josh Brolin) is in serious need of therapy. His wife (Lili Taylor) has taken to religion. Their daughter-in-law has been missing for nine months and their son is in a deep depression. Second son is a rodeo champ and grand daughter is a perky, happy presence in the house. Then weird things start happening - a giant hole is discovered on their land, a murder takes place, the body is dumped into the hole, the local indigenous lesbian sheriff is in charge of the investigation, a rival rancher (Will Patton) wants part of their land, a mysterious hippie-like woman (Imogen Poots) arrives and camps on the property, a strange mineral is discovered on the land, and the dead body mysteriously turns up on a hillside. The camper and the rancher both see things, he gets pushed into the hole but he comes out alive to discover there is some sort of government involvement and his wife whispers to him that he has been dead for the last two years. Quirky Western drama series is a cross between "Yellowstone" "The X Files" and "Twin Peaks". Excellent score and use of songs.
The Shootist (Don Siegel, 1976) 9/10
Its 1901 and Queen Victoria has just died with a great deal of dignity after a very long life. In the old West, which is beginning to change, an old, notorious gunslinger (John Wayne) also finds himself at the tail end of life courtesy of cancer. The local doctor (James Stewart) tells him in no uncertain terms that his end will be very painful. He hopes to go out too with dignity. He finds lodgings at a boardinghouse - the owner (Lauren Bacall) is a widow who is weary of him at first but soon warms towards him. Her young son (Ron Howard) hero worships him while the townfolk are in an uproar about his presence. Elegant, beautifully shot film is an elegiac tribute to Wayne who is extremely moving and has superb chemistry with Bacall who speaks volumes with her eyes. Siegel carefully paces the film and caps it with a superbly staged shootout involving Wayne, two gunslingers (Richard Boone & Hugh O'Brian) and Howard who gets the last "word". There are wonderful little vignettes peppered throughout the film with a bunch of superb character actors - John Carradine, Harry Morgan, Sheree North, Rick Lenz and Scatman Crothers. This was Wayne's last film and, like his character, would die of cancer within three years thus making this project extremely poignant.
The Cowboys (Mark Rydell, 1972) 5/10
This is the one where Bruce Dern did to John Wayne what nobody had ever done to him in any Western before. And Dern had to pay havoc after continuously getting death threats for many years afterwards. Aging rancher (John Wayne) heads a cattle drive and through circumstances is forced to take on a bunch of school kids as his drovers. Roscoe Lee Brown is the urbane cook on the trail with them and Bruce Dern is the head of a gang of rustlers out to steal the herd. Colleen Dewhurst cameos as a bawdy madam to a bunch of hookers. The episodic and rather slow plot got a bum rap - kids being hardened into revenge seeking killers which here seems highly improbable and far from reality but its the movies and we do want some semblance of revenge at the end. And Dern finally getting his comeuppance is the film's highlight.
Big Jake (George Sherman, 1971) 4/10
One of numerous latter-day Westerns John Wayne churned out during the 1960s & 1970s. A gang of cutthroats, led by Richard Boone, kidnap a child for a ransom of $1 million. His rich grandmother (Maureen O'Hara) organizes a team of rangers in motor vehicles - including her two sons (Patrick Wayne, Christopher Mitchum) - to retrieve the child. Her wayward estranged husband (John Wayne) also arrives and decides to pursue the old fashioned way with a bunch of mules and his pet dog. There are way too many comic moments with pratfalls and bar room brawls along the way. Most of the film has been shot inside the studio on obvious fake sets and the numerous skirmishes between Wayne and his estranged sons - mostly played for comedy - quickly become tedious. The film was criticized for its violence which is surprising considering its more like the cartoon variety. This was O'Hara's last teaming with Wayne and its not one of their good ones - she seems out of place here - after which she retired only to return one more time twenty years later.