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Carrie (2013)
Weak by comparison
In Brian De Palma's "Carrie" (1976) the mother had an important role but the movie was about Carrie. I didn't have a stop watch but if I did, I'm guessing that a glammed down Julianne Moore (as the mom) has almost as much screen time as Carrie. In the original "Carrie" Piper Laurie played the mom and she earned an Oscar nomination. Moore is in full Oscar fishing mode in this movie. She does a nice job but her scenes end up being a bit much. Chloe Grace Moretz is in over her head as Carrie. She's an appealing actress. She's fine for the most part but when the big finale comes, she's as unconvincing as they come. Oh bye the way, the big prom scene ends up being less than thrilling. "Carrie" ends up being a hard pass for anyone who's seen the original.
Smorgasbord (The Movie) (1983)
Silly but very funny
I don't know if I was laughing with "Smorgasbord (The Movie)" (that's title under which I watched this movie) or laughing at it but it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that I was laughing. "Smorgasbord" is a funny movie. It's very silly but I laughed a lot. I laughed out loud more than a few times. Writer/director/star Jerry Lewis really delivers the goods with this movie. Lewis gives a very funny performance and he gets fun performances out of his supporting cast. Even Forster Brooks' cameo is pretty funny. "Smorgasbord" is a funny movie that I need to watch more often. (I watched this movie on Turner Classic Movies.)
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
It crashes and burns
I was okay with "The Rage: Carrie 2" for quite a while. It wasn't great but it wasn't that bad either. For the first hour or so it was a watchable 90's horror movie. I kept wondering why it was rated R because it was all pretty tame. However, the cast was likeable and that goes a long way for me. "The Rage: Carrie 2" is barley a sequel. It's more of a remake that tries to sell itself as a sequel. Whatever, I was fine with that until the movies fell apart on its way to Carrie's, I mean Rachel's, big flip out. The finale we've all been waiting for ends up being really stupid. "The Rage: Carrie 2" really drops the ball during the last half hour.
Carrie (1976)
The bloom is off the rose
I've seen "Carrie" a bunch of times. I guess I always liked it but watching it tonight it kind of left me flat. "Carrie" has been copied/ ripped off (often by its own director Brian De Palma)/ parodied so much over the years that the impact of the film has been diminished quite a bit. It's classic De Palma style over substance. As far as 1970's low budget horror movies, "Carrie" is better than a lot of them but it hasn't aged that well. Sissy Spacek gives a great performance. The supporting cast is good including the forever dreamy Nancy Allen. De Palma's direction is standout stuff at times but also very show-offy. That said, "Carrie" is still worth watching. (I saw this movie on Tubi.)
Identity Thief (2013)
A lot of laughs
"Identity Thief" is a lot of fun. Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy both give terrific performances. Their supporting cast is also very good. There are a bunch of big laughs in this movie. Now, there a scene or two (one in particular) that I could have done without but none of that is a deal breaker. The movie is also a little too long. An hour and fifty minutes is too long for a movie like this. I 've seen "Identity Thief" a few times now. I always get a kick out of it. (This time I watched "Identity Thief" on Netflix. I know you don't care where I saw this movie but IMDB has a six hundred character minimum so...)
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989)
Goofy Fun
"Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland" is a goofy movie and it knows it. It also has a certain charm. The cast is appealing with the standout (non-naked standout that is) being the very likeable Pamela Springsteen. I don't think I'd call "Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland" a comedy but it does have a lot of fun with the material. This movie also has a scene that made me feel uncomfortable. The wildly dreamy Stacie Lambert has a great nude scene where she looks stunning but, unfortunately, she has to spend it making out with Michael J. Pollard. Yikes. That's cruel and unusual punishment for both Lambert and the audience.
