Apex Predator's Reviews
 

A long time ago, I started a thread on Rotten Tomatoes to examine my feelings on the films I've seen. I also did a separate horror thread because I haven't seen nearly enough of the genre at the time, but it was kind of unnecessary considering there was a perfectly fine thread available.

When RT went under, I went to first Kateland and then Corrierino with the same thread. Kateland still is up. The other one? Not so much.

Now that I'm starting to settle into my new threads in Movie Forums, I think it's time to revive an old tradition. Starting with the new year, my plans are to keep this up to date with the latest films that I've tackled. Simultaneously, I plan on recapping the last year which led to some nice discoveries in what was a trying year.

I should warn you that I dive into all sorts of films, from the newest to the most ancient. From comedies and dramas to westerns and Bollywood and all points in between. I end grading them like they do in school from A+ to F (although I could adapt to the popcorn box idea as well).

Trying to finish up the last films of the year now, but I look forward to the discussions and reviews yet to come.

Bring it on!

Re: Apex Predator's Reviews
 

Heading into January, I have plans to see the following:

Taxi Driver (1976, RW)
Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2007)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, RW)
Chef (2014)---Several on Twitter recommended this one

But what films would you like me to tackle? Keep in mind, I can stream with the following:

Netflix
Amazon Prime
Hulu (re-joined because of that $2/month deal)
PBS Documentaries
Tubi
Crackle
AsianCrush
Peacock
PlutoTV
PopcornFlix

If it's free and I didn't mention it, I don't have it. Curious to see what you'd recommend.

Are these first viewings or rewatches?

Here's a brief list of films I love which I've seen recently:

Cabaret (1972)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
White Heat (1949)
Scarface (1932)
Predator (1987)
Perfect Blue (1997)
A Moment of Innocence (1996) This one might be harder to track down though.
Ivan The Terrible, Part 1 (1944)

Also, as for some 2020 films, I love First Cow and Dick Johnson is Dead, in particular.

You've probably seen some of these films, but hopefully this helps.

Re: Apex Predator's Reviews
 

Speling Error, I've labeled the re-watches with RW. Blade Runner is a first time view.

I'm gonna take another look at the films in January, but Scarface and Cabaret look promising.

I had started plans in early January of last year to see 100 films. The plan was to see an average of 9 new films a month. 9 times 12 is 108 films. Easy peasy, right?

Then the pandemic happened. The 2020 election got incredibly heated. My headspace wasn't always in a good place due to all the anxiety and news coming 24/7/365. As well as the constant fear of getting ill due to this virus and the physical and economic devastation due to all that.

I ended up with 75 films, 2 of which were classic re-watches. So yeah, it could have been better.

But what's left will show every film that I watched in 2020 and rank them from worst to best.

I'll kick this off with films that didn't make it due to not finishing them or re-watches:

Re-Watches:

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
A Charlie Brown Christmas

Both were fine choices over the holiday season. With Apple getting the rights to the Peanuts library, I felt like this was my last opportunity to see either one for a while. If I had to pick one, I preferred the Christmas one by a hair.

The ones I didn't finish:

7 Boxes: The story of a kid looking to make enough money to buy a cell phone with a camera looked decent from what I could tell. Just ran out of time.

Arctic Dogs: I was getting funny feelings I've seen this one before as Norm of the North. I hope those songs Jeremy Renner sings are way better than The Main Attraction.

Black Sea: I was hyped for a submarine heist movie and then it turned into K19: The Widowmaker. At least, Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn had better accents.

Saving Christmas: It felt like Jerry Falwell U told Kirk Cameron and company "Just make Christmas with the Kranks, but Christian". Seemed a bit less obnoxious so far, but it was kind of plodding for a film under 80 minutes.

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks: It shows that this was based on a 1980s play despite the efforts of Gena Rowlands. Jacki Weaver, fire your agent please!

Next, the worst I've seen in 2020!

Bottom 10 Films I've Seen in 2020:

73. What the Waters Left Behind (2017)

This Argentinian horror film wants really, really badly to be the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But this film, about the making of a documentary at Epecuen, the home of a real life tragedy, feels like it's cobbled together from 4-5 horror films. The majority of the characters are either generic or annoying which means there's nobody to root for.

It's a nice setting. Too bad there isn't a film that can tell what really happened there. Or that the story they chose was way worse than its setting. (F)

72. A Moment in the Reeds (2018)

Slow moving Finnish tale about a student who comes home to spend time with his father where he takes interest in a Syrian hired as the caretaker of the house. The dialogue between the two would be lovers is excruciating and outside of a couple of lovemaking scenes which seems like it escaped from a different film, the story is a predictable snooze heading to its ending. (D-)

71. 6 Underground (2019)

In the opposite of the previous film, this slice of Bayhem won't lull you to sleep. From the opening 20 minutes which features a techno version of O Fortuna, nuns flipping people off and cars driving through Roman museums, you're definitely gonna be awake seeing this one. But outside of the opening and one scene featuring a phone app and a boat which is admittedly bravura, there's an awful lot of flash for what's otherwise an ordinary story of a newcomer joining in with a crew interested in recreating the plot of The Man in the Iron Mask with the father/husband from A Separation as the good leader.

It's good to see Bay trying to come to terms with what's going on in the world. But I do wish it was better implemented than it was in 6U. (D-)

70. Two Night Stand (2014)

A one night stand between an unemployed single woman and a bank employee gets real when they wake up to a snowstorm in New York City. The result is a mostly forgettable romcom about the ups and downs of the burgeoning relationship. But then, the film has to take a third act turn which is just cringey and took this from maybe a C- to its final grade.

Kid Cudi makes the most of his few scenes as the woman's roommate's lover. D

69. Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words (2020)

This documentary takes a look at the life of Thomas from a liberal college student to the conservative judge. The film makes allusions to To Kill a Mockingbird and Robert Frost's poem The Road Less Traveled, but it treks on some very familiar ground particularly when we get to the Anita Hill hearings and its aftermath.

You do get to hear Thomas speak here. Too bad, the documentary isn't hear to listen to his words but turns him into a martyr against the liberals. And it's facepalm worthy to hear him point out how hard it was for him to get a job post-college only to see him hiring those who didn't need any help as his interns on the Supreme Court. D

68. London River (2011)

English woman and a French Muslim head to London to search for their children who disappeared during a bus bombing during the 2005 attacks. Along the way, they learn some truths about their offspring.

Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyate offer good performances here, but it's in a service of a film that treads slowly down a path towards a predictable outcome. It's a shame too, because with a better script, this could have been a pleasant surprise. D

67. Meteor Storm (2010)

More or less made for TV movie that sounds like what you might expect from a Syfy original movie. Thankfully, they try to play this one straight. But cheap special effects and walking cliches keep this one from reaching the goofy heights of Sharknado.

Kinda funny though that the black leather jacketed, motorcycle riding hero was able to get strangers to follow his instructions with no questions asked, but can't keep his kids from wandering around from dangerous situation to dangerous situation. D

66. Goodbye World (2014)

The Big Chill meets the apocalypse in this tale of how a bad text can bring down the US power grid and social structure in near record time. A group of thin characters and silly situations bring down a capable cast which tries its best.

And not even Gaby Hoffman wearing a clean mop head reciting a George Washington speech can save this one. D

65. Toya (1956)

A refugee who lost her family in a war gets adopted by a family and all is well until some money goes missing and she's accused of taking it. So she runs away looking for the kind man who placed her in the new home while her new father searches for her.

The Norwegian scenery is lovely and the little boy who sings comes across as a young Wayne Newton vocally. But combining a sitcomish plot with dialogue straight from Dragnet isn't a good combination.

Oh, and there's apparently a sequel. D+

64. Vultures in the Void (2014)

A Mexican standoff occurs in space between the hijacker of a valuable cargo, the pilot, and two space pirates. Loyalties keep shifting as the clock is ticking.

It's complete, but it feels like a concept short for a longer one with better special effects and actors. The ending also feels a bit off.

Rest in peace to Tiny Lister who played Space Clown in this one. D+

Tomorrow is the honorable mentions:

Don't leave others behind as you try to cross the road.
Although murder is a bad idea, if you stick together with your significant other, you can accomplish great things.
If you're willing to sacrifice for the one you love, you can move beyond the clouds.
And some time with fresh air is good...maybe you can redeem yourself for some mistakes made in the past.
You may not be in control over yourself right now, but be careful when revealing the truth to your closest friends.

63. The Chaperone (2019)

A woman stuck in a marriage agrees to watch over mischievous Louise while she takes a dance class in New York City. She may have other reasons for agreeing to do this. This may be one of those "If you love Downton Abbey, you'll like this" films. Which is a problem because the series doesn't appeal to me despite the charms of Maggie Smith (the creator of the series, Julian Fellows, directed this movie). Despite the charms of Haley Lu Richardson as Louise who may or may not have a big future ahead of her and the solid support of Elizabeth McGovern as her guardian, the film never rises above a slow pace even as revelations pop up.

Disappointing because there's enough here that could have led to some fireworks in better hands. D+

62. A Recipe for Seduction (2020)

This short film isn't quite finger licking good, but unlike some terrible big screen misadventures (Leonard Part 6), it doesn't go overboard with product placement. A woman on the verge of marrying a rich man who could save her family out of debt starts to fall for the new chef Harland (two guesses what his last name is).

There was potential for this to be a solid parody of Lifetime films like A Deadly Adoption, but unfortunately this has all the cutting edge of one of those sporks they give you with the mashed potatoes and gravy. Not even Mario Lopez can save this. C-

61. Macbeth (2015)

The classic tale from William Shakespeare dives into the Scottish highlands with talented actors like Michael Fassbender as the successful general driven to murder by his wife played by Marion Cotillard. Although they give life to the words, the direction by Justin Kurzel leaves a lot to be desired. Outside of a few cool moments such as the witches showing up in the middle of a battle, this feels closer in spirit to the album that Theo and Cockroach rented in that one Cosby Show episode so they didn't have to read the play...yeah, it didn't work for them. And it doesn't work here. C-

60. Made for Each Other (1939)

Could be a case of misplaced expectations, but what I thought was going to be a comedy with James Stewart and Carole Lombard quickly turned into melodrama as his character gets thrown into the wringer with a crummy job where his boss doesn't seem to appreciate him and his mother and mother in law disapprove of the union.

The third act goes from hmm...to ridiculous in a blink of an eye. C-

59. Turandot (2019)

Yes, for some reason I saw an opera this year. Pandemic 2020, folks!

The vocals were fine, the sets were solid and there seemed to be a bit more depth to the story than I expected, but its runtime proved to be a bit long for its own good. And the story took its sweet time getting to the end in its third act.

Probably doesn't help that it reminded me of the superior The Thief of Bagdad. C

58. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001)

The equivalent of going to an amusement park after eating candy and drinking soda.

I mean there's a quirkiness at times I can't completely shake off, but too much of this feels like something that might appeal more for 10 year old me than now. It takes an intriguing premise of a kids world without parents and can't come up with anything interesting about it.

Probably didn't help that I saw a superior animated film a few weeks before. C

57. The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)

And no, it's not this one.

Proof positive that half of the franchises should have stopped with one film, this take might as well be subtitled Max and Duke Go Country. Harrison Ford offers some gruffness as the resident country dog who helps Max find some courage. Meanwhile, Snowball pretends he's a superhero to impress Daisy and Gidget has to pretend to be a cat to get Max's favorite toy from an old lady and her cadre of not so nice cats.

The animation is lovely to look at, the voice cast does its best, but there's neither enough laughs or story for them to sink their teeth into. C

56. Minesweeper (1943)

Alright, I kind of like the jib in this film's sails. A guy joins the Navy while in World War 2 and falls for the sister of a guy who saved his life. But as he's sweeping mines for the cause, his secret starts to unravel. There's Robert Mitchum as one of the sailors!

It kind of falls apart towards the end, but it's an OK B-picture with a short run time that does manage to keep moving. C

55. JD's Revenge (1976)

A trip to a hypnotist show is enough for a law student/cab driver to start acting and behaving like a gangster who was murdered 30 years ago. For some reason, he's being drawn to a charismatic street preacher and his family. His girlfriend and friends start to be concerned.

Good performances from Glynn Turman, Lou Gossett Jr. and Joan Pringle and an interesting story keep you going to the end. But an underwhelming climax and some unchivalrous attitudes towards women keep this from being fully embraced.

Although it's nice to see that his girlfriend stand up for herself on the bus after he attempts to apologize for his actions. C

54. Nothing to Hide (2018)

An idea to spice up a party for several couples and a single stag friend is thwarted when it forces them to reveal their secrets to everyone in the room as they have to answer every phone call and text. Berenice Bejo (The Artist) led the solid, game cast as the film manages to mix the humorous with the more serious moments.

And then that ending happened. Boo! Boo! C+

Tomorrow 53-44!

You may have to be alone to save the forest.
The horror of different class groups struggling to get along in the dark.
Someone from upstairs is watching a person battling the elements
Edgar Allan Poe will give a hand to a woman fighting for the truth about her sibling.
Man's good intentions lead to larceny.

I love Jimmy Neutron. I have probably seen it over a dozen times, no thanks in small part to it being one of a handful of movies I could play in the video store because it was rated G.

I've seen bits and pieces of it along with some other animated films (Toy Story 2, Despicable Me, Wall-E, The Lorax) due to where I work and the break room doubling as the family dining room with playground.

53. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) C+

I think one of the biggest sins you can make of a Star Wars movie is to be ordinary.

But once you deal in Ron Howard whose track record on adaptions is all over the map in place of the Russo brothers, ordinary is more or less what you get here. Played decently by Alden Ehrenreich, Han is crazy enough about trying to save a girl that he's willing to join a military and then a group of smugglers in the hopes of having enough money and a ship to rescue her. But maybe along the way, he'll find some other reason to do what he does?

To Marie Kondo's disdain, there's not enough joy here and the film feels like it's more interested as a highlights reel for other movies than in doing its own thing. Not sure who was to think/blame for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's freedom fighting droid, but at least that felt different.

Thanks to its box office, we're unlikely to get that Lando prequel. Which is a shame because Donald Glover killed in that role.

52. The Lorax (2012) C+

As far as Dr. Seuss films go, this one was less painful than Jim Carrey's Grinch and had a bit more of a point than Benedict Cumberbatch's version.

After a promising beginning, the main story sets up where this boy wants to impress this older girl by finding a real live tree. This puts in path with the hermit Onceler who tells his tale of woe. The result is a brightly animated film with some solid voice acting (Betty White and Jenny Slate shine), but whose story takes a few bumps on the road onto a finish everyone can see coming. Some good laughs keep it on the right side of the ledger.

Strange though that one takeaway message (beyond the obvious "Care for the environment" one) is don't try to rise above your station. Hmm.

51. Terror By Night (1946) C+

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce prove to be a winning team as Holmes and Watson, but this mystery of a jewel and murder is missing a few segments from its train. A brisk runtime and Frederick Worlock as the easily ticked off Professor Kilbain are the highlights outside of the Rathbone/Bruce banter.

But your mileage may vary based on your opinion on the film withholding of crucial information until later on. And the ending is a bit murky.

50. Z-O-M-B-I-E-S (2018) C+

Outside of the possible cringeworthy use of zombies as a symbol for race relations, this one was decent.

As the intro sets things up, half of a town became zombies and half stayed human after a nuclear plant meltdown. But thanks to what appears to be a Fitbit, zombies no longer feel the need for eating humans. But they're basically second class citizens.

But in the middle of all that, a zombie who just wants to play football and a cheerleader start to fall for each other. While there's some uneasiness and some opposition among those on the squad, things might take a turn for the better.

Some of the songs are catchy and the film kind of has an ingratiating side to it that smooths out the rough spots.

49. The Girl on the Third Floor (2019) C+

It takes about 5 minutes for you to realize that the lead actor is CM Punk (his Pepsi tattoo is a dead giveaway). He plays a scummy lawyer who apparently got away with some things, but not without being disbarred. For redemption, he decides to fix a house for him and his wife and kid to live in. But as you can guess, things don't end up the way he was hoping.

Punk's performance is nicely subtle here and a major improvement over his previous job as MMA punching bag. Some elements to this movie work (such as the foul-mouthed priest who offers good advice), some not so much.

For those who value animals, this may be a pass.

48. Alone in the Wilderness (2004) C+

PBS Pledge Week(s) for the win!

