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jaygeuder
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Visiting Hours (1982)
My memory is better than this movie.
17 year-old me watched this on video in 1984. A couple of times. I liked it then and promptly forgot about it for over 30 years. I must have been more easily entertained back then. It didn't age well. But in fairness, neither did I.
The Warriors (1979)
A fun watch
A conclave of NYC gangs results in our heroes being falsely accused of murder. A gang called The Rogues is less than honorable...imagine that. It doesn't hold up too well, and maybe it would be hated by millennials, but for the over-45 crowd, this is a gem.
Walter Hill can make almost any scenario interesting, and his telling of gang bangers having to improbably navigate their way home is done with aplomb. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy this saccharine rush.
I watch it once or twice a year. It's a snapshot in time and it features many of the Walter Hill regulars. Including David Patrick Kelly, who must think, "just looks like a 'Luther'". It's worth the watch, I promise.
The Long Riders (1980)
A great watch
Walter Hill stuns again. Great idea assembling all these sets of acting brothers for this movie. What better way to get the family resemblances? Robert Carradine will always be a "Nerd" to me, but everyone else was great. Could have been longer...aren't most westerns about three hours long? This is like watching HBO's Deadwood's cousin...
Southern Comfort (1981)
A Walter Hill success
There are fairly obvious nods to Deliverance and even to the Vietnam War, but something about Walter Hill's work usually succeeds for me. This is one such success. The movie finds a way to be compelling and I watch it every few years, much like I do Warriors and 48 Hours. I'm also always fascinated by directors repeatedly using actors of many levels in so many films and seeing the overlap with other directors. The Deadwood connection makes sense and it's fun to see.
Semi-Tough (1977)
Meh...
I remember when Burt Reynolds being Burt Reynolds was enough to carry a movie. I don't think that's a concept that aged particularly well. I don't feel like this movie much went anywhere, but maybe I missed the point. I doubt it, but it wouldn't be the first time.
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Kung Fu vs. Rocky
I get the charm of "campy", but I don't love it. If you do, this film is for you. If you set you expectations for "Roger Corman", you can enjoy a movie that have bare breasts and a fight between Kung Fu and Rocky. The stunt doubles are HILARIOUS.
True Romance (1993)
Violent, predictable, fun.
This movie was around for 25 years old before I ever got around to seeing it. It's possibly the most violent movie I've ever seen (my wife left the room). I also saw the ending coming from about halfway through (and I'm nobody's genius). BUT... still a great work of fun pulp. Great actors make it even more fun. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it, although it would rank near as highly on my all-time list as it seems to for many of the other imdb users.
Heat (1995)
A marked moment in the Pacino decline
De Niro is great. Pacino overacts like crazy. Weird mannerisms, lack of eye contact, odd outbursts. Totally unrealistic performance that undermines the whole movie. Too bad. Remove Pacino and sub in a "fair" performance from, well...anyone, and my rating goes from a 4 to a 7.
The Beach Boys: An American Family (2000)
Comprehensive and Entertaining
Pretty in-depth telling of the story of the American Beatles. For a TV movie, this is really well done. I think it's a great watch, even for casual Beach Boys fans. There's no sugar coating of the bad stuff but it's still a pretty "feel good" film.
Thirteen Days (2000)
Brings real life tension to the screen
Well done film with believable portrayals of historic figures. That can't be an easy task. More difficult still, the movie brings to life the fear and tension that was very real at the time. I wasn't yet born, but it must've been terrifying and maddening. As the tagline says, "You won't believe how close we came".
Rocky III (1982)
Lots of fun
What it lacks in substance, compared to the first two, it makes up for in fun. Rocky is more polished, Adrian is more polished, the visages of Mr. T and Hulk Hogan...these all make this exactly what it should be, the movie that brings Rocky into the 80's.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Would have been a 10
This would have been a 10 if no further sequels had been made, illegitimizing this one. I don't think further sequels were planned, which is why this ended perfectly. If there's a dime to be made, leaving well-enough alone will never happen. SMH.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Spectacular film
If this isn't a 10...to what would you award a 10? Well acted, shot in a manner consistent with the mood of the rest of the film, creepy, engaging, scary and most of all, the movie succeeds without subtext. It's all on the surface. Proof that a movie can be great without needing to cater only to the self-proclaimed intelligentsia.
Vacation (2015)
The car steals the show
Great mindless laughs. The car might be the best character, but Ed Helms is always great, too. I enjoyed it and I'd go so far as to say it's the second best in the franchise.
Halloween (2018)
Lots of candy for fans of the original
A good budget, creative and talented participants and strong ties to the original should be a godsend. And it is...kinda. I liken this movie to being invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the home of a spectacular chef and being served only dessert. Really good dessert, but still, only dessert. I feel like the ingredients were there for a masterpiece, and instead we got "pretty good". Where the original created a diamond from dust, all I can say about this one is that it's not a bust.
If this is part one of a two-part sequel to the original and if part two is the main course, then this movie suddenly makes WAY more sense and is magically transformed for the better. I think a sequel is assured, but it remains to be seen if we'll get satisfaction or if nothing is learned from the franchise's past and an extended money grab ends in another laughable heap of sequels. That'd be a shame, but money beats art most of the time.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
An All-time Fave
I can think of no other movie that achieves the hypnotic blend that Blues Brothers pulls off. Much of the music in this film couldn't have been further from the popular radar than it was in 1980, and yet the movie made you love it. The delivery of the comedy is a snapshot of the time. Belushi and Aykroyd were at the top of what was hip, funny and cool at that time, but played characters that were far from trendy. For better or worse, comedy is no longer delivered as it was here. It delights my senses musically, visually and comedically.
Ray Charles with a pistol. Parishioners doing leaping back flips, 20 feet in the air. A flashmob song and dance in a soul food joint. A traffic menace warranting the involvement of ALL cop cars in Chicago. Ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome.
So many classic lines, and belly laughs that you don't normally get in a second viewing, let alone a 50th viewing.