Thursday, June 27, 2013
Movie #221: Carrie
Movie #: 221
Movie Title: Carrie
Year Released: 1976
Director: Brian De Palma
Notable Cast: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, John Travolta, William Katt
Short Description: A young, abused and timid 17-year-old girl discovers she has telekinesis, and gets pushed to the limit on the night of her school’s prom by a humiliating prank. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #86
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A
Date Watched: 5/2/2013
What I Liked: I found the only entertaining parts to be the prom scene and when, in a dream, Carrie’s hand bursts out of the rubble of her burned and demolished house. Even though you could see something like that coming, it still made me jump, which is something few movies have done.
What I Disliked: For a movie that supposedly is a staple of the horror genre, I was bored for the majority of it. Thankfully the movie wasn’t terribly long and the last 20ish minutes were decent cause I really don’t know if I would have been able to pay attention much longer.
Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)
Rationale: Other than the last 20 minutes, quite a letdown for a movie typically billed as a must see horror film.
Movie #222: The King of Comedy
Movie #: 222
Movie Title: The King of Comedy
Year Released: 1983
Director: Martin Scorsese
Notable Cast: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Sandra Bernhard
Short Description: Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin wants to achieve success in showbiz, by resorting to stalking his idol, a late night talk show host who craves his own privacy. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #87
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A
Date Watched: 4/13/2013
What I Liked: Sandra Bernhard played an excellent co-stalker of Jerry Lewis’ character, almost like being a creepy stalker came natural to her.
What I Disliked: All the buildup in the movie is definitely not worth it when De Niro’s character finally gets a chance to show his boring, unfunny act. It’s no wonder why the screeners for the talk show were in a hurry to push him out the door.
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
Rationale: Probably a better grade than the movie deserves but Sandra Bernhard made her parts very entertaining.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Movie #223: Training Day
Movie #: 223
Movie Title: Training Day
Year Released: 2001
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Notable Cast: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Eva Mendes
Short Description: On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rouge detective who isn’t what he appears. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: #87
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A
Date Watched: 4/11/2013
What I Liked: Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke gave strong performances in their respective roles and the action during the gun fight scenes was superb. Denzel’s character using a chain of smaller events that he setup to blackmail Ethan’s character was smart and well written.
What I Disliked: Maybe I missed it but I was left wanting more information about the deal that went south for Denzel’s character that got him in trouble with the Russian mafia. I know he met with two men at a diner and briefly discussed events, but I didn’t quite follow all of it.
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: All aspects of the story, action, and acting were carried out well and Denzel was definitely deserving of his Best Actor Oscar win.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Movie #224: Bringing Up Baby
Movie #: 224
Movie Title: Bringing Up Baby
Year Released: 1938
Director: Howard Hawks
Notable Cast: Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Charles Ruggles, May Robson
Short Description: While trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard “Baby.” (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: #88
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: 4/8/2013
What I Liked: The movie had a slapstick feel to it without being in your face about it. I thought Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant were great and had superb chemistry.
What I Disliked: The entire movie Cary Grant’s character can’t stand being around Katherine Hepburn’s character and he wants nothing to do with her. Then, out of nowhere right at the end he’s suddenly in love with her. What the hell? The sudden change in feelings felt like a poorly forced happy ending.
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: The light comedic aspect of the film withstands the test of time and makes it an amusing watch.
