cinema14

Arrival

2018-01-16T16:51:00.001-05:00

IMDB: Arrival
Source: Amazon Prime
Date viewed: January 14, 2018

The alien writing method seemed improbable, but then, I suppose if I accept that aliens have landed on earth, I've got to accept all that goes with that. I enjoyed Amy Adams' work, as I always do, and I really liked the ending. Spoiler alert! The mind time travel, or whatever it was, was enlightening to me. If we let go of the linearity of time, we are allowed to live in the present moment, which is all we were ever designed to do in the first place. - T

The Bishop's Wife

2016-12-22T19:31:00.001-05:00

IMDB: The Bishop's Wife
Source: Dad's DVDs
Date viewed: December 21, 2016

Another classic that I'm seeing for the first time this year. Not at all what I expected. I'm not sure what (or why) I expected, but it certainly wasn't angels and religion. Well, on second thought, I should have expected the religion...

I enjoyed Niven's performance, and that of the old professor, who gave me a great idea for a secret hiding place in a mantelpiece.

- T

Love and Friendship

2016-11-29T22:32:00.003-05:00

IMDB: Love & Friendship
Source: Amazon streaming
Date viewed: November 29, 2016

Lady Susan is more detestable to me even than Emma, but the supporting characters provided periods of entertainment. - T

A not unpleasant movie about a rather unpleasant woman. Beckinsale delivers a number of Lady Susan's lines as if she was reading them from a book rather than actually conversing, but the guy who plays Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett) does an amazing job playing an idiot. - A

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

2016-11-27T12:35:00.002-05:00

IMDB: Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Source: Dad's DVDs
Date viewed: November 25, 2016

A very nice holiday classic. - A

I very much enjoyed my first complete viewing of this Kris Kringle documentary. It really seemed like he was railroaded into that lawsuit, but at least the deus ex machina got him out of it in the end. It's just a shame that the reforms he initiated in the retail industry didn't last. - T

The Spy Who Loved Me

2016-11-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

IMDB: The Spy Who Loved Me
Source: Amazon Prime
Date viewed: November 19, 2016

Wow. What a time capsule. After nearly 40 years, this "action" movie is laughably slow and, well... though it pains me to say it, kinda lame. Even the classic opening is not as good as I remembered it. Enjoy!
- T

If what we once had, the Spy and me, was love, it is over now; we have grown apart. All that remains is a questionable affection for the dopey humor of Moore's later outings. - A

The Accountant

2016-11-15T21:47:00.000-05:00

IMDB: The Accountant
Source: Theater
Date viewed: November 15, 2016

An entertaining shoot-em-up. Affleck is amusing as a feelingless killer. Kendrick plays her part well. - T

The story didn't quite add up, but the body count sure did. - A

Look Who's Back (Er ist wieder da)

2016-11-15T21:42:00.001-05:00

IMDB: Look Who's Back
Source: Netflix streaming
Date viewed: November 12, 2016

I chose this to watch because I thought it would be a nice diversion from the recent headlines. As it turned out, it was all too relevant. It's an interesting conceit well done, not perfect, but entertaining and horrifying, all at the same time. - T

A reanimated Hitler dishes it out and the media Goebbels it up in a dismayingly accurate repeat of history. - A

The King's Speech

2013-01-01T20:05:00.003-05:00

IMDB: The King's Speech
Source: Netflix streaming
Date viewed: December 25, 2012

Quite good. Firth and Rush were great, and I even liked H.B.C., who sometimes annoys me. I don't know why it took this long for us to see the film. If you've been waiting for someone to tell you it was worth it, let this review serve that purpose. - T

Surprisingly fabulous, after a slightly slow beginning. I credit the acting as, in my humble opinion, the story line itself, if summarized, would fail to draw one in (spoiler alert: man manages to overcome stutter). - A

Shirely Valentine

2011-04-18T21:47:00.006-05:00

IMDB: Shirley Valentine

Source: Netflix

Date viewed: April 10, 2011

Holds up pretty well. She's entertaining, and who doesn't love a story about trying to be happy? - T

I really like this movie. - A.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

2011-04-16T14:37:00.008-05:00

IMDB: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Source: Jack's DVD collection

Date viewed: April 2, 2011

Funnier the first time around. On second viewing, Vince Vaughn really seemed to be phoning it in, and Ben Stiller's schtick was laid on a little thick. That being said, there are solid jokes some stellar cameos here. - A

I understand that Stiller is playing a hatable character here, but still, he's a little too good at it. As my esteemed colleague has stated so well, the movie loses something in the re-watching. - T

The Cruise

2011-04-16T14:33:00.003-05:00

IMDB: The Cruise

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: March 27, 2011

Entertaining and interesting. Timothy "Speed" Levitch is an artist. Sure, he can be petulant, bitter, and abrasive, but he can also be insightful, funny and genuine. Loved it. - T

The Silencers

2011-04-16T14:26:00.005-05:00

IMDB: The Silencers

Source: Netflix

Date viewed: March 26, 2011

Amazingly awesome and hilarious in the campiest way. - T

If you are looking for antecedents to Austin Powers, look no further. Great joke about Sinatra's singing and hilarious high-tech towels! - A

Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune

2011-04-16T14:22:00.005-05:00

IMDB: Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune

Source: Theater

Date viewed: March 23, 2011

I was a fan going into this, and came out a fan. It was great to see so much footage of the man. It's a sad story in some ways, but really, they all are in the end, and he, at least, made something lasting. - T

The movie showcased Phil Ochs' music, activism, and personal life. He did some great stuff while he was here. - A

Get Shorty

2011-04-16T14:20:00.004-05:00

IMDB: Get Shorty

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: March 18, 2011

Funny. We saw back when it came out, and watched it again on a whim. It's still good. Travolta, DeVito, Hackman, Farina... all good. - T

In addition to the above, with which I agree, I'd like to add that the story-within-a-story set up is well done. The ending works! - A

Potiche

2011-03-14T21:45:00.005-05:00

IMDB: Potiche

Source: Cinema

Date viewed: March 14, 2011

A friend invited us to go to a local International Film Festival screening of this film, and until it started I didn't even know the title. It turned out to be quite entertaining. Catherine Deneuve is fantastic. It's not perfect, but it's not too bad. - T

Potiche had panache. Deneuve looks great and is very good in her role. Jérémie Renier as her son entertains. But, as I find is often the case, there was a little something wrong with the ending. - A

Parking Lot Movie

2011-03-14T21:41:00.007-05:00

IMDB: Parking Lot Movie

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: March 13, 2011

Chosen largely for its runtime of 74 minutes, this turned out to be a very enjoyable movie. I am thankful for the image of the traffic-cone monster being lassoed and whipped, and I loved the unbridled contempt. This might just be the feel-good movie of the season! Stream it today! - T

If you are going to use your car to get someplace, at some point, you are going to have to park it. This movie shows how some people deal with that fact of life and with the parking lot attendants. - A

The American

2011-03-14T21:38:00.004-05:00

IMDB: The American

Source: Netflix

Date viewed: March 7, 2011

Boring and pointless. - T

I have no idea what they were going for here, story-wise, but Clooney looked good. - A

The Pillars of the Earth

2011-03-14T21:31:00.006-05:00

IMDB: The Pillars of the Earth

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: March 4, 2011 (final installment)

Too much strife for too little payoff. What should I have expected, I suppose, for a Middle Ages tale of deceit and war? Well, tough. I hated almost all of the main characters, except for Eddie Redmayne, and even he was hatable at times. It was not worth the eight-hour commitment. - T

All kinds of stupid, but it did get me to brush up on the British monarchy of the period. - A

Bright Star

2011-03-14T17:58:00.007-05:00

IMDB: Bright Star

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 20, 2011

I liked that this made me look into Keats's poetry a little more, but I have a love/hate relationship with bio-pics, which really is more of just a hate relationship. This one wasn't so bad, though, because I didn't really expect truth, I just expected a story based loosely on truth. Paul Schneider made Mr. Brown very hatable, which may or may not have been the real case, but now I'm going to be prejudiced against him... see what I mean? Anyway, Keats was a nice poet. It's a shame he died so young, but at least he was able to glean some of his teeming brain, and now high piled books, in charact'ry, hold like rich garners the grain of those who attempt to deconstruct the huge cloudy symbols of his high genius. - T

Hunh? - A

Good Dick

2011-03-14T17:52:00.004-05:00

IMDB: Good Dick

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 15, 2011

I liked Marianna Palka, and I wanted to like this film, but in the end it was sadly unsatisfying. - T

I was more satisfied with Good Dick than was my esteemed colleague. The ending seemed to follow smoothly and appropriately from all the prior build up. - A

Star Trek

2011-03-14T17:50:00.005-05:00

IMDB: Star Trek

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 13, 2011

Second viewing. Holds up very well. - T

Great! It boldly went where it had to go. - A

Ginger and Cinnamon

2011-03-14T17:14:00.005-05:00

IMDB: Ginger and Cinnamon

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 8, 2011

Loved it. - T

Ditto. - A

The Third Man

2011-03-14T17:10:00.004-05:00

IMDB: The Third Man

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 6, 2011

For some reason I had it in my head that this was a Hitchcock movie, but it's not. It was directed by Carol Reed. And now that that's out of the way, I can say that it was an enjoyable thriller. - T

I enjoyed the setting, most of the characters, and the plot twists. The ending could have been managed better. - A

Best in Show

2011-03-14T17:07:00.006-05:00

IMDB: Best in Show

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 5, 2011

Second viewing, but it holds up very well. Parker Posey, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, John Michael Higgins and Fred Willard are all fantastic. Hilarious. - T

I second my esteemed colleague's review of our second viewing of this film. - A

Someone Like You

2011-03-14T17:05:00.009-05:00

IMDB: Someone Like You

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 3, 2011

Ridiculous and terrible, but enjoyable enough when seen in the right company. Too little of Marisa Tomei. - T

Poor. And why not allow Hugh Jackman to have an Australian accent in the movie? Would that be so wrong?- A