Spooks Run Wild (1941)
It's a long hour (and five minutes)
Back in the glory days of VHS I used to see "Spooks Run Wild" in the bargain bin all of the time. A bunch of different companies released this public domain movie. Without fail it was always a crappy looking copy. "Spooks Run Wild" used to show up once in a while on late (late) night television but it was also always a lousy looking copy. When I saw that Turner Classic Movies was showing this movie I had hopes that I would finally get a chance to see a decent copy. No such luck. TCM's copy of "Spooks Run Wild" is just a crappy as all of the others. Bummer. The poor quality of the video plus the cheap production values and almost zero laughs make "Spooks Run Wild" a very difficult watch.
Crime School (1938)
Worth Watching
Now, I must admit when it comes to prison movies I prefer the chicks-in-chains kind. Movies like "Caged Heat", "Chain Heat" and "Jailbait" are more my speed but I can watch guys in jail movies too. They're just not as much fun. That said, "Crime School" is a pretty good watch. It has the Dead Kids/Bowery Boys/whatever you want to call them playing it straight, for the most part. There is only one scene that is played for laughs and that scene is probably the weakest in the movie. "Crime School" clocks in at a friendly hour and twenty five minutes but would have been better if it was a little shorter. Taking that goofy painting the room scene out would have helped the movie out quite a bit. (I watched "Crime School" on Turner Classic Movies.)
Hardcore (1979)
An Unpleasant Watch
I've seen "Hardcore" more than a few times including once in the theater when it first came out (Floral Park, NY). It's not an easy watch. George C. Scott gives a terrific performance in this movie. His supporting cast is pretty good too with the standout being Peter Boyle. "Hardcore" has more than a handful of good moments. The problem is that the movie is relentlessly downbeat. "Hardcore" is too much of a drag to be really enjoyed. Write/director Paul Schrader tries to lighten things up by throwing in the funny porn producer scenes but those parts don't really work. The scene with Scott wearing a wig and fake moustache gets a couple of laughs but at Scott's expense. He looks ridiculous. It's borderline camp. That said, "Hardcore" is worth watching.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)
Worth Watching
"Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" is a pretty nutty movie. The last half of this movie is off-the-charts. Throw in some nice nudity and you end up with a pretty easy watch. I didn't watch many slasher movies during their glory days in the 1980's. Over the years, I've softened up a little. I'm still not the biggest fan of the genre but I've been watching them more and more. As far as 80's horror goes, "Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" is pretty good. The cast is likeable and the scares are pretty good. For a low budget slasher, the special effects are rather impressive at times. (I watched this movie on Tubi.)
Which Way to the Front? (1970)
Not as bad as Leonard Maltin says
Leonard Maltin is a Hall of Fame film critic but he's way off when it comes to Jerry Lewis' "Which Way to the Front?". Maltin gave it a BOMB. That's his worst rating. Lighten up Leonard. It's not that bad. It's not that good but it's not a bomb. It does have quite a few laughs. Jerry seems to be enjoying himself. He seems to be having fun with his supporting. The problem with "Which Way to the Front?" has to do with the script (which Jerry didn't write). So what happens is that the movie ends up having Jerry stretch things out. A lot of the stuff is funny but it ends up being too much of a good thing. The last twenty minutes or so has a few laughs but it's mostly Jerry screaming. I'm a fan of Jerry Lewis but I won't be watching this one anytime soon. Honorable mention: Jan Murray.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
The weak cast hurts more than it helps
I don't know why but I fell for the "Alien: Romulus" hype. I don't want to say that I was disappointed but I guess I was. I should have know better. It is a Part 9 after all. "Alien: Romulus" is a good looking movie but it suffers from a "been there, done that" script and a weak check-all-the-boxes cast. The cast works hard but they're in over their heads. They range from bland to annoying with David Jonsson and Aileen Wu being the annoying ones. (I'll give Jonsson a slight break because his character isn't a good one.) "Alien: Romulus" gets off to a bad start but gains its balance during the middle hour. Unfortunately, it spins out of control during the last half hour or so. (I saw this movie at AMC Raceway 10, Westbury, NY.)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
Better than UHF
I'm a big fan of "Weird Al" Yankovic. I don't have all of his albums but I have most of them. I've seen Al live in concert at least six times (the last time being at Radio City Music Hall in NYC). So I put my Weird Al fandom up against anyone's. "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" is a lot of fun. There are big laughs all over the place. The cast is very good. The story is off-the-wall but really clever as well. The major problem with "Weird" is its length. It's too long. A movie like this clocking in at 1 hour and 48 minutes is just to long. "weird" would have been a lot more enjoyable if it came in at less than an hour and a half.
