1986
A list ranking all the movies from 1986 that I've seen. The order is based on personal preference (not necessarily in terms of the film's quality as you'll soon find out). I try to keep the ratings as objective as possible.
Some of the films I haven't seen in a really long time, so their positions on the list are preliminary.
Some of the films I haven't seen in a really long time, so their positions on the list are preliminary.
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- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsSean ConneryChristian SlaterHelmut QualtingerAn intellectually nonconformist friar investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.One of my favorite movies of all time. It's pretty disturbing in a visceral way. Everything is so dirty and disgusting and all of the actors and extras are really ugly which has a subconscious effect on you and gets under your skin. The score might be my favorite of all time. I've never heard anything like it. It's really unconventional and also helps pushing the feeling of unease. The performances are great as well.
9/10 - DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJeff DanielsMelanie GriffithGeorge 'Red' SchwartzA free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-convict husband shows up.I thought that this was going to be like a New York fairytale where the city plays a character in itself - kind of like After Hours or Desperately Seeking Susan or something, but I think that we're in New York for about 10 minutes total. I don't mind, though, because I loved this movie either way. I loved the story and all of its twists and turns. Sure, a normal person would never have gotten into this mess to begin with, but if you look at this as like a fairytale it makes perfect sense - a yuppie fantasy. One could argue that the entire movie is a daydream by our main character as he's sitting in that diner and wallowing in how incredibly boring he's finding his own life to be. Maybe I'm alone on that one, but fuck it, it definitely works for me.
Ray Liotta steals the show, though. He's so goddamn good and so goddamn terrifying. There's a moment where he's sitting alone at a diner, after some shit has gone down, when a character shows up and I let out an audible "NOOO!" out of sheer terror. Everyone does a great job with their parts, butI think he'll be the most memorable. The soundtrack is also fire. The only thing I hate about the movie is the poster. It makes it look like a stupid wacky rom-com with no substance.
8/10 - DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsErland JosephsonSusan FleetwoodAllan EdwallAt the dawn of World War III, a man searches for a way to restore peace to the world and finds he must give something in return.There's a very specific type of scene that, if done the right way, completely devours me and shuts everything else that I know and love whenever I see it in a movie. A slow, quiet, intensely mystical and semi-surreal scene accompanied by a strange and faint ambient melody. The only other example of this I can think of right now is the scene in Fanny and Alexander when Alexander wakes up in the middle of the night and gets lost. The Sacrifice by Andrei Tarkovsky actually had a couple of those scenes and so I was completely into this movie. It's what I think about when someone says "movie magic". The distant melodic crying that would appear every once in a while pierced my soul - so to speak. It was the most fitting ambience to underscore those scenes with. It probably isn't that big of a deal to most people, but I can't stress enough how much I can be enthralled by such a small and specific thing. Thinking about it afterwards, though, I can't exactly pinpoint when it showed up and when it didn't. I think it appeared when Allan Edwall said that he's afraid of Leonardo, which is the scene that really kicked it all off for me. The shot of them together looking in fear with the light shining in their eyes was really similar to a shot in Ingmar Bergman's Face to Face - which by the way includes the greatest on-screen performance of all time and is one of the most terrifying film experiences I've ever had. Sven Nykvist was the DP on that movie as well, Erland Josephson also plays a character in it and Tarkovsky was a known fan of Bergman so there's quite a few parrallells going on there. Although, they're two completely different films and I highly recommend them both. The spirit of Bergman's filmography definitely bleeds into this film, but it still manages to be a Tarkovsky film all the way through.
Why is it not a 5 star rating? The dubbing is really distracting. It might sound petty, but it is a huge pet peeve of mine. Susan Fleetwood certainly did a good job, but I don't really understand why they didn't cast a Swedish actor instead. Same thing goes for the maid. She only had one scene with extensive dialogue so it wasn't as bad.
I can't complain about anything else, though. The climax is so impressive. I would've liked to not have known about it. I think that would've floored me even more, but I've been watching Youtube videos about cinema since I was 16 years old so I already knew how the movie was going to end. It's a shame, but it didn't take away from the experience. Like I said, the mystical elements of the movie swallowed me whole. I have to rewatch Stalker because I haven't seen it since high school, but I'm pretty confident that this is my favorite Tarkovsky film anyway.
9/10 - DirectorMichael MannStarsWilliam PetersenKim GreistJoan AllenFormer FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial killer dubbed "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.Wow, this was so much better than I remembered. The tone, pace, directing and cinematography all seem to be tailor made for me specifically. Not to mention the score. At this point because I've seen over 80 movies from the year of 1986 as an ongoing challenge of mine. Had Manhunter come out any other year it would have been the best score of that year, no question. However, The Name of the Rose also came out in 1986, god damn it. Although, I'm pretty sure that they used Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd as temp music for one of the themes. They still managed to make it their own thing and it worked perfectly for the scenes it was used in, so it's fine.
The acting is really solid by everyone involved as well. Glowing recommendation.
8/10 - DirectorGiuseppe TornatoreStarsBen GazzaraLaura del SolLeo GullottaRise and fall of an Italian crime empire.This was like The Godfather on crack.
It is your typical story of the rise and fall of a gangster. However, it has the violent tendencies of the Italian B-movies of the era. It's like if Enzo G. Castellari took over the production of The Godfather. Or maybe the other way around is more apt. It might've been shot in the exact same way as those kind of movies - without sound. Ben Gazzara was clearly speaking English while most other people clearly weren't. As a person who loves these Italian B-movies I didn't mind at all. In fact, I might've liked it more because of it.
I kind of loved this movie. I loved the audacity of the violence. I was legitimately shocked by some of it. Both in terms of execution and in terms of "I wasn't expecting that person to die". I loved the pacing of this movie, it flew by really fast. It's sort of similar to the movie Blood In Blood Out in that way, but I think that this was a better movie. I loved that there was no romantic subplot. It just focused on the main story and the violence. I didn't want 25% of the movie to be about a marriage blossoming and cracking down. Although, I watched a 2h20 version of this movie and it's listed on IMDB as being 2h50, so that might be part of the movie. If so, then I'll gladly just stick to this version that I saw.
Yeah, check this movie out for sure! I shouldn't have to look extremely hard for a way to watch this movie. This should be a bonafide classic.
That's it.
8/10 - DirectorDavid LynchStarsIsabella RosselliniKyle MacLachlanDennis HopperThe discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.This movie holds up!
9/10 - DirectorOliver StoneStarsJames WoodsJim BelushiMichael MurphyA burnt-out photojournalist becomes involved in a Central American revolution.I can't believe that Platoon is the Oliver Stone movie from 1986 that is endlessly praised while Salvador has faded into obscurity. This movie was great. This movie felt way more real than Platoon which really overdoes it with the high drama, giving it a phony Hollywood gloss. I think that Salvador succeeds in what Platoon set out to do and failed. Despite not being as graphic it was more gut-wrenching to me.
This movie has extremely tight editing. The pace is incredibly rapid. Scenes don't go on for too long to the point where my mind wandered and the scenes that did take their time really benefitted from the top notch editing and the dialogue. One thing that Oliver Stone really knows how to do is writing engaging dialogue - even if his politics starts to take over the actual film every once in a while. This movie in particular is a true representation of that talent. JFK is a better movie, but the dialogue of Salvador was definitely more grounded.
Another perk of this movie is the ensemble. Every supporting actor and bit actor that appeared in this held their own. Except for that one scene when the ambassador was confronted by the CIA guys towards the end. His delivery was very stiff, but he did good for the rest of the movie. Every other actor sold their performance. I particularly loved the guy who played the archbishop. That might be my favorite bit part of the year of 1986. James Woods was great, John Savage was great, Jim Belushi wasn't as good and he still probably gave his best performance of his career.
It's a damn shame that nobody talks about this movie anymore. I loved it.
