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Alone (2020)
Wow, this one surprised me
"Alone" came out of nowhere for me. On Saturday nights I usually end up watching a Lifetime movie. That's not a dis (Dis is spelled with one S. I looked it up.) on Lifetime movies. A lot of them are pretty good. (Although, I'm not a fan of the true story ones.) But anyway, sometimes on Saturday nights I like to check out Netflix first to see if I can find a cash equivalent. That's how I ended up watching "Alone". Wow, I can't tell you how surprised I was by this movie. It's really good. Edge-of-your-seat stuff pretty much every step of the way. Director John Hyams and company deserve a bunch of bonus points for this one. "Alone" might be the best straight-to-Netflix movie I've ever seen. (Just for the record, I liked this movie a lot more than my wife. She thought it was okay.)
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Coppola pulls a rabbit out of his hat
Director-for-hire Francis Ford Coppola makes lemonade of lemons with "Peggy Sue Got Married". It doesn't have the greatest script. The project passed through several hands (including Jonathan Demme and Penny Marshall) before it ended up in Coppola's hands. Coppola ended up doing a very nice job with it. "Peggy Sue Got Married" takes a while to get going but after a half hour or so it gets into a nice grove. The movie does take a few dips along the way but the overall effect is quite satisfying. Coppola lands quite a few punches so those bumps in the road don't have that much of an impact. Although not one of Coppola's best movies, "Peggy Sue Got Married" is definitely worth watching.
El karate el Colt y el impostor (1974)
Not worth the trouble
"Blood Money" (that's the title under which I saw this movie) could have been a good movie but it's not. It's a combination of a bad karate flick and a bad spaghetti western. It does has a few campy moments but not enough to make the movie fun. The idea of having treasure maps tattooed on prostitutes' asses is a fun but they just tease us with it. They get a demerit for never even bothering to show us any of the maps (I mean come on, it's 1974 already). Lee Van Cleef is fine in this movie but his karate partner Lo Lieh is dull as dishwater. I was hoping "Blood Money" would be a goofy way to kill some time. It ended up being not worth the trouble.
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)
It's a long 70 minutes
I'm a big fan of films of Abbott and Costello. I've seen all of their movies quite a few times. I may watch "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd" the least. It's pretty bad. It's a cheap looking movie that has very few laughs. I must admit that I did laugh a couple of times. The handcuff scene with Charles Laughton and Lou Costello is very funny. It's the highlight of the movie. But every time the movie becomes remotely entertaining, another crummy song starts up. The songs in this movie are terrible. They ruin whatever chance "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd" may have had. (I watched this movie on Tubi.)
In Harm's Way (1965)
Worth Watching
I've seen "In Harm's Way" a few times now. It always kind of left me flat. I never really liked all of the '60s style melodrama. Last night, however, none of that stuff really bothered me. The truly all-star cast delivers such strong performances that I easily overlooked the soap opera elements of the movie. John Wayne delivers a very good performance. Patricia Neal is even better. Their scenes together are terrific. They are the best part of the movie. "In Harm's Way" is also a great looking movie. The only problem I had with the movie this time around is its length. It's probably a half hour too long.
Naked Fear (2007)
Better than expected
I got more than I bargained for with "Naked Fear". I wasn't expecting much. I figured I'd be getting a low budget skin-fest but this movie had more to offer than that. Sure, Danielle De Luca spends half of the movie running around naked but "Naked Fear" also had a pretty good story. The performances, for the most part, were also a lot better than I expected. Joe (How did I end up in this movie?) Mantegna actually ends up giving one of the movie's weaker performances. Mantegna's country boy accent is pretty lame. A major problem "Naked Fear" has is its length. A movie like this should never be longer than an hour and a half. This one clocks in at 1 hour and 48 minutes. That's just too long.
Ten Wanted Men (1955)
Randolph Scott delivers again
Randolph Scott delivered one solid western after another. "Ten Wanted Men" is another good one. Scott is in fine form and his supporting cast is one of his best. Richard Boone is solid as is a young Dennis Weaver. "Ten Wanted Men" has a good story and it's filled with action. The last ten or fifteen minutes or so are packed with explosions and collapsing sets. It's all really quite impressive considering Scott's westerns were mostly medium size budget affairs. The only thing that I don't really like about the movie is the title. "Ten Wanted Men" is a great title for a western but it doesn't really seem to fit this movie.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
A solid addition to the Mad Max franchise
Writer/director/producer George Miller has created what has to go down as one of the best series of films ever made. Miller has made five Mad Max films and all of them are very good. Not a dud in the bunch. It's quite an amazing feat. "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" fits right in with the rest of them. It's a great looking movie that has imagination to share. It's filled with solid performances but none are better than Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth is given a great character and some terrific dialogue and he hits the ball out of the park. I enjoyed "Furiosa" today (AMC Raceway 10, Westbury, NY) but I actually think I'll like it even more the next time around.