Robot & Frank (2012)
It's really good
I was shocked by how much "Robot & Frank" hit the spot. It's really good. It is both sharply written and directed. It has a great flow to it. There is almost zero downtime in this movie. (I mean, it took me a couple of minutes in the very beginning but the movie just started so that stuff doesn't count.) The cast is top-notch. Frank Langella is terrific. Langella has never been better than he is in "Robot & Frank". Langella's supporting is also really good. Peter Saragaard give the voice performance of a lifetime. Even though in real life Susan Sarandon is a very unlikeable person, she hasn't been a movie star for years for no reason. Sarandon is very good in "Robot & Frank".
The Silencing (2020)
Good but it fumbles on the five
I was really digging "The Silencing" for quite a while but it ends up dropping the ball. It's a tightly directed thriller. The movie looks great and the music is perfect. The cast is mostly really good. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gives a terrific performance. Coster-Waldau alone makes "The Silencing" worth watching. I thought "The Silencing" was top-notch stuff but a couple of things happened along the way that makes me bring its overall rating down quite a bit. The first thing was the filmmakers thought it was a good idea to show a big sign saying "Clean Needles Save Lives". That's a sick, distorted message that doesn't belong in an otherwise main stream movie. Shame on them. The other demerit has to do with the villain's big reveal. It's ridiculous.
The Union (2024)
Act Your Age Not Your Shoe Size Mama
Prince sang that in his song "Kiss". I think it's time for Halle Berry to start listening to more Prince. I'm a big fan of forever dreamy Halle Berry. She's a classic movie star in every sense of the word (maybe the last). Berry has more than a couple good moments in the not-so-hot "The Union". But I'm sorry Halle, you're twenty years (to say the least) older than your character. The "young" hair-do hurts more than it helps. Like I said, I'm a big fan of Halle Berry. I think she's as dreamy as ever but I also understand that she's been making movies for thirty years. She can't do the kick-ass action stuff anymore. It doesn't work.
Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)
Uneven but still a good watch
When I was a kid my mother was watching "Sometimes a Great Notion" on TV. (They called it "Never Give an Inch" but that's besides the point.) The scene, I mean the scene everyone always remember, was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I was probably ten years old. I never forgot that scene. It took me many years to track this movie down. I never saw it on VHS/DVD. I just kind of ran into it ever once in a while. I watched it today on YouTube. "Sometimes a Great Notion" has its flaws but, for the most part, it's an easy watch. It's a great looking movie and its cast is very likeable. I should watch this movie more often.
Stagecoach (1939)
A True Classic
I first saw "Stagecoach" in a film class at Queensborough Community College (Queens, NY) in 1981 (or maybe '82). Over the decades I have seen it dozens of times. I can honestly say that it gets better every time I see it. It's terrific. Director John Ford and company hit the ball out of the park with this movie. It looks great. The music stays in my head for days. The cast is top-notch with one solid performance after another. "Stagecoach" is exciting and has quite a few laughs in it. It also packs quite an emotional punch at times. The chase remains one of the most exciting scenes ever filmed. "Stagecoach" is a true classic. (I watched "Stagecoach" tonight on Turner Classic Movies.)
Twisters (2024)
I had a good time
"Twisters" is a summer movie made the way summer movies are supposed to be made. It has a good story, a very likeable cast, great special effects and a great soundtrack. Screenwriter Mark L. Smith deserves a lot of the credit. He created a bunch of interesting characters and he gives then some really good dialogue. The cast is good across the board with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell coming in as best of breed. This is the first time I can remember seeing either one of them in a movie. I was impressed by them both. I had a good time with "Twisters". (I saw this movie at the AMC Raceway, Westbury, NY.)