Recap Of Movies #226-251
Adjustments
Movie #: 228
Movie Title: The Conversation
Original Grade: 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal)
Adjusted Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)
Movie #: 249
Movie Title: Star Trek
Original Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Adjusted Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
My Best to Worst of #226-251
| Movie # | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 233 | Sophie's Choice | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 249 | Star Trek | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 235 | Persona | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 248 | Cinderella Man | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 238 | Ocean's Eleven | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 250 | The Sting | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 226 | Rain Man | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 240 | A Fistful of Dollars | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 232 | When Harry Met Sally | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 244 | The Untouchables | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 229 | Catch Me If You Can | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 227 | Magnolia | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 246 | Shaun of the Dead | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 251 | Ben-Hur | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 242 | The Last Picture Show | 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory) |
| 231 | Swing Time | 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory) |
| 237 | The French Connection | 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory) |
| 234 | The Big Sleep | 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory) |
| 228 | The Conversation | 2 out of 5 (Fair) |
| 241 | Grease | 2 out of 5 (Fair) |
| 247 | Yankee Doodle Dandy | 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal) |
| 236 | Spirit of the Beehive | 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal) |
| 243 | Do the Right Thing | 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal) |
| 239 | Princess Mononoke | 1 out of 5 (Poor) |
| 245 | Shadow of a Doubt | 1 out of 5 (Poor) |
| 230 | Metropolis | 1 out of 5 (Poor) |
Friday, May 17, 2013
Movie #226: Rain Man
Movie #: 226
Movie Title: Rain Man
Year Released: 1988
Director: Barry Levinson
Notable Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen
Short Description: Selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt’s father left a fortune to his savant brother Raymond and a pittance to Charlie; they travel cross-country. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #88
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A
Date Watched: 4/3/2013
What I Liked: Dustin Hoffman was unbelievably good. I don’t know who else was nominated for Best Actor that year but it would have been a crime had he not won. Maybe it’s because he’s a nut in real life, but I always seem to underestimate Tom and I’m constantly proven wrong. Probably should have been at least nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Though slow, the story was very moving.
What I Disliked: While Hans Zimmer is my favorite composer, having done music for movies like The Last Samurai, The Dark Knight, and Gladiator, the music in Rain Man is the worst I’ve heard from him. The tone of the music doesn’t fit the movie and I found it to be distracting at points during scene transitions.
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: Outstanding Oscar winning performance by Dustin Hoffman gives this movie a ton of soul
Movie Title: Rain Man
Year Released: 1988
Director: Barry Levinson
Notable Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen
Short Description: Selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt’s father left a fortune to his savant brother Raymond and a pittance to Charlie; they travel cross-country. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #88
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A
Date Watched: 4/3/2013
What I Liked: Dustin Hoffman was unbelievably good. I don’t know who else was nominated for Best Actor that year but it would have been a crime had he not won. Maybe it’s because he’s a nut in real life, but I always seem to underestimate Tom and I’m constantly proven wrong. Probably should have been at least nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Though slow, the story was very moving.
What I Disliked: While Hans Zimmer is my favorite composer, having done music for movies like The Last Samurai, The Dark Knight, and Gladiator, the music in Rain Man is the worst I’ve heard from him. The tone of the music doesn’t fit the movie and I found it to be distracting at points during scene transitions.
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: Outstanding Oscar winning performance by Dustin Hoffman gives this movie a ton of soul
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Movie #227: Magnolia
Movie #: 227
Movie Title: Magnolia
Year Released: 1999
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Notable Cast: Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Alfred Molina
Short Description: An epic mosaic of several interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #89
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A
Date Watched: 4/2/2013
What I Liked: It took a while to get there, but by the end of the movie I was totally engrossed in all of the characters. Each one was flawed in a different way and their struggles to fix themselves emotionally were moving. I can’t think of one actor that didn’t give a strong performance.
What I Disliked: I understand characters and stories have to be setup, but at the time I saw it the first half of the movie felt pointless and tough to watch because none of the characters or stories were connected yet and the movie relies on those connection. In a movie that I could see as being totally realistic, the raining of frogs at the very end seemed out of place and unnecessary, regardless of if there was a deeper meaning behind it.
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: The second half of the movie was outstanding and redeemed, what I thought, was a subpar first half
Movie Title: Magnolia
Year Released: 1999
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Notable Cast: Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Alfred Molina
Short Description: An epic mosaic of several interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #89
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A
Date Watched: 4/2/2013
What I Liked: It took a while to get there, but by the end of the movie I was totally engrossed in all of the characters. Each one was flawed in a different way and their struggles to fix themselves emotionally were moving. I can’t think of one actor that didn’t give a strong performance.
What I Disliked: I understand characters and stories have to be setup, but at the time I saw it the first half of the movie felt pointless and tough to watch because none of the characters or stories were connected yet and the movie relies on those connection. In a movie that I could see as being totally realistic, the raining of frogs at the very end seemed out of place and unnecessary, regardless of if there was a deeper meaning behind it.
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: The second half of the movie was outstanding and redeemed, what I thought, was a subpar first half
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