A bit of a downgrade from the last two documentaries I've seen during Pledge Week, but anything would be a downgrade from Won't You Be My Neighbor? and 8 Days a Week. But it's oddly relaxing to see Dick Proenecke first build a cabin and then find food in the Alaska wilderness with only a little bit of help from other people.

It's kind of low stakes, but manages to be entertaining enough anyway.

47. The Raven (1943) C+

French doctor finds himself part of a smear campaign by a writer who calls himself/herself The Raven. Eventually, the Raven changes their focus to the town itself revealing everyone's dark secrets.

Honestly, I may have briefly dozed off due to a hard day at work that morning. But, there's some clever moments as the letters come out in a wedding procession and a church and the search to find out who's responsible.

Considering this was one title he wanted to see on Letterboxd, RIP Mysterious F.

46. Sister Street Fighter (1975) C+

Some casual misogyny spoils somewhat this kung fu tale of a woman trying to find out what happened to her missing brother. But some good action and the presence of Sonny Chiba makes this a decent watch. And Sue Shiomi has a solid presence as the titular character.

Sue Shiomi retired after getting married in the late 1980s, but apparently she's switched into flower arrangement. Good for her!

45. The Man Who Tried to Feed the World (2020) B-

Some interesting ideas in this documentary on Norman Borlaug, a man who won the Nobel Prize for his work of creating new breeds of wheat that helped India fix their issues with food insecurity and revolutionized modern farming in the process. It's not a glowing take on him as they also take a look at the drawbacks that were created by his processes, particularly in the environmental areas.

The largest problem is that 60 minutes is not enough time to do this story justice.

44. The Great Train Robbery (1903) B-

As a hint of what could be, this short film is pretty good. It showcases several techniques like simultaneous action, outside filming and a moving camera in a narrative of some train bank robbers and the posse brought together to stop their escape.

As a movie, it's decent. But that last shot was nicely done.

Tomorrow 43-34!

Dive into the volcano to find the killer/thief.
Learn about puppy farms, while finding a property with an interesting history, chief.
Tape the news so the cops can't call you liars.
Learn about French farming while an older couple stokes the fires.
I don't know how to love them, but have to respect the crew of a sub.

I've seen it a couple times and my rating would be about the same as yours.

Re: Apex Predator's Reviews
 

I might break these into 5 to get through them faster:

43. Into the Volcano (2016) B-

Ah, that wacky Werner Herzog!

This time he's diving into volcanoes with the help of a few friends while exploring the impact that it has on the cultures of a few countries. An extended sequence where they search for something on the grounds of an archilogical dig takes too long to go nowhere, but sequences in North Korea and Vanuatu stay interesting with some insights from Herzog and the people who live there.

But Werner, for future reference, don't refer to a schism in a religion based on an American serviceman and not show it to other people. We wanna know more.

42. Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) B-

I guess there were only so many stories that could be told in the Nick and Nora saga, eh?

Apparently, the Charles family has managed to expand to include a small child who's pretty darned precocious (trying to convince Nick to drink milk instead of alcohol). They're famous thanks to their exploits which leads them to a case where they solve a case involving murder and some missing books. Someone is falsely accused, but a big party together (at a hotel room this time) sorts things out. Some nice set pieces such as a carousel, but this feels like a later entry in a series.

Still the repartee between Powell and Loy is as delicious as ever.

41. Dog by Dog (2015) B-

A suitably disturbing, yet somewhat hopeful documentary about puppy farms and those fighting for laws to give the canines a fighting chance. Of course, modern laws haven't caught up to technology and there's those who fall in line with lobbyists who use confusing language to scuttle attempts at reform (more reason to hate Mitch McConnell here, but apparently Amy Klobucher shows up as well?).

This documentary hits all the expected points, but you'll still not want to see a dog show again (unless it's Best of Show).

40. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) B-

Perhaps a bit too sedate for the average horror fan, but it does have its charms.

A real estate agent regales a cop with several stories about the various owners of a house including a writer and his wife, a man looking for a sedate retirement, a father who strictly raises his daughter, and an arrogant actor trying to make his way through a shoddy Dracula adaption. Perhaps the best segment is the one with the actor as Jon Pertwee hams with aplomb (even though he does seem like he walked off the set of Doctor Who at one point), but Christopher Lee as the father and Peter Cushing as the lonely man are solid as well. The segments feel a bit on the thin side, but it's a good intro to horror if you're a bit on the squeamish side.

39. Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project (2019) B-

I get that I'm watching something interesting and all, but the why feels a bit on the fuzzy side.

Marion was a civil rights activist whose run ins with the FBI might have influenced her decision to record TV from 1979 to 2012. She wanted to capture the unfiltered truth. And they show one sequence on what was airing as the second building fell in 9/11.

The film could have dove deeper into her cold nature when dealing with her family and her inability to throw things away. And it felt like it could have used an editor in places. But at least there's a happy ending involving the footage.

Tomorrow: 38-34

Re: Apex Predator's Reviews
 

And thus, we continue:

38. Monster House (2006) B-

This film almost has a Goonies type feel without that annoying song. Three kids try to solve the mystery of a cranky old man and a house that seems to eat people. Not all the humor by writer Dan Harmon (Community) connects, but you can see the potential for his future here. The animation is a bit wonky, but the voice acting is solid and the story does manage some real heart while skating the line between kid friendly and a Halloween film.

It's a nice try, but falls short of making it to Coraline/ParaNorman territory.

37. After Winter, Spring (2015) B-

Decent documentary focusing on the challenges that small farms have in France as well as some opportunities to make a solid living. Not much different than American farming, but at least the film offers some glimpses at hope and that's enough.

36. Our Souls at Night (2017) B-

The star power of Robert Redford and Jane Fonda is able to make this an above average Netflix original. As two widows decide to explore life together, the lived in chemistry between the two of them is palpable whether it's walking around the town holding hands or a road trip to a hotel. It kind of takes its own time going where it's going, but you don't mind. Not with Bruce Dern as the leader of a coffee club, Phyllis Somerville as Fonda's concerned friend or even Iain Armitage as Fonda's grandson.

The weakest link is Matthias Schoenarts as Fonda's struggling son. Perhaps it's the accent that he can't pull off. Or maybe it's the walking cliche character he's been handed. But every scene with him qualifies as bad.

35. Jesus Christ Superstar Live (2018) B-

As far as "live" musical productions from TV go, it's a bit behind Grease Live. But it's in the same ballpark as Hairspray Live.

John Legend comes with great voice and good looks as the Messiah who seems a bit cagey about his future plans. Meanwhile, Judas (Brandon Dixon) is left with a tough decision made more complicated by his feelings that Jesus is going too far.

The musical goes in a familiar direction, particularly if you're familiar with the story. And Alice Cooper as Herod has a disappointing section, largely because his voice doesn't explode the way it needed to..

But the smaller venue does allow you to feel the excitement and the pulses of rock music and good singing (including Sara Barellies as Mary Magdalene) do make for a fun time as long as you don't take issue with the musical's story. Otherwise, maybe watch The 10 Commandments again?

34. Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) B-

About 35-40 years before Crimson Tide, a similar story of a captain and the first lieutenant who clashes based on their different takes of a critical order. But here, Clark Gable plays the disgraced captain who gets another shot at running a sub that was heading to Burt Lancaster before the captain pulled rank. Good acting from the two leads who are able to keep their intensity intact. A solid supporting cast including Don Rickles and Jack Warden and firm direction by Robert Wise help keep this sub movie moving. Some storyline issues keep this from rising the ranks of the great sub films.

But at least they do manage to avoid making cheap stereotypes of the Japanese sailors who are the villains. And that's appreciated.

Tomorrow: 33-29

Hit the streets with a man looking for his identity
Travel to Paris in search of fortune and enlightenment
The organ plays so beautifully in the background
I guess that it's really over
A good man has fallen through the cracks of society.

Re: Apex Predator's Reviews
 

Heading closer to the good movies and the honorable mentions:

33. I Am Another You (2017) B-

Director Nanfu Wang directs an uneven but at times compelling look at a young drifter named Dylan and what has made him this way. I may have my qualms about how close she embeds herself to Dylan, but at the same time, it's a compelling story of a man dealing with a less than stellar hand he's been dealt with by life and how he deals with it. One stand out scene has Dylan reunited with his family, but not everyone is happy about it.

There's things I'm not revealing because of spoilers, but I do think it's on Amazon Prime if you do decide to check it out.

32. Funny Face (1957) B-

Fashion photographer convinces bookworm to model for a magazine in Paris. She agrees because a leading professor in her chosen philosophy gives lectures at various cafes in that city. But perhaps something else will brew under the City of Lights?

Some very lovely dance sequences (one involving Astaire, his hat, coat and an umbrella is magical) and some nice songs (the improvised song that Astaire and Kay Thompson have to perform at the guru's apartment called Clap Yo Hands and Bonjour Paris which feels like made for the Parisian tourist bureau) mean a good time is had for the most part. There's also a strong visual sense throughout which should be credited to director Stanley Donan.

But I couldn't get past the fact that Fred is old enough to be Audrey's father. Or that accent Audrey has throughout which doesn't sound like it came from Brooklyn.

31. Pipe Dreams (2020) B-

Keep in mind that I saw a 60 minute version of this on PBS. The full film is available on Prime and features a fourth person we don't hear or see about until the end.

This documentary showcases several competitors in what would be considered the Olympics of pipe organ playing in Canada. A Chinese player deals with high expectations, a German competitor seems to have an uncanny ability with the instrument, an American from Pittsburgh tries to add some risk to his strong technique and an American from Texas tries to use his gospel and jazz roots to prevail. Over the course of the competition, bananas are eaten, people deal with doing better and worse than expected, and music is played.

For a film that encourages risktaking, it's a bit sad that it doesn't take a lot of risks in telling its story.

30. After You Left (2019) B-

Short film that features the ending of a relationship between two lesbians. One is moving on with a new job while the other keeps thinking back about their time together. While waiting, we get flashbacks to the good and bad parts of their life together.

April Maxey is able to fit in enough story in 10 minutes that you get the gist of what was going on. The ending could have been a bit better, but director Maxey has a promising future. Mark my words.

29. Hell's Hinges (1916) B-

A man of the cloth gets his first assignment trying to build a church in a wayward town in the Wild West. But one of the guns hired to run him off has some second thoughts. Could it be that he's fallen for the preacher's sister? Or is there something else at play?

A bit melodramatic in places, but this western isn't half bad despite the age. Lead William Hart reminds me some of a weathered Tim Blake Nelson. Film manages to blend in some religion/faith in with the gunplay and carousing, That last act is impressive considering when it was made.

Next Time: 28-21

Seek revenge without giving in to it.
The artist makes his comeback.
A drive in theater finds fact stranger than the films they play.
Surf around the world while the monster looks for a mate.
Break out of danger while a family tries to come home.
Keep your wits to place your mitts on some nice cash.

Re: Apex Predator's Reviews
 

Let's finish the rest of the titles before the honorable mentions, shall we:

28. Dragonheart: Vengeance (2020) B-

Much better than the fifth film (and third direct to DVD/Video) than you're expecting.

Young farmer (Jack Kane) watches as his family is brutally murdered by four savage raiders. He seeks the help of a mercenary to seek revenge, but only a swashbuckling mercenary named Darius (Joseph Millson) is willing to help. The farmer also seeks the help of dragon Siveth (Helena Bonham Carter), but she's reluctant at first due to his desire of revenge rather than justice. As the trio starts to come together, it also appears that Siveth has issues with King Razvan because she wouldn't give him part of her heart in order for him to be healed after a battle.

There's several surprises in the film as well as a nice take on mercy versus revenge that churns this film throughout its 97 minute runtime. Carter does fine as the voice of the dragon and although the dots feel a bit too predictable as they are filled in, the film was fun to watch.

27. Return of the Hero (2018) B-

The Artist makes his return and this time Shoshana has him.

Anyway, when Elizabeth (Laurent) sees her sister struggling with illness, she decides to fake letters sent to her by her fiancee Neuville (Dujardin) who's away at war. Elizabeth adds juicy details that give her hope to fight through the sickness and make a full recovery. She then kills him off on page allowing her sister to find love with new suitor Nicolas. But things take a turn when Captain Neuville returns home a floundering drunk and military failure. But everyone else looks at him as a hero...so what can they do?

Funny in places (Dujardin spends several minutes playing around with a gun while trying to forestall a duel with her new lover), but also it gets kind of formulaic at times. The chemistry between the two leads carry the day and the film does manage an unexpected twist or two along the way.

26. Ruby (1977) B-

This film deserves more than its reputation as the film done by Laurie Piper right after Carrie. And yeah, there's similarities between the adaption of the Stephen King novel and this film as both involve a child who may or may not have supernatural powers.

But there's an odd quirkiness about it that allows you to ignore the unanswered questions and at times slowish pace. Ruby (Piper) isn't an entirely unsympathetic character. Sure, she stood by while gangsters shot and killed her mobster boyfriend. But she was pregnant and the murder caused her to give birth to mute Leslie. She had dreams of being a nightclub singer. And although she employs the killers at her drive-in theater, she may still have a thing for her dead boyfriend even though she has a new lover in Vince.

Since they work at a drive in, I think this could serve as a good doubleheader with JD's Revenge.

25. The Endless Summer (1966) B

When winter hits sunny California, two surfer friends decide to head around the world to ride the waves. The soundtrack by the Sandals is lovely, the scenery which changes from Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii is breathtaking and the surfing visuals are crisp. The two leads are likable in this documentary.

The narration is a bit over the map. Some of it is funny and informative, other lines come across as dated and cringeworthy.

24. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) B

A weakened Henry (Colin Clive) just wants peace and quiet away from his science. But while he may want out, his monster (Boris Karloff) escapes certain death and Dr. Praetorious (Ernest Thesiger) drags him back in with the idea of creating the monster's mate.

There's an impressive, eerie look to this film that came from the brilliant mind of James Whale. Boris Karloff offers some subtleties and quirks as the monster whether it's learning to bond with a blind hermit or the joys of drinking wine and smoking cigars. There's some solid bursts of humor and it's nice to see Dwight Frye as Praetorious's assistant.

But for a 75 minute horror film, it kind of feels a bit padded. It's a solid film, but is it better than Frankenstein? Nah.

23. Celebrity Escape Room (2020) B

In a middle of a deadly pandemic that maybe only Stephen King could have predicted years ago, it was nice to stumble across an hour with several people we know just trying to get out of a series of rooms.

Ben Stiller, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Adam Scott are tasked with escaping from several rooms after they're captured by Jack Black who seems to have snapped because he's played the straight guy in one too many House with the Clock in its Walls/Goosebumps movies (probably not). They have to do various tasks and work together before time runs out on them. They use a red nose to get hints from Black and earn money for Red Nose Day for every puzzle solved.

It's fairly low stakes, but there's enough here that I wouldn't mind this being a yearly thing (better than trying to turn a British film into a short sequel).

22. Back to Bosnia (2005) B

A solid documentary about a family of Bosnian Muslims (including the filmmaker) return from their Florida home to where they grew up. There's some chilling sequences as we visit morticians who are trying to sort out the corpses of those killed in the ethnic cleansing. And there's some touching moments as their family meets the family who have chosen to squat at their home.

Was a bit harsh on this on first review, but after going over things with others who've seen it, I'm giving it the new and improved grade you see in front of you.

21. The Cat and the Canary (1927) B

Silent thriller film about a girl who wins the inheritance of a wealthy man after the reading of his will. But there's the catch of she has to remain sane throughout the night or the fortune heads elsewhere. And between ghosts and the guard of an insane asylum running around, it's going to be a long night.

Some solid effects for the time period, clever interstitial titles, and some good acting overcomes a bit of lack of character depth (for two men, it came down to which one was wearing pinstripes and who wasn't.) Still, it was pretty good.

Tomorrow: The Honorable Mentions begin!

Two young men travel around in search of fortune and find ecoterrorism.
A bear searches of his past and finds young girls taking their fortune.
A cop questions a suspect as an artist learns to appreciate his life and wife.
A man thinks he can control his alter ego but finds himself jumping for joy at the sight of Santa.
Men look for fortune, but find a musical among the drama.

Hopefully, I can be done with these by Sunday.



20. The Young Offenders (2016) B

Two dimwitted blokes going nowhere in a small Irish town hear of some bales of cocaine escaping from a drug trafficking boat, they borrow some bicycles and go on a road trip to retrieve it which is worth 7 million Euros. But they got a determined police officer who has had run-ins with one of them in hot pursuit.

