What did You Watch Last Week (08/06 - 14/06) CLOSED

Welcome back to another week of the BEST & WORST edition of 'what movies did you see last week?' thread. For those who haven't been part of it before, basically your host (me) posts my weekly movies and you can comment on those and list your movie for the same time frame. I will get back to you on yours and you can talk to other users here about their films. It's a great place to talk about film.

FIRST TIME MOVIE VIEWING

Da 5 Bloods (2020, Spike Lee)
Netflix
Spike Lee's latest film is very timely as it touches on a lot of issues faced in America today. The story itself focuses on four Vietnam vets who return to Vietnam as old men to find the remains of their platoon leader and fifth blood. The first 25 minutes of the film set up the characters nicely but from there out it turned into a messy and undisciplined affair with scenes that drag on longer than needed. The direction seemed subpar, especially in the flashbacks to the Vietnam War and overall just felt badly made in comparison to what Lee is capable of. On the plus side, the actors do great work and shine in some select scenes. Somewhere in here is a better 95 minute movie and it is a shame that some ripe and timely material did not meet its potential.
5.5/10

1408 (2007, Michael Hafstrom)
This Stephen King adaptation starts pretty strong and I enjoyed the sparring between John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson but once Cusack's character enters the haunted room it becomes an ugly mess. 
3.5/10

REPEAT MOVIE VIEWING

Rebecca (1940, Alfred Hitchcock)
blu ray
This gorgeous adaptation of the Daphne Du Maurier novel is my fifth favourite Best Picture winner and my fifth favourite Alfred Hitchcock film of all time. It is the story of a young woman (Joan Fontaine) who marries a fascinating widower (Laurence Olivier) only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife, Rebecca, who died mysteriously several years earlier. The cinematography creates a wondrous atmosphere and the film is a real treat, especially when viewing the Criterion restoration.
8.5/10

The Usual Suspects (1995, Bryan Singer)
Netflix
This is my third viewing of this film... I first saw it in the cinema and then again at home a couple of years later, so this has been a long time coming and I am happy to say it held up just as well as it played when it was first released. This is a very tautly told tale with superb performances and it is really well made. Whomever Bryan Singer was working with back then, he should have stayed with because his films have never been as well put together since.
8/10

Silver Streak (1976, Arthur Hiller)
blu ray
In this adventure comedy Gene Wilder stars  as a man on a long-distance train trip who finds romance but also finds himself in danger of being killed. What a joy to watch.. a combination of a few of my favourite things. Not only is it set mostly on a train but the stars Gene Wilder  has always been comfort food for me. Not only That, this is the first collaboration between Wilder and Richard Pryor who are at the Centre of a great cast of bit players.
7.5/10

Double Jeopardy (1999, Bruce Beresford)
Netflix
This thriller has a pretty silly plot with way too many unbelievable moments but still manages to keep an entertaining pace with some good performances, especially by Tommy Lee Jones and Bruce Greenwood. The story follows a woman (Ashley Judd) who is  framed for her husband's murder but  suspects he is still alive; as she has already been tried for the crime, she can't be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills him.
If you like 90's thrillers but are not to put off by some less than believable plotting this could be a fun enough ride for you.
6/10

FIRST TIME TV VIEWING

Dave Chappelle: 8:46 (2020, Stand Up Special)
Youtube
This short stand up special is free on Netflix's Youtube channel. Dave eloquently talks about the George Floyd situation as only he can.
Great Stuff

WEEKLY FILM AWARDS

BEST FILM: Rebecca
BEST ACTOR: Gene Wilder - Silver Streak
BEST ACTRESS: Joan Fontaine - Rebecca
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kevin Spacey - The
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Judith Anderson - Rebecca
BEST EDITING: John Ottman - The Usual Suspects
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: George Barnes - Rebecca
BEST SCRIPT: Christopher McQuarrie - The Usual Suspects
BEST SCORE: John Ottman - The Usual Suspects
BEST DIRECTOR: Alfred Hitchcock - Rebecca


10/10 - Perfection (or as close to it as possible)
09/10 - An Excellent film
08/10 - A VERY Good film
07/10 - A Good film
06/10 - A Solid film
05/10 - An Average film
04/10 - Below Average film
03/10 - A mostly bad film
02/10 - A mostly terrible film
01/10 - Awful through and through
00/10 - Not only awful but offensive too