Shirely Valentine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMDB: Ginger and Cinnamon

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 8, 2011

Loved it. - T

Ditto. - A

The Third Man

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

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

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

Man on Wire

IMDB: Man on Wire

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: January 29, 2011

Interesting story of the very well thought out and very well documented (it seems as though they knew all along that they'd make this film) stunt of tightroping between the two towers. The main character, despite not being entirely likable, is remarkable in his abilities and his daring. - T

The man walks a fine line between crazy and cool. The emotional impact this event had on the participants was fascinating. - A

Croupier

IMDB: Croupier

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: January 21, 2011

I did not like this film. - T

Turns out, the movie wasn't about serious lung ailments. Who knew? It might have been better if it had been. - A

When Harry Met Sally

IMDB: When Harry Met Sally
Source: Netflix streaming
Date viewed: January 14, 2011

Not a bad old chestnut. This time through, I did wonder a bit about the casting choices. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. Really? Be that as it may, Billy Crystal has some good bits. - A

The A-Team

IMDB: The A-Team
Source: Netflix
Date viewed: January 13, 2011

I pity the fool who isn't entertained by this movie, especially when they fly the tank. I give this team an A. - A

I can't compete with that review. OMG. I will say, however, that I watched the A-Team a lot when it was originally on TV. I don't really remember it that well, but I remember that I enjoyed it. As it happens, I caught an episode of the original show on TV tonight, and it was the first time I had seen any of them since the 80's. The movie is faithful to the original, but also improves on it in many ways. - T

OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus (Lost in Rio)

IMDB: OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus (Lost in Rio)
Source: Netflix streaming
Date viewed: January 12, 2011

The second of this French series that parodies the early James Bond movies. In a way, it's funny, but in other ways, it's not funny. It's quite possible that much of the humor is lost in translation. - A

I didn't enjoy this as much as the first one. It gets a little too much like All in the Family, where you're not absolutely sure that the jokes are jokes. I mean, they are, but even though they think that they're being funny, it's still in bad taste. There are still some funny parts, and the lead can be quite hilarious, but overall, I'd skip it. - T

The Future of Food

IMDB: The Future of Food

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: January 12, 2011

This is a depressing movie. If there's one thing I've learned by watching this and Food, Inc, it is that Monsanto is a despicable company. It has genetically engineered some of the world's largest crops, interfered with U.S. politics and law, sued and ruined the lives and livelyhoods of thousands of small family farmers to ensure the sovereignty of its bogus patents and its total dominance of the food market. Cross-pollination has polluted crops far beyond its puppet farmers and tax-payer-subsidized "test plots," and the eventual result of the Monsanto-led monoculture of crops and the genetic modification of plants and animals in the U.S., and perhaps around the world, could be much more depressing, even, than watching this film. - T

Pane e Tulipani

IMDB: Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips)

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: January 10, 2011

I saw this film several years ago. I loved it then and I loved it this time, too. - T

Humans cannot live by bread alone. They also need tulips. Watch this movie and realize that if you are spending your days dusting knick knacks and ironing for unappreciative family members, you'd be happier working in a flower shop in Venice and finding your soul mate. - A

The Expendables

IMDB: The Expendables

Source: Netflix

Date viewed: January 7, 2011

Truly terrible, yet still entertaining at times. Mickey Rourke is good, and I love watching Jet Li and Jason Statham, but it's just so, so bad. - T

Maybe they should have called this one The Expandables. Everyone was so large! Except for a couple of fun cameos and a few funny lines, you could dispense with the whole thing. -A

Italian for Beginners

IMDB: Italian for Beginners

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: January 3, 2011

I loved this film. We saw it before, many years ago, but it was just as good a second time. Difficult, at times, because of the subject matter, but charming overall. - T

A wonderful movie. Watch it. Love it. - A