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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
Better than UHF
I'm a big fan of "Weird Al" Yankovic. I don't have all of his albums but I have most of them. I've seen Al live in concert at least six times (the last time being at Radio City Music Hall in NYC). So I put my Weird Al fandom up against anyone's. "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" is a lot of fun. There are big laughs all over the place. The cast is very good. The story is off-the-wall but really clever as well. The major problem with "Weird" is its length. It's too long. A movie like this clocking in at 1 hour and 48 minutes is just to long. "weird" would have been a lot more enjoyable if it came in at less than an hour and a half.
Robot & Frank (2012)
It's really good
I was shocked by how much "Robot & Frank" hit the spot. It's really good. It is both sharply written and directed. It has a great flow to it. There is almost zero downtime in this movie. (I mean, it took me a couple of minutes in the very beginning but the movie just started so that stuff doesn't count.) The cast is top-notch. Frank Langella is terrific. Langella has never been better than he is in "Robot & Frank". Langella's supporting is also really good. Peter Saragaard give the voice performance of a lifetime. Even though in real life Susan Sarandon is a very unlikeable person, she hasn't been a movie star for years for no reason. Sarandon is very good in "Robot & Frank".
The Silencing (2020)
Good but it fumbles on the five
I was really digging "The Silencing" for quite a while but it ends up dropping the ball. It's a tightly directed thriller. The movie looks great and the music is perfect. The cast is mostly really good. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gives a terrific performance. Coster-Waldau alone makes "The Silencing" worth watching. I thought "The Silencing" was top-notch stuff but a couple of things happened along the way that makes me bring its overall rating down quite a bit. The first thing was the filmmakers thought it was a good idea to show a big sign saying "Clean Needles Save Lives". That's a sick, distorted message that doesn't belong in an otherwise main stream movie. Shame on them. The other demerit has to do with the villain's big reveal. It's ridiculous.
The Union (2024)
Act Your Age Not Your Shoe Size Mama
Prince sang that in his song "Kiss". I think it's time for Halle Berry to start listening to more Prince. I'm a big fan of forever dreamy Halle Berry. She's a classic movie star in every sense of the word (maybe the last). Berry has more than a couple good moments in the not-so-hot "The Union". But I'm sorry Halle, you're twenty years (to say the least) older than your character. The "young" hair-do hurts more than it helps. Like I said, I'm a big fan of Halle Berry. I think she's as dreamy as ever but I also understand that she's been making movies for thirty years. She can't do the kick-ass action stuff anymore. It doesn't work.
Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)
Uneven but still a good watch
When I was a kid my mother was watching "Sometimes a Great Notion" on TV. (They called it "Never Give an Inch" but that's besides the point.) The scene, I mean the scene everyone always remember, was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I was probably ten years old. I never forgot that scene. It took me many years to track this movie down. I never saw it on VHS/DVD. I just kind of ran into it ever once in a while. I watched it today on YouTube. "Sometimes a Great Notion" has its flaws but, for the most part, it's an easy watch. It's a great looking movie and its cast is very likeable. I should watch this movie more often.
Stagecoach (1939)
A True Classic
I first saw "Stagecoach" in a film class at Queensborough Community College (Queens, NY) in 1981 (or maybe '82). Over the decades I have seen it dozens of times. I can honestly say that it gets better every time I see it. It's terrific. Director John Ford and company hit the ball out of the park with this movie. It looks great. The music stays in my head for days. The cast is top-notch with one solid performance after another. "Stagecoach" is exciting and has quite a few laughs in it. It also packs quite an emotional punch at times. The chase remains one of the most exciting scenes ever filmed. "Stagecoach" is a true classic. (I watched "Stagecoach" tonight on Turner Classic Movies.)
