Movie #143: Django Unchained

Movie #: 143
Movie Title: Django Unchained
Year Released: 2012

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Notable Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson

Short Description: With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #46
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A

Note: This is the highest ranking movie that only appears on IMDB.com's list.



Date Watched: 4/8/2016

Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)

Rationale: I never thought I'd say this, but I love a movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. Superb acting, fantastic writing (another credit I didn't think I'd ever bestow upon Tarantino), and the exciting action Tarantino is known for make Django Unchained an exhilarating struggle for revenge. Christoph Waltz was absolutely deserving of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar he won and it's a bit surprising that Leonardo DiCaprio wasn't nominated in that category as well since he was equally as good in the villain role. I didn't care for Samuel L. Jackson's character and the movie missed what I thought was the perfect place to end by continuing on another 20ish minutes, but those were minor footnotes in another wise great movie.

Movie #146: The Avengers

Movie #: 146
Movie Title: The Avengers
Year Released: 2012

Director: Joss Whedon
Notable Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson

Short Description: Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #47
FlickChart.com: N/A

Note: This is the highest ranking movie that only appears on FilmCrave.com's list.



Date Watched: 3/29/2016

Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)

Rationale: I love the concept of The Avengers and seeing the team all fighting together is clearly the highlight of the movie, but it felt like the writing was catered a little too much to new fans who didn’t know the characters well and they had to start from square one with reintroducing them. I mean, I understand that each of the superheroes had their individual movies previously without interaction and you need to set the story for how they come together, otherwise it doesn’t make sense. I just wish it had been done at a faster pace with less buildup and more Avengers butt kicking. Maybe that’s a bit too nitpicky, but oh well.

Movie #132: Heat

Movie #: 132
Movie Title: Heat
Year Released: 1995

Director: Michael Mann
Notable Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Amy Brenneman, Diane Venora, Jon Voight, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman

Short Description: A group of professional bank robbers start to feel the heat from police when they unknowingly leave a clue at their latest heist. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #38
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/25/2016

Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)

Rationale: Heat was good, but as I’ve felt with a few other movies, it just went on and on. Not at all in a boring way, but in a way that made me start to get impatient and check the clock more often than I should have to see how much was left. Really, I swear Robert De Niro has little ability to do short movies likely because he’s so good that directors don’t want to cut anything he does and that causes the run time to add up fast. I’ve seen a couple movies of his that are around 2 hours length, so it is possible, but four of his movies that I’ve watched so far for this project (Heat, Casino, The Deer Hunter, Once Upon a Time in America) all are 2 hours 50 minutes or more. That’s quite exhausting and entertaining at the same time.

Movie #136: Kind Hearts and Coronets

Movie #: 136
Movie Title: Kind Hearts and Coronets
Year Released: 1949

Director: Robert Hamer
Notable Cast: Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, Alec Guinness

Short Description: A distant poor relative of the Duke of D'Ascoyne plots to inherit the title by murdering the eight other heirs who stand ahead of him in the line of succession. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #42
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/19/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: A teeny bit stuffy at times, but wow, the amount of depth that the writers came up with for the various back-stabbings and murders committed by Dennis Price' Louis D'Ascoyne Mazzini is remarkable. Knowing that Alec Guinness was in this I was very excited to see it. Sadly he played less of a main character than I anticipated (while at the same time doing a stand-up job of playing eight different supporting characters). I wasn’t disappointed, though, as Price was impressive as the star and very alluring.

Movie #133: Platoon

Movie #: 133
Movie Title: Platoon
Year Released: 1986

Director: Oliver Stone
Notable Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Johnny Depp

Short Description: A young recruit in Vietnam faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #86
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #67
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #89
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/24/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: Intense, powerful, and brutal and the first words that come to mind when describing Platoon. The polar opposite of the movie MASH, Platoon is not afraid to paint Vietnam in a hellish light and at no point are punches are held back. I tend to believe that actors playing villainous/bad guy roles have stronger performances than their counterparts because it’s easier to let your bad side show than to pretend to be good and Tom Berenger was fantastic in such a role. I’m glad I finally had a chance to watch Platoon as it’s been on my personal “I know I need to see it” list for some time.

Movie #134: King Kong

Movie #: 134
Movie Title: King Kong
Year Released: 1933

Director: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Notable Cast: Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, Robert Armstrong, Frank Reicher

Short Description: A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star. Then he's captured and brought back to New York City for public exhibition. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #41
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/24/2016

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)

Rationale: When you take into account that the movie was made in 1933, the revolutionary effects used in the film become very impressive. I don’t feel they hold up as well as they could, but I’m not going to knock it in this case. What I didn’t care for what the sheer amount of high pitched screaming from Fay Wray’s character Ann Darrow that overpowered the latter half of the movie. I also didn’t care for having to believe that Frank Reicher’s character Captain Englehorn, who had never been to or even seen the island Kong was on, knew the exact language of the natives and was communicating with ease. King Kong requires a suspension of believe in realism to a degree, but that’s a fairly notable flaw that I can’t buy.

Movie #135: Bonnie and Clyde

Movie #: 135
Movie Title: Bonnie and Clyde
Year Released: 1967

Director: Arthur Penn
Notable Cast: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons

Short Description: A somewhat romanticized account of the career of the notoriously violent bank robbing couple and their gang. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #42
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/24/2016

Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)

Rationale: The best thing I can say is Bonnie and Clyde was solid. I don’t know if anything stood out as something I’ll remember a year or two after watching it, but that doesn’t mean it was forgettable either. Some plot points will stick with me, like the end scene were the law finally catches up to Bonnie and Clyde, but others, like how Clyde’s brother died and Bonnie’s “family reunion”, likely won’t. Worth watching once to say you have.