Funny and full of energy, this Irish comedy was a pleasant surprise. The debut of director Peter Foott offers similar promise that other confident debuts like She's Gotta Have It, Shallow Grave and Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels had. That climax in a kitchen was...chef's kiss.

For those concerned about animals, do feel free to skip it.

19. If a Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011) B

To me, OK documentaries tell the tale. Good ones allow you to get inside the feelings, hopes/dreams and emotions of the participants.

If a Tree Falls is a good example of the latter. As Daniel McGowan is in house arrest while trying to avoid being locked away in prison, the film dives into the formation of the Earth Liberation Front, which fought against businesses they accused of destroying the environment. When protests failed, they turned to arson to meet their goals. The FBI snapped to attention and decided to try to shut them down.

Both the ELF and prosecution are able to argue their cases without bias and manipulation by director Marshall Curry. At its center, Daniel is a compelling person who wants to see his kids grow up and be with his wife.

Definitely make time for this one.

18. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) B

Remember the animated film I was talking about in my Jimmy Neutron review? This is the title.

Po now works with the Furious 5 and appears to have bonded with Shifu. But after being overcome in an early battle, Po recognizes a symbol and decides to search for his mother. Meanwhile, Lord Shen makes his return after a lengthy exile determined to conquer China with a bold new weapon. And meanwhile, Shifu is trying to teach Po inner peace.

Bold, bright animation, good voice acting, a compelling story, good life lessons to learn: this animated film has it all. Maybe 20-25 percent of an overreliance of Po is fat jokes, but its good nature is undeniable.

And the climax was the strawberry on top of the cake.

17. Spider Thieves (2017) B

Three girls who live in a shanty town outside Santiago decide to rob wealthy apartments to get the cool things they see on TV and magazines. But the notoriety of their success brings complication to both their relationships with each other as well as their families.

There's some depth to this story that moves beyond the "breaking into rich people's places " plot. The film also looks into income disparity and the desire for a better life as well as their desire to fit in with the in crowd. I thought this was fairly well done.

And hopefully, this won't be the last Cinema International film that I get to see. School shut down for online classes the next week. They're taking a break this spring due to the pandemic.

16. What Did Jack Do? (2020) B

A police interrogator confronts a possible suspect in a disappearance: a cappuchin monkey. What did Jack do?

To say more will be spoiling the peculiar joys of this short directed by and starring Lynch as the cop. Music is sung, questions are asked and I think we have a film that captures the insanity of the last year that doesn't involve politics in any way, shape or form.

If you haven't seen it yet, see it.

15. Cutie and the Boxer (2013) B

Documentary focusing on the 40 year marriage between artist Ushio Shinohara, best known for his metal sculptures and for painting using boxing gloves with sponges in front of them and his wife Noriko who also serves as his faithful assistant. But it turns out Noriko has her own talents which may lead to some changes.

Not only do you get to peer in the art of two fascinating people, you also get to take a look at their lives and souls. Although the relationship's beginning feels a bit odd (I guess age differences are less of an issue in Japan than the US?), I do get the sense that the marriage is on solid ground. Interesting documentary, to say the least.

I do feel like they dropped the ball on a subplot about their son and his struggles to adjust.

14. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) B

In late 1880s London, a medical doctor named Henry Jekyll treats poor patients while experimenting in his lab. But his fiancee's father doesn't care for him...he humiliates him in front of their mutual friends and makes a hypothesis about there being two selves in every person in constant battle. This gets Jekyll to the lab to test that theory.

A great performance by John Barrymore and some startling transformations carry this thriller/horror film which dives into heady topics as personality and the duality of man. Some key differences from this to the Robert Lewis Stevenson novel do make this a better film, although some questions aren't quite answered satisfactorily.

I can only imagine what people in 1920 thought about this.

13. Elf (2003) B

OK, I finally got around to seeing this Christmas tale. Yes, for the first time.

Man learns that his belief that he's an elf was false (perhaps the lack of speed of building etch-a-sketches and small doorways weren't clues?) and decides to head to New York City in search of his real father, a book publisher pressured to find a big hit after poor editing ruined his last one. Buddy hopes to try to bond with his family while trying to help Walter (James Caan) find the true meaning of Christmas along the way.

Another bright funny comedy that features a solid turn from Will Ferrell as he stays on the side of ingratiating as Buddy. Supporting ably are Zooey Deschanel as a potential love interest, Mary Steenbergen as Walter's wife, and Peter Dinklage as a potential new client.

The film falters when it focuses more on homaging great Christmas movies from the past instead of standing on its own two feet. But complaints about the sentimentality of the last third fall hollow to my ears...it's a Christmas movie, what were you expecting?

Also had to take points off for that scene involving Baby, It's Cold Outside...didn't the director understand that came across as a bit creepy?

12. A Field in England (2014) B

In the middle of a battle, four weary souls decide to head towards a pub and get a drink before going their separate ways. But a fifth person comes by and demands their help unearthing a treasure.

Not sure what's always going on in this, but this mix of Apocalypse Now, The World's End and psychedelic drama is one delicious film frappe. And that one song got stuck in my head for a few weeks after which is something.

11. The Band Wagon (1953) B

I've now seen at least two Gene Kelly films. After this, I think I need to see more Fred Astaire ones.

An actor (Astaire) on the wrong side of stardom agrees to work on a Broadway play written by two old friends. Things take a turn when a top Broadway star/director hears the pitch and agrees to sign on. Unfortunately for them, he sees it as a modern day version of Faust. Meanwhile, the actor struggles to work with star ballerina Cyd Charisse who gets signed as the female lead.

Ignoring the fact some of the material has been performed already by other musicals, the film works as both a cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for as well as a story of redemption as the play becomes transformed by the cast and crew into a workable format. The last number with Astaire playing Mike Hammer in a film noir is a stand out and allows us to ignore some of the weaker numbers that lag a tad.

What's some good films he did with Ginger Rogers? I think I need to see that pairing next.

Tomorrow, the top 10:

A boy searches for his love in the Wild West. As if!
To the tunes of Hank and Dolly, a Christian looks for a missing woman.
Jazz plays while James is on the case of two musicians who find success and love in Miami.
As bracing as a hot coffee, a king searches for his place in the world.
An agent and a hot reporter debate a serial killer as In the Hall of the Mountain King plays.

And here's the rousing conclusion.



10. Slow West (2015) B+

Here's another promising debut from a director...this time it's John Maclean with this modern take on the classic western.

Scottish young man (Kodi Smit-McPhee) heads to the West in search of the woman he loved but lost. He hires a bounty hunter (Michael Fassbender) to escort him and help him in his search. Of course, the bounty hunter has his own reasons to help him.

All the classic Western tropes are given a fresh spin as Maclean finds ways to subvert the expected outcomes. Plus the acting from Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn as a bounty hunter wearing a fur coat with questionable ethics.

Five years is a long wait for something new from this guy, isn't it?

9. Clueless (1995) B+

Speaking of confident directors who I haven't seen or heard of in a hot minute, here's Amy Heckerling.

On the surface, this 1990s take on Emma is a marshmallow soft comedy about a self-absorbed high schooler who learns to care for other people and for important causes. But look deeper than the matching plaid jacket/skirt outfits and you'll find more intelligence than you'd expect. And its messages of being comfortable in who you are and not trying to control everything are lessons that still work today. Throw in a supporting cast including Dan Hedaya as her no-nonsense dad, Paul Rudd as her former stepbrother turned legal assistant and Jeremy Sisto as a popular kid and this film holds up well 20 plus years later.

Did have to take points away for the Kentucky dis. As if!

8. Country Music (2019) B+

This one might be controversial. But if the director (Ken Burns) can argue that this is a movie even though it's about 14 1/2 hours, who am I to disagree with him?

Although it doesn't get into everyone who appeared in country music...with its runtime, of course it can't...what it does do well is get into the major players of the industry from the Carter family and Little Jimmie Dickens to Garth Brooks and the Judds. Thanks to the interviews and stories told, I know a lot more about the genre than I did coming in so kudos.

I just wish the last couple hours had more of the insight the previous episodes did instead of turning into a lengthy version of We Didn't Start the Fire.

7. The Wicker Man (1973) B+

Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward, The Equalizer) is a Christian cop who makes his way to Summerisle in search of a missing girl. But what he finds are more questions and strange pagan rituals. What happened to her and where is this going?

While a couple of the songs are a bit overused, the film drops us in the middle of this island with only Howie leading the way. Director Robin Hardy is able to ratchet up the tension between the policeman trying to do his job and the town until we reach the climax. And Christopher Lee is memorable as the civil, determined governor of the island.

And I don't think we can forget Britt Ekland as the beguiling Willow, either.

6. Anatomy of a Murder (1959) B+

Wily defense attorney (James Stewart) ends up defending an Army Lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) accused of murder of the man who raped his wife (Lee Remick). But the prosecutor has gotten the help of the Michigan Attorney General (George C. Scott) to win the case for the state. Who prevails?

The film does great at diving into the feelings and thoughts of both sides of the case which is kind of unusual for a film that primarily takes place in a courtroom. The film takes on the feel of a heavyweight bout with a man's life and freedom for the prize. Throw in a nifty jazz score and Eve Arden as Stewart's secretary and it's a first rate film.

Although it does have a few unanswered questions, the film does manage to give a blueprint for future courtroom shows like Law and Order, JAG and Murder One.

5. Some Like It Hot (1959) A-

And now for something completely different.

A couple of struggling musicians become witnesses of a mob massacre and agree to a job that will take them to safety in Miami. The catch is that they'll have to dress up and pretend to be women to fit in with a traveling jazz group. Complications ensue when one of them (Tony Curtis) falls for vocalist Sugar (Marilyn Monroe) while the other (Jack Lemmon) is pursued by millionaire Osgood (Joe E. Brown).

Film's a bit long and the violence does clash with the humor at times. But thanks to the witty script from Billy Wilder, a bravura performance from Monroe and real chemistry from Curtis and Lemmon, the film rises from what could have been a cringeworthy premise in lesser hands to a hilarious comedy with some heart.

Also, a kudos to the film never losing sight of the consequences of the character's actions.

4. The Big Heat (1953) A-

I kept getting this film confused with Public Enemy for a long time based on the description.

But once I saw it, I think I can separate the two now. An honest cop (Glenn Ford) is facing a tough week. He lost a key witness in a cop's suicide case and his wife to a car explosion. But he's determined to get to the bottom of both cases even if it kills him.

Thanks to Fritz Lang, this is as bracing as a hot cup of coffee and as dark as I've seen from film noir. And its tight pace allows for the tension to rise until it explodes towards the end. Gloria Grahame is fine as a gangster's woman who ends up proving to play a key role and Lee Marvin proves to be dastardly as the gangster. Ford is fine as the stolid cop who at times lets his desire for revenge overcome his oath of following the law.

It's definitely a very good film, but follow it with something light and mindless.

3. Black Panther (2018) A-

This is one of the last films I saw before the world went south.

Wakanda is a beautifully realized world full of lush beauty. It's also the home of vibranium which figures prominently in the Marvelverse. Under leader T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Wakanda is a peaceful country that tries to stay out of the way of the world posing as a third-world nation. But this legacy is threatened by Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) who has his own beef with T'Challa that may have involved their fathers.

Boseman is superb as T'Challa with Jordan matching him as perhaps Marvel's best villain so far. Letitia Wright and Lupita N'Yongo are good as fierce Wakandan warriors. The film doesn't skimp on the story either as they allow Killmonger to have enough room to make his case and he has his points. Ryan Coogler allows the story to keep moving and not get overwhelmed by the CGI, but there's some super set pieces whether T'Challa is fighting for his throne at the waterfall, the driving sequences at Busan, South Korea or the final fight at the train station.

Due to the primarily African-American cast and the story that it tells, Black Panther breaks the at times cookie-cutter mold that plagues other Marvel films. And that soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar is great as well.

2. Sweet Smell of Success (1957) A-

This has all the bite of an arsenic cookie.

Small time publicist Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) is desperate to get his clients the attention from big time newspaper columnist JJ Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster). To get his approval, Sidney will have to break up Hunsecker's sister Susan (Susan Harrison) with jazz musician Steve (Martin Milner) through any means necessary.

Lancaster oozes menace as Hunsecker who can make or break many people in New York City and is more than willing to do so. As Sidney, Curtis comes across as an opportunistic snake willing to do what it takes to move up the ladder. It's clear that they see something in each other, but Sidney appears to have something that JJ does not.

Film is well written and directed and it feels like a bad car accident that you can't look away from but you feel compelled to watch. But thanks to the run time and the wonderful way they shot New York City, Sweet Smell of Success does end up being quite successful indeed.

1. M (1931) A

Berlin cops desperately search for a man who murders children. As it turns out, this also draws the attention of the criminal element who wants him brought to justice due to the police putting pressure on them during their search.

Fritz Lang draws a compelling yarn of the underbelly of Berlin as he uses tracking shots to amp up the tension. Peter Lorre makes a memorable turn as Hans who is a big fan of In the Hall of the Mountain King. The whistling of the tune proves to be chilling. Hans goes on a roller coaster ride throughout M's running time, moving from menacing to pathetic. The film raises questions with no easy answers about who is ultimately responsible for the children of society.

To correct an earlier review of mine, this is now my fourth Lang film (Metropolis, Destiny, The Big Heat, M) and three of them have been very good to excellent. This joins Metropolis as a masterpiece.

Next, we'll start up with the 2021 viewings!

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La Souriante Madame Beudet (The Smiling Madam Beudet) (1923)

A woman is stuck in a loveless marriage to an obnoxious man given to chortling and pretending to commit suicide by gun (as a joke). She dreams of escape, perhaps in the arms of a tennis player in a magazine. One night while he's off to watch Faust, she decides to slip a couple of bullets in his gun. But she starts having second thoughts...

Directed by Germaine Dulac, the feminism in this piece mostly shines through. Its focus is clearly on the Madame on the title. The film explores things from her viewpoint, such as why would her husband lock the piano so she couldn't play it. And it doesn't flinch when it comes to exploring the awful ways he treats her.

The ending felt a bit abrupt and unconvincing. The film never really seemed to kick into gear for me.

I'm glad that I'm getting to explore new types of film in this 2021 list challenge. I do hope they get better for me.

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Welcome to Pine Lake (2020)

Seen previews for this documentary for a while now. When I found it on YouTube, I had to give it a go.

Pine Lake is a sleepy little town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. The mayor, city council, chief of police and judge are all women. It has a beach, various concerts and is generally welcoming to all. Seems like a nice, quiet place to live, right?

But this town has a secret. An aggressive police force has turned one of its main roads into a traffic trap. The town also feels split between City Hall and the residents inside town, most of whom are white, and the African American businesses on the main road.

What's does Pine Lake do to fix their problems and start to grow?

Interviews with the mayor and several business owners allow you to see the gaps and lack of communication issues clearly enough. There's an interesting contrast between the mayor who's struggling on what to do to fix things and her efforts to volunteer for Stacey Abrams in her race for Georgia governor. She comes across as a cross between Jane Fonda and Glenn Close.

Perhaps more interesting are the stories of the chief of police and judge, both of whom are African American. The chief came in originally as a cop for a primarily white force and seems to have cleaned things up. They do more talking with the residents and the relationships there seem to have gotten better. Although it's a bit disturbing that there's an allegation made by a man who pointed out that he was being watched closely by a cop while enjoying a swim with his young daughter. The judge runs her court with fairness and compassion and a bit of tough love if necessary. She started out as the solicitor to the court and moved up.

Perhaps if the film had focused more on their stories or did more of a deep dive in how a town that's seemingly woke and liberal is able to work through the racial divide, this might have been a better movie. But when the biggest decision is made off-screen, it doesn't help with keeping your attention. Much like the town, the film seems content to look at the surface of what's going on and not moving much past that.

Despite hitting a few hot topics, Welcome to Pine Lake turns out to be disappointingly shallow.

I'm glad you mention this. To be honest, I think I had a similar reaction at first, only for it to sink in towards the last act. It's not perfect, but there's some stuff to unpack there.

This 1-2 punch is excellent. I'm pretty sure you know Sweet Smell of Success was my #1 first-time watch of 2020, but M (which I saw the year before, I think) is excellent as well.

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Glad you enjoyed those films, Thief. I've come around some on Back to Bosnia which I found underwhelming at first, but thought about it and it did go up.

Why bring this up now? Because I got a new film to dive into!