8/10 - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsMayumi TanakaKeiko YokozawaKotoe HatsuiA young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.Wonderful.
8/10 - DirectorNeil JordanStarsBob HoskinsCathy TysonMichael CaineA man recently released from prison manages to get a job driving a call girl from customer to customer.The ending did leave me a bit unsatisfied. Partly because of how abrupt it was and partly because of the bitterness of it. Even though it's probably the only way it could've ended without betraying the rest of the film's intent, it could've been executed better in my opinion. Other than that I really enjoyed this movie. It had a great story, great acting and great directing.
8/10 - DirectorPrinceMichael BallhausStarsPrinceJerome BentonKristin Scott ThomasTwo con artist brothers attempt to swindle a soon-to-be wealthy heiress, but things get complicated when one falls in love with her.One of the most fascinating movies I've seen in a while. I had no idea about this movie's existence until like a month ago and was determined at that point to get a copy of it somehow. It's like when I found out that there's an Italian James Bond ripoff starring Sean Connery's brother Neil. Just the mere existence of this movie was enough for me to be entertained throughout. It's not a great movie by any means. The story is incredibly simplistic and it's structure is as linnear as you can get. You can call all of the story beats long before they happen. Usually this would frustrate me to no end as I can't stand movies like that. However, I think all of the weird presentation choices and the music helped in turning it into more of a unique experience. Prince and Jerome Benton aren't very good actors, but they're very charismatic and likable so it still works. Kristin Scott Thomas is genuinely good, though. There was also a perfect combination of me laughing both with and at the movie. I laughed way more watching this than I did watching Three Amigos a few weeks ago.
If I had to describe Under the Cherry Moon with one word it would be "Charming".
5/10 - DirectorLeos CaraxStarsMichel PiccoliJuliette BinocheDenis LavantAs a deadly virus which infects people who have loveless sex sweeps Paris, a lonely pariah attempts to steal a potent antidote, only to fall for the mistress of his partner-in-crime. Is the infectious young love the cure to the bad blood?Obviously inspired by the filmmaking of Jean-Luc Godard. However, I enjoyed this far more than all Godard movies I've seen. Mainly because this movie actually had a story and the story was the main focus. All the weird presentation choices were secondary. Like Breathless, it has an elongated scene in the middle of it where our male and female leads just talk to each other in a room. The difference being that I actually liked it in this movie, because it didn't just seem like a "fuck you" to the audience.
What did I like about the movie? I liked the cinematography, I liked the editing, I liked the ASMR-esque dialogue. It's not perfect by any means, by I just kind of liked it overall.
7/10 - DirectorRuggero DeodatoStarsBruce PenhallMimsy FarmerDavid HessA group of teens are stalked and killed by a Shaman at a cursed camping site.By far the most nonsensical slasher film I've ever seen and I've seen a bunch. It's a relatively well made movie in terms of shot composition, pacing, music, it really takes advantage of it's Rocky Mountain setting. It's just that the script is utterly incompetent. The acting is pretty bad as well. These things working against each other, though, is the cornerstone of what makes a bad movie enjoyable rather than just being boring. This would be an ideal party movie if you ask me.
3/10 - DirectorKonstantin LopushanskiyStarsRolan BykovIosif RyklinViktor MikhaylovIn the aftermath of nuclear holocaust, a group of intellectuals crave to find hope in the pale and colorless new world. Among them, a history teacher tries to contact via letters his missing son.Very captivating, atmospheric, nihilistic, poetic and well made post-apocalypse movie whose production design you can almost smell. It had some pretty disturbing scenes that I feel will stick with me for a while.
8/10 - DirectorWalter HillStarsRalph MacchioJoe SenecaJami GertzA wannabe blues-guitar virtuoso finds an old blues player and hopes he can teach him a long-lost song by legendary musician Robert Johnson.This was just a solid and fun road trip movie with a great performance in Joe Seneca and decent performances by the rest of the cast. However, as good as Joe Seneca my favorite performance of the film has to be Joe Morton. Even though he only had like 5 minutes of screentime he was extremely fun and I doubt I'll forget about it anytime soon.
As I said, the movie is a solid 6/10 for most of it and then in the last 20 minutes or so it got Really interesting. It went in a direction I was not expecting. The climax was legitimately epic and brought the movie to a higher level.
7/10 - DirectorHoward DeutchStarsMolly RingwaldJon CryerHarry Dean StantonA poor girl must choose between the affections of dating her childhood sweetheart or a rich but sensitive playboy.This was a much better movie than I expected. Maybe "much" is a strong word... It was a better movie than I expected. It was much better than Sixteen Candles, though.
I really liked the ending. Not in a sense that I was emotionally touched by the story's climax, but the movie got pretty meta. Here's my take on it: For the whole movie Harry Dean Stanton had been unable to let go of the past until he has his arc. This functioned both as an arc for his character and as a set up for Duckie's character arc at the end when he finally decides to let go of his feelings for Andie. He is then immediately rewarded with a lady of his own. It was like the movie willed her into existence solely for that purpose. Duckie then turns to the camera and kind of checks with the filmmakers if this is what's happening. This really caught me by surprise.
Annie Potts and James Spader stole the show, though.
6/10 - DirectorCarlos Enrique TaboadaStarsAna Patricia RojoElsa María GutiérrezLeonor LlausásA 10 year old girl convinces a lonely classmate that she is a witch, forcing the child to become her assistant. Though their games are initially rather naive, they gradually take a nasty and violent turn.I enjoyed this movie, especially the tone. It's very light hearted even though it's listed as a horror film. I was expecting it to be more dark and twisted, kind of like the movie In a Glass Cage - another (not Mexican, but Spanish) horror movie from the same year - but it was completely different and I may have not liked it as much had it been that.
I did find myself becoming, not frustrated, but slightly impatient during the third act, because I felt like the movie was wasting too much time. I knew that we didn't have much of the 90 minute runtime left and there wasn't enough progression being made in the story. I had no idea where it was going. No spoilers, but the ending totally made up for that as I kind of fucking loved it.
Check it out if you haven't. It's hard as hell to find though - at least where I live.
6/10 - DirectorJohn HughesStarsMatthew BroderickAlan RuckMia SaraA popular high school student, admired by his peers, decides to take a day off from school and goes to extreme lengths to pull it off, to the chagrin of his Dean, who'll do anything to stop him.It's a classic for sure and I enjoy watching it. It's fun, not too long and has a killer soundtrack. However, I don't think it's nearly as strong as The Breakfast Club.
7/10 - DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJeff GoldblumGeena DavisJohn GetzA brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.The grotesque make-up and special effects work combined with the sad and tragic tone got to me way more than I remembered it ever doing before, in a sickening way that is.
7/10 - DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsKristy McNicholBen MastersPaul ShenarAfter she's been attacked in her apartment, Cathy starts reliving the event in her dreams. She seeks help at a sleep disorder research center, but in doing so she encounters some unexpected results ...The movie kind of lost me in the third act. The turning point was an elongated dream sequence when really inappropriate music was playing and I became really conflicted as to what I was supposed to be feeling. I have no idea if the general science is up to speed, or if it ever was, but it also started to feel alot more implausible from that point on.
However, up until that point I thought the movie was really solid. Alan J. Pakula is one of my favorite directors and to pair him up with Sven Nykvist as DP was a fantastic choice. The movie looks fantastic and I love the tone and pace of it. I thought Kristy McNichol was really good in her part. She had some intense long scenes that I felt she sold really well. Most of the supporting cast are good as well - Paul Shenar is one of my favorite actors, just throwing that out there. He wasn't in it enough, though. I wanted more of him, but Ben Masters was good too.
It's not a fantastic movie. It's not of the same quality as All the President's Men, few thrillers are, but I probably liked it more than Klute overall. Even though that's probably a better movie as well. Give it a go, why don't you? If you like psychological thrillers of this era, that is.
