Embedded Files
6/21/23 "M*A*S*H" 1970
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Tonight's movie has been "M*A*S*H." Follow the zany antics of our combat surgeons as they cut and stitch their way along the front lines, operating as bombs" Do they say the movie within the movie: Yes!
MASH, more like TRASH, AYO! Seriously though, I wouldn't say I liked this movie. I feel like there was one joke in the film and that's sex. BOOM! Laugh. If you didn't laugh at me using that word, then boy, you won't like this film. This film is praised for its political satire which might be in there somewhere, but it's too hidden by humor trying too hard to be edgy. It doesn't seem to say anything about the war. They could've set this film in an American hospital and it would've been the same film. This film is notable though for using the first F-bomb in cinema for what it's worth, but it seems like more of a relic than an actually entertaining film. I'm sure the TV show is great (I've heard nothing but good things) I just find it funny that one of the highest rated TV shows came from such a bad movie
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Tonight's movie has been "M*A*S*H." Follow the zany antics of our combat surgeons as they cut and stitch their way along the front lines, operating as bombs" Do they say the movie within the movie: Yes!
MASH, more like TRASH, AYO! Seriously though, I wouldn't say I liked this movie. I feel like there was one joke in the film and that's sex. BOOM! Laugh. If you didn't laugh at me using that word, then boy, you won't like this film. This film is praised for its political satire which might be in there somewhere, but it's too hidden by humor trying too hard to be edgy. It doesn't seem to say anything about the war. They could've set this film in an American hospital and it would've been the same film. This film is notable though for using the first F-bomb in cinema for what it's worth, but it seems like more of a relic than an actually entertaining film. I'm sure the TV show is great (I've heard nothing but good things) I just find it funny that one of the highest rated TV shows came from such a bad movie
2/5/23 "Patton" 1970
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man. If mountain ranges and oceans can be overcome, then anything built by man can be overcome." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
You know a film's bad when it peaks in the beginning. The beginning is the only part where I thought "Hey! This is an iconic scene!" I'm referring to him standing in front of the American flag giving his speech. Everything else in the movie was such a bore. This does a fantastic job of ruining a biopic. Normally after Biopics, you want to know more about the person, here I never want to hear about Patton because of how boring this film was. They keep saying how crazy and wild he was but then he proceeds to do nothing crazy or wild. A really bad best picture win
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man. If mountain ranges and oceans can be overcome, then anything built by man can be overcome." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
You know a film's bad when it peaks in the beginning. The beginning is the only part where I thought "Hey! This is an iconic scene!" I'm referring to him standing in front of the American flag giving his speech. Everything else in the movie was such a bore. This does a fantastic job of ruining a biopic. Normally after Biopics, you want to know more about the person, here I never want to hear about Patton because of how boring this film was. They keep saying how crazy and wild he was but then he proceeds to do nothing crazy or wild. A really bad best picture win
9/20/24 "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage" 1970
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Right! Bring in the perverts!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a really well-put-together slasher film. It follows an American writer living in Italy with his girlfriend. One night while on a walk he sees an attempted murder of a young girl in an art museum by a hooded man. The writer must find out who this killer is before he's next on the docket. The film is really well structured with a lot of fun twists and turns throughout. The presentation and music really go a long way in developing the tone and feel of this film. I would highly recommend this film to any film fans out there.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Right! Bring in the perverts!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a really well-put-together slasher film. It follows an American writer living in Italy with his girlfriend. One night while on a walk he sees an attempted murder of a young girl in an art museum by a hooded man. The writer must find out who this killer is before he's next on the docket. The film is really well structured with a lot of fun twists and turns throughout. The presentation and music really go a long way in developing the tone and feel of this film. I would highly recommend this film to any film fans out there.