Make a Wish (1937)

Chip Winters (Bobby Breen) is an ordinary kid with a big singing voice who ends up in this camp in Maine. Along the way, he meets British composer Johnny Selden (Basil Rathbone) who's struggling to write a musical for Broadway due in the fall. But he finds inspiration in the letters that Chip's single mom (Marion Claire) sends him. And it appears that they click once they meet during family weekend (where she shows her abilities as a singer as well). But a problem develops that she's with Walter (Ralph Forbes) who wants her to give up music in exchange for a family life. Will there be a happy ending to this story or will Chip and his mom settle for what's in front of them?

Because it's a musical and it's practically a B-picture, it's predictable what happens with both this plot and a subplot involving Selden's butler and two wanna be composers. Not helping is the film insisting on turning to one composer's vague grasp of the English language for laughs.

But the music turns out fine here. Breen has a nice soprano voice that comes through loud and clear here. Claire's voice is strong as well. And Rathbone ably pulls off comedy and drama with aplomb.

It may only be a B-picture, but there's enough entertainment value here and the film doesn't wear out its welcome at a brisk 82 minutes. Thumbs marginally up on my end.

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Back tomorrow with not one, but two films to add to my list for this year.

Both made the 2021 challenge, but only one of them is good.

She Goes to War (1929)

I can appreciate the sentiments of this film that try to prove that women can handle combat just as well as men. The story of a spoiled woman who comes to take the place of her drunk, cowardly lover on the combat fields of WW1 might have worked in better hands.

But what went wrong? Try taking a silent film which took about 87 minutes or so and turning it into a talkie by taking out all the cards that explains what's going on. The first half of the film seems to have lost most of the story and character development as a result. I had to piece things together using articles from the Internet which is always a bad sign.

The second half is where the film does pick things up some where she's literally thrown into the fire of war. The fire effects are well done and there's a harrowing sequence featuring a tank in flames as it tries to dodge German explosives.

But even there, problems keep the film from fulfilling its potential. Lighting issues made the film difficult to tell what was going on at times. And more critically, her character tries to keep her identity under wraps but



Where the editing is killed is when it comes to the characters. Joan (Emily Boardman) is able to come up with daring feats of bravery one minute and faints the next because it's too much for her to handle. We get no explanation why Reggie (Edmund Burns) turns from being gung ho about the war to being a drunken coward. And as for the third person Tom (John Holland)



It works best as a curio, but it does not hold up.

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Had some plans to start my YouTube channel...but I think I'm having some issues of nerves. I do have a logo now and everything's set...all I have to do is record.

List of films I'm going to get into in the next couple of weeks:

Short Term 12
Scandal in Sorrento
Enter the Dragon
On the Way to School (Finally!)
One Night in Miami
Mank
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

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Short Term 12 (2013)

It took me a while to see this due to some of the issues they covered. But it was worth it in the end.

Grace (Brie Larson) is the lead counselor at a group home for troubled teens. She's showing the newest counselor (Rami Malek) the ropes with the help of co-worker/boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr.). She learns that they're getting Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), a teen with a history of self harm who doesn't plan to stay long as her father will pick her up. But the more Grace learns about her, the more she reminds her of Grace in her past.

The cast is solid, including LaKeith Stanfield as an aspiring rapper who is worried what will happen as he approaches his 18th birthday. The film blended humorous moments with the more serious subject matter...until maybe the last 15 minutes or so. Larson is the film's beating, flawed heart and I could see her deserving an Oscar nomination for her performance.

A few scenes felt a bit off towards the end, but this solid film is worth watching and telling others about.

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And now for something completely different...

In part of the hype for the non-starter Sophia Loren Oscar wannabe The Life Ahead, Netflix decided to give us two films from her distant past. And considering I needed something light after Short Term 12 (and the fact it's set in Italy works just fine for the 2021 list, please don't ask me how many films I've seen so far, thanks!), Scandal in Sorrento felt like it'd be an easy win.

And from the opening notes, one can easily see what Sophia Loren can bring into a movie. She's equally enchanting getting into it with a rival fishmonger or sweet talk the new police chief in Sorrento to convince him not to kick her out on the street and move into her home.

Which leads into the plot. After retiring as a marshal, Carotenuto (Vittorio De Sica) settles into Sorrento to take over the police chief role. His brother Don Matteo (Mario Carotenuto) and his assistant Caramella (Tina Pica) warn him to focus on the job and not worry about love. But when he meets Sofia (Loren), it's easier said than done. Of course, she's got a boyfriend Nicolino (Antonio Cifariello) who is aspiring to make a better life for the two of them. But she's not above using Carotenuto to make him jealous...and to keep the roof over her head. But then again, Donna Violante (Lea Padovani) who is the new landlord for the chief of police might have fallen for him as well?

The plot is kinda slight and almost sitcommy at times. But still, the charms of the Italian countryside (and Loren) and some decent physical comedy as the two of them elude the mayor and some reporters as they end up on the same distant beach/cave as them means that it's not a waste of time.

This was a pleasant watch, but it was also a bit thin.

Next: MKS may be proud of me?

A reminder to myself that I need to do a year end summary of what I watched. Then reviews of the films that I watched in 2022 so far.

Also, a note that I might have done a thing for YouTube. Starting with some predictions for 2022's Oscar nominations. And who knows where that might lead.

My channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQn...6dW6Vn8ZLr613A

I'm here for it.

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These are the worst films I've seen in 2021:

30. Don't Go in the Woods (D-)
Outside of a few moments of hilarity (the birdwatcher's reactions before he gets killed, the sheriff pulling his deputy off the pinball game), this would-be horror film is neither scary or good. Unless you like a high body count due to random idiots all choosing to camp at the same place a killer that looks like a cross between a homeless guy from New Orleans and Rupert Boneham, heed the advice and avoid.

29. She Goes to War (D+)
When her boyfriend cowardly decides he'd rather drink himself to sleep than fight in a war, his girlfriend goes in his place. The war scenes, particularly with the tanks, is suitably tense. But when the fighting slows, the film starts springing problems starting with a soldier who starts creating problems for her (who is dressed as a man, natch). The story behind this one being made is more interesting than the story on the screen.

28. And Now the Screaming Starts (C-)
The film improves a tick when Peter Cushing pops up on screen as a psychologist who tries to help the female protagonist (Stephanie Beachum) as she struggles to deal with some strange things in her husband's family mansion. The film itself is nothing special except for a brutal sequence in flashback and towards the beginning. Some tone issues and a general sedateness are the big issues here.

27. Final Exam (C-)
Much like #28, this film isn't bad per se. A sequence which features a "terrorist" attack is pretty bravura for a 1980s horror film. And a sequence where the nerd character gets into serial killers and how and why they do what they do reminds me of Randy from Scream. The big problems here are that too much of it is a thin clone of Halloween and just because they give the characters time to develop doesn't mean they're particularly interesting. Some nice commentary stuck in a below average film.

26. The Smiling Madame Beudet (C)
A couple of decent fantasy sequences aid an average silent film about a woman stuck in a marriage with a clod who likes to play with guns for laughs. Thanks to director Germaine Dumac, it does manage a feminist viewpoint throughout. But as the film proceeds, we get a sense the marriage is worse than we think which makes the ending not work in the way that was intended.

25. On the Way to School (C)
Average documentary about how several kids from around the world go through long, difficult treks to get to school. They talk about hopes and dreams and that's fine, I guess. The visuals of the locations are nicely filmed. But the dialogue feels staged at times and the lack of subtitles doesn't help matters any. It could have made for a solid 30 minute short, but at feature length, some of the appeal is lost.

24. Tanks a Million (C)
Middling war comedy about a by the book private who makes the life of a sergeant miserable. But it also allows him to climb ranks quickly and places him in some situations involving a motley crew of a platoon and a cranky colonel which places his career in jeopardy. Predictable, but a few decent laughs make it a passable film. PS: There's no tanks in the film itself.

23. Welcome to Pine Lake (C)
From CBS News, a documentary about a small Georgia town ran by women which has a problem with overaggressive policing and traffic stops that are pulling over African Americans. Some interesting moments particularly a disturbing account on how one resident was watched while on the beach is negated by a lack of solutions being floated by the government (and the one they do pick isn't shown on screen until towards the end). I wouldn't mind a spinoff documentary on the judge which combines tough love with genuine concern.

22. Mank (C)
Oscar nominee on the writer of Citizen Kane as he works on turning the script into shape while sobering up in a tight deadline. The film looks and sounds great (you get the sense of the old school Hollywood glamour such as the Hearst estate even as the film is trying to break it down). But a lack of drama, a flabby second half, and miscasting Gary Oldman as a man in his 30s and early 40s means that it feels more like Oscar-bait than a deserved Best Picture nominee. It's more like Meh-nk than it should have been.

21. Make a Wish (C+)
A talented boy singer helps his single mom who is a good singer in her own right with a romantic plot involving a British composer he's trying to help. In his way are a pair of fake composers and a man with his own eyes on his mother, but with plans of getting her to retire. It's predictable, but the music is fine and the film does hit the ending. Believe it or not, this was an Oscar nominee!

Tomorrow, I reveal films 20-11.

I liked this one, and appreciated that it was pretty short. I also liked the structure of the different fantasy sequences.

I totally agree with you that the ending is a flop given what we see in the middle.

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Part 2 is now:

20. Scandal in Sorrento (C+)
Pleasant but slight comedy about a fish seller and widow trying to do what she can to keep her house and make her current beau jealous. It's kind of sitcommy at times particularly with the handwringing from the supporting characters, but the Italian scenery is gorgeous and Sophia Loren is a revelation. And there's one nice scene as Loren and the chief of police elude being spotted at a rendezvous while the mayor decides to hold an impromptu press conference.

19. Boomika (C+)
An architect, his wife and a couple of friends find themselves at a abandoned resort when some weird things start to happen. The film has a nice look and the director manages to keep this watchable as the film dives into some heady topics. But it's a bit too complex and the big twist wasn't quite as good as it could have been.

18. Boxcar Bertha (C+)
The romance of a woman with not a lot to lose and an union organizer helps carry a film that struggles at times between Roger Corman's cheap budget and Martin Scorsese's vision. Hershey and David Carradine offer an energy that keep this film from being derailed. Also helping is Bernie Casey and a gutsy climax.

17. John Henry (B-)
Disney animated short takes on the legend of John Henry whose big hammer from the chains that once enslaved him is used by the railroads to clear land. The Sounds of Blackness's music carry a solid story, but the animation at times feels unfinished particularly when you see the faces.

16. Sound of Metal (B-)
Riz Ahmed is strong as a drummer for a small time rock band who finds out he's losing his hearing and has to adjust his life. Paul Raci is a strong presence and the film benefits from the authenticity from casting deaf people as students and members of the place where Ruben stays. And the sound design deservedly won an Oscar. But the story takes a turn south in the final third particularly when it switches locales.

15. The Little Matchgirl (B-)
Animated short from Disney makes the most of its St. Petersburg setting as a little girl tries and fails to sell matches in a chilly winter. The use of color and black and white is well done as the snowflakes shine in the night and the dreams she feels are brought to vivid life. A bit unclear at places, but the story does get told faithfully.

14. How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (B)
Animated Disney short showcases how much technology has grown from the days of console TVs as well as the increasing complexity of putting it all together. Some big belly laughs as Goofy tries to figure all this out in time for the big game. The way the narrator described all the speakers and what they do was funny as well. I feel seen.

13. My Octopus Teacher (B)
Touching documentary about the friendship between a diver/photographer and an octopus. It does better when the octopus is the focus as you can see the two of them gaining trust in each other. It does less well when focusing on the diver's seeking his purpose and renewing his drive for photography. Is it the best documentary? Dunno, but I do get why it won the Oscar.

12. Tangerines (B)
Don't confuse this with the similarly titled transgender drama from Sean Baker. This is a drama about two Georgians working on harvesting a tangerine crop as war is brewing between their country and Russia. One of them tries to heal a Chechen mercenary and a Georgian soldier without having them kill each other. It does dive into familiar territory at times, but thanks to some good acting and solid direction, it manages to be gripping until the final shot.

11. Short Term 12 (B)
Tough but worthy watch about a woman who leads a group of workers at a foster home for troubled teens and how the newest teen reminds her a lot of herself. A strong supporting cast (John Gallagher Jr., Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield) and a great performance from Brie Larson as Grace help carry the solid story through a couple of scenes that rang false.

Will wrap up with the top 10 films I've seen soon-ish.

I need to check out Sound of Metal soon.

You should. It was the least of the three nominees I've seen last year. But it's a solid film.

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Now the best films I've seen in 2021:

10. Phantom of the Opera (B)
Solid old school horror silent film about the Phantom's quest to take an opera singer to the top. Lon Chaney is able to work magic finding the humanity in a character that's not the most likable. Film finds a nice use of color at a masquerade ball, a strong score and even does well with intertitles. That overcomes a middle section with a few lulls and some overacting.

9. One Night in Miami (B)
A boxer, a football player, a singer and a minister walk into a hotel room in this Oscar nominated film. Following Cassius Clay's victory over Sonny Liston, he meets with Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown. Although it occasionally is a bit too blunt with its "With power comes responsibility" message, sharp dialogue and good performances help you overcome the fact it's a filmed play. The standout to me was Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X as you can see a full range of emotions in his performance here. Regina King shows great confidence for this being her debut as a film director.

8. Enter the Dragon (B)
This film works better as a martial arts picture than as an undercooked spy film. Bruce Lee not only is able to kick serious tail here, but he also shows up with a charisma and it factor that's undeniable. John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Bolo Yeung and Bob Wall all do well in support. Some nice fight scenes as well, particularly one that takes place in a hall of mirrors. It manages to be entertaining.

7. Rocky Horror Picture Show (B/RW)
The re-watch wasn't unusual (I've seen it once a year every year while in school). But the method was. Was using this to test out the idea of watching a movie on a Discord server. The result wasn't promising, but the film itself is still fine. Made a night of it with a little Tim Curry music and a preview of the musical preceding the film.

6. King Kong (B)
The first half is a bit ponderous as Fay Wray finds herself torn between a skeptical adventurer who doesn't consider her a woman (!) and a giant gorilla whose idea of flirting is to play with her dress. But the second half more than makes up for it with a thrilling series of action scenes that make you wonder why modern action films with much bigger budgets can't pull off something like this. Kong manages to be sympathetic even as he has the habit of eating and stomping on the occasional person.

5. How to Train Your Dragon (B+)
A young Viking warrior is trained to kill a dragon so he can be taken seriously as an adult, but he befriends a night fury dragon he injured with one of his inventions. Film has a nice mix of message and gripping story even if it gets a bit intense for the younger viewers out there. What I can appreciate is how they tackle conversations with the audience like a friend instead of a parent. It avoids most of the trappings of modern animation (pop culture references, classic music) to stand head and shoulders above the fray.

4. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (B+)
Much like One Night in Miami, this is based on a stage play. But when you have great actors like Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in the center, a solid supporting cast and some great dialogue, the time just zips by. The film explores how several people deal with white people of power in a non-judgmental way as their characters make different decisions. Both Viola and Chadwick were worthy choices to win their acting categories at the Oscars.

3. The Intouchables (A-)
Potent chemistry between the charismatic Omar Sy and the charming Francois Cluzet carry this tale of two unlikely people who become good friends as a man from the Paris projects becomes the unorthodox caretaker for a wealthy paraplegic. The film avoids mawkish sentimentality as the directors deftly blend the dramatic moments with the comedic ones. Film's got charm to spare and you'll want to dance when Boogie Wonderland comes on the screen.

2. Lorenzo (A-)
Disney animated short about an arrogant cat whose tendency to poke fun at the misfortune of others comes back to bite him when one of his victims places a curse and the snobby cat's luxurious tail comes to life. The tango music and the inventive animation blend together in harmony. There's a spirit of excitement that flows throughout the five minutes up until the final shot.

1. 12 Angry Men (A)
At the beginning of the film, the 12 jurors are instructed that if they find the defendant, a young Latino man, guilty of murder that he'll receive the death penalty. So they go and deliberate where they learn one of them thinks he's innocent. Yet another stage play turned film, this benefits from being mostly in one room. Since it's apparently the hottest day of the year, we get plenty of intense closeups as the characters's masks start to slip and we get a view of what they really think. Throw in some crackling dialogue and great performances everywhere (starting with Jack Lemmon as the holdout) and you have some crackling entertainment about the justice system and how it's supposed to work.

It's great.