6/10 - DirectorJean-Jacques BeineixStarsJean-Hugues AngladeBéatrice DalleGérard DarmonA lackadaisical handyman and aspiring novelist tries to support his younger girlfriend as she slowly succumbs to madness.I didn't mind this movie at all. The acting is great, the beautiful warm color scheme made it very easy to look at, but I'm not sure if it's something I'll ever watch again. I can't explain why that is, it just is. Maybe I'll go back to it in 10-15 years, who knows?
7/10 - DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsDiane KeatonJessica LangeSissy SpacekThree southern sisters try to come to grips with the meaning of their mother's suicide.I'm currently going through the year of 1986 in cinema and my expectation for Crimes of the Heart was an obligatory boring Oscar-bait drama. I'm happy to say that I was very pleasantly surprised by this. It had a dark and twisted sense of humor to it that I wasn't expecting at all. It had an edge to it that I really appreciated. The dialogue is great and the 3 main performances are solid. Nobody stood out as being better than the other, they just meshed really well together. The Academy decided to nominate Sissy Spacek - I would've had a really hard time picking any of them, because I feel like if I had to pick one of them I would have to pick all of them. I don't really understand why Tess Harper was nominated. She was good I suppose, but she was barely in the film at all.
The movie is shot really well, it's really well edited, it moves at a rapid pace, the music is used very sparingly, it's just a solid movie overall and I'm happy that I gave it a chance.
7/10 - DirectorJackie ChanEric TsangStarsJackie ChanAlan TamLola FornerAsian Hawk (Jackie Chan) and his bumbling sidekick are sent on a quest through Europe to find a mysterious treasure held by a shadowy organization of monks.This was a very singular experience for me. I rented this on Youtube. This version of the film was dubbed in English...... Fine, I suppose. I would prefer to hear it in it's original language, but if I have no other choice it'll do. These fucking voice actors were the absolute worst I've ever heard. They were the definition of ear rape and I loathe them because of what they did here. For the first time in my lifetime I watched a movie on mute and it was totally the right decision. I would not have been able to listen to those motherfuckers for 90 minutes.
Fortunately for me, this movie wasn't really about the plot, but rather about the action scenes. And holy shit were they amazing. Some of the best stunts I think I've ever seen and this isn't even one of Jackie Chan's most well known movies. The car chase about 30 minutes in was simply amazing. When that car went over the bridge my jaw dropped to the floor. The fight scenes were also amazing of course. Jackie Chan gets all the credit in the world and so does the rest of the stunt crew.
If you can watch this in the original language then I would highly recommend it. Sure, there is some broad comedy in there which I generally can't stand, but need I repeat myself as to what the film is more so about? If the English dub is the only version available then just turn the sound off whenever people are talking and you'll be fine.
6/10 - DirectorFrank HarrisStarsLeo FongCameron MitchellTroy DonahueLeo Fong plays a private investigator who is in search of a young girl kidnapped by a religious cult. Destined to save her, he teams up with a Vietnam vet, a pro-boxing champ and a former cop to save her...The best part about this movie is when Leo Fong crushes some random henchman's head with his foot.
2/10 - DirectorAgustí VillarongaStarsGünter MeisnerDavid SustMarisa ParedesA former Nazi child-killer is confined in an iron lung inside an old mansion after a suicide attempt. His wife hires him a full-time carer, a mysterious young man who is driven slowly mad by the old man's disturbing past.Probably the most disturbing movie I've seen since Come and See. In fact, it might break into my top 3 most disturbing movies I've ever seen joining the former and Ingmar Bergman's Face to Face. Obviously this isn't as good of a movie as those two. Come and See is the most harrowing movie ever made and Face to Face has what I consider to be the greatest on-screen performance of all time. While this was a good movie, it does have some issues. Petty to some I'm sure, but we all have inherent biases both towards and against different aspects of filmmaking.
Nevertheless, the movie is way too dark visually. You can barely tell what's happening during crucial moments of the movie. Maybe it's better on blu-ray, but even with a lesser picture quality you should be able to see something other than a blur.
Secondly, the dad has the daughter doing something really stupid towards the end. Sure, it's not what the movie is about at it's core, but the fact that the Rena followed through with it throws the ending of the movie off for me.
Third, there's a character that completely vanishes from the movie about halfway through. It's sort of a "Chekhov's Gun" that, if fired, might've made the movie worse, but they could've handled the character's departure better.
I'm not sure what the dad's ailment was, but that could just be a case of me not remembering, rather than the movie not telling us.
Finally, the absence of any sort of law enforcement makes no sense. Once again, it's not what the movie is about, but it does make it a little silly to me.
Despite all of this, I do still think it's a good movie and I doubt that I'll forget about it any time soon. When the disturbing moments occur they do not miss many beats. It's not too graphic, I think (at times I actually had to look away from the screen), but the way those scenes are executed they didn't have to show anything too graphic in order to get the point across - obviously.
If you like disturbing movies I would highly recommend this.
6/10 - DirectorGenie JosephThomas DoranBrendan FaulknerStarsFelix WardMaria PechukasDan ScottA wicked sorcerer tries to sacrifice a group of people inside his house with the intention of using their vitality to keep his wife alive.I have so many questions.
3/10 - DirectorJohn Carl BuechlerStarsMichael MoriartyShelley HackNoah HathawayA wicked troll king in search of a mystical ring that will transform him to human form invades a San Francisco apartment complex where a powerful witch lives.There's some weird character dynamics in this movie which seem problematic. Both of the children go on dates with adults and their parents are fine with it, because they're like hippies or something. Wendy brings an adult to their apartment much like a teenager brings their new boyfriend to meet their parents for the first time. He brings a bottle of champagne. Harry Jr. ditches his family multiple times to spend time with an elderly lady. As far as his parents know they're fucking and they don't seem to care. The dad just wants to rock out to some weird psychedelic metal version of Summertime Blues.
The plot is kind of meh, I didn't really pay that much attention to it. I was fascinated by all the stuff surrounding it. The make up and special effects and puppeteering work is excellent. It was John Carl Buechler's bread and butter, so that's not surprising. I also loved the supporting cast. Michael Moriarty, Shelley Hack, Phil Fondacaro, Sonny Bono, they're all really fun to watch. All those forementioned character stuff, while baffling, makes it really fascinating. They have strong and distinct character traits and they're all performed really well for what the movie is. My favorite performance is by June Lockhart. She was just incredibly likeable in my opinion. Which is not something you'd expect to think about an old lady grooming a teenage boy, but somehow she pulls it off. Relatively speaking I would say that she gives an Oscar worthy performance, because the guy playing Harry Jr. is not very good.
Then the movie ended.
5/10 - DirectorFred DekkerStarsJason LivelyTom AtkinsSteve MarshallAlien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.Quite the overt homage to contemporary horror and older B-movies, but still a very fun and exciting zombie (kind of) film. It doesn't take itself too seriously which definitely helped. I don't think it would be very memorable at all if it had. Don't really have much more to say about it. Big ups for having Intimate Strangers on the soundtrack, was really not expecting that!
5/10 - DirectorFons RademakersStarsDerek de LintMarc van UchelenMonique van de VenA Dutch doctor, haunted by grueling childhood memories of World War II, struggles to find peace as he spends his life looking for answers about the tragic night that shaped him.It's not the most gripping, heartbreaking or perfectly executed movie ever made, but it's solid on all fronts. It's really well paced first of all, I did not feel the 2h20 runtime getting to me at all honestly. It has some really good dialogue which was definitely a factor as to why it didn't feel very long. It had a solid ensemble. I really enjoyed the inciting incident - a sequence which I did find to be very well executed overall. I don't think it got as good again after that. The story becomes somewhat predictable in terms of structure. You kind of get a sense as to where the story is going to go, but not necessarily how it's going to get there, if that makes sense. I don't want to spoil anything, because there is one plot point in particular which had a very satisfying conclusion towards the end. There was a divorce that I felt to be very unnecessary. It didn't add anything to the story if you ask me.
