What Films Did You Watch Last Week? (27/08-02/09) CLOSED

First Time Viewings:

Ocean's Eleven (1960, Lewis Milestone)

The  cast is solid in this one, but none of the characters really standout and the story is just incredibly dull. I just didn't care about anything that was happening. Shirley MacLaine is the best thing about the movie, but she's only in one scene.

4/10

Silver Bullet (1985, Daniel Attias)

This Stephen King based werewolf movie is pretty good. The werewolf scenes are good, I liked the score, and it's pretty short and well paced. What really made it work for me though was that I actually liked and cared about the main characters. I liked the brother and sister and Gary Busey was awesome as the uncle.

7/10

Ocean's Eight (2018, Gary Ross)

I didn't care much for the first half of this one, but the second half has some good stuff in it. Overall it's still not very good though and some of the actresses are wasted in their roles. Anne Hathaway is the only one is really given anything interesting to do and this hurts the film quite a bit. It has its moments, but for the most part it's just not that exciting.

5.5/10

End of Days (1999, Peter Hyams)

This Schwarzenegger film is pretty underrated if you ask me. Arnold is good and it was a bit of a different character than you're used to seeing him play. Gabriel Byrne is awesome as the devil and the film has a good score, some nice atmosphere, an interesting story, and good action.

7/10

Mr. Majestyk (1974, Richard Fleischer)

Charles Bronson stars as a melon farmer who battles organized crime and a hitman that's after him. Bronson is badass as always and Al Lettieri (The Godfather) makes for a memorable villain. The film is well paced and entertaining throughout and I had a good time with it.

7/10

Murder by Death (1976, Robert Moore)

In this one five detectives and their sidekicks are called to a mansion to solve a strange crime. The cast is wonderful (with Peter Falk and Alec Guinness being my favorites) and the characters are lots of fun. The film has a bunch of twists, lots of laughs, and is very entertaining throughout.

7.5/10

The Gauntlet (1977, Clint Eastwood)

In this one a cop is assigned to escort a prostitute from Las Vegas to Phoenix to testify in a mob trial. Eastwood is awesome here, but Sondra Locke is pretty patchy. The film is pretty enjoyable for the most part, but I wasn't big on the last 20-25 minutes, which brought the film down for me.

6.5/10

The Mechanic (1972, Michael Winner)

Charles Bronson plays a hitman in this one and the opening 15 minutes are quite good. After that it has its moments here and there, but the story never fully pulled me in. I feel there was a potentially interesting character study in there, but they didn't really do much with it.

6/10

Chariots of Fire (1981, Hugh Hudson)

This best picture winner is well made and acted, but I didn't think it was best picture quality. It's pretty good though and the score is terrific.

7/10


Repeat Viewings:

The Big Lebowski (1998, Coen Brothers)

One of the funniest film ever made as far as I'm concerned. It has a brilliant script, that has endlessly quotable dialogue, a great story, and there are lots of great characters too. The soundtrack is awesome as well and Jeff Bridges and John Goodman are amazing in their roles.

10/10

Ocean's Eleven (2001, Steven Soderbergh)

I've loved this one since I was a kid. It has a stellar cast, awesome characters, witty dialogue, builds tension nicely, and it's just a ton of fun.

9/10

The Running Man (1987, Paul Michael Glaser)

This one is a good social commentary/satire with a good score, fun performances, and cool action.

7/10

Ocean's Twelve (2004, Steven Soderbergh)

Not nearly as good as the first, but still fun.

7/10

Clue (1985, Jonathan Lynn)

This one has a really good cast (Tim Curry is especially awesome) and is just a ton of fun. Lots of laughs and also pretty intense in parts. The triple ending is great.

8/10

Ocean's Thirteen (2007, Steven Soderbergh)

My least favorite of the three, but again, still fun. Pacino makes for a good villain.

7/10

Escape from Alcatraz (1979, Don Siegel)

A well made prison escape film. Eastwood is good, the score is good, and it has some great tension. 

7.5/10

Suspicion (1941, Alfred Hitchcock)

This one features a very good performance from Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant is quite good too. The story is good and I've never really had a problem with the ending and I think it could be more ambiguous than people think.

7.5/10

Play Misty for Me (1971, Clint Eastwood)

Eastwood's directorial debut is a good thriller with some memorable sequences. Jessica Walter is fantastic here.

7.5/10

Pale Rider (1985, Clint Eastwood)

Not one of Eastwood's best western's, but still pretty good. It's well shot, has some great moments here and there and a strong finale.

7/10


Movie Awards:

BEST FILM - The Big Lebowksi
BEST ACTOR - Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski)
BEST ACTRESS - Joan Fontaine (Suspicion)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - John Goodman (The Big Lebowski)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Jessica Walter (Play Misty for Me)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Bruce Surtees (Pale Rider)
BEST SCORE - Vangelis (Chariots of Fire)
BEST SCRIPT - The Coen Brothers (The Big Lebowksi)
BEST DIRECTOR - The Coen Brothers (The Big Lebowksi)