What Films Did You Watch Last Week? (10/09-16/09) CLOSED

First Time Viewings:

Pumpkinhead (1988, Stan Winston)

In this one a man conjures a vengeful demon to destroy a group of teenagers. The film is nice and short, the creature looked pretty cool, and Lance Henriksen is good in the lead role. The problem was that I felt largely indifferent to most of the teen characters, so I didn't care what happened to them.

6/10
5.5/10 It's alright, but mostly forgettable. I do like the design of the creature and the atmosphere but the story is just isn't interesting.

Firestarter (1984, Mark L. Lester)

In this one a telekinetic man is on the run with his pyrokinetic daughter, from government agents that are after them. This one doesn't seem to be tat well liked, but I thought it was quite good. The cast puts in some good work, the score is really good, and it has many standout scenes, including a great ending.

Night of the Creeps (1986, Fred Dekker)

In this one alien brain parasites enter through the mouth and turn their hosts into a killing zombie. The film is pretty short, has some fun characters, and is entertaining throughout.

7/10 Fun stuff

House (1986, Steve Miner)

This one is about a writer who moves into his aunt's house after she passes away. The house is said to be haunted though. The film is definitely not for everyone, as it gets pretty weird, but I enjoyed it.

7/10 Another fun horror movie 

Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018, Stefano Sollima)

I'm a big fan of Sicario, so I was a bit skeptical about this one. It's well made though and has some really good scenes along the way. As expected, it's not nearly as good as the 2015 film, but I thought it was pretty good.

7/10

Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010, Panos Cosmatos)

This one is about a young woman that tries to escape from the institute she is held in. The film started out intriguing, but just kind of lost me as it went along. The cinematography and score are terrific though.

5.5/10
7/10 Strange and interesting

Trick 'r Treat (2007, Michael Dougherty)

This anthology film sees a few different characters on Halloween night in a small town. It's pretty entertaining for the most part and has a few surprises along the way. The cast is pretty good too, especially Brian Cox and Dylan Baker, but none of the characters were that likable, which made it hard to root for anyone, thus making the film less effective for me.

6.5/10
6/10 

Mandy (2018, Panos Cosmatos)

This one is very strange, but overall I liked it just enough to call myself a fan. Cage is good, the cinematography and score are really good and there are some very memorable scenes throughout. Definitely not for everyone.

Repeat Viewings:

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976, Clint Eastwood)

A really good western with some great scenes and some of my favorite Eastwood moments.

8/10
7/10 I like it

The Usual Suspects (1995, Bryan Singer)

This crime thriller can be a bit hard to follow, but it has a really good cast and a brilliant ending. Good score too.

8/10
7.5/10 I am not too big on the directing but the screenplay is memorable and Kevin Spacey is excellent.

A Fistful of Dollars (1964, Sergio Leone)

Leone's first western is a great one. Eastwood is as badass as they come and it has some terrific scenes. Morricone's score is excellent too of course and I love the finale.

8.5/10
7.5/10

For a Few Dollars More (1965, Sergio Leone)

Even better than Fistful. Eastwood and Van Cleef make for an awesome duo and the villain is even better in this one. It has another great finale and amazing score.

9/10
7/10

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, Sergio Leone)

Eli Wallach is brilliant here and Eastwood and Van Cleef are complete badasses. It has a great story, is well shot, and Morricone's score may very well be my favorite of all time. The whole movie is amazing, but the last 20 minutes are perfection.

10/10
8.5/10

Million Dollar Baby (2004, Clint Eastwood)

Liked this one even more this time. The first two acts are basically your typical sports drama, but very well made and acted. It takes a bold turn in the final act, which makes it something truly special. Eastwood and Freeman put in some of their best work and Hilary Swank is fantastic. A powerful and devastating film.

8.5/10
9/10

Duck, You Sucker (1971, Sergio Leone)

Leone's final western is his most overlooked. It has fun characters, good pacing, and many great scenes. One of Morricone's best scores too.

8.5/10
7.5/10

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970, Don Siegel)

This one has a great Morricone score and strong chemistry between Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine in the lead roles. Lots of really good scenes too.

7.5/10
5/10 The ending brings this movie down for me.


Movie Awards:

BEST FILM - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Million Dollar Baby
BEST ACTOR - Eli Wallach (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
BEST ACTRESS - Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Smantha Eggar (Curtains) Andrea Riseborough (Mandy)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Norm Li (Beyond the Black Rainbow) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
BEST SCORE - Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
BEST SCRIPT - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Million Dollar Baby
BEST DIRECTOR - Sergio Leone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)