I can certainly understand why this won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. After seeing it, I still think I prefer Betty Blue personally, but I have no problem with this being the winner out of the 5 nominees. Like I said, it's not mind blowing or anything. For example, I would recommend the movie Mephisto long before I would recommend this one. However, I still think it's good enough to deserve a chance. It seems to be largely forgotten today, so it give it some love why don't you?
7/10 - DirectorDonna DeitchStarsHelen ShaverPatricia CharbonneauAudra LindleyWhile waiting for her divorce papers, a repressed professor of literature is unexpectedly seduced by a carefree, spirited young lesbian.Quality romance movie. It felt very genuine from start to finish. It had a solid structure even though it did something that I usually can't stand in movies where a conflict separates the main characters from each other between the second and third act. The circumstances that forced the separation in this movie was different than what the trope tends to be, but it is still an annoying trope to me nevertheless. The rest of the movie is well written. The romance feels real which is also helped by the performances, especially Helen Shaver who I thought did a fantastic job portraying her character. Patricia Charbonneau and Audra Lindley were both great as well. The movie isn't overly long. It doesn't dwell on plot points for longer than it needs to, giving it a nice flow and pace.
It's not the best movie ever made or anything, but for what it is I'd say that it hit it's marks perfectly.
7/10 - DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAssumpta SernaAntonio BanderasNacho MartínezA matador is wounded by a bull and can no longer kill in the arena. It is just one of the problems of one of the characters that unexpectedly collide in this film.It's not as good as Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, but it was alot better than I remembered it being.
7/10 - DirectorClaude BerriStarsYves MontandGérard DepardieuDaniel AuteuilA greedy landowner and his backward nephew conspire to block the only water source for an adjoining property in order to bankrupt the owner and force him to sell.Really solid movie. Great character dynamics, acting and slow burn plot progression. Is it my favorite movie ever? No, but I give credit where credit is due. I'll be watching part 2 shortly and only time will tell if it'll be worth it. Only time will tell if my rating will stand. However, I still think that the movie works well on it's own.
8/10 - DirectorClaude BerriStarsYves MontandEmmanuelle BéartDaniel AuteuilA beautiful but shy shepherdess plots vengeance on the men whose greedy conspiracy to acquire her father's land caused his death years earlier.Even though this probably had better high points. For example, the town meeting, the confrontation at the teacher's birthday party or the sit-down between Papet and the blind woman. I still do think that I preferred part 1 (Jean de Florette) overall and I think that Gérard Depardieu is a big reason for that. Yves Montand definitely carried a big load in this movie, but I just really liked the character of Jean and how Depardieu portrayed him. I also really enjoyed the dark humor of the first one while this was just a straight up drama.
I also think that you can watch the first one on it's own. Sure, there's sequel bait at the end, but it has a clear beginning, middle and end. I don't think you can watch this movie on it's own without having seen Jean de Florette. There are alot of things payed off in this movie that were set up in the previous one and I don't think you'll get the full satisfaction of those plot points being payed off if you just watch Manon of the Spring.
I do recommend both of them, though. They are really well made.
7/10 - DirectorTrevor NunnStarsHelena Bonham CarterCary ElwesJohn WoodThe story of Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for only nine days.I'm not the right crowd when it comes to period piece dramas like these. And while I did generally enjoy this movie, I still had a few problems with it. For most of the time I felt like the music ruined the flow of the scenes. It's a case of the film telling us what we're supposed to feel rather than letting the scenes speaking for themselves, which incidentally this movie would've been able to if given the opportunity. Is the producer to blame for this? Is the director? Who knows? I'm not looking it up right now.
Our main characters fell in love way too quickly, in my opinion. A day went between their argument in the dining room and their sexy times, had it been given a little more time to breathe it would've worked alot better. One could say that they cut out the fat, but it didn't work for me.
Both these gripes I have cater towards my biggest pet peeves in movies and that is why I'm only giving it a 3 star rating. Otherwise, the movie was pretty good. All the performances were solid and that's pretty much what this movie is about, so good job actors - especially Helena Bonham Carter.
6/10 - DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsChristopher LambertSean ConneryClancy BrownAn immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize".I both like and dislike this movie an equal amount. Russell Mulcahy directed this movie and he's mostly known for directing music videos for highly acclaimed artists and bands throughout the 80's. If you watch, for example the video for Vienna by Ultravox which he directed, you'll se that he's definitely got a knack for visuals and it certainly carries over into this movie. I love some of the shot composition of Highlander, most of it in the present day. The scenes in taking place in the past doesn't have the same flare for some reason. There will be some cool shots here and there, but in New York we get an assembly line of one crazy visual choice after the other. It almost looks like a Yorgos Lanthimos movie. I haven't seen this since probably the 9th grade, so that was a very pleasant surprise rewatching it today.
However, setting up shots is not the only thing you need to have a knack for when it comes to directing. In terms of acting, this movie is a free-for-all. Clancy Brown and Sean Connery are just doing whatever the fuck they want. They're clearly not taking it too seriously and are just having fun with it. There's evidently no clear direction because it contrasts with the tone of the rest of the film. Which brings us to Christopher Lambert who plays our main character - our titular Highlander. He is just awful. He sounds like he learned his lines phonetically and doesn't really speak English in real life. It makes for some laughs, but not enough to where I'm enjoying myself. It's really embarrassing. Russell Mulcahy's clearly not an actor's director.
Also, the make-up is horrible. There's a young woman who later becomes an old lady and they didn't even try to make her look old and decripid. That was funny. Kruger shaves his head at one point and you can clearly see the line of definition between the bald cap and his forehead. That was funny too. On paper, all these things combine should be enough for a movie to be really entertaining in a fun and schlocky way. It's not, though. The movie is way too long. For every fun scene there are 3 boring scenes. Keep it 90 minutes and you're golden. Although, I doubt that the intention was to make an unintantionally funny movie.
I think I know what I would've changed in order for me to love this movie - besides making it shorter. I would've loved if they had cast Sting as the main character instead. Sting was never a good actor either, but I think it would've been funnier. I would be chuckling to myself constantly by the idea that I'm watching Sting doing all this bullshit and poorly delivering all those cheesy lines.
One last thing before I go. This movie gave us the song A Kind of Magic, which is definitely in my top 5 favorite Queen songs, probably top 3 and I will be forever grateful for that. It was not Oscar nominated for best original song... All I'm saying is that it's a much better song than all the songs actually nominated for that award.
5/10 - DirectorTim RitterYale WilsonStarsJohn BraceMary FanaroBruce GoldMike Strauber catches his wife Sharon in bed with his best friend Jerry. He gets mad and takes off to embark on an adventure of murder and self-mutilation in demented games of truth or dare.The funniest part of this movie were the involuntary extras. When he goes to the beach at the beginning there's some random guy also in the shot and he keeps getting closer and closer to the main character. Later he guns down 3 old people on a bench next to a highway. Because they probably just filmed without any permits there are alot of cars going by in the shot. Which is funny in the context of the film that nobody cares about a guy in a mask murdering innocent people with a machine gun. They just wanna get home from work.
Is it worth watching the movie for? I don't know. If you like weird low budget horror then you might want to give it a chance. If not then you won't get anything out of it.
2/10 - DirectorStuart GordonStarsJeffrey CombsBarbara CramptonTed SorelA group of scientists have developed the Resonator, a machine which allows whoever is within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. But when the experiment succeeds, they are immediately attacked by terrible life forms.Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna were two perverted sons of bitches, but the movie is very enjoyable.