12/21/23 "Multiple Maniacs" 1970
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Ronald Reagan and his family, the entire Baltimore Police Department, and BARBRA STREISAND!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
A very odd film. This was John Water's first theatrically released film and it shows a little. Well, its budget was a minuscule 5,000 dollars, so that fact on its own makes this film very impressive. You can see little glimpses of that classic John Waters humor, but it's not all there. It feels like a prototype of "Female Troubles" where we follow Lady Divine, a criminal who set up a circus to rob people, trying to kill her boyfriend after she finds out that he's been cheating on her. Divine sells this film with her interesting deliveries, seeing her descent into madness is such a treat because of how well she does it. It's interesting to hear how John Waters shot Divine in this film like Godzilla, which is an interesting direction since Lady Divine is an absolute monster in this film. I can see how his career started with this film. To film something like this on such a low budget proves that he's a good director.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Ronald Reagan and his family, the entire Baltimore Police Department, and BARBRA STREISAND!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
A very odd film. This was John Water's first theatrically released film and it shows a little. Well, its budget was a minuscule 5,000 dollars, so that fact on its own makes this film very impressive. You can see little glimpses of that classic John Waters humor, but it's not all there. It feels like a prototype of "Female Troubles" where we follow Lady Divine, a criminal who set up a circus to rob people, trying to kill her boyfriend after she finds out that he's been cheating on her. Divine sells this film with her interesting deliveries, seeing her descent into madness is such a treat because of how well she does it. It's interesting to hear how John Waters shot Divine in this film like Godzilla, which is an interesting direction since Lady Divine is an absolute monster in this film. I can see how his career started with this film. To film something like this on such a low budget proves that he's a good director.
6/21/24 "The Conformist" 1970
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Really serious people are never serious." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This film is interesting because we actively follow the villain of the movie. It's about a member of Italy's secret fascist police and he goes to Paris to kill his former college teacher who's very anti-fascist. It was shot extremely well and used a lot of interesting shots, especially for the time. It ran a little long, but it was pretty worth it.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Really serious people are never serious." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This film is interesting because we actively follow the villain of the movie. It's about a member of Italy's secret fascist police and he goes to Paris to kill his former college teacher who's very anti-fascist. It was shot extremely well and used a lot of interesting shots, especially for the time. It ran a little long, but it was pretty worth it.
12/20/25 "Performance" 1970
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You're a comical little geezer. You'll look funny when you're fifty." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I really wished that I could've liked this one, because there are a lot of elements that make it really interesting. The only problem is that those same elements also really mess with the pacing and make it a slog to get through. This film is very experimental, which makes the plot very hard to follow. We follow a "performer", who's a gangster who makes a show of his kills, who hides in the flat of a reclusive Rock and Roller played by Mick Jagger. The shots in the film are great with insane editing, but that editing can also take away from the story. As a whole, this film is an acid noir film that has great cinematography and editing but a weak script.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You're a comical little geezer. You'll look funny when you're fifty." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I really wished that I could've liked this one, because there are a lot of elements that make it really interesting. The only problem is that those same elements also really mess with the pacing and make it a slog to get through. This film is very experimental, which makes the plot very hard to follow. We follow a "performer", who's a gangster who makes a show of his kills, who hides in the flat of a reclusive Rock and Roller played by Mick Jagger. The shots in the film are great with insane editing, but that editing can also take away from the story. As a whole, this film is an acid noir film that has great cinematography and editing but a weak script.
10/12/25 "Wanda" 1970
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If you don't want anything you won't have anything, and if you don't have anything, you're as good as dead." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a movie that I really wanted to enjoy, but I just couldn't get into it. I highly respect this movie, don't get me wrong. It paved the way for the indie film, being one of the earlier examples of that landscape. I can totally see the influence this film has had, but it just didn't really work for me. We follow Wanda as she abandons her family and runs off with a bank-robber. It's a pretty existential film, but there wasn't too much to the characters to make me invested. It reminded me a little bit of Breathless from a decade prior, but the characters seemed more fleshed out in Breathless. Plus, I feel like Breathless was more innovative with the editing and paved the way for the American New Wave. Definitely an important film, but not one I'd rewatch anytime soon.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If you don't want anything you won't have anything, and if you don't have anything, you're as good as dead." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a movie that I really wanted to enjoy, but I just couldn't get into it. I highly respect this movie, don't get me wrong. It paved the way for the indie film, being one of the earlier examples of that landscape. I can totally see the influence this film has had, but it just didn't really work for me. We follow Wanda as she abandons her family and runs off with a bank-robber. It's a pretty existential film, but there wasn't too much to the characters to make me invested. It reminded me a little bit of Breathless from a decade prior, but the characters seemed more fleshed out in Breathless. Plus, I feel like Breathless was more innovative with the editing and paved the way for the American New Wave. Definitely an important film, but not one I'd rewatch anytime soon.
