Didn’t make it to the mulitplex at all over the past month so I think I was able to fit in a few more movies in at home. So, here are the films I watched in the comfort of my home over the past few weeks…
Goldfinger- Arguably, the best of the Bond films and featured in an ep of our Podcast “Watching Again for the First Time” (links in the podcast section!)
Kieth Richards: Under the Influence- This is a doc about Richard’s musical influences and a peak into his life in 2015, when this doc was made. I liked it.
Practical Magic- I think this was my first time seeing this 1998 Sandra Bullock/Nicole Kidman flick. It’s not bad. I know a lot of people love it.
Targets- I’m a little embarrassed to say that this was my first time seeing Peter Bogdanovich’s first film. It really did live up to it’s reputation. I really liked it.
Highlander: Endgame- While I don’t think this Highlander sequel that reunites Connor MacLeod and Duncan MacLeod is all that good. It’s not as bad as it’s reputation but it’s also far from great. Hadn’t seen it in a good long while. I think I liked it better when it was new.
Red Headed Stranger- Between this one and Barbarosa, I don’t think Willie Nelson gets enough credit for his acting ability. While he did go on to do some made for TV westerns, he never came back for another serious theatrical western. It’s a shame.
The Comeback Trail- An interesting little film from 2020 that I didn’t even know existed, starring Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Zach Braff, and Morgan Freeman. With that group if actors it should have been better. Though it’s certainly watchable. Kind of a re-imagining of The Producers.
The Kid Who Would be King- My first time seeing this English family film, riffing on the King Arthur legend. It was entertaining enough. I think I’d have liked it more if I were 12 years old.
Plan 9 From Outer Space- So bad it’s good and featured in an ep of our Podcast.
Ed Wood- Still a great film and featured in an ep of our Podcast.
Devo- This new Doc about the 70’s/80’s band is really interesting. Especially if you lived through those times.
Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat- See Classics section for full review.
The Quick and the Dead- This is the 1987 made for HBO movie starring Sam Elliott, Tom Conti and Kate Capshaw. It’s not trying to reinvent anything or do anything new, but it’s hard to NOT enjoy a western with Sam Elliott in it.
Come From Away- This is the 2021 released presentation of the Broadway play about the events of 9/11 and how they affected a small Canadian town. I liked the beginning and then end. It meanders a bit in the middle and didn’t hold my attention very well. But I’m glad I saw it.
Bionic Showdown- The second of three follow up TV movies to the Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman shows. This one featuring a young Sandra Bullock as a newly bioniced woman. I recall seeing it when it originally aired in the late ‘80’s. It’s sometimes goofy and it’s very low budget shows. But it’s Steve Austin and Jamie Summers!!
Another 48hrs- I’d forgotten just how much this sequel follows the same structure as the first film. It’s still fairly entertaining, due mainly to Eddie Murphy and, yes, Nick Nolte.
Blitz- This film about a young mother who sends her son out of London to “the country” to keep him safe is interesting, but the kid really started to get on my nerves. He was kind of annoying.
The Rough Riders- Not really a movie, but a 2 part 1997 mini-series about Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, starring Tom Berenger and, again, Sam Elliott. I still enjoyed it.
Joy Ride- Surprisingly funny comedy about a group of young Asian-American women who take a trip to China for business but craziness ensues. A funny cast make up for a premise we’ve seen before.
Something Wild- I hadn’t watched this early Jonathan Demme film in about 30 years. I recalled really loving it. This time I didn’t love it. Jeff Daniels got on my nerves but Ray Liotta is still as scary as I remembered.
The Thursday Murder Club- A new Netflix mystery film that is just “fine”. Though I would watch if they make more. The cast of Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley are fun together.
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan- A pretty good doc about how Ed Sullivan gave African American acts exposure at a time when no one else on TV would. He was an interesting and classy man.
Audrey’s Children- Based on the life and career of Dr. Audrey Evans who developed revolutionary treatments for cancer in the mid 1960’s and how her work brought about the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House. It’s good, but not great. Worth a look though.
Monster Summer- Obviously made to capitalize on the success of Stranger Things. This is a family friendly horror flick that features Mel Gibson as the only man in town who believes the kids. It’s ok, but doesn’t really try to rise above that.
Dr. No- Had a craving for Bond and thought I’d return to the first one. That first reveal of James Bond still has to be one of the greatest character reveals in movie history.
Patton- Here’s a flick I hadn’t seen since I was a kid. There’s no way I appreciated this film back then. It’s long, nearly 3hrs, but George C. Scott’s scenery chewing, Oscar winning, performance keeps your interest from beginning to end.
Add comment
Comments