6/10 - DirectorKen RussellStarsGabriel ByrneJulian SandsNatasha RichardsonThe Shelleys visit Lord Byron and compete to write a horror story.Just as weird, but not as enjoyable as The Lair of the White Worm, which may have something to do with my viewing experience rather than the actual movie. Admittedly I watched a terrible VHS rip of this on Youtube with horribly muffled audio and low quality picture of course. As a result I had no idea what was happening for most of the time and I couldn't understand what anyone was saying. All I could do was try to appreciate the more superficial stuff, which I did for the most part. I liked the cinematography, I liked the Thomas Dolby score and I liked some of the weird and surreal visuals - like the incubus who's prominently featured on every poster but only appears for like 2 seconds.
I can't in good conscious assign a rating to this movie because of the way I watched it. If I can get a hold of a Blu-Ray or if it shows up on streaming anywhere I'll give it another chance. - DirectorLeonard NimoyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyTo save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.This is the first Star Trek movie I've ever watched. I've avoided them because TOS is my least favorite out of the old shows and the TNG movies looks like garbage. The only reason I watched this was because I'm going through every possible movie from 1986.
It was an enjoyable movie overall, nothing too fancy. There's a Voyager episode called Future's End which is very similar. I feel like a regular audience with no Star Trek history will enjoy it as just a fun time travel, fish out of water space adventure. I can't say that I agree with the Oscar nomination it got for cinematography, but it does look good. It's well shot, well paced and comedic enough.
As a Star Trek fan it was enjoyable to me in a different way. The whole way through I'm just thinking to myself "They're breaking so many Starfleet rules with this mission". They destroyed the Enterprise, they gave future technology to some guy and laughed it off after questioning the action themselves, violated the prime directive by saving humanity from it's natural extinction, they brought some lady into the future for seemingly no reason other than the fact that Kirk had the hot's for her, violating the temporal prime directive doing all of this. Like, there's no way that all of the charges against them would be dropped if this were to follow Star Trek lore. The Federation isn't just planet Earth. I'm sure that other species would be relieved that Earth didn't get destroyed by a giant mortar speaking whale, but they would certainly want to bring justice to the people breaking all these fucking rules - especially the Vulcans I would have to assume. Otherwise, what's the point of having all of these rules in the first place? Why not just go back in time to stop the Klingon war or something? Why not go back in time and stop the Cardassian invasion of Bajor? Why not stop the fucking Dominion war? I laughed out loud when the president of the Federation exhonorated them. It didn't make me mad, it was just unbelievably baffling to me in an ammusing way. If the movie was more Oscar bait-y it would've been infuriating, but the movie's light hearted tone helped removing that potential frustration.
I'm more open to watching the other Star Trek movies now after seeing this.
6/10 - DirectorDavid ByrneStarsDavid ByrneJohn GoodmanAnnie McEnroeA small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.Was it too quirky? Possibly. I might not rewatch it in a while, but I still enjoyed it. It's a very nice, sweet, innocent and easy going movie. None of the songs reached the height of Psycho Killer or Road to Nowhere, but they were solid, I probably enjoyed City of Dreams the most.
The best parts were whenever David Byrne showed up.
6/10 - DirectorJim HensonStarsDavid BowieJennifer ConnellyToby FroudSixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.A fun movie with excellent puppeteering, a good score and a very nice and pleasant tone. Some of the creatures were very annoying, but they didn't hog too much screen time to be a deal breaker. It's always a novelty to watch David Bowie act. Jennifer Connelly is great as well, of course.
6/10 - DirectorAleksey GermanStarsRolan BykovAnatoliy SolonitsynVladimir ZamanskiyA Soviet POW joins the partisan guerrillas and proves his loyalty fighting the Germans.I doubt it'll stick with me as much as Come and See, The Ascent or even Dead Man's Letters as far as Russian war/post apocalypse movies goes, but it was still a quality film overall. Solid acting, great pace and some well executed action scenes.
7/10 - DirectorKevin TenneyStarsTodd AllenTawny KitaenStephen NicholsWhen his girlfriend becomes dangerously obsessed with a ghost she contacted using a Ouija board, Jim reluctantly joins forces with her ex-his own estranged childhood best friend-to identify and exorcise the evil spirit.A decent enough horror movie with some neat cinematography and a nice score. It's not a great movie, but it passes an enjoyable movie.
5/10 - DirectorÉric RohmerStarsMarie RivièreMaría Luisa GarcíaVincent GauthierIt's July, and Delphine has nowhere to go for the summer. She feels very bored and "empty", but this won't last; one day she accidently meets someone who seems to be totally made for her...The movie suffers from alot of what I hate about the French New Wave, which is pointless scenes that go on for far too long. Even though this movie is only sub-100 minutes long I think you could trim down 10-15 minutes and still have the exact same message and intent come across just as well. The scene with the book club could be summed up in 5 lines, but it goes on for 5 hours. The scene with the two guys in Biarritz also went on for like an hour even though it was evidently clear as to where it was going very early on. There's a very long pointless scene early on when they sit around the dinner table talking about veganism. It didn't do anything to helping me understand the main character and it just went on and on. Hot take? Maybe. Did I not understand the point of the movie? Maybe I missed some subtext with that particular moment.
The movie got off on the rong foot with me. For the first 30 minutes or so I thought "Oh no, another bullshit French New Wave movie with no story and nothing for me to latch onto. However, the movie as a whole did make a solid job of making me sympathize with the main character. Once we got past those endurance test moments there was a story with heart to it. It was kind of like a french Frances Ha. Marie Rivière gave a really good performance as well which definitely helped in selling the character's suffering. We started getting more of those bullshit scenes towards the end, though, which ruined the flow for me. It made the ending much less impactful for me. The ending also felt a bit abrupt. Like, you could've spent more time on that rather than showing some random Swedish girl chatting up some random French guy for 5 minutes.
To cut a long story short, I'm a bit torn on if I actually liked the movie or not.
6/10 - DirectorBill DouglasStarsRobin SoansWilliam GaminaraStephen BatemanThe story of "The Tolpuddle Martyrs". A group of nineteenth century English farm laborers who formed one of the first trade unions and started a campaign to receive fair wages.Aesthetically it reminded me alot of the films of Michael Haneke, particularly The White Ribbon. Not so much the subject matter, it was not as subversive and audacious as a Haneke film, it was much more straight forward than that. It simply told a story of injustice and revolution and it told it in a very mannered way. The way it was written and directed it allowed the audience to think alot for themselves and it's probably what I appreciated the most about the movie. We weren't spoonfed any information with redundant dialogue or narration. Instead the images spoke for themselves. It had a good ensemble, great cinematography and shot composition, production design and make-up.
Will I ever watch this movie again? I'm not sure. I appreciated the movie alot more than I actually liked it. I watched it in two chunks. I watched the first half last night and the second half today. Solid all the way through, but I enjoyed the first half alot more personally. The way it was structured made us lose track of some of the characters and left me asking how they ended up where they did in the end. I felt a bit unsatisfied by it. I don't think we needed that final speech either. The movie forgot it's main strength of "show, don't tell". A simple look would've been just as powerful in my opinion. The message had already been delivered anyway.
If you like long and slowly paced movies that are well made, then you'll definitely like this one.
7/10 - DirectorJames IvoryStarsMaggie SmithHelena Bonham CarterDenholm ElliottLucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) shares a brief romance with George Emerson in Florence. Yet as she tries to move on with her life and look for marriage elsewhere, can she truly forget the events of that summer?As a movie it is completely fine. Not an unpleasant watch by any means. It has a good ensemble, it's well put together, solid dialogue, a good pace, it's not too long which alot of costume dramas tend to be. It was way more silly than I anticipated, which I felt was more than welcome. All in all I can't really say that I have too many bad things to say about it, but I did think to myself "Is this it?" for alot of it. It's a movie that's been on my radar for a long time and a movie I've heard so many good things about in the past. 3 Oscar wins and 5 more nominations? I don't think it was any better than a movie like Love and Friendship - a movie that nobody remembers anymore.
