Thunderbolt's 2021 Movie Diary

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156. In a Lonely Place (1950) DVD rewatch
Fantastic noir starring Bogart as the screenwriter who just can’t control his temper. The finale isn’t even about if he is innocent of a killing. It’s more about his actions against the woman he loves. Well scripted and oozing with style, they certainly don’t make them like they used to.




157. Rocky 3 (1982) DVD rewatch
We hit the point now where Rocky seems to have his head screwed on and his character comes across as more sophisticated. The franchise starts to tread through similar themes as before and there is quite a bit of music to fill the screen time. Having said that just like all of the movies it’s well worth a look, just not the best. I do like the over the top performance from Mr T, and the loss of Rocky’s trainer is very touching.




158. The Karate Kid (2010) TV First watch
Some of the Karate was pretty impressive but probably sped up to make look that way. Anybody who hasn’t seen the previous instalments may think this is great but it just isn’t a patch on the original. It only bypasses the pathetic no.4. This film just didn’t get me rooting for the underdog.




159. Space Jam A New Legacy (2021) Cinema first watch
It was nice to be back at the movies again after such a long hiatus. Now it’s school holidays my Daughter decided we should see this. I cannot compare it to its previous films as I haven’t seen them but this was pretty mediocre. Good animation but that’s about it.




160. Two By Two (2015) TV rewatch
I watched this a while ago with my Daughter who was keen to see it again. Different animals have to work together to make it aboard an ark to escape a flood. When two of them go missing the search is on for their safety. Very innocent animation which young children will love.




161. The Croods 2 A New Age (2020) Cinema first watch
Although I knew nothing about the original film, this was entertaining from start to finish. Some of these types of animations tire after 30 minutes but this was fun packed from beginning to end.



Well July has been my slowest month so far with only 14 movies watched as everyday life just takes over. Still well on target for 200 views. Hopefully August will be an improvement.

161 Movies Watched

39 Movies Remaining




162. Rings (2017) TV first watch
This movie tries so hard to explain Samara’s true origins and inject some originality but it just falls flat. There is nothing creepy about this film. The storyline has now been exhausted by this third instalment and with an ending so laughable, you may wonder how some movies get the go ahead to be made. Quite a few scenes were also so poorly lit that it was difficult to see what was actually happening. A tired ending to a franchise which was so promising in the beginning. 20 years ago Ring kick started horror again but as usual the cash cow drags a good idea through the mud. I would recommend sticking with the Japanese original.




163. Dangerous Minds (1995) TV rewatch
Michelle Pfeiffer challenges the educational system, parents and a class of underachievers to get them an education. Put aside a cheesy score and a few corny scenes, this film from the mid 90s still stands up pretty well. I saw this on its theatrical release and used to own it on VHS but haven’t seen it in many years. This really did take me back to a great decade of movie making.




164. Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers (1988) Streaming rewatch
Michael Myers has now tracked down his Niece who he is now eager to kill.
After a recent post about Halloween I decided to give this another look. There are moments of atmosphere/tension but the eerie feel of the original doesn’t exist here. Donald Pleasence does his best but Jamie Lee Curtis is certainly missed. Fairly standard 80s horror stuff but still OK for fans of the series.




166. Halloween 5 The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) Streaming rewatch
No. 4 started a new story but it’s here where things start to go off kilter. This instalment features some of the most annoying characters of the series. A few good moment......but not many.




168. Paddington (2014) TV first watch
After not thinking that this would amount to much, I was pleasantly surprised. Very entertaining for a kids film and very funny.




169. Wild Bill (1995) DVD rewatch
Jeff Bridges portrays Wild Bill, the man who all outlaws want to kill. Bridges is at his usual best in this Walter Hill film which I never remember hearing much about. With an all star cast and great narration from John Hurt, this has explosive action with a great script to match.




171. Land of the Dead (2005) TV rewatch
Follow up to the original dead trilogy. This film shows the privilege of being rich where the poor have to struggle for survival against the dead. Only the rich get to stay in the safety of a posh high rise, until a mass invasion. The best of the modern trilogy where it’s unfortunately all downhill after this.




172. Species (1995) TV rewatch
On its release it seemed like a big budget Sci fi film but now looks like a struggling B movie mixing old school effects with pretty bad CGI. It kept me entertained but I wouldn’t rush to see it again too soon.




173. Three Amigos (1986) TV first watch
I quite like Steve Martin but this was not in the same league as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels or The Man With Two Brains. The set designs were great but I didn’t really laugh until the amusing finale.




174. Paddington 2 (2017) DVD first watch
The Paddington films really are good fun. This second instalment isn’t just a set of rehashed ideas. It still feels fresh with a completely different story. Another amusing and funny film from start to finish. These are possibly the best family movies that I have discovered in a long time.