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And I begin my look at 2022 with a film that continues a trend I've been trying to go for for a while with starting a year off with a classic. But the last time I tried that, we had a pandemic begin that March. Maybe this will reverse it?

Blade Runner: The Final Cut begins as former police officer Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is brought in and basically threatened to the point he reluctantly agrees to kill four replicants that have made their way to Earth illegally. The first place he goes is to Tyrell's plant where he is asked to interview Rachael (Sean Young) doing a test that can tell the difference between a human and a replicant based on emotional responses. Along with skeptical assistant Gaff (Edward James Olmos), Deckard starts to search for Roy (Rutger Hauer), Leon (Brion James), Pris (Daryl Hannah) and Zhora (Joanna Cassidy). The replicants are searching for someone that might allow them a longer lifespan. But along the way, Rick starts to have feelings for Rachael even knowing that she's a replicant.

This mix between film noir and science fiction does make for a riveting two hours. The visual woo is impressive as billboard take up the skyline and spinner cars take to the skies. But with its examination on what makes a human, it could serve as a nice double bill with Ghost in the Shell (the anime, not the needless live-action remake). The dialogue, particularly a good monologue given close to the end, is well done.

As much time as it spent on making the film look cool and bringing different personalities to the replicants, director Ridley Scott could have spent more time on the humans that inhabit the world. By the end, you don't know a lot more about Deckard than you did at the beginning. The only other notable thing I remember about the humans is Gaff's penchant for doing origami.

It's not quite the classic I wanted to start the year with. But it's a solid film.

Next: A film I planned on watching last year...and I should have kept putting it off.

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I should preface this review by saying what this is not. This is not the Sin City everyone has heard of. I saw that one years ago and although I admired the look of it, the film itself didn't do a lot for me.

This Sin City (2019) is a film from Ghana. Was disappointed because I thought it came from Nigeria. Nope. It's a story of a busy attorney and his wife who decide to take some alone time in a nice hotel. They get offered the Sin City package to have a wild night of partying, drinking and sex with another woman. But when they get back home, he finds his likely promotion to partner and peaceful existence threatened by a blackmailer who knows everything.

The dialogue is just bad. The acting careens between some decent moments and moments where you're watching a BAD soap opera. The big twist felt mainly predictable for the most part, if a bit confusing.

But there's a little potential here and there for this to eventually be Ghana's answer to The Room. A couple of big laugh out moments for a serious drama that turned into melodrama at times. Plus at one point, it starts to threaten to turn into War Room or a Tyler Perry film without Madea.

It's not a good film by any stretch, but maybe with the help of a Rifftrax or a VJ Emmie, it could be embraced by a cult following as the comedy it should have been.

Next: War, huh. What is it good for?

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Original plan was to watch an Aussie film called Canopy for the battlefield category. But wasn't feeling it and found someone else had watched The Red Badge of Courage (1951) so I decided to take the plunge.

Courage stars Audie Murphy as Henry, a young man who is marching and working alongside other soldiers in the Civil War (yes, he's fighting for the Union). But despite those around him getting amped up for battle against the Rebs, Henry himself is showing signs he's not ready. Whether it's talking to a Rebel soldier (in essence, offering not to attack each other) or that uneasy feeling of knowing what he'd be in for, Henry is having second thoughts. In the heat of battle, Henry runs away from his duties worried about himself and his safety. But something starts creeping in his thoughts: if he had a red badge of courage (war wound), it would make up for his act of cowardice.

The war battles as directed by John Huston are fine. The climactic battle is intense and the score reflects on that. There's even a few moments of humor such as the captain who agrees to eat dinner with half of his soldiers after the upcoming battle and the saga of the soldier who insists on putting on his glasses before passing on.

But a lot of the majesty and thoughtfulness of the book is left on the cutting room floor. What's left is narrator James Whitmore using narrative passages from the book to fill in the gaps of the story. At times, it almost heads into B-movie territory with some of the dialogue when the film goes between the fighting scenes. Plus, the main dilemma that Henry faces seems like it's resolved too quickly. Maybe with its original runtime of 2 hours, it could have dealt with it in more detail and thought. Instead, it feels like it doesn't want to deal with it.

At the end, this feels like a missed opportunity more than anything else. It was OK, but it could have been better.

Next: Leonard Maltin might be right?

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Is Thank God It's Friday the worst film to have won an Oscar? Leonard Maltin sure thought so.

Imagine Car Wash without the laughs or Grand Hotel set in a discotheque where nothing truly happens. It's a good way to sum up my experiences watching this era of the disco movie.

A listing of subplots for those who care:
An accountant is on his fifth anniversary with his wife where she becomes the target of lothario disco owner (Jeff Goldblum). Meanwhile, he gets caught up in the machinations of a club regular with a pharmacy in her purse!
Said owner takes great pride in his car, placing a gray coversheet over it before coming to work.
Two teen girls have designs on winning the disco contest to buy tickets to see KISS (who knew disco and KISS were related). Trivia time: The blonde girl became the lead singer from Berlin!
A garbageman with a short fuse (You bet your sweet ass you're sorry) is waiting on a blind date. Of course, she's refined, taller and bookish.
The Disco DJ is being threatened with various things if the Commodores don't show up on the air at midnight.
Yes, the Commodores are here but their roadie with all their instruments is not.
Two normal kids looking for love (she's played by Debra Winger) are escorted by two people who act like they're smooth operators but they're really not.
A local singer (Donna Summer) wants a chance to prove her vocal chops tonight.

The various subplots keep colliding on the dance floor, but there's little reason to care outside of maybe Summer's plight. The directing is listless for the most part (you don't get a chance to wow at the talents of young Goldblum and Winger, they're just there). Summer's performance is kind of rudimentary, but her character is not hard to root for and you can tell she can bring it singing. The music is well done at least with Brick House and Oscar winning Last Dance among the tracks. The film consists of multiple running jokes, most of which fall flat.

I think I counted two laughs. One involving a perfect song choice and the other involving a motorcycle cop running into something and flying off. There's also admittedly a bravura sequence involving a guy in leather dancing on top of cars and on lightpoles that recalled Singin' in the Rain.

But worst Oscar winner? I can see it. To paraphrase another film critic, too often I was listening to my watch to make sure it hadn't stopped. And it's electric.

Next: A search for a bird takes a deadly turn.

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Sometimes, I decide to look at TitanTV and explore what's coming up over the next two weeks on TV. Sometimes, I might find an older movie on NBC. More often, it's what happens Saturday night on KET that piques my interest.

Such was the case a few weeks ago when I saw that The Maltese Falcon was playing...

That bit of improvisation worked last year when it was 12 Angry Men. And darn it if it didn't work again!

Sam (Humphrey Bogart) agrees to take on the case of Ruth (Mary Astor), a woman in search of her sister who has gone missing. But when the male person of interest and his partner both end up dead that night, Sam finds his neck full of lies, cops who suspect he's guilty of at least one murder, and people interested in a black bird who could be very valuable.

Bogart is convincing as Spade who can flash his wits with a biting tongue while being tough enough to not look out of place with a gun. Mary Astor may have a character who can't keep her story straight, but she's able to pull off both looking alluring when she needs to with a savvyness that lurks beneath the surface. Sydney Greenstreet makes the most of his moments as Kasper Gutman. There's a scene where he explains the significance of the bird while Sam drinks that it's just awe-inspiring. Peter Lorre offers an interesting performance as Cairo, another possible suitor of the bird. And thanks to John Huston who wrote and directed this, it manages to be intense with crackling dialogue.

If anything, the subplot about the partner's wife who comes in implying that Spade killed her husband so he could get her is kind of underdone. Maybe it's the Hays Code at work or maybe Huston didn't think it was interesting enough to elaborate. It kinda feels like a lacking element in a film that doesn't have much else wrong with it.

I'd give it 3.5 out of 4 stars and from what I've heard, it gets better with future watches. I can't wait.

Next: I don't mind.

Here's an update from May...and surprise, it's a video!

https://youtu.be/nuxaa2SVUHU

And here's a look at my Oscar predictions for 2023...will do a best of and worst of films I've seen in 2022 soon so you can take a look at my agonies and joys.

https://youtu.be/H9aXMC8lQ-E

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I've gone through five films so far this year. Quick thoughts on all of them:

The Gold Rush was more emotional than I was expecting. Not like it bothered me...you did really care for The Little Tramp and the ordeals he goes through to make his fortune and win the heart of a dance hall dancer. (B)

20th Century Girl was a film I had started and kinda ran out of time to finish last year. Although it got a bit melodramatic at times, it generally was a decent rom-com set in 1990s South Korea.

Farewell Topsails fit a category in the 2023 List. A 9 minute short about a boat on its last run through England transporting clay. The accordion music helped; not so much the narration which came across as insincere at times.

Shirkers was a very good documentary about the efforts of the star of a Singapore indie and crew who spent 20 years trying to recover the footage from the director who ran off with it. Well edited and yes, I can cross Singapore off of the hadn't seen list.

Dracula Untold feels like a prequel to Underworld only with Luke Evans, a sword and chain mail instead of Kate Beckinsale, a gun and black pleather. Relatively short and time does zip by, but incoherent at times and kind of dumb. Don't expect too much and it probably won't let you down.

Planning on watching this soon---great to hear another person who's a fan of it!

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Before I continue with 2023's other films, it's past time to look back at the 2022 ones that I sat through. I plan to break down the list this way:

Bottom 10 (counting backwards to the worst film I saw last year)
Dishonorable Mentions (the next 10 in traditional order)
54-45
44-35
34-21
Honorable Mentions
Top 10

And since I finally figured out the popcorn thing yesterday, will divide by tiers so you can see where certain films ended up.

10. The Identical (2014) (65)

Not sure what the oddest thing is about this one. Could be the decision to have two of the lead characters (clearly in their 30s-40s) play themselves as teenagers. Could be the smattering of original songs featured here don't feel remotely like they'd create a spark of Drexel-Mania...yep, in this world...Elvis doesn't exist but all the teeny boppers are into Drexel. Or it could be an agent's frustrating revelation that Elvis is alive in this world after all. Wait, what?

Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd and, to a lesser extent, Joe Pantoliano do the heavy lifting on this one. Casting an Elvis impersonator in Blake Rayne as Drexel and his twin Ryan Wade works about as well as you'd expect; he has some moves and a nice enough voice, but he doesn't do as well selling the melodrama. It is a faith film, but at least it's on the pleasantly forgettable side as opposed to excruciating.

9. Beach Rats (2017) (66)

Two films in and I'm not sold on Eliza Hittman.

Unlike her previous film It Felt Like Love which had the intriguing idea on focusing on a teen girl's experiences, this one flips the genders as a teen male (Harris Dickinson) faces the glare of the camera lens. Frankie hangs out with some questionable friends and his sometimes girlfriend as he grapples with his sexuality.

Dickinson does have an effortless charisma about himself that keeps your eyes on him. Throw in some striking cinematography and the potential of a good film dealing with the challenges of being gay in a world valuing masculinity looms.

But the writing lets the potential down. The dialogue is too on the nose at times, the pacing is sluggish and Hittman never focuses deeper than the surface on her characters and their world. I heard her next one is better, but color me skeptical.

Also, why is it that Dickinson always seems to be cast in roles that require him to lose his shirt?

8. The Suit (2018) (67)

It's like Let's Be Cops but set in Cairo.

Two guys who are more or less losers make their way to what they think is a costume party and dress up as cops. The resulting amount of respect received as a result leads them to keep up the charade which places them in the crosshairs of a dangerous assassin.

This film is a broad blend of a chaste romance out of Bollywood between the thinner guy and his longtime crush, an action film and a broad comedy. Some of the jokes do work and the romance has a sweetness about it that I can appreciate.

But with some rough tone shifts between hilarity and deadly serious and some technical issues, The Suit struggles in blending everything together into a cohesive whole. And it doesn't help that their running jokes that didn't work the first time are repeated in the hopes of more laughs. There just isn't enough there to make it work.

7. Breach (2020) (68)

Of course, there were some running jokes about Bruce Willis just getting a paycheck on some of his last movies where he barely showed up for 15 minutes at a time. The jokes stopped when people learned he had a condition known as frontotemporal dementia and would need to retire from acting for good.

Breach appears to be one of the last ones he did before things took a turn for the worse. He does have a presence here even in his role of the head janitor (don't ask) and although he struggles with bad dialogue and flashbacks to better movies (Die Hard, Armageddon), he does look like he's trying. Same thing can be said for Thomas Jane as the Admiral who throws in a hoo-rah speech on wiping the floor on the alien threat and director John Suits who is probably better remembered for the Die Hard battery ad.

The rest of the film around them feels like it's bad made for Syfy or possibly even the Asylum which is short on originality and long on references to better films. Nominal lead Cody Kearsley is OK, but he's overshadowed by the talents working around him.

6. Sabotage (2014) (69)

Some drug agents agree to heist some drug money from a safe house on a cartel and blow it up in order to collect the funds that they hide underground. But when the money goes missing and some of the agents wind up dead, it draws the attention of a female cop (Olivia Williams) trying to piece things together.

I get why Arnold signed up for this one: David Ayer directing, solid supporting cast and a story that looked like it'd be interesting. Same thing for Olivia Williams. But why stick around when the results are this dire?

An air of toxic machismo surrounds this one as characters like Grinder, Monster and Neck take center stage. And the one woman in the DEA group Lizzy (Mireille Enos) doesn't seem immune to it, either. So throw subtlety out the window. Also, throw out logic and reason as they replace it with gratuitous gore and plenty of foul language to ensure that Sabotage is R-RATED. And let's not forget the third act twists that are more ludicrous than convincing.

Outside of some gritty shootouts and a clever one-liner, this film is just as generic as its title. Thank goodness they didn't try to incorporate the Beastie Boys song into this one.

5. Graduation Day (1981) (70)

After a track athlete dies winning a race, her sailor sister Anne (Patch McKenzie) makes her way back to her hometown to honor her late sister at the graduation ceremony. But someone is forcibly reducing the number of members of the track team. Who's behind it?

Christopher George does what he can as the track coach fighting to stay employed. And some shots of the film feel inspired by Italian giallos (although it might have helped had they FULLY committed to the genre).

Having said that, it's a long trek to the predictable climax with time spent on trying to be clever which would have been better off spent on fleshing out the characters. And you got your cases of the stupidities such as the person who insists on pole vaulting the morning of graduation!

Felony acquits itself nicely as the prom night band of choice, although Vanna White proves to be a better letter-turner than an actress.

I think I'm running out of decent/good 1980s horror films?


4. Thank God It's Friday (1978) (71)

Right smack in the middle of the disco craze comes a film that allows me to refer to it as a Soundtrack Movie.

Set at the local discotheque, this film crosses Grand Hotel where nothing happens with Car Wash and its hilarious subplots (except of course Car Wash was actually funny). Spot actual actors like Jeff Goldblum (as the lecherous disco owner) and Debra Winger (as a girl searching for fun and a good guy) as they get caught lost in the madness of this one. Marvel as musicians such as Terri Nunn (who won't take your breath away as a girl trying to win a dance contest to win enough money for KISS tickets) of Berlin and Donna Summer (as an aspiring singer searching for her big break) end up mixed up with an obnoxious garbageman searching for a blind date and a talented leather clad dancer.

I counted two laughs in this one (one involved a perfect song choice while the other had to do with a cop bouncing off of the disco owner's car). The film is best when it sticks with the talent such as a bravura answer to Singin' in the Rain as the leather clad dancer dances around lightpoles and on cars in a parking lot and Summer's character who kills it when she belts out Oscar winner Last Dance. But its running jokes don't work and you won't care what happens to most of the people by the end. Perfunctory writing and direction don't help its case at all.

Get the soundtrack and skip the film.

3. Firestarter (2022) (72)

The score by John Carpenter was fine. But every other element was less so.

The arguments between the mother and father of Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) sound like they were borrowed from Frozen. The film itself looks like something out of the X-Men if Pyro was a teen girl on the run with her father (Zac Efron, lost as a neck-cracking tough guy).

It's hard to determine what's worse here: casting a diverse cast but giving 90 percent of them little or nothing to do, wasting Kurtwood Smith and Gloria Reubens, or miscasting Efron as a tough guy with blood coming from his eyes when he's about to use his powers. Lead Armstrong does what she can with the material, but it's not much to work with here.

Lots of things catch fire in Firestarter, but the film itself never draws a spark.

2. Sin City (2019) (73)

My first mistake wasn't paying too close attention to where this was from. I presumed that I was watching a film from Nigeria. Wrong, it was from Ghana, not from Nollywood.