8/6/25 "Deep End" `1970
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You perverted little monster." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film takes such a sharp turn, but it's a really welcome one. We follow a teenage boy who works at a bathhouse and he has a crush on an attendant there (Jane Asher), and we see the relationship develop between the two. The film has such vibrant colors and interesting characters, and I find it odd that no one talks about this movie; it really feels ahead of its time. It sort of tackles the "Nice Guy" dynamic. It's interesting seeing Jane Asher act, because I mainly knew her as Paul McCartney's girlfriend, but she's really talented, and Paul fumbled hard.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You perverted little monster." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film takes such a sharp turn, but it's a really welcome one. We follow a teenage boy who works at a bathhouse and he has a crush on an attendant there (Jane Asher), and we see the relationship develop between the two. The film has such vibrant colors and interesting characters, and I find it odd that no one talks about this movie; it really feels ahead of its time. It sort of tackles the "Nice Guy" dynamic. It's interesting seeing Jane Asher act, because I mainly knew her as Paul McCartney's girlfriend, but she's really talented, and Paul fumbled hard.
11/10/24 "Five Easy Pieces" 1970
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Yeah, now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a cheque for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was an excellent Nicholson movie that really shows off his range. We follow an upper-class man who's dropped out of school to make it on his own (Jack Nicholson). On his way, he becomes an Oil Rigger and finds a girlfriend. Things change, however, when his dad becomes ill, so he takes his girlfriend on a road trip to Washington to see him. The conflict of the movie comes from the two interacting with the wealthy family and how they're taking the fact that their son is a blue-collar worker instead of working in an ivory tower. A lot of the dialogue is really snappy and enjoyable, and I really liked the shots.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Yeah, now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a cheque for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was an excellent Nicholson movie that really shows off his range. We follow an upper-class man who's dropped out of school to make it on his own (Jack Nicholson). On his way, he becomes an Oil Rigger and finds a girlfriend. Things change, however, when his dad becomes ill, so he takes his girlfriend on a road trip to Washington to see him. The conflict of the movie comes from the two interacting with the wealthy family and how they're taking the fact that their son is a blue-collar worker instead of working in an ivory tower. A lot of the dialogue is really snappy and enjoyable, and I really liked the shots.
2/28/22 "Le Cercle Rouge" 1970
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "All men are guilty. They're born innocent, but it doesn't last."
This is a French crime film and not a good one at that. This film is filmed like a TV show, some of the shots in this movie feel more like an episode of "Police Squad!" than a feature film. The editing in this movie is very annoying as well. There are several scenes where the camera switches back and forth between the two characters talking as they slowly zoom in. They do this type of shot 4 times in the movie and it's very obnoxious. The plot of this movie feels more like a 30s film than a film made in the 70s. I feel like "The Public Enemy" has more weight than this film. I wouldn't suggest it.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "All men are guilty. They're born innocent, but it doesn't last."
This is a French crime film and not a good one at that. This film is filmed like a TV show, some of the shots in this movie feel more like an episode of "Police Squad!" than a feature film. The editing in this movie is very annoying as well. There are several scenes where the camera switches back and forth between the two characters talking as they slowly zoom in. They do this type of shot 4 times in the movie and it's very obnoxious. The plot of this movie feels more like a 30s film than a film made in the 70s. I feel like "The Public Enemy" has more weight than this film. I wouldn't suggest it.
5/8/24 "Let It Be" 1970
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we pass the audition." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Oh yeah!
It's hard to watch this film after seeing the 9-hour-long "Get Back" special on Disney+, but this is still a pretty good documentary. For those of you who don't know Beatles lore, basically, this was meant to be a return to form of live music for the Beatles after years of perfecting the studio. They wanted this album to feel raw and you can see that with this film. This was meant to be a TV special before a live concert, but they never got there due to high tensions. This film is a little misleading because it excludes a lot of the sessions where they were goofing around and being really close. They cut out most of the fun scenes and kept in most of the fights which led to that time looking like a high-pressure time. It's interesting they would cut George Harrison leaving the band for a little bit. That was a huge part of the album that was cut. This would be such an important film, however, because the Beatles would break up the year the film came out. There are some great performances in this film by the best band and it's definitely worth your time if you don't want to watch the 9-hour "Get Back", but if you enjoy this please check out "Get Back"
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we pass the audition." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Oh yeah!