Twisters (2024)
I had a good time
"Twisters" is a summer movie made the way summer movies are supposed to be made. It has a good story, a very likeable cast, great special effects and a great soundtrack. Screenwriter Mark L. Smith deserves a lot of the credit. He created a bunch of interesting characters and he gives then some really good dialogue. The cast is good across the board with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell coming in as best of breed. This is the first time I can remember seeing either one of them in a movie. I was impressed by them both. I had a good time with "Twisters". (I saw this movie at the AMC Raceway, Westbury, NY.)
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
I really liked it
Wow, you would have thunk it? The Ghosterbusters movies are one of the best series of movies ever. It's definitely in my Top 5 movie franchises, with James Bond coming in first. "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is one of the best of the series. I loved pretty much every minute of it. The story is very good and the cast is very likeable. I never had much tolerance for Kumail Nanjiani but, I have to tell you, he's terrific in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire". He got a lot of laughs out of me. This movie is a great watch. I don't want to say anything controversial so I'll put it this way: As far as the Ghostbusters movies go, I would put "Frozen Empire" in my Top 2.
Brewster McCloud (1970)
Good but not great Altman
"Brewster McCloud" is one for the books. It's definitely a product of its times. That is, the 1970's. It only could have been during that decade. As far as where it lands in the filmography of director Robert Altman, it lands in the middle (the upper middle). "Brewster McCloud" is an off-the-wall movie. It's also pretty funny. It's a lot of fun most of the way. It does, however, lose its way a bit towards the end. That doesn't its ever a bad movie. It's just that the last half hour or so isn't as strong as the rest of the film. I'm a fan of Altman. I watch his movies quite often. "Brewster McCloud" is not one of my go-to Altman movies but I enjoy it when I see it.
Un dollaro tra i denti (1967)
Worth Watching
I don't grade spaghetti westerns on a curve but I do judge them for what they are, spaghetti westerns. Spaghetti westerns are in breed of their own. "A Stranger in Town" ends up being a near miss for me. I thought Tony Anthony (Wow, that's a great name) was fine as the stranger and Frank Wolff made a good villain. The rest of the cast doesn't matter. "A Stranger in Town" (that's the title under which I saw this movie) has a pretty good first half hour or so but then it slides down for a quite a while. "A Stranger in Town" is never a bad movie but despite the violence is an often dull one. That said, I'll probably watch it again.
The Postcard Killings (2020)
Okay, I guess
I'm not against watching Lifetime movies. I've seen a bunch of them but if I can find a halfway decent movie on Netflix, I'll with that instead". So tonight I landed on "The Postcard Killings" and gave it a go. It was a okay. I didn't pick up on a key story element for quite a while but I caught up to speed. It didn't really matter anyway because "The Postcard Killings" is nothing special. Its story ends up being kind of silly. The direction is too serious and often kind of dull. The cast is fine, I guess, but Jeffrey Dean Morgan did nothing for me. As for the rest of the cast, the standout is Naomi Battrick. .
Dance with Me, Henry (1956)
It's harmless
I've seen "Dance with Me, Henry" many times. It's not Abbott and Costello at their peak but it's still worth watching. Bud & Lou both do a nice job. Their supporting cast is also good. The story is fine too. The movie does take a dip for a little while but it ends pretty strong. I'm a big fan of the films of Abbott & Costello. I've seen all of their movies many times over. "Dance with Me, Henry" has never been one of my go-to movies of theirs. That said, it remains an easy watch. There are worse ways to spend a rainy Saturday morning than with "Dance with Me, Henry". (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum.)
Carbon Copy (1981)
Not that good but worth the watch
"Carbon Copy" was known as a pretty bad movie when I was young. You could get a pretty good laugh by bringing it up once in a while. I don't want to say that "Carbon Copy" has aged well because it hasn't. But I have to admit, George Segal and Denzel Washington are very good together in this movie. The two of them rise about the material. On the the other hand, the usually likeable Susan Saint James and Jack Warden aren't as lucky. Saint James is actually pretty annoying. "Carbon Copy" has a point to make and that's fine but, unfortunately, its heavy handed approach smothers any chance the movie ever had. I guess I would call "Carbon Copy" a near miss.