It's about a couple trying to find a spark in their marriage by heading to a resort featuring a night in Sin City, a hedonistic nightclub which leads to blackmail and possible ruin.

The melodrama is on very thick, the acting is hit or miss, the dialogue is just bad and the film's twist was more headscratching than revelatory. But I laughed a few times as this might be Ghana's answer to The Room or Miami Connection with a Rifftrax or a clever video joker as there's some comedy potential here.

The quality of Sin City is low, but there is entertainment value at least.

1. Starforce (2000) (74)

It's kind of telling that the two leads are not only better known for other projects (Baywatch, Port Charles), but neither of them work as an actor anymore.

Presented as a straight to DVD film, its lack of budget makes itself clear when looking at a penal colony on a distant planet with about 10 residents, one of which is played by Amy Weber (Port Charles, JBL's image consultant on Smackdown). She finds herself helping recently graduated Starforce member (Patrick Bergin, Baywatch) out there delivering medical supplies. Perhaps it has to do with a hidden supply of a rare element that could make the colony rich if they can extract/sell it?

The story is too simple in places, too convoluted in others. Twists happen, but they don't make sense. Things are talked about for one minute and dropped the next. And in a world with a valuable secret, too many people keep blabbing about it when they should keep their lips zipped.

The visuals of the ships, lasers and other things wouldn't pass muster in a PS2 game. And I'm not sure what Vernon Wells is doing here as well.

Re: Apex Predator's Reviews
 

64. The Deadly Companion (1961)

This is the first Sam Peckinpah film I have seen since Ballad of Cable Hogue. And yeah, he's 1 for 2.

The biggest crime against this film is that it has Maureen O'Hara and it doesn't know what to do with her. She plays a woman/showgirl with a less than sterling reputation who wants to bury her recently killed son in the same graveyard as her husband. This draws the attention of the guy who killed him along with two assistants who get dragged along for the ride.

All the elements are there for a good film, but it never comes together into a cohesive whole. Sam decides to focus on Yellowleg's (Brian Keith) tale over that of Kit's (O'Hara). I mean, I get it. It could make for a good drama. But it feels like more time is spent with his companions than it is with her story.

Perhaps we can blame clashes off-screen between the director and O'Hara's overprotective brother. Although Peckinpah is able to get some good use out of the scenery and some performances, the deeper meaning of the material feels like it's lost.

For what it's worth, O'Hara sings the song over the opening credits.

63. The Addams Family 2 (2021)

The unique morbidness of the New Yorker cartoon which was captured pretty well by the 1960s TV series and the live action films in the 1990s is gone in the animated films of this decade. What's left is a story that more or less looks similar to the Hotel Transylvania franchise (imagine 3, but a road trip instead of a cruise).

The comedy writing is flat and the voice acting is hit (Oscar Isaac) or miss (Charlize Theron). Although the plot pushes hard on the uniqueness of the Addams family, the result more often than not feels painted by numbers.

One set piece that clicked was Lurch bringing down a biker bar with his take on I Will Survive. Although I had a strong feeling of I don't think his character would behave this way.

62. A Beautiful Life (2011)

From China, a saintly cop who looks out for his autistic brother but otherwise keeps to himself finds himself one night saving a very drunk real estate agent from herself. Although she's a bit of a walking disaster, there's something about her that draws the cop's interest and they continue to deal with the ups and downs of life over the next few years.

The chemistry of the two leads kept me watching and director Andrew Lau is able to create a glossy look throughout. There's a few scenes that prove to be fascinating, but the whole thing has a contrived feel about it. Which doesn't help when the second half of the film moves from comedy to melodrama, one that throws our characters into the wringer. And it doesn't help that the female character is pretty annoying for the first half hour or so.

Hard to believe the same director did this also did Infernal Affairs (remade as Oscar winner The Departed).

61. Uncut Gems (2019)

Here comes an unpopular opinion: Oscar made the right call leaving Sandler out of the Best Actor mix here.

Up to his neck in gambling debt, jewelry owner Howard (Sandler) befriends Kevin Garnett who is interested in a giant opal he wants to borrow. While facing grief from a loan shark (Eric Bogosian), he also is facing a failing marriage and a hot and cold relationship with his mistress.

The Safdies who directed are able to inject some energy and dread into the film and give this slice of New York a lived in look. Throw in a solid soundtrack and there's potential for a good film here.

But I found Sandler to be annoying with a grating voice (he couldn't have improved on Little Nicky?). Although he does fine when asked to work with the Julia Harts, Garnett and The Weeknd, he struggles to keep up with veteran actors like Idina Menzel, Bogosian, LaKeith Stanfield and Judd Hirsch. Perhaps throwing in a joke or two to lighten the mood might have helped to make the film feel less long than it did.

I kind of felt bad for wife Dinah and mistress Julia, but not really anyone else. The real tragedy is that there's a better film available that could use more hype and that's Norman, a film about a guy played by Richard Gere that struggles to deal with the new realities of his world. Of course, Gere's Norman is a lot more likable which helps that sort of thing.

60. Authors Anonymous (2014)

Maybe not the perfect send-off for Dennis Farina, but he IS the best thing about this one.

A mockumentary about a writer's group in Los Angeles and what happens when the most enthusiastic (and not sharpest knife in the drawer) gets a book deal. For the most part, the characters are likable, but the comedy that follows is for the most part kinda weak. Highlights include an optometrist tricking a book agent into reading the first page of his novel while doing an eye exam and John Butzin (Farina) having multiple misadventures in the self-publishing vein.

Leads Kaley Cuoco and Chris Klein do make for a cute couple, but the film is too weak to do much good in that area.

59. Doom of Love (2022)

Facing rock bottom financially, Firat agrees to join a spiritual odyssey with a friend and her wealthy husband. While there, he falls for a singer. When they run into each other again at a corporate retreat, perhaps it's fate that brings them together. Or maybe fate has a different idea?

The film is at its best when the three of them travel together and share a solid chemistry that carries the film at times. Also, when the accompanist reveals his story, his story holds your interest.

But the goopy dialogue throughout and the melodrama of the film's second half leads to an interesting choice for the third act, a choice that does not pay off.

58. Gangster Story (1959)

Hey, did you know that Walter Matthau directed a movie once? Yep, and this is it!

While eluding the law, a gangster pulls off a brazen robbery which draws the attention of a mob boss. While he's thinking about the offer, he starts to fall for a librarian who has a thing for him as well.

Time flies by in this B movie and Matthau and Carol Grace (who became his longtime wife) have solid chemistry together.

Alas, there isn't a lot of art or story to this one. I think the blame can be laid on the director who could have hewed the stories into a film that makes sense and runs smoothly. But the opportunity is missed.

57. The Munsters (2022)

I don't think this was great, but I do think this was overhated by some who I presume was thinking this would be one of his R-rated horror classics.

It's clear that director Rob Zombie has a great affection for the 1960s TV show and the whole thing looks like a colorized prequel movie to the series as The Count (Daniel Roebuck) tries his darnedest to prevent his daughter Lilly (Sheri Moon Zombie) from falling in love with clumsy oaf Herman (Jeff Daniel Phillips). The set production is nicely done and some of the supporting actors (Richard Brake, Sylvester McCoy) do a pretty good job.

Having said that, I could go for another eternity without that painful cover of I Got You Babe between Zombie and Phillips. It feels like some sections of the film are missing. And I'd argue they wasted Cassandra Peterson as a real estate agent.

It's on par with the made for TV films from the 1980s. Not a high-water mark, but definitely not the disaster people (myself included) made it out to be after the trailer.


56. Howling Village (2019)

This is from the same director behind The Grudge (the Japanese original).

A young couple decide to check out the legend of the Village one night. Supposedly, a tunnel heads straight to the Village, but it can be only accessed by those who answer a phone call at 2 AM. But when they return, she's a changed person. This causes her boyfriend to try to head back with her brother (who has enough interest in the legend that he's built a model!) sneaking in the car. But their concerned sister might be the key as she's seen ghosts from an early age!

Although there were a few decent scares, the film started to fall apart in the last half hour. Without a cohesive storyline, what's left is a series of random moments that don't blend into a film. The elements are there, but without the script or direction behind it, the result is an underwhelming horror.

55. The Monster (1925)

The title could be referring to the movie itself.

He plays a mad scientist conducting experiments in an abandoned sanitarium. But when a rival and his girlfriend end up there thanks to a car accident, it's newly minted detective Johnny (Johnny Arthur) to the rescue.

Imagine the Frankenstein legend where Harold Lloyd stumbles in. It lacks the horror elements to be scary and the comedic moments to be hilarious (although a funny sequence involving a staircase does click).

Arthur and Chaney Sr. do their best, but can't save a film that can't commit to either genre convincingly.

This is the only one I've seen from this bunch. I agree it's a bit generic, but as far as Ahnuld's action films, I had no big issues with it. It delivered more or less what I was expecting. I do think the epilogue/last 15 minutes or so felt a bit out of place.

54. This Little Love of Mine (2021)

From Australia, a story of a woman tasked with convincing the grandson/heir apparent of a wealthy business owner to take on the CEO role of the company. He's not interested, unless she'd be willing to put down her phone and have adventures with him.

Although the leads share some decent chemistry and the scenery is nice, the predictability of the film kind of knocks it back a peg or three. And it's not helped by a situation that a good conversation could have knocked out in three minutes.

You'll know where it's going, but it's pleasant enough rainy/snowy day fare that you probably won't care.


53. Father's Little Dividend (1951)

We remember both the original films from this and the 1990's Steve Martin remake. But quick, do you remember what the sequels were about?

Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor provide some acting, heart and humor in this largely forgettable sequel about Kay expecting a son with her husband Buckley. The situations may be familiar but the changing dynamics feel just about right.

That said, it lacks the punch its predecessor had in hitting the funny bone or the heart. Not sure what the purpose was to have the parents practice a drill for rushing to the hospital for the baby one minute and have them told to sleep it off the next. And in a reflection of how different 1950s life was, Stanley is so focused by a soccer game involving kids that he loses track of the baby he was in charge of watching...things work out with a lecture and some stern looks.

Not sure why they brought Vincente Minnelli for, there's no sequence here for him to somehow give us a set piece that would have made this more memorable.

52. Earth to Echo (2014)

For those wondering, I was planning to do a book on all the films from 2014 that I end up seeing. Maybe capping it at 300-500 reviews and selling it where e-books are sold.

In this modern take on the ET legend, three kids notice some electronic interference and discover a cute robot they want to take back to outer space. You know, because he's lonely. They have to elude the government who wants to dissect said robot and maybe take notes for later?

Pretty generic, outside of a sequence involving a semi which is honestly pretty cool. Too bad you could just watch the trailer and see it already.

And I won't get jealous that the lead character has more views on his YouTube videos than I do. I will not let it happen.

51. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Speaking of generic...there's this film based on the videogame franchise.

A nice, but exasperated human ends up going on a road trip with the annoying, but kind of likable blue furball to find a bag of rings necessary to Sonic to head home. Or is he kind of there already?

Sonic is too-often groundbound except for a few cute moments where he breaks away. Despite a cast that knows what they're doing (Jim Carrey provides the wacky manic comedy while James Marsden knows his way dealing with green-screen creatures and Tika Sumpter does a good enough job as the super-understanding girlfriend of Marsden's sheriff), the writing lacks surprise and the action occasionally gets too violent for its own good.

The best joke is at the beginning. Something called Original Films released this. ORIGINAL FILMS...lol.

50. One Second (aka Thaneya Wahda) (2021)

The second Egyptian film I've seen last year and the better one, although this too had its issues.

Thanks to a car accident, a career woman reluctantly finds herself in care of a grown man who thinks he's ten years old. She finds herself being caught up in situations involving her stern landlord, her mother who keeps accusing her father of cheating on her, and an ex who keeps wanting to get back with her. Which leads to some turmoil in her plans until she starts thinking about the man as being the one for her. Um, okay?

Meanwhile, the smug businessman turned younger kid is starting to get his memory back. Will the situation change him when he remembers what happened?

As you can imagine, there's some tonal issues as the film careens from silly, at times physical comedy to a serious romantic drama. Thanks to its focus on innocence, the writing avoids some awkward conversations in the film's final third. But it could have been a smoother ride that would have taken better advantage of its premise.

A highlight: a hospital scene where the grown man-child starts shocking nurses with shock paddles grows to a hilarious pitch.

49. Open Door (2019)

Albania's entry for Best International Film has the married, mature sister of the family reluctantly helping her single pregnant sibling find someone to pretend to be her boyfriend so she can present a good face to their traditional father as they "celebrate" the anniversary of their mother's death.

The road trip aspect works out in the sense that the Albanian scenery is nice to look at and you can buy the two actresses as sisters. Luli Bitri comes through with a solid performance as the older sister as she faces a few crises despite appearing to have it all put together.

Open Door is kind of dull at times. And throw in the fact that several key moments happen off-screen and you wonder if it was being done on purpose. Considering its short run time of 80 minutes, they could have squeezed those moments in.


48. Red Badge of Courage (1951)

For me, this was the year of John Huston. I went from seeing 1 (the sun will come out tomorrow?) to 5 in the course of the previous year.

Feeling guilty after evading a battle in the Civil War, Henry looks for a war wound (red badge of courage) to call his own. Will he find what he's looking for?

Huston is able to do a good job with the battle scenes. Set to a rousing score, Red Badge provides some intense war scenes and a few moments of humor.

But the story itself was not thrilling. They could have dealt with this hesitation and reluctance to go into combat with a manner that would have become a powerful film. And in its efforts to cut a book into a 70 minute movie, a lot of the poetry and grace got left on the cutting room floor. Poor James Whitmore got left piecing the narrative with passages straight from the book.

47. Vampires in Havana (1986)

Pepito wants to play the horn, have fun with friends and maybe overthrow a corrupt dictator from Cuba. Not knowing he's the test subject for a formula that would allow vampires to walk out in the sun, which draws the interest of multiple branches of vampires.

Thanks to a jazzy score from Arturo Sandoval, the animation is able to keep up with a complex storyline and allow for some humor.

But, thanks to some dated elements in the animation and the characters, the film feels like a product of the 1980s. Particularly in its viewpoint of women as objects of flirtation or running away from vampires.

This animated effort for adults isn't bad, but could have been better.

46. White God (2015)

There's an interesting story of a dog trying to move heaven and earth to get reunited with its owners that's covered in a clumsy parable comparing dogs to Jewish people.

Hmm, OK?

Too much is spent on the struggling relationship between a strong willed teen who's trying to come of age and her reluctant father who she's visiting for the summer. And not enough of the dog and the situations it has to face just to get back home.

I found its ending to be solid, but considering the hype around this one, I was hoping for more.

45. Of Human Bondage (1934)

If Bette Davis clearly doesn't mind, why should we?

A medical student arrives in London from Paris and starts to fall for a Cockney waitress who appears to be indifferent to his efforts at wooing her. But try as he can to move on, he can't for some reason.

Davis acquits herself well other than her accent which comes across as a bit thick. Co-star Trevor Howard (Gone with the Wind's Ashley) proves he's better in support as he makes for a bland lead. Luckily, Reginald Owen shows up as an old fashioned British bulldog who steals the scenes he's in.

Although it's drenched in melodrama, this works best for those curious about Bette Davis and what she's capable of doing. For others, there are probably better films out there.

Next Time: 44-35

44. Mio on the Shore (2019)

I wanted to like this one more than I did.

When her grandmother gets ill, Mio is sent to Tokyo to live with an uncle where she starts to find a possible new job in operating a public bath. But town progress might put a stop to that.

Despite some nice shots and placing me in a world I hadn't heard much about, this film struggled to keep my attention. I think it's because Mio never felt like she was well defined. At times, she came across as a shorthand symbol for young people who were displaced by progress while at other times, she stayed a cipher.

I respect what it was going for, but I needed more than I got.

43. Rescued by Ruby (2022)

It doesn't reinvent the dog movie, but it still managed to be effective anyway.

On his last chance to become part of the Rhode Island K-9 unit, state trooper Daniel tries to train big, misunderstood shelter dog Ruby to do all the things that rescue dogs do. There's some rough patches along the way, but maybe if they really work together, both could have their chance to shine.

It's schmaltzy and predictable, but it doggone managed to have some tension in the sequences where Ruby was taking the test and doing her job. And it also managed to hit me in the heart once or twice. Maybe not a great cast, but Grant Gustin and Scott Wolf do their best as the trooper and the stern supervisor of the K9 unit.