Bat*21 (1988)
It's the best Vietnam War movie ever made
I'm going to say that again. "Bat*21" is the greatest Vietnam War movie ever made. It's edge-of-your-seat stuff every step of the way. Gene Hackman gives a great performance. Danny Glover is even better. Glover is terrific. His performance is Oscar caliber. There have been a lot of great, and some not so great, movies about the Vietnam War. "Bat*21" sits at the top of the heap. I need to watch this movie more often. (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum so I have to ramble on for a few minutes. So how are you feeling? I'm fine. Thanks for asking. It's a nice day. I think I'll go for a walk.)
Wholly Moses! (1980)
It's actually pretty funny
"Wholly Moses!" was mocked when I was a kid. I didn't see it in the theater because nobody else wanted to. I may have seen it on cable once or twice but I don't think I ever really gave it a chance. Watching it tonight all these years later, it's actually pretty funny. I laughed a more than a few times. I smiled more than that. The material is a bit spotty but the cast is top-notch. Dudley Moore is very likeable and as game as they come. James Coco is really good and the cameos by Dom DeLuise and John Ritter are both very funny. I don't want to say that "Wholly Moses!" has aged well but it has.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
The fifth time is the charm
Wow, I can't believe I'm going to say what I'm about to say. I just finished watching Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" and I really enjoyed it. This is shocking to me. I've seen this movie at least four times before tonight. (I may/may not have seen it in the theater. I don't remember.) I never liked. In fact, I always thought it sucked. Tonight that all changed. Of course it's self-indulgent, self-conscience, over-the top and a little too long. "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" definitely stumps under the weight of QT's massive ego but when it works, it's really good. If I had to rank the movies Tarantino directed, "Kill Bill: Vol 2" would come in third.
Blood Simple (1984)
A first at-bat home run for the Coen Brothers
I saw "Blood Simple" when it first came out (Movie World, Douglaston, NY). I rented it quite a few times after that. But shame on me, I lost track of "Blood Simple" years ago. I've rewatched a bunch of Coen Brothers movies quite a few times but for some reason I haven't watched this movie in about thirty years. Shame on me. It's one of their best movies the Coen Brothers ever made. It's a terrific piece of filmmaking. It's filled with very strong performances, including an Oscar caliber one from M. Emmet Walsh. "Blood Simple" is edge-of-your-seat stuff pretty much every step of the way. Honorable mention: the music.
Angels in the Outfield (1951)
It's a triple down the line
"Angels in the Outfield" is a really fun watch. It's a really fun movie that has a ton of heart. It lands more punches than you would expect. It's also filled with one great performance after another, even the voice is great. Keenan Wynn comes in as Best of Breed. He's terrific. Wynn played a lot of villains in his day but none of were as rotten as this Fred Bayles guy. "Angels in the Outfield" may be a baseball movie but it also an excellent trial scene. It rivals the courtroom stuff in "Miracle on 34th Street". Besides all that, would couldn't love a movie where a 44 year old Paul Douglas and a 24 year old Janet Leigh fall in love?
The African Queen (1951)
The Ponderosa looks fake
I enjoy "The African Queen" but I don't like it as much as a lot of other people do. Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn both give very nice performances. There are a lot funny moments to go along with the strong story. One thing that doesn't work for me is the weak green screen/rear projection (or whatever process they used back in 1951). It doesn't look good. It's very distracting. I know they filmed a lot of "The African Queen" on location but that green screen stuff gives the movie they feel of a studio film. As I watched the movie last night I kept thinking that movie might have looked better in Black & White. All that said, "The African Queen" is a good movie.
L'ombra di Zorro (1962)
It gets a passing grade
You would think that a spaghetti western with Zorro in it would be "can't miss" stuff. "Shades of Zorro" (that's the title under which I saw the movie) may not hit the bullseye but it does hit the target. It is a great looking movie with great locations with colors that jump off the screen. The cast is fine with one exception, Zorro. When Zorro is wearing the mask (it's actually a black bandana worn over his face train robber style) he's great. He rides a horse like it's nobody's business. He can shoot and use a sword. But when Zorro's not wearing the mask, he's kind of annoying. Although I probably won't be watching it again anytime soon, "Shades of Zorro" is worth the watch.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Solid second tier Carpenter
Usually John Carpenter wears a lot of hats when he makes a movie. Being the director, writer, producer and/or composer is not uncommon for John Carpenter. "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is a different animal for him. Carpenter was strictly a director for hire for this movie and it shows it. It has a different feel than his other films. That said, it's another good movie by Carpenter. Carpenter might not have liked working with Chevy Chase but he still managed to get a nice performance of him,. Same goes for Daryl Hannah (who shines in that dream sequence). "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" has some exciting moments and, overall, I like it.
Monster (2023)
It wears out its welcome
"Monster" is an okay movie, I guess. Wait, on second thought, it's not that great. It starts out as a rather unpleasant watch. Then after while, it gets repetitious. It never gets boring but it does get stuck in second gear. The first half of the movie is better than the second half. The no dialogue is fine for a while but then it ends up being a silly, rather ineffective gimmick. For a movie with a very friendly running time (86 minutes), "Monster" begins to feel like a long movie. 86 minutes long or not, it should have been about twenty minutes shorter. "Monster" is another straight-to-Netflix dud.