Movie #137: The Gold Rush

Movie #: 137
Movie Title: The Gold Rush
Year Released: 1925

Director: Charlie Chaplin
Notable Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Georgia Hale, Malcolm Waite

Short Description: A prospector goes to the Klondike in search of gold and finds it and more. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #58
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: #86
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/18/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: If not for the fact I watched the rereleased version from 1942, which contains a musical score and, more importantly, narration by Charlie Chaplin himself, The Gold Rush may have been yet another low scoring silent film. Thankfully that wasn’t the case as both additions added greatly to the movie. I thought Chaplin was very engaging with his expressions and actions, especially during the roll dance scene. Numerous times I found myself chuckling and thinking I wish Marx Brothers movies could be this good. The humor, which I would describe as a mild slapstick, never feels forced and over the top like it does in a Marx Brothers movie. I was also very impressed to learn that Chaplin starred in the film while serving as the director, producer, and editor and in the 1942 version he added narrator and music director to his credentials. Bravo.

Movie #138: Inglourious Basterds

Movie #: 138
Movie Title: Inglourious Basterds
Year Released: 2009

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Notable Cast: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger, Mélanie Laurent

Short Description: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: #68
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #76
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/17/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: My beef with Inglourious Basterds is every scene was longer than was needed to get the point across, whether that'd be the opening scene establishing Christoph Waltz as the villainous Jew hunter or the restaurant scene where they decide where to show the Nazi propaganda movie and then Waltz's character intimidates Mélanie Laurent's character. Accurate or not, I believe that hurt my perception of Inglourious Basterds as I would have loved to see more of Brad Pitt's Aldo Raine and his "Basterds" kicking Nazi ass. Not that the film as a whole was bad, I just wanted more of certain parts leaving me with a feeling that it had untapped potential.

Movie #139: Midnight Cowboy

Movie #: 139
Movie Title: Midnight Cowboy
Year Released: 1969

Director: John Schlesinger
Notable Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, Brenda Vaccaro

Short Description: A naive hustler goes to New York to seek personal fortune but in the process finds himself a new friend. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #43
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/16/2016

Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)

Rationale: I'm disappointed that it's taken me so long to grasp just how amazingly talented Dustin Hoffman is as an actor. Jon Voight was good as an unsuccessful hustling, prostitute cowboy from Texas trying to hit it rich in New York, but Hoffman carried the movie as his reluctant co-dependent and eventual friend. The ending was no surprise to those paying attention to the deteriorating state of Hoffman's character, but it was sad and touching nonetheless.

Movie #140: The Hangover

Movie #: 140
Movie Title: The Hangover
Year Released: 2009

Director: Todd Phillips
Notable Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken Jeong, Sasha Barrese, Rachael Harris, Mike Tyson

Short Description: Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #43
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/12/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: I'm torn on my feelings for The Hangover. If this was the first time I'd seen it I may have graded it a little higher. Unfortunately I've seen it a few times and it's one of those movies that isn't as funny after the first time or two watching it. Parts will always be great, like a naked Ken Jeong jumping out of the trunk of the car with a tire iron as a weapon and Mike Tyson knocking out Zach Galifianakis, but most of Galifianakis' jokes felt forced and humorless and that's the major source of laughs The Hangover banks on. I still love the unique plot and that everything ties together well when you connect the dots at the end, I just wish it held up a little better against multiple viewings.

Movie #141: Network

Movie #: 141
Movie Title: Network
Year Released: 1976

Director: Sidney Lumet
Notable Cast: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall

Short Description: A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #64
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #100
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #82



Date Watched: 4/11/2016

Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)

Rationale: Network is one of the few movies I can think of where I found the supporting characters to be far more interesting than the main character (played by William Holden) and I assume that's what the Academy felt as well since Peter Finch's performance as Howard Beale won him the Oscar for Best Actor instead of Holden, even though they were both nominated. Finch was mesmerizing every time he appeared on screen as a news broadcaster at the end of his rope foretelling doom and chaos on live television. It's actually probably fair to say Finch, Faye Dunaway, and Robert Duvall were so great that they made Holden look just average even though he was good too.

Movie #144: Scarface

Movie #: 144
Movie Title: Scarface
Year Released: 1983

Director: Brian De Palma
Notable Cast: Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Shenar, Robert Loggia, Míriam Colón, F. Murray Abraham, Harris Yulin

Short Description: In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel while succumbing to greed. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #54
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #94
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 4/7/2016

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)

Rationale: The basic theme of a man craving and acquiring power to the point where he thinks he’s unstoppable, only to lose that power, is not new. Scarface didn’t reinvent anything in that regard. What Scarface did, though, was create one of the most interesting characters I’ve seen in a movie in Tony Montana. Any movie buff can tell a mile away how certain plot points are going to happen. Tony Montana being a loose cannon and not just a normal man seeking power makes the how, when, where, and why exciting to see and where Scarface excels. Obviously Tony’s a bad person and ultimately gets what’s coming to him, but I found myself rooting for Tony from the beginning just to see what lengths he’d go to.

Movie #145: A Streetcar Named Desire

Movie #: 145
Movie Title: A Streetcar Named Desire
Year Released: 1951

Director: Elia Kazan
Notable Cast: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden

Short Description: Disturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #47
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 3/31/2016

Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)

Rationale: Short and sweet, Marlon Brando stole every scene he was in (not that one of the greatest actors in history needs to steal anything) and Vivien Leigh plays a decent crazy person opposite Brando. Whenever he wasn’t on screen, though, I found the movie to be quite boring. The film ends up being a very slow burn with Leigh’s character gradually losing her mind over two long, drawn out hours of constant arguing and rambling.