Will say that the trooper unis were NOT the best, though.

42. Time of Death (2013)

Nothing about this Canadian TV movie is outstanding (you know it's a TV film when there's no nakedness in the strip club scene), but everything is serviceable or better.

An up and coming FBI agent (Kathleen Robertson) is assigned to determine who was behind the murder of a wealthy businessman. With the help of a recently promoted detective (Gianpaolo Venuta), they work on solving the case which hits some curves along the way.

There's a passable chemistry between Robertson and Venuta. The mystery did keep me guessing through the twists and turns including a couple of times where I missed what was going to happen next. The explanation for what is happening makes sense. Robertson feels credible as an FBI agent.

BUT...

The third act feels rushed and truncated in order to make its 90 minute deadline. This could have used an extra 10 minutes or so to breathe. And Montreal makes a poor substitute for Baltimore.

41. Arctic Daughter: A Lifetime of Wilderness (2018)

This documentary is about Jean Aspen and her quest to live on the land of the Yukon at the age of 22 with a male companion. With the help of photos and videos, she's able to explain the lessons she's learned with her as she goes through her life.

It could have used a tighter focus as the narrative drifts at times. Although she's been through a lot, the film tends to lose focus as it hits the tangents that Aspen and Tom Irons enthusiastically cover in their direction.

But throw in some nice dogs and some good stories and Arctic Daughter has a lot going for it. It just ends up short on the good/great documentary scale.

40. October (10 Days That Shook the World) (1927)

My second Eisenstein lacked the oomph that Battleship Potemkin had. Perhaps the novelty is gone? Or maybe it feels more manipulative and less interesting?

Supposedly a documentary on the 1917 October revolution, this feels more like something on the scale of something Michael Moore or Dinesh D'Souza might have done. It portrays the Bolsheviks as hard working, peace loving people and the rulers as demented and blood-thirsty. But without a group of people to root for or a gripping scene like the one with the stairs in Potemkin, it is easier to see through the efforts of Eisenstein.

More interesting to history buffs and those looking at film movements than those who are not.

39. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Shame the rest of the film doesn't hold up to its corker of a beginning.

Using split screens, a bored rich guy named Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) along with some accomplices (who never met before the day of) make a daring bank robbery that proves to be very successful. But it draws the attention of insurance investigator Vicki (Faye Dunaway) which leads to a cat and mouse chase between the wealthy Crown and the amoral Vicki.

Although there's some highlights after the beginning including one of the most sexually charged chess matches I've ever seen, the film's second half wastes the obvious chemistry between the two leads by meandering around almost as if they ran out of ideas.

Cool and savvy can get you only so far in life, kid.


38. Wuthering Heights (1939)

Between this and the Jane Eyre I saw the year before, I think I can tell the difference between the two books now.

While both deal with ghosts, this one features Heathcliff (Laurence Olivier) planning revenge first against his stepbrother for being cruel to him. And then later on, a family whose wealth lured his stepsister away from him to fall in love with Edgar (David Niven).

Although the romance elements lead to some unanswered, potentially awkward questions, the film works best as a cautionary tale about putting your heart and soul into revenge schemes that drain the love out of you and the things you love. It appears to be a truncated adaptation of a novel that might work best in mini-series form.

It's only the 4th or 5th best film that was a nominee for Best Picture that I've seen for 1939, by the way.

37. Jab We Met (2007)

If you can survive a surprising number of jokes kinda, sorta making light of rape (basically, the girl knows karate and won't let herself become a victim even though the guy insists he isn't interested in that sort of thing), then this could be a Bollywood film you could get into.

Basically a screwball comedy about a burned out businessman (Shahid Kapoor) and a high spirited girl (Kareena Kapoor, no relation) interested in eloping with her lover who gets him caught up in her dilemmas. It's one of those cases where they're good for each other, although it takes most of the film for them to see it. The two share a good chemistry with each other (they were dating at the time, although they broke up shortly before filming wrapped) and the film's breezy tone makes it easy to sit through.

The length of the hug might be a bit scandalous to Bollywood purists, but with each film I see from them, the more I find I like of this particular genre.

36. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Po finds his first day of teaching kung fu disastrous after being tasked with replacing Master Shifu who has retired. But things look up for him when he meets his long-lost father who promises to introduce him to others of his kind. Perhaps, it comes in handy when a new supernatural villain seeks all the kung fu so he can grow big and powerful and nobody WILL FORGET WHO HE IS EVER AGAIN!

The film has some good lessons about embracing your strengths and accepting the past and present while continuing to blend heart and humor. The scenes at the spirit realm are a real highlight.

Although they spend too much time at the panda village and not enough with the Furious 5, this is still a solid step above the normal animated blockbusters out there.

As for that score, how many times did they hear I'm So Sorry from Imagine Dragons before composing this?

35. A Farewell to Arms (1932)

The last film I saw in 2022 was fine enough.

The romance between a British nurse (Helen Hayes) and an American soldier (Gary Cooper) stays largely intact even though their story's turns to melodrama might have gotten Ernest Hemingway sick from all the grave-spinning. Some solid support from the soldier's buddy Captain Rinaldi (Adolphe Menjou) helps as do some solid montages from director Frank Borzage and strong chemistry from the lead actors.

The plot doesn't always hold up to scrutiny and the melodrama gets a bit thick towards the end. But thanks to the chemistry and the fact it was a pre-code film, there's enough there for it to work.

Next Time: 34-25

34. Moby Dick (1956)

Here's another John Huston adaptation of a novel that I have seen in 2022 and in a lot of ways, this is better than the RBoC.

Although some of the secondary characters get short shrift and the whale feels more like it's talked about than seen, the passages of the novel brought in by Huston feel more natural than in Red Badge. There's an exciting sense of derring-do by the cast. And you have a great lead performance by Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab who is obsessed with the whale who took out one of his legs.

If Wuthering Heights is about the dangers of diving headfirst into revenge, then Moby Dick is a cautionary tale against letting obsession control your life. Perhaps he could have heeded the advice from Orson Welles who shows up as a preacher who tells his sermon from a ship hull.

33. Denial (2016)

The film's greatest assets is an impromptu trip to Auschwitz and a fascinating lead story. The former allows you to put yourself into a place where millions of people died for being considered lesser or inferior. It is as haunting as you'd expect.

As for the latter, an Emory professor talks about her latest book when she's interrupted by a provocative historian who argues that it didn't happen and Hitler wasn't as bad as he appeared to be. Although she doesn't take the bait, he decides to sue her for libel anyway in his native United Kingdom where the burden of proof is on her side. With the help of a capable team, they provide a bold strategy to prevail which might not sit well with her.

Well acted from Rachel Weisz as the professor, Timothy Spall as the historian and Tom Wilkinson as the barrister. Journeyman director Mick Jackson acquits himself well here as he keeps the action moving and allows for some strong debate between the professor and her legal team.

The film's chief liability is in its adherence to filming it how it happened which means Deborah's character remains largely on the sidelines and it lacks a moment of catharsis that might have carried it to the next level.

It does manage to be entertaining even with those limitations.

32. Beat the Devil (1953)

Even with me on the sidelines for the most part this year, I still manage to catch a film from Cinema International.

A bunch of crooks led by Peter Lorre and Robert Morley plan on taking a bunch of uranium from Africa. Their newest recruit is American Billy (Humphrey Bogart). He and his wife Maria (Gina Lollabrigada) meet with a British couple (Jennifer Jones, Edward Underdown) who are also heading to Africa on business involving a coffee plantation.

It's John Huston (again!) as everyone's trip takes a couple of unexpected turns involving doubt, partner swapping and a possible death or two.

Essentially this is a parody of The Maltese Falcon and that makes sense. Both films have a decent amount of plotting in common and contain a few actors from both films (Bogart and Lorre).

The plot is a bit sloppy at times and Huston's light touch feels a bit heavy-handed in places. But between the Italian scenery, Bogart's performance and a solid supporting cast, Devil proves to be a reasonably fun excursion.

The last punchline moved it up a notch for me.

31. Hell House LLC (2015)

Once the initial realization that it's yet another found footage horror film sinks in, its execution places this solidly in the top fifth of them.

By focusing on building depth to its characters and eschewing blood and guts in exchange for a creepy, dreadful atmosphere, the film draws you in and keeps you watching. It does explain why the cameras are there and offers a solid take on the building and running of horror houses.

It may occasionally stumble in the case of the stupids where people run into danger and act stupidly. But Hell House is still a cut above.

30. FTA (1972)

The first of two films that focus on protests of Vietnam from the troops who were inside and facing disillusionment and death.

This one focuses on the touring show featuring Jane Fonda (who would get the title Hanoi Jane for a trip she made to North Vietnam in 1972) and Donald Sutherland as comics, musicians and other special guests proved to be a potent counterpoint to the flag waving USO shows with Bob Hope. Another contrast almost pops up immediately as women and persons of color were welcome and appreciated in the FTA show (which stood for Free or F the Army depending on the context).

After a longer than expected intro from Fonda who dives into the background, we get a good look at the tour itself as well as those who attended. And I'm not sure which was better: the catchy music from the tour or the conversations among the soldiers, sailors and marines.

There could have been a check on the occasional statement made here and the film feels a bit scattered in places.

But it does make for a compelling look at a film that takes us back to when people questioned the government and started to fight for their rights.

29. Writing with Fire (2021)

A fascinating if a bit underwhelming documentary about the women of a newspaper who fight against corruption and injustice while trying to be good wives and mothers. What makes it more interesting is that these women were members of an untouchable caste yet they prove to be a powerful voice for the people they serve.

They prove to have an interesting story and they fight for journalism and democracy which is admirable. But the documentary's biggest problem is that it struggles to explain what it is about. Its impact is blunted because it tries to do several different angles at the same time. I think they should have focused on the difference they made in the lives of others.

The real life newspaper had some criticism on the documentary as they may have simplified their relationships with the authority, underplayed the role the caste plays in their lives and even offered some bias.

Still, the end result is compelling even if it could have been better done.

28. The Imp (1981)

Weird, if fascinating horror film has a man attempting to provide for his pregnant wife by working as a night watchman for a corporate building which starts dealing with a strange visions problem and a staffing problem.

The Dennis Yu horror is a bit of a slow burn and suffers from some tonal shifts as the film veers from goofy comedy to Chinese giallo (Chiallo?). But the film does pick up in the second half as the mix of dread and disturbing images lead to an unexpected climax with a breathtaking final scene.

27. Love at First Fight (2015)

From France, we got a quirky romantic dramedy about a doomsday prepper and a young man trying to sort out what he wants to do with his life. Both dive into a boot camp where expectations are upended and their worlds collide.

The tone of the romantic scenes and the military training tend to clash. But both Kevin Azais and Adele Haenel make the most of their characters and their chemistry does create sparks.

The unusual setting and solid performances allow Love to overcome its issues and become a solid romantic drama.

26. Father of the Bride (1950)

Now this is more like it!

The family led by Spencer Tracy is stunned when daughter played by Elizabeth Taylor announces that she's getting married. A tin roof, rusted sort of situation (Spoiler: no, it's not).

While he has to deal with his daughter all grown up, he also has to deal with all of the benefits and drawbacks of modern marriage as well. This leads to some clever moments of physical comedy (poor Tracy gets stuck on soda pop duty early on during the reception) and some deft staging by Vincente Minnelli (such as the sequence where Tracy and his wife try to say goodbye to Taylor).

That marriage nightmare sequence was provided by Salvador Dali. Chef's kiss!


25. Canvas (2020)

And we conclude with an animated short from Netflix where an old man starts thinking of getting back into painting thanks to the help of his persistent granddaughter.

Although it's short, the watercolor designs are able to tell a compelling story without a single word. It could have been 2-3 times as long and still had my interest.

Next: 24-11

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24. Nightmare Alley (2021)

One of these days, we'll just have to all but give Bradley Cooper that Oscar he's been wanting for a while now. He's taken the mantle of try hard contender from Leonardo DiCaprio. I just hope being harmed by an animal isn't involved with his eventual win.

Much like the original film noir, Stanley (Cooper) makes his way to a carnival where he befriends Molly (Rooney Mara) and gets some useful pointers from a fortune teller (Toni Collette) and her assistant (David Strathairn). Meanwhile, Stan learns the basics of the carnival from Clem (Willem Dafoe). Eventually, Stanley and Molly leave the carnival life behind to make big bucks in the big city where they run into Dr. Ritter (Cate Blanchett) and get caught up in being a medium for the rich and well to do.

A strong cast which also includes Richard Jenkins and Ron Perlman and impressive production design are this film's strengths from director Guillermo del Toro. Blanchett's performance is superb; you can see her fitting in flawlessly with the film noirs of years past.

But some heavy symbolism and a climax which is about 15-20 minutes too long keep this film from reaching the heights it should have.

23. The Golem (1920)

Most of the fall from last year was very much touch and go for me as I had to deal with some personal issues. Having said that, I continued to improve on the number of entries seen for Letterboxd's Halloween thread.

Although it's widely appreciated as a predecessor to Frankenstein, the film itself holds up pretty well. You're definitely getting the unusual angles, but you're also getting a heady story about the dangers of playing god as a Rabbi creates a clay protector to protect the Jewish people from being evicted in Prague. But will he be able to impress the Emperor?

A bit sluggish in its pace and its subplot of a love triangle between the Rabbi's daughter, his assistant and the king's squire is less interesting than the Golem interacting with other characters in the city.

22. Blue Jay (2017)

Twenty years after their love was found and lost, two high school sweethearts (Sarah Paulson and Mark Duplass) reunite. She's there to visit her sister while he's going to sort through the things in his mother's place. But like old lovers, all that fades away as they reconnect. Will the sparks lead to a relationship returning? Or will the past get in the way?

It succeeds by taking its time and not rushing the relationship. The dialogue feels natural and the chemistry between the two leads was solid. The fact they were working without a script highlights the efforts of the two leads to make the characters work.

There are rough stretches when the film shifts from comedic moments to melodramatic ones. And you can see the ending coming from far away.

Still, a nice gem from the 2010s.

21. Roll Red Roll (2018)

When a rape of a teen girl known only as Jane Doe goes largely unnoticed in the population of a football-loving small town in Ohio, a crime blogger starts investigating and finds some disturbing social media posts that implicate members of the football team. There's some blowback from teens and adults determined to protect the players and discredit the teen. But with the help of an unlikely source, justice could yet prevail.

This documentary unflinchingly captures the boys will be boys mentality and the blame the victim culture that is prevalent in the small town that is more worried with protecting the boys than anything else (something that is unfortunately still a thing elsewhere as well). And it shows the various uses of social media from the bragging post-crime by several participants to rallying those who want to give Jane Doe support and justice.

It's not an easy watch, but it's worth the effort.

20. The Ash Lad: Search for the Golden Castle (2019)

Proof positive that there's still life to the young adult film craze. All you need is sincerity and charm and Castle has that in spades.

Espen (Vebjorn Enger) goes on a quest with the princess of Norway (Eili Harboe) to find The Water of Life, an elixir that will cure the poison her parents drank (and his brothers are accused of supplying). But it won't be easy with danger around every corner and others also searching for the magical water.

Although it's a bit predictable, the awe and wonder of the adventures they face is more than capable of carrying the day. Its meager budget is a challenge, but between a plethora of action and a short runtime, The Ash Lad is a charmer that exceeds its expectations.

Plus, you can quickly pick up on anything that happened in their previous film In the Hall of the Mountain King.

19. Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019)

Speaking of charming, the International Feature nominee from 2022 is here to continue the thread.

A wannabe singer who is slacking on his teaching is sent to a remote school in Bhutan after a failed evaluation. The trip over there is arduous and the electricity has a tendency to come and go, but will the townspeople and students get him to change his mind about wanting to leave?

Lunana is definitely a slow burn, but the patience is worth the effort. You just might consider becoming a teacher after this one. The scenery in Bhutan looks nice and the use of music helps make an impact. The townspeople are charming and there are those yaks to think of.

It does get a bit predictable, some subplots kind of get jettisoned after being brought up and the ending is a bit underwhelming. Which means that a potentially great film will have to settle for merely being a good one.

18. Margin Call (2011)

The feel good run comes to a screeching halt here as the cynical traders of a firm attempt to keep their corporation and their careers alive. They'd probably make fun of the vibes.

This story opens in the middle of a corporate bloodletting when a junior analyst takes a thumbdrive from his canned supervisor and makes a disturbing discovery that opens the eyes of the remaining seniors which leads to an emergency meeting to determine what happens next.