Body Double (1984)
De Palma on Auto-Pilot
Brian De Palma is one of my favorite directors. He's made a bunch of great movies but his overall batting average is not the greatest. "Body Double" falls into the not-so-hot side of the ledger. Way back when De Palma was criticized by some uptight people for his films being too sexist ("Dressed to Kill") and too violent ("Scarface"). So De Palma decided to up the ante with "Body Double". Three cheers for De Palma for pissing off his critics once again but the end results aren't the greatest. I used to really dig "Body Double" but now in 2024, the parades gone by. Honorable mention: a wildly dreamy Deborah Shelton and a not far behind Melanie Griffith.
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
Hey, the poster's not accurate
True Confessions: Many years ago when I was a little boy I remember my mother watching "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" and it scared the hell out of me. I think I ended up having a bad dream. Yesterday was probably the first time I'd seen it since (thanks Turner Classic Movies). It's an okay, kind of silly, '50's sci-fi movie. The movie seems longer than its actual running time (66 minutes). "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" is helped out a lot by the presence of Allison Hayes and Yvette Vickers. Bothe Hayes and Vickers are very easy on the eyes. (IMDB has a 600 character minimum so I have to kill a little time. So Happy Mother's Day to all the moms reading this.)
The Iron Horse (1924)
Definitely worth watching
"The Iron Horse" is a big-time western epic. It's a great looking movie. The cast is appealing. However, it is a long movie that often feels like a long movie. It's definitely worth the effort. "The Iron Horse" was directed by John Ford and it feels like a John Ford western all of the way. I haven't seen as many silent movies as I should but after watching this movie, I plan on watching more. (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum so I have to ramble on for a little while. So, how was your day. Mine was fine. Thanks for asking. So, what's your favorite John Ford western? I know, it's a hard question.)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Wow, this is one crazy movie
"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" is one crazy movie. I mean, it's completely off-the-wall. The things that go on in this movie have to be seen to be believed. Don't try to guess what will happen next while watching this movie. It just keeps throwing one more outlandish development after another. That said, when the monsters are fighting "The New Empire" is great stuff. The monsters are hard to resist. As far as the human cast goes, they have a very hard job competing. The standout of this movie, as far as the humans go, is Brian Tyree Henry. "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" isn't my favorite movie of the series but I enjoyed the craziness. (I saw this at AMC Roosevelt Field, NY.)
Great Guns (1941)
Pretty Funny
I've been reading Matthew Coniam and Nick Santa Maria's terrific book "The Annotated Abbott and Costello" and they mentioned Laurel & Hardy's "Great Guns" and all the similarities it has to "Buck Privates". I'd never seen "Great Guns" before so I decided to give it a go. It's a funny movie. Sure it's very similar to "Buck Privates" but I bet service comedies of that era were probably all similar. That kind of stuff doesn't bother me. As far as "Great Guns" goes, it has quite a few laughs. There are a couple of scenes that aren't that great but, for the most part, it was a fun watch. (That said, of the two I prefer "Buck Privates".)
Big Leaguer (1953)
Worth Watching
I put on "Big Leaguer" this morning because I thought it was a comedy. It's not. Sure, there are some laughs here and there but "Big Leaguer" plays it mostly straight. And for the most part, it does a nice job. I could have done without the non-stop narration. Overall, it was a pretty good watch. It was a bit of a slow starter for me. Most of the dialogue consists of "attaboy" and stuff like that. The cast is fine, although Vera-Ellen didn't do much for me, with the standout being the always likeable Richard Jaeckel. "Big Leaguer" really shines towards the end once Polachuk's father shows up. "Big Leaguer" seems like the kind of movie that improves with each viewing. I'll find out the next time I watch it.
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
It's pretty bad
I went to see a lot of Arnold Schwarzenegger's movies back then but for some reason, I never bothered with "Kindergarten Cop". I never rented it and I only remember seeing parts of it when it on cable. Today was the first time I ever sat through the whole thing. It's pretty bad. The script is weak. The kids are cute but their jokes are lame movie kid jokes. The mother/son villains are ridiculous. The cast is universally off their game. Arnold is okay but he's been a lot better. Of the rest of the cast, Penelope Ann Miller fares the best with the mother and son faring the worst. I know "Kindergarten Cop" was a big hit way back when but I've never liked it.
The Kid (1921)
Classic
Writer/director/producer/composer/star Charlie Chaplin does a great job with his first feature length movie "The Kid". "The Kid" is a great looking movie. (I watched the Criterion version that aired on Turner Classic Movies. That might account for how great the movie looked as opposed to other versions that might be out there.) Chaplin is at the top of his game and Jackie Coogan is right there with him. The are a lot of laughs in "The Kid". The sentimental parts work well too. The dream sequence is a little out there but it still has its moments. I've seen "The Kid" a few time now. I appreciate more and more with each viewing.