I'll probably come around with a more positive outlook on this movie after some time has passed. Right now I'm just feeling very underwhelmed by what was supposed to be one of the heavyweights of 1986.
6/10 - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsPaul NewmanTom CruiseMary Elizabeth MastrantonioFast Eddie Felson teaches a cocky but immensely talented protégé the ropes of pool hustling, which in turn inspires him to make an unlikely comeback.Not one of Scorsese's best, but it is a Scorsese movie, so it flew by anyway.
6/10 - DirectorRobert MandelStarsBryan BrownBrian DennehyDiane VenoraA movie special effects man is hired to fake a real-life mob killing for a witness protection plan, but finds his own life in danger.A decent enough action thriller that moved along really well. It did get a bit ridiculous at times with the effects to the point of just being silly, especially during that climax, but overall I'd have to say that the movie holds up pretty well. It's never boring, the acting is solid by everyone involved and the action is well shot.
The biggest twist was that they ended the movie on Just an Illusion by Imagination. Not on my checklist and a really pleasant surprise, because I love that song.
6/10 - DirectorJimmy T. MurakamiStarsPeggy AshcroftJohn MillsRobin HoustonA naive elderly British rural couple survive the initial onslaught of a nuclear war.Not an easy watch, that's for sure. It feels much longer than it is and I'm not sure if I liked it or not. However, it started getting to me alot towards the end and made me feel very uncomfortable.
7/10 - DirectorAki KaurismäkiStarsMatti PellonpääKati OutinenSakari KuosmanenAn episode in the life of Nikander, a garbage man, involving the death of a coworker, a love affair and much more.Possibly the driest movie I've ever seen. I didn't dislike it, but I have a hard time imagining myself watching it again.
5/10 - DirectorRichard WenkStarsChris MakepeaceSandy BaronRobert RuslerTwo fraternity pledges travel to a sleazy bar in search of a stripper for their college friends, unaware it is occupied by vampires.This movie had potential. It started off really well for my enjoyment, but it sort of petered out the further it went. Basically from the moment when we got the first vampire attack. The movie didn't do anything inherently wrong after that moment. It's more of a "me" problem because it didn't really affect my rating, maybe by one point. In tone the movie was similar to The Lair of the White Worm. However, this didn't have the quality direction of Ken Russell. The blueprint for a similar movie is here, which makes it even worse when it doesn't hit it's marks, because I love The Lair of the White Worm. Had Vamp been more weird and out there like that movie I would've probably loved it and for the first 20-25 minutes or so it felt like the movie was going there.
Also, Chris Makepeace is a very uninteresting and uncharismatic main character, which does alot to hinder my enjoyment.
5/10 - DirectorDenys ArcandStarsDominique MichelDorothée BerrymanLouise PortalSexual revelations emerge when a group of academics and their partners spend a weekend at a country retreat.It's an okay movie. It reminded me of the movies of Whit Stillman. However, while I adore those, this one got a bit tiresome for me. It's decent and I wouldn't dismiss it, but I'm not sure that I'll ever watch it again.
6/10 - DirectorRob ReinerStarsWil WheatonRiver PhoenixCorey FeldmanA writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.Rewatched this movie for the first time in probably over 10 years. It's a fine movie, but not as great as I remembered it being.
6/10 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowDianne WiestMichael CaineBetween two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.I tend to like Woody Allen movies and then forget everything about them after a couple of months.
Future Emil, you liked this movie. You liked the performances, especially Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest. Remember the dinner scene with all the sisters? That was a great scene. Remember when Woody Allen and Dianne Wiest went on a date? They went to see a punk band and then what looked like someone in blackface singing Cole Porter. They hated each other and then in the third act they ran into each other again and acted as if they'd only met on that specific time before. But, he was married to her sister. I might've missed some essential dialogue that explained this, because I found that highly implausible. Remember when Daniel Stern showed up for one scene?
You liked this movie. You only chuckled once or twice, but you liked this movie.
7/10 - DirectorJohn McNaughtonStarsMichael RookerTracy ArnoldTom TowlesArriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.This movie is very fucked up, in case you couldn't tell.
7/10 - DirectorJohn WooStarsLung TiLeslie CheungChow Yun-FatA reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.Pretty much exactly as I remembered it. It's decent for sure, but not at all on the same level as The Killer or Hard Boiled.
6/10 - DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsKathleen TurnerNicolas CageBarry MillerPeggy Sue faints at a high school reunion. When she wakes up, she finds herself in her own past, just before she finished school.The more dramatic and serious the movie got, the more tedious it got to me. I much preferred the first act when it was alot more playful in tone. Although, the weird old man cult at the end was a fun ace up the movie's sleeve. It came out of the fucking blue and made no sense, but I enjoyed it. The third act overall just got tiresome to me. It became evidently clear where the movie was going quite early on, so eventually I just lost interest in the plot.
The acting is good. Nicolas Cage was horribly distracting. I have no idea what he was going for. I have no idea if he's good or bad. He's just Nicolas Cage. Kathleen Turner was very good, though. No asterisks around her performance, she was good - pure and simple. Most of the cast surrounding cast are good as well, even though most of them have very little to do. They still hold up.
This movie was Oscar nominated for best cinematography, which after seeing it feels a bit weird to me, but it wouldn't be the first time that the Academy nominates a movie for random awards. It's not bad at all, but I don't think it stood out in any particular way. I really do think that the only reason it was nominated was because of the very first shot with the mirror effect. It probably blew their minds back then and made them unable to see the wood for the trees. Because the effect isn't very well executed. They're horribly out of sync with each other - more so the second time it happens. I think most of the memorable shots are in that first act. Had the movie maintained the momentum of that first act I would've enjoyed it alot.
6/10 - DirectorAlex CoxStarsGary OldmanChloe WebbDavid HaymanThe relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.This was a very fine movie with stellar acting, but I just wasn't very engaged by it. I wanted to like it alot more than I did.
6/10 - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellKim CattrallDennis DunA rough-and-tumble trucker and his side kick face off with an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.It's really well paced, well edited and has a good score, but it's not one of my favorite John Carpenter movies.
6/10 - DirectorDon BluthStarsDom DeLuiseChristopher PlummerErica YohnWhile emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must locate them while trying to survive in a new country.I don't really have anything to say about it in terms of actual criticism. The funniest part to me was when Christopher Plummer started singing about how Fievel should never say never and I started imagining him doing a cover version of the song Never Say Never by Romeo Void for 6 minutes. That never happened, though. Damn shame. However, I will say that I liked this more than The Great Mouse Detective.
5/10 - DirectorSpike LeeStarsTracy Camilla JohnsTommy Redmond HicksJohn Canada TerrellStory of a woman and her three lovers.This kind of felt like a Woody Allen movie directed by Spike Lee. It's a decent thesis statement for a filmmaker with lots of room for improvement. It's far from his worst movie, but also kind of far from his best. It's alright, I liked parts of it. I liked Spike Lee's character and how he was introduced and I'm always down for impromptu basketball conversations in movies.
I would recommend this. It's not fantastic, but it's decent enough for a first feature.
6/10 - DirectorTony ScottStarsTom CruiseTim RobbinsKelly McGillisAs students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.N/A
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSigourney WeaverMichael BiehnCarrie HennDecades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.I mean, it's a super solid movie in terms of structure and visual effects. I was not particularly invested watching it, though. I can't really describe it in any other way than my personal enjoyment just was nowhere to be found.