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
An okay watch
"Beverly Hills Cop II" is one loud movie. All of the cop characters are yelling. Tires are screeching and cars are crashing. There's a ton of gunfire and explosions. And don't forget about the non-stop music playing. "Beverly Hills Cop II" is a big-time slick 80's cop movie. It's only real problem is the script. It's weak. The plot of the movie is kind of dumb. Along with all of the noise, the story drags the movie down. "Beverly Hills II" is made watchable because of the cast. The are a likeable group of actors. The weak link is Brigitte Nielsen. But since she has very little dialogue, they manage to hide her limited acting skills.
Major League (1989)
Big-Time Fun
"Major League" is a lot of fun. It has big laughs throughout. It tells it tells its story in a straight forward way with zero down time. The cast is super likeable with great performances across the board. They all get their time to shine. "Major League" is filled with great moments but none better than a two minute scene towards the end of the movie between pitcher Charlie Sheen and manager James Gammon. "Major League" is so good even the big game ending is edge-of-your-seat stuff. I first saw this movie in the theater (Movie World, Douglaston, NY) and many times after that on cable but for some reason I haven't watched it years. Shame on me, I'm not going to let that happen again.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Watchable but not that good
Shame on me. I actually had pretty high hopes for "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F". I thought the trailer looked pretty good. I should have know better. The original "Beverly Hills Cop" is a fun 80's cop comedy/action movie. The sequels have been pretty weak, including "Axel F". The action scenes are well done but they're not very exciting. Mostly because the story isn't very interesting. The cast is fine but I spent a lot of time looking at their hair. Eddie Murphy's "hair" looks like it's spray painted on. John Ashton is 77 years old and looks it. Add in his jet black hair and goatee and he looks 107. Judge Reinhold doesn't fare much better. "Axel F" is yet another straight-to-Netflix dud.
Nothing Personal (1980)
It's a pretty tough watch
They should have changed the title of "Nothing Personal" to "Nothing Works". That's because nothing really works in this movie. I don't want to say that the almost always reliable Donald Sutherland mailed it in but he isn't nearly as good as he normally is. He spends half the movie walking around with an annoying grin. The other half of the time he wears a bowtie. He is playing a professor after all. Lawyer (?!?) Suzanne Somers doesn't fare much better. She is likeable and she certainly knows how to strike a pose but she was a sitcom star at the time. On the big screen, her lack of acting chops really shows. "Nothing Personal" is an instantly forgettable dud.
Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
Robin Williams' finest hour
I saw "Moscow on the Hudson" in the theater (Movie World, Douglaston, NY). I also saw it many times back when they used to show it on cable. Somewhere along the line I lost track of this movie. Shame on me. It's terrific. I was never that much of a fan of Robin Williams but he's excellent. His supporting cast is also top-notch with the standouts being Elya Baskin and the dreamy Maria Conchita Alonso. Baskin should have been nominated for an Oscar. "Moscow on the Hudson" is not perfect. It does kind of run out of steam during the second half. It still lands its punches so the minor dips in movie are easily forgiven.
Burden of Dreams (1982)
Required Viewing
The late 1970's/early 1980's were the glory days of out of control/crazy/visionary flimmakers. There were quite a few epics that were filmed on location under crazy circumstances. William Friedkin had "Sorcerer". Michael Cimino had "Heaven's Gate". Francis Ford Coppola had "Apocalypse Now. And Werner Herzog had "Fitzcarraldo". "Burden of Dreams" does a great job showing up Herzog and company were up against. Which was more formidable: the elements/ local cultures or Herzog's vision? "Burden of Dreams" is an excellent documentary about a time of great directors risking everything to make the movie they vision. Sadly, it's a time that is lost forever.