Thanks to an all star cast, this feels like a master course on ACTING. But it also does a good job allowing you to understand what led to so much economic damage in the 2008 financial crisis when the market tanked on high debt mortgages. Highlights include several Kevin Spacey speeches to rally the troops while hiding things that are bothering him and Paul Bettany revealing how he was able to spend $2.5 million in a year. And the film takes on a thriller element as the clock is ticking on a bold plan that will keep the firm solvent at a cost.

It does take on a bit of a stage play quality at times as everyone has at least one BIG SPEECH in front of the various combinations of the characters. Penn Badgley struggles to keep up with the cast that includes Spacey, Bettany, Jeremy Irons (as the international CEO), Simon Baker, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci and Zachary Quinto. And at the end of the day, it's kind of hard to care for the characters in front of you (although I suspect they weren't really heroic in the first place).

Thanks to the acting and solid explanations, JC Chandor makes for a good debut here. But will his followup be better? You'll have to wait for next year to find out!

17. The Hundred Foot Journey (2014)

So how many films from 2014 will I have to see before I decide to write a book on my experiences? 200? 300? 400? More?

But this film is proof positive that a film that might not click with you as a kid could be just fine at a later age. The story of an Indian family who finds refuge and business opportunities in France (guess how far they're away from an opposing restaurant led by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren)?). The competitiveness of both restaurants leads to a war that ends when someone goes TOO FAR and Mallory starts to realize the skills of her rival's son Hassan are worth cultivating.

Director Lasse Hallstrom keeps the film moving along. The food (as it would tend to do in these culinary films) looks delicious and any sentimental streaks are held at bay by both Mirren and Om Puri as the restaurant owners. Manish Dayal proves to be worthy as the lead of the film. And Charlotte Le Bon (yes, Simon's daughter) proves to be ingratiating as a character that is drawn to Hassan's journey while trying to get her career off the ground.

The film seems so focused on Hassan's rise that it puts some intriguing elements aside that a better film would have found a way to include. And although you can buy Mallory and Papa as rivals, the film never allows us to buy them as potential lovers.

But much like Hassan's ability to blend Indian and French sensibilities into his cooking, Journey is able to make the elements in front of it into an appetizing main course.

16. Blessed Benefit (2016)

Say hello to the winner of the Most Underrated Film I've Seen in 2022.

Ahmad is sent to prison after failing to work on a project and not refunding a client for work not performed. The money was given to a cousin's scheme to buy laptops to sell at a profit which hit a snag thanks to some delays in customs. While his cousin tries to get the money needed to bail Ahmad out of prison, Ahmad starts to learn the rhythms of his new location.

This may be one of the most gentle prison movies I've seen. Ahmad almost never faces physical danger. Most of the prisoners seem well behaved. Although the wardens are corrupt, they're not violent either. And the lead character is able to take a shower and sunbathe without an issue!

The film does try to be a bit too quirky for its own good. The last scene feels a bit off. And at one point, Ahmad leaves his cell only to face a chicken walking down the hallway. A chicken which is never seen again. Although I don't mind when quirks happen in a film, I do prefer it leads to a payoff of a sort.

This solid film about the lighter side of prison life is apparently based on a true story!

15. The Bishop's Wife (1947)

I guess I'm gonna have to try to watch the remake The Preacher's Wife with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston for the holiday season. Can Denzel be charming as the angel? Will they let Whitney sang? They got their work cut out to keep up with the original Cary Grant/Loretta Young film.

Bishop Brougham (David Niven) is seeking a new cathedral when angel Dudley (Cary Grant) walks into his life. But he's so occupied with work that he's forgotten his wife and their daughter. Dudley will find a way to change everyone's life and possibly make the Bishop see what he's missing in his.

Grant makes for a superb attraction as he combines a devilish charm with good intentions to make the lives around him better. Niven does a fine job keeping the Bishop in the right end of the flawed/jerk divide. And Monty Woolley is able to steal scenes as a skeptic who suspects his visitor from Vienna knows more than he lets on.

The film manages to be low-stakes at times when plotlines get resolved with a snap of the fingers. And I'm not sure how this won best sound at the Oscars?

The end result is a solid holiday film with a compelling lead performance.

14. Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)

My annual kick off the film season with a classic goes off without a hitch.

This odd mix of film noir and science fiction manages to click thanks to the efforts of director Ridley Scott and lead actor Harrison Ford. As Deckard, Ford is tasked with finding four rogue replicants and kill them. Complicating things is a burgeoning relationship with replicant Rachael (Sean Young). Although it's a slow burn, Blade Runner does manage to pose some good questions on what it means to be human. It could serve as a doubleheader with Ghost in the Shell (the anime, not the live action remake with Scarlet Johansson).

The visuals are impressive. But you'll be forced to ponder them while trying to answer one of about 10-15 or so questions left unanswered by the movie.

Scott did a fine job bringing the replicants personality and life (note Hauer's speech towards the end, a bravura moment indeed). If he had did the same with the humans, Ridley would be on something great.

13. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

Colin (Tom Courtenay) ends up in a borstal thanks to stealing some bread from a bakery. But once there, he proves to be a gifted runner which draws the attention of the Governor (Michael Redgrave) of the place, Colin finds his life improving as he prepares for a race against students from a prep school. But will Colin buy into what the Governor is saying? Considering he's seen what happened to previous favorites after they failed/betrayed him, it's an open question.

Courtenay's performance as Colin lasts in the memory after the film has faded from the brain. Colin just wants to find his way out of poverty, but not in the same spot his father was in before he passed away. Director Tony Richardson throws us into Colin's world and shows us what makes him frustrating and compelling in equal order.

I think they might have overdone the flashbacks a bit here. And thanks to the subject matter, this proves to be a grim and difficult watch at times.

The end result is that Runner is a grim but effective drama.

12. The Power of the Dog (2021)

The chief operator of a ranch is sharp tongued and holds nothing back while his brother is more sedate and clean-cut. After losing his temper at a local tavern, his brother apologizes to the cook which ultimately leads to them marrying with her young son in tow.

Benedict Cumberbatch has seldom been better as the angry operator who is a cross between Daniel Plainview and Gordon Ramsay. Although Jesse Plemons seems a bit young as his brother, he acquits himself well otherwise. Kirsten Dunst proves to be up to the task as the cook. But it's Kodi Smit-McPhee who is the standout as the awkward, possibly autistic son.

The editing and cinematography are sharp. Jane Campion's direction kept things moving as the score felt ominous and the script was mostly pretty strong.

Dog felt a bit poky in its pacing at times and there's one revelation that feels more like a shoulder shrug than anything else. Also, there's a bit of a chill in the film that might have kept it from winning best picture.

But that last 30-40 minutes or so? Whew, that is how you finish a picture!

11. The Pied Piper (1986)

From Czechoslovakia, animated nightmare fuel that takes a familiar story and demands your attention.

A town with a clear divide between the haves and the have nots finds itself suddenly with a rat problem. So they decide to hire a guy with a flute to take care of things. But when it comes time to pay the bill, they refuse so he takes some drastic measures.

There's a grim mood throughout Piper. The town leaders feast on roasted pig and wine while their servants race around trying to keep up with their latest whims. Those who succumb to greed have an ugly look about them as they've lost touch with humanity. Meanwhile, the fisherman, the woman singing to herself at home and the piper look way better as their hearts are reflected on their faces. The unique look also comes from a mix of German expressionism and stop motion animation.

If there's a complaint, I felt the film suffered a bit from being heavy handed in its symbolism. But it's definitely worth seeking out (I think I saw several copies on YouTube of all places) for its animation choices and how the story plays out.

Next: The Top 10 I've Seen in 2022

10. The Block Island Sound (2021)

A scientist named Audry reluctantly agrees on a mission to check out why birds are mysteriously dying on a small island outside of Rhode Island. The reason? She'd have to get back in contact with her father and her brother even though there's some lingering family tension. Meanwhile, fisherman Tom finds himself compelled to take out his boat in the middle of the night and wakes up in the morning under strange circumstances. And her brother Harry tries to bond with Audry's daughter while hiding his concerns about his father's behavior.

Sound like a lot of good horror out there now concerns itself with building an atmosphere of dread. Which it does successfully. I'd argue that it's one of a few that sticks the landing in its ending as well. A solid cast led by Michaela McManus and Chris Sheffield as the scientist and her brother carry the story to its conclusion. Only some sequences in the second half involving Tom miss the mark.

9. Rope (1948)

I kind of find people who have the confidence to feel like they can get away with murder fascinating. Even though shows like Dateline NBC and Columbo show the folly of that endeavor (have to wonder if Levinson/Link watched this one?)

Two college kids kill one of their classmates and hide him in a steamer trunk they use to serve food at one of their parties. Among the guests are two relatives of the dead kid, his fiancee, his best friend and their housemaster (Jimmy Stewart). While Philip is having some second thoughts on what they've done, David is more cocky and arrogant. Although most of the guests suspect nothing, Rupert starts to put things together...

This is the one where director Alfred Hitchcock used several long takes to make the film. The result is very suspenseful and intriguing until its last scene.

8. Sir, No Sir (2005)

In the introduction to FTA, Jane Fonda mentions this documentary as being helpful to those who want a better grasp of the soldiers protesting Vietnam.

I don't think this was because she appears in it. Or that her son is the narrator of the film. It's because Sir gives us a good grasp on the whole GI Movement and places it in the control of the soldiers who risked their lives and livelihoods to protest as opposed to FTA which looks more at it from the viewpoints of the actors behind the show.

With recollections from those who protested and why, Sir covers the high points of the movement instead of trying to cover every thing. Which is good because it makes the events they do cover here more impactful. Such as the use of coffeehouses as a spot for movement meetings and the saga of the Presidio 27.

Fascinating true story and thanks to those who stood their ground during a war we shouldn't have fought.

7. California Split (1974)

You never know what might happen when you improvise. California Split wasn't planned as an outing on my official list, but I decided to watch it anyway.

And much like Wes Anderson, I might be coming around on Robert Altman now from where I was 10-20 years ago..

Charlie (Elliott Gould) looks for that hot streak to make a big payday. For Bill (George Segal, RIP), it's about getting free of some sports gambling debts he acquired after meeting Charlie. They decide to head towards Reno and risk it all on a poker game featuring Amarillo Slim, as himself.

The two leads manage a nice chemistry as they dive into the challenges and occasional thrills of gambling. The writing by Joseph Walsh is sharp and director Altman keeps you on the edge of your seat. It definitely does a good job setting you in a specific place and time (The American West in the 1970s).

Plus, you learn here that shaving cream can heal abrasions from having your ribs kicked in.

6. Silence (2016)

Although I've submitted some Tiktoks as a streamer (and need to do a LOT more), I've never caught on to watching TikTok. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'd have worked my way through the runtime.

Remember what I said about Altman? I may be getting there on Martin Scorsese as well.

Two Portuguese Jesuit priests search for their mentor who has been rumored to turn away from the Christian faith in 17th century Japan. But as they learn, the new country proves to be a hostile challenge for their faith.

I'm a bit suspicious of them casting Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield as the priests, but they acquit themselves nicely (as does Liam Neeson as the mentor). Scorsese makes the film move quicker than its runtime would suggest and with crisp writing that allows the story to breathe and strong cinematography, the film is a wonder to watch. There's plenty of food for thought, particularly what you would do in their shoes.

If anything, the similar patterns in the case of Kichijiro makes you wonder why people aren't suspicious of him after a while.

Probably the best film about faith I've seen since Two Days, One Night. Although I've seen my share of Christian films, it may be for the best to just let the pros work their magic.

5. Midnight in Paris (2011)

Remember what I said about Scorsese? Never mind, because Woody Allen has an up and down filmography and some serious personal issues.

Having said it, Paris does make me think that I might like some of his better films though.

On the verge of getting married, a writer named Gus is facing a professional crisis. One that causes him to split from his fiancee and her parents and stumble into a world of 1920s Paris where artists and writers flourish. But only at night. After a while, this forces him into a decision: stay in Paris with actress Adriana or go back into the present day.

Either you'll dive into this wholeheartedly from the beginning or you'll be like um, no. A sharp, incisive script and the strong directing work of Allen carries this one. This feels like a career peak for Owen Wilson who never wowed once. Imagine doing that in front of Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody and Tom Hiddleston, old chap.

The stakes feel fairly low; to decide whether to be a novelist or a successful, if underwhelming screenwriter. As Inez, McAdams gets worse every time we see her. But I do think she's standing in for those wondering what Gus keeps going on about.

A good look at Paris and a fleshed out fantasy world leads us to want to join Gus at Midnight.

4. For Sama (2019)

This documentary is a series of tapes from journalist Waad to her daughter Sama. It covers her romance and marriage to doctor Hamza and when she gives birth to Sama. But the videos take on a darker subject as innocent protests against the Syrian government lead to violence by the government. Waad and Hamza find themselves in a tough dilemma: do we stay and fight for the future of Syria or do we leave the country and protect our family.

The personal angle of the relationship between mother and daughter proves to be gripping as well as the highs and lows of living life in Aleppo during the period. Although the citizens, particularly the children, try to live a normal life, the bombings and siege do take a toll on those who live there. The interviews with the kids are revealing as you see the innocence taken from their lives even as they paint and ride in a shelled school bus.

Highlight: The scene about two thirds of the way in where Hamza and his staff move heaven and earth to save a baby born against the rubble of the war. It's hard to watch that and not be moved.

3. The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

An apology to one of my college friends in the past who was raving about this one and I dared ask the question, "But was it foxy enough"?

Sorry mate. But I do get it now.

And remember what I said about Wes Anderson...good. I won't need to repeat myself then.

A roguish fox decides to make a better life for himself and his family by doing a heist of three farmers with the help of a close friend. But he might need more than the doghouse when his wife finds out about it. Or the fact he's using his athletic nephew for the last one. Or when he finds out just how cruel the humans can be.

The stop motion animation is superb. I may never get tired of watching the foxes dig holes. The story holds up pretty well as it mixes lessons for the adults (never lie to your wife) and the young ones (don't let jealousy get in the way of a good sibling relationship). The music turns out to be a nice blend of folksy tunes and classic rock (Street Fighting Man).

This could prove to be a good companion for O Brother, Where Art Thou.

2. The Mitchells vs The Machines (2021)

I learned that Netflix can be the home of great entertainment. They just gotta hope that another studio loses faith in a good film's box office and voila.

As Katie is trying to move into her college where she can be free to be herself (for more than one reason), her family decides that a road trip could be a good way to reconcile with their daughter while getting her to where she needs to go. At the same time, the AI of a device doomed to the dustbin decides to fight back by taking control of a mobile army of technology. Can the Mitchells survive each other long enough to stop the incoming apocalypse?

Like most good animated films of the last 20 years, this blends heart with wit while avoiding the need to hit us over the head with pop culture references (such as hey, remember when the lead actor of film A did Glengarry Glenn Ross that one time...what was his big phrase?). Instead Machines works with the quirks of the characters and their interactions which will allow this film to last for years to come.

The film even nails multiple callbacks (is the pet a dog, a pig or a loaf of bread...fizzles). I might have teared up towards the end.

1. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Stumbled across the top film for 2022 while looking on my local PBS station one day and saw it advertised. You never know when it'll show up.

Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) is in quite the bind. He's lost his private detective partner and his client's husband practically at the same time. While trying to stay one step ahead of the suspicious police, Sam stumbles onto the black Falcon, which could be the home of hundreds of jewels and which is wanted by multiple people.

Often considered one of the first noirs, Falcon features a tough hero who can outwit his enemies and land a mean punch when necessary. Wonderly (Mary Astor) is a beautiful woman who appears to be allergic to the truth. Throw in a lot of alcohol and smoke as well as a dark storyline and it hits its mark.

Tight direction by John Huston and a great performance by Bogart as Spade carry the film. The Maltese Falcon also benefits from strong turns by Astor as well as Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre.

If anything, I'd argue they could have fleshed out the story of the partner's widow a bit more. There are some interesting threads there including a possible relationship with Spade that get thrown to the back burner.

Highlight: Kutman (Greenstreet) explains the history of the Falcon to a skeptical Spade over some drinks. Why reveal your hand to the detective? He has his reasons...

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Hm, so nice to see you enjoyed The Block Island Sound. It's a really cool and eerie little flick.

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I knew it was gonna be tough, but I wasn't expecting Come and See to be that tough to get through.