I'll say this: Did Sigourney Weaver really do a well enough of a job to warrant an Oscar nomination? When you consider the fact that Chloe Webb wasn't nominated for Sid and Nancy or that Béatrice Dalle wasn't nominated for Betty Blue I would say: Not at all. Maybe that's just me, but for the first 20 minutes or so I wasn't believing a single word she said. She does fine for the rest of it, but man, really rocky start with her performance. - DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenTom BerengerWillem DafoeChris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.This movie sets out to be this brutal and shocking "atrocities of war" movie, but Come and See this ain't. To me, it rings false for alot of the time. Whether if it's the incredibly cheesy dialogue or the over-dramatic execution of some of the crucial scenes, one death scene in particular comes to mind. Some of the supporting cast aren't great either. John C. McGinley was born to play Dr. Cox, but he is not a good actor otherwise. I don't think Kevin Dillon is that great in this either, same goes for the Harvey Fierstein guy. And holy shit, that final voice over was the absolute worst.
It's not a bad movie, though. It just falls into the same trap that alot of war movies do where spectacle overtakes the writing. The spectacle is great here, but the movie surrounding it kind of lost me at times.
7/10 - DirectorSergio MartinoStarsDaniel GreeneJanet AgrenClaudio CassinelliA cyborg is programmed to kill a scientist who holds the fate of mankind in his hands. He fails and hides in a diner in a desert run by a woman who likes him. The people who sent him are after him and so is the local arm wrestling champ.It's just as stupid, but not nearly as funny or exciting as I hoped. It ramps up a bit in the last 20 minutes, but it's very boring leading up to that.
Most of the laughs came during the climax. Like when Paco inexplicably growls before punching a henchman through his motorcycle helmet. Or when John Saxon says "Go after him with the laser!". There had been no pre-established laser up until that point. Or that the sheriff brought the injured lady to the gunfight instead of taking her to a hospital. It almost won me over with these moments. However, I can't look past that pointless subplot with the arm wrestling or that the main actor is the most boring fuck ever put on film.
3/10 - DirectorFrank OzStarsRick MoranisEllen GreeneVincent GardeniaA nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.I thought the first half was alot better than the second half. Steve Martin disappeared, the Supremes girls disappeared, the musical numbers were less enjoyable to me etc.
5/10 - DirectorPeter WeirStarsHarrison FordHelen MirrenRiver PhoenixAn inventor spurns his city life and moves his family into the jungles of Central America to make a utopia.It's Taxi Driver meets Fitzcarraldo, but fails to be nearly as good as either of those movies. I don't think enough was established to justify why the family would go along with all of Harrison Ford's ideas. I think we needed some more time before they went to the jungle to set up their family life more. To set up his violent tendencies, to set up anything really. Don't just show us his weird invention, show us how he manipulates his family to get them on his side before convincing them to go on this fucking death trip.
It's saving grace are the performances, which aren't fantastic or anything, but they do enough to hold the movie together. It looks nice as well, it's very well shot. The music is decent. I just didn't buy anything happening storywise.
5/10 - DirectorJames FoleyStarsSean PennChristopher WalkenMary Stuart MastersonReunited with his career criminal father, tough teen Brad thinks he's found his ticket to an exciting life of crime, only to find out he's wrong.I never got a good sense of Christopher Walken's criminal operation. He comes off as just a two-bit thief, but it turns out that the FBI were involved? We only really saw him and his gang stealing tractors and then at the end they murder everyone. It was kind of baffling actually.
I also found it very silly that the first credit after the end was the new Madonna song - before the cast even.
5/10 - DirectorBertrand TavernierStarsDexter GordonFrançois CluzetGabrielle HakerA troubled, but talented musician flees the US to escape his problems, finding refuge and support in Paris.Dexter Gordon was Oscar nominated for his performance in this, but throughout the movie I kept getting the feeling that he drunkenly stumbled through it rather than playing a drunk bumbling mess, which constantly made me feel uncomfortable.
I did like the score, though.
6/10 - DirectorKaren ShakhnazarovStarsFyodor DunayevskyAnastasiya NemolyaevaOleg BasilashviliThe story of a teenager boy in times of the comunism fall in the Soviet Union.Only really having this cover to go off of I was expecting more of a fun dystopian gang movie or something. I wasn't expecting a John Hughes type teenage romance movie. I guess jokes on me for not reading a plot description, but I was disappointed by this. The cover is very deceiving.
5/10 - DirectorDavid AnspaughStarsGene HackmanBarbara HersheyDennis HopperA coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small-town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the state championship in 1950s Indiana.It's exactly what you think it is.
The only thing I'll say is that I find it very strange that Dennis Hopper was Oscar nominated for best supporting actor for his role in this movie when he starred in Blue Velvet the very same year.
5/10 - DirectorTom McLoughlinStarsThom MathewsJennifer CookeDavid KagenTommy Jarvis exhumes Jason Voorhees to cremate his corpse, but inadvertently brings him back to life instead. The newly revived killer seeks revenge, and Tommy may be the only one who can stop him.Better than 1, 2 and 8. Not better than 4. Haven't seen Freddy vs. Jason in over a decade, so I can't tell. I think I saw the remake around the time it came out, but I remember nothing about it. Haven't seen the rest. I'm going to assume that this is one of the better Friday the 13th movies. I'm not a huge fan or anything, I'm just a casual viewer of the franchise. No strong opinion either way on this particular movie. It was alright, I guess.
5/10 - DirectorRon ClementsBurny MattinsonDavid MichenerStarsVincent PriceBarrie InghamVal BettinBasil, the rodent Sherlock Holmes, investigates the kidnapping of a toy maker and uncovers its link to his archenemy, Professor Ratigan.I mean, you can pick the logistics of this universe to pieces, like how Dr. Dawson somehow made it both to and back from Afghanistan in a human world, but that doesn't really matter. Professor Ratigan made his way onto a 12" record, obviously a human record because of it's size. In a world where you have mouse-sized pistols and whatnot, but he still had a human produce and orchestrate a record for a rat. Which means that the producer had a rat record vocals in a studio and then he had someone master it and then he pressed it. Did he press just one record? Was it mass produced? I would imagine that the producer would try to make as much money from this a humanly possible, unless he was doing Dr. Ratigan a favor. How in the world do you find yourself in a situation where you run errands for a rat? Did humans buy this record? Are they aware that the vocals are performed by a rat? All of this would suggest that humans and rats are capable of communicating with each other which opens up a whole other can of worms, but all that doesn't really matter. It's just fun to think about.
The movie is adequate.
5/10 - DirectorDerek JarmanStarsNoam AlmazDexter FletcherNigel TerryA retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.I was very confused about the various anachronisms. The movie takes place in the 1600s, but every now and then someone will read a magazine or smoke a cigarette. Sean Bean worked on a motorcycle at one point. Regardless of the intent it was a fun decision to include them, although I feel like that's all I will remember about the movie after a while.
5/10 - DirectorEdward YangStarsCora MiaoLi-Chun LeeShih-Chieh KingA metaphysical mystery about the lives of three couples in Taipei that continually intersect over a span of several weeks.Not my thing, sorry.
5/10 - DirectorJim JarmuschStarsTom WaitsJohn LurieRoberto BenigniTwo men are framed and sent to jail, where they meet a murderer who helps them escape and leave the state.I just didn't really like this one despite it being one of Jim Jarmusch's most well renowned movies.
6/10 - DirectorNuanxing ZhangStarsFengxu LiYuanzheng FengTao SongA young girl from the city is sent out to work in a village of Dai people in China's cultural revolution. Here she learns to enjoy being young and gains a new outlook on life.I predict that I will forget everything about this movie in a couple of months. Everything except for the funeral scene at the end which reminded me of the part of The Exorcist when we transition from Iraq to Georgetown.
5/10 - DirectorMike NicholsStarsMeryl StreepJack NicholsonJeff DanielsShe's a magazine writer who gives up her career for love and family. He's a playboy newspaper columnist who can't quite give up his old tricks. And if that combination doesn't give a relationship Heartburn, nothing will.I saw this 2 months ago now and I only remember the pie scene.