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
I really liked it
Wow, you would have thunk it? The Ghosterbusters movies are one of the best series of movies ever. It's definitely in my Top 5 movie franchises, with James Bond coming in first. "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is one of the best of the series. I loved pretty much every minute of it. The story is very good and the cast is very likeable. I never had much tolerance for Kumail Nanjiani but, I have to tell you, he's terrific in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire". He got a lot of laughs out of me. This movie is a great watch. I don't want to say anything controversial so I'll put it this way: As far as the Ghostbusters movies go, I would put "Frozen Empire" in my Top 2.
Brewster McCloud (1970)
Good but not great Altman
"Brewster McCloud" is one for the books. It's definitely a product of its times. That is, the 1970's. It only could have been during that decade. As far as where it lands in the filmography of director Robert Altman, it lands in the middle (the upper middle). "Brewster McCloud" is an off-the-wall movie. It's also pretty funny. It's a lot of fun most of the way. It does, however, lose its way a bit towards the end. That doesn't its ever a bad movie. It's just that the last half hour or so isn't as strong as the rest of the film. I'm a fan of Altman. I watch his movies quite often. "Brewster McCloud" is not one of my go-to Altman movies but I enjoy it when I see it.
Un dollaro tra i denti (1967)
Worth Watching
I don't grade spaghetti westerns on a curve but I do judge them for what they are, spaghetti westerns. Spaghetti westerns are in breed of their own. "A Stranger in Town" ends up being a near miss for me. I thought Tony Anthony (Wow, that's a great name) was fine as the stranger and Frank Wolff made a good villain. The rest of the cast doesn't matter. "A Stranger in Town" (that's the title under which I saw this movie) has a pretty good first half hour or so but then it slides down for a quite a while. "A Stranger in Town" is never a bad movie but despite the violence is an often dull one. That said, I'll probably watch it again.
The Postcard Killings (2020)
Okay, I guess
I'm not against watching Lifetime movies. I've seen a bunch of them but if I can find a halfway decent movie on Netflix, I'll with that instead". So tonight I landed on "The Postcard Killings" and gave it a go. It was a okay. I didn't pick up on a key story element for quite a while but I caught up to speed. It didn't really matter anyway because "The Postcard Killings" is nothing special. Its story ends up being kind of silly. The direction is too serious and often kind of dull. The cast is fine, I guess, but Jeffrey Dean Morgan did nothing for me. As for the rest of the cast, the standout is Naomi Battrick. .
Dance with Me, Henry (1956)
It's harmless
I've seen "Dance with Me, Henry" many times. It's not Abbott and Costello at their peak but it's still worth watching. Bud & Lou both do a nice job. Their supporting cast is also good. The story is fine too. The movie does take a dip for a little while but it ends pretty strong. I'm a big fan of the films of Abbott & Costello. I've seen all of their movies many times over. "Dance with Me, Henry" has never been one of my go-to movies of theirs. That said, it remains an easy watch. There are worse ways to spend a rainy Saturday morning than with "Dance with Me, Henry". (IMDB has a six hundred character minimum.)
Carbon Copy (1981)
Not that good but worth the watch
"Carbon Copy" was known as a pretty bad movie when I was young. You could get a pretty good laugh by bringing it up once in a while. I don't want to say that "Carbon Copy" has aged well because it hasn't. But I have to admit, George Segal and Denzel Washington are very good together in this movie. The two of them rise about the material. On the the other hand, the usually likeable Susan Saint James and Jack Warden aren't as lucky. Saint James is actually pretty annoying. "Carbon Copy" has a point to make and that's fine but, unfortunately, its heavy handed approach smothers any chance the movie ever had. I guess I would call "Carbon Copy" a near miss.