Dog Gone (2023)
It lands its punches
I wasn't expecting that much when I sat down to watch "Dog Gone". It's not that I though it was going to be bad. I thought it would be okay but it ended up being really good. "Dog Gone" knows what it is and hits every target it aims at. It lands a lot more punches than than you might expect. "Dog Gone" has a bunch of really nice moments. Its cast is very good. There are no weak links in the bunch. It's a good looking movie too. It took a few minutes for me to get on board with "Dog Gone". But once Gonker goes missing, the movie had me and never lost me. Most straight-to-Netflix movies are instantly forgettable. "Dog Gone" is not. I'll be watching it again pretty soon. Honorable mention: the biker dude scene.
The Big Mouth (1967)
A little long but pretty funny
Writer/director/producer/star Jerry Lewis does a really nice job with "The Big Mouth". There are quite a few laughs in this movie. I mean, how couldn't like a movie that had both Colonel Sanders and Charlie Callas. As far as Callas goes, half the time I was laughing with him the rest of the time I was laughing at him. Either way, I laughed. The rest of the cast was pretty good with Jerry's leading lady, Susan Bay Nimoy being the only weak link. Nimoy did nothing for me. She was as bland as they come. The other demerit "The Big Mouth" gets has to do with its length. It's too long by at least fifteen minutes. All that said, I got a kick out of this movie.
Firestarter (1984)
It's actually really bad
"Firestarter" has a lot going for it but at the end of the day, it's pretty bad. It's a great looking movie. The special effects/pyrotechnics are top-notch. The cast is very likeable but most of the performances are just middle of the road. At the end of the day, "Firestarter' is just too stupid to be enjoyed. It's a big budget Stephen King '80s movie that will always be remembered but not by me. (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum. That's pretty hard sometimes... Like tonight. I enjoyed "Firestarter" as a throw-back thing king of thing but the movie itself, is pretty bad...Oh boy I'm still short on characters...)
The Stone Killer (1973)
Bronson delivers the goods
Charles Bronson does a top-notch job in "The Stone Killer". Bronson is given a great character to play and he takes advantage of the opportunity. It's one of his best performances. He strikes just the right tone for a character who's not the easiest to play. Bronson's supporting cast is one of his best. Norman Fell may never have been better. Pa Walton (Ralph Waite) took a while to get used to playing a racist tough-guy cop but at the end of the day, he played that guy just right. Waite ends up giving a very good performance and he also gets quite a few laughs. Thanks to Charles Bronson's performance, "The Stone Killer" ends up being a pretty satisfying watch.
Alone (2020)
Wow, this one surprised me
"Alone" came out of nowhere for me. On Saturday nights I usually end up watching a Lifetime movie. That's not a dis (Dis is spelled with one S. I looked it up.) on Lifetime movies. A lot of them are pretty good. (Although, I'm not a fan of the true story ones.) But anyway, sometimes on Saturday nights I like to check out Netflix first to see if I can find a cash equivalent. That's how I ended up watching "Alone". Wow, I can't tell you how surprised I was by this movie. It's really good. Edge-of-your-seat stuff pretty much every step of the way. Director John Hyams and company deserve a bunch of bonus points for this one. "Alone" might be the best straight-to-Netflix movie I've ever seen. (Just for the record, I liked this movie a lot more than my wife. She thought it was okay.)
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Coppola pulls a rabbit out of his hat
Director-for-hire Francis Ford Coppola makes lemonade of lemons with "Peggy Sue Got Married". It doesn't have the greatest script. The project passed through several hands (including Jonathan Demme and Penny Marshall) before it ended up in Coppola's hands. Coppola ended up doing a very nice job with it. "Peggy Sue Got Married" takes a while to get going but after a half hour or so it gets into a nice grove. The movie does take a few dips along the way but the overall effect is quite satisfying. Coppola lands quite a few punches so those bumps in the road don't have that much of an impact. Although not one of Coppola's best movies, "Peggy Sue Got Married" is definitely worth watching.