5/10 - DirectorGeorgiy DaneliyaStarsStanislav LyubshinEvgeniy LeonovYuriy YakovlevTwo Russians push the wrong button on a strange device and end up on the telepathic planet Pluke with its strange societal norms.There's a huge cultural barrier with this movie, because I didn't find it funny at all. I was mostly annoyed by it's quirkiness.
4/10 - DirectorRoland JofféStarsRobert De NiroJeremy IronsRay McAnallyEighteenth-century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal.This movie is way too fucking long. I saw it about 10 years ago and remember being very luke warm on it, I remember nothing about how watching it feels like an eternity. I guess that the nihilistic ending is what got the movie the Palme d'Or, but I don't think it makes up for the rest of it.
5/10 - DirectorMike MarvinStarsCharlie SheenNick CassavetesSherilyn FennIn a small town in Arizona, a mysterious man/spirit descends from the sky and manifests in a sports car and targets a local violent road-racing gang of motor heads, headed by a ruthless bully who'll do anything to get what he wants.The soundtrack sort of took focus from the actual film multiple times, especially earlier on. Scenes would just not start until we'd heard a fair portion of a song. Addicted to Love was one of the biggest songs of the year in 1986, so I was shocked to hear it in this movie from the same year. That's a problem, though, when a moment like that becomes the moment you remember the most after watching it. Because I didn't really like the movie. It was super repetitive, the action scenes were boring, annoying comic relief, I didn't like any of the characters. I fell asleep during the final race.
4/10 - DirectorLucio FulciStarsBrett HalseyCorinne CléryBlanca MarsillachA young woman abducts and subjects a doctor whom she holds responsible for the death of her boyfriend to acts of sexual torture.Bizarre opening, but by far the most boring Lucio Fulci movie I've seen.
4/10 - DirectorRanda HainesStarsWilliam HurtMarlee MatlinPiper LaurieA new speech teacher at a school for the deaf falls in love with the janitor, a deaf woman speechless by choice.Your typical Oscar bait. It's competently made, the story is coherent and it has a good performance in Marlee Matlin, but it's not much deeper than a movie like Patch Adams. The fact that they had someone narrate every bit of sign language rather than having subtitles felt really pandering and phony.
5/10 - DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodMarsha MasonEverett McGillHard-nosed, hard-living Marine Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude.Vanity projects, to me, are only enjoyable when the filmmakers behind them are delusional and incompetent. This is the silliest movie I've seen in a long time and the fact that there is 0% self-awareness about it should make it entertaining to watch. However, Clint Eastwood is not incompetent - as a filmmaker he is servicable, so instead the movie just becomes an eyerolling experience.
Granted, the final 30 minutes were alot more enjoyable. When it comes to Clint Eastwood's directing, the action is where he shines the most. He's no Sam Peckinpah, he's no Enzo G. Castellari, but he does know how to make an action scene exciting. But, that's all he's got in my opinion. His biggest flaws are his patriotism and ego. I'm not American, so the patriotism is insufferable to me and the ego is not particularly warranted either. Clint Eastwood is a blue-collar filmmaker in the sense that he doesn't stand out in a crowd. He is also the most one-dimensional actor ever.
Corny writing and bad performances made none of the characters likable. How am I supposed to like this movie when I don't like any of the characters? Ugh.
4/10 - DirectorAlan MetterStarsRodney DangerfieldSally KellermanBurt YoungTo help his discouraged son get through college, a funloving and obnoxious rich businessman decides to enter the school as a student himself.Generic comedy.
4/10 - DirectorStephen HerekStarsDee WallaceM. Emmet WalshBilly Green BushA group of small but vicious alien creatures called Crites escape from an alien prison transport vessel and land near a small farm town on earth, pursued by two shape-shifting bounty hunters.Very boring.
4/10 - DirectorRobert HarmonStarsRutger HauerC. Thomas HowellJennifer Jason LeighA young man who escapes the clutches of a murderous hitchhiker is subsequently stalked by the hitcher and framed for his crimes.N/A
- DirectorJohn IrvinStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerKathryn HarroldSam WanamakerA former FBI agent turned small-town sheriff agrees to help the FBI chief infiltrate the Chicago mafia when the FBI chief's son is killed by them.I certainly understand why this isn't a beloved classic, but rather a forgotten dud, as I can already feel it fading from my memory. And although it's always a pleasure to watch Paul Shenar act, it is not reason enough for me to watch it again.
There was one funny moment, though. At the beginning when Darren McGavin tells Arnold about the bad guys, says that his son worked for the FBI and has died. We get a fade to black scene transition to what appears to be some time later that day and Arnold says "He killed your son?". Which implies that Arnold just figured it out after who knows how much time has passed between the two scenes. That made me laugh quite a bit.
3/10 - DirectorJohn LandisStarsSteve MartinChevy ChaseMartin ShortThree actors accept an invitation to a Mexican village to perform their onscreen bandit fighter roles, unaware that it is the real thing.I found this movie horribly unfunny and there's nothing more miserable than watching a comedy that doesn't make you laugh. There are blueprints for some really good jokes, but they were so poorly executed that I was able to call the punchlines before they happened. Like the invisible swordsman or when El Guapo tried out his new gun. I guess I kind of chuckled when El Guapo got a sweater for his birthday, but that was it. One kind of funny joke does not make up for 1h44 of misery.
3/10 - DirectorLarry GrossStarsAdam BaldwinDeborah ForemanRene AuberjonoisThe Cobras, a vicious street gang, rule an embattled high school with their violent brand of terror. But they're headed for a showdown when an ex-gang-member-gone-good challenges their brutal reign.This is basically just 90 minutes of people telling Adam Baldwin that Cinco's gonna get him. At the very least the action should be exciting in a movie like this and while I did enjoy like 2 scenes, once we actually got to the final showdown I thought it was the most boring thing ever. It was stupid and it lacked any tension for me. Never once did I think that Adam Baldwin wasn't going to win the fight. Cinco wasn't a very well developed character and Adam Baldwin gave a very wooden performance, so I just didn't care at all.
I wanted this to be more like The Warriors. I wanted it to be gritty and audacious. It was neither of those things - It was lame.
3:15 gets a 3/10. - DirectorSidney LumetStarsJane FondaJeff BridgesRaul JuliaA washed up, alcoholic actress who is prone to blackouts wakes up next to a murdered man. Did she kill him and, if not, is she in danger?I just lost interest in this one. I got about 50 minutes in when I started to skip through it. The plot was very straight forward and predictable. The characters weren't interesting either. It reminded me of a shitty B-movie called Easy Kill starring Frank Stallone, but that one's alot more stupid - thus more enjoyable to watch.
A far cry from 12 Angry Men.
4/10 - DirectorArturo RipsteinStarsErnesto Gómez CruzBlanca GuerraAlejandro ParodiPoor Dionisio finds himself as recipient of the good fortune, but soon he forgets that everything that goes up also has to go down, and that in the depressing nothingness of his town it is easy to die.The only enjoyment I got out of this movie was that the subtitles kept referring to the roosters as cocks. "Release your cocks!" etc. Otherwise I really didn't get anything out of this movie at all.
DNF - DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsWalter MatthauCris CampionDamien ThomasThe adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.I'm never getting those 40 minutes back.
DNF - DirectorJim AbrahamsDavid ZuckerJerry ZuckerStarsBette MidlerDanny DeVitoJudge ReinholdA couple cheated by a vile businessman kidnaps his wife in retaliation, not knowing that their enemy is delighted that they did.I didn't get very far into this one. Broad comedy is not something that I associate with the Zucker brothers, but I guess that they needed cash or something.
DNF - DirectorMasanori HataStarsKyôko KoizumiDudley MooreChatranThe adventures of a young cat and a dog as they find themselves accidentally separated and each swept into a hazardous trek.Went in completely blind, only having a vague recollection of someone telling me about it a while back. Turned it off after about 20 minutes. Yikes.
1/10