It's hard to watch this film after seeing the 9-hour-long "Get Back" special on Disney+, but this is still a pretty good documentary. For those of you who don't know Beatles lore, basically, this was meant to be a return to form of live music for the Beatles after years of perfecting the studio. They wanted this album to feel raw and you can see that with this film. This was meant to be a TV special before a live concert, but they never got there due to high tensions. This film is a little misleading because it excludes a lot of the sessions where they were goofing around and being really close. They cut out most of the fun scenes and kept in most of the fights which led to that time looking like a high-pressure time. It's interesting they would cut George Harrison leaving the band for a little bit. That was a huge part of the album that was cut. This would be such an important film, however, because the Beatles would break up the year the film came out. There are some great performances in this film by the best band and it's definitely worth your time if you don't want to watch the 9-hour "Get Back", but if you enjoy this please check out "Get Back"
8/15/25 "Trog" 1970
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Music hath charms that soothes the savage beast." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This feels like a cash-grab based on the Planet of the Apes fame. This is such a bizarre little movie that also happens to be the last film with Oscar-winning actress, Joan Crawford, which is such a shame. You go from roles like Mildred Pierce and Johnny Guitar, and you end your film career with Trog. We follow a group of scientists picking up a missing link in our evolutionary chain, Trog. I thought the film would be Trog causing mayhem, but most of the movie is Joan Crawford trying to domesticate Trog, which is definitely an odd direction. It's just not scary at all, which is bad for a horror movie.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Music hath charms that soothes the savage beast." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This feels like a cash-grab based on the Planet of the Apes fame. This is such a bizarre little movie that also happens to be the last film with Oscar-winning actress, Joan Crawford, which is such a shame. You go from roles like Mildred Pierce and Johnny Guitar, and you end your film career with Trog. We follow a group of scientists picking up a missing link in our evolutionary chain, Trog. I thought the film would be Trog causing mayhem, but most of the movie is Joan Crawford trying to domesticate Trog, which is definitely an odd direction. It's just not scary at all, which is bad for a horror movie.
5/17/24 "The Twelve Chairs" 1970
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Let's just say that I am very much in lust with you." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film came out in an odd spot in Mel Brook's career. This was his follow-up film to "The Producers", which scored him an Oscar for best original screenplay. The next film he would make after this would be "Blazing Saddles" which would shift his career to being about spoofing movie genres. This is an odd middle film that unfortunately doesn't have a lot of laughs. That could be because this was based on an old 1920s Russian book and wasn't conceived by Mel Brooks himself. Watch it, it doesn't feel completely like Mel Brooks, but there are little traces of him in the film, which leads to an odd middle ground. This film takes place during the Russian Revolution, a fallen aristocrat (Ron Moody) discovers that his family fortune has been hidden in one of the chairs they owned before the revolution, but he doesn't know which one. He teams up with a con artist (Frank Langella) and tries to get the chairs before the priest (Dom DeLuise). Dom Deluise and Ron Moody do manage to get a few laughs out of me, but that's because of their acting choices, not the script.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Let's just say that I am very much in lust with you." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film came out in an odd spot in Mel Brook's career. This was his follow-up film to "The Producers", which scored him an Oscar for best original screenplay. The next film he would make after this would be "Blazing Saddles" which would shift his career to being about spoofing movie genres. This is an odd middle film that unfortunately doesn't have a lot of laughs. That could be because this was based on an old 1920s Russian book and wasn't conceived by Mel Brooks himself. Watch it, it doesn't feel completely like Mel Brooks, but there are little traces of him in the film, which leads to an odd middle ground. This film takes place during the Russian Revolution, a fallen aristocrat (Ron Moody) discovers that his family fortune has been hidden in one of the chairs they owned before the revolution, but he doesn't know which one. He teams up with a con artist (Frank Langella) and tries to get the chairs before the priest (Dom DeLuise). Dom Deluise and Ron Moody do manage to get a few laughs out of me, but that's because of their acting choices, not the script.
8/1/24 "The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes" 1970
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" "Thoroughly. This will take care of it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Billy Wilder, I would say, is one of the perfect choices for adapting Sherlock Holmes. He's known for very witty writing, which fits the vibe of the story. I love how this story focuses a lot on the relationship between Holmes and Watson, it's a really fun relationship between the two and it was a joy to see on screen. I also love how Wilder makes Sherlock Holmes funny on screen. In the film Holmes and Watson, they tried to make Sherlock funny by portraying him as kind of dumb (which doesn't work, because he's supposed the be extremely smart). This however keeps him very smart, they just make him a little socially inept. They make him a little hard to live with. The mystery is alright, but the comedy is what makes this film good.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" "Thoroughly. This will take care of it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Billy Wilder, I would say, is one of the perfect choices for adapting Sherlock Holmes. He's known for very witty writing, which fits the vibe of the story. I love how this story focuses a lot on the relationship between Holmes and Watson, it's a really fun relationship between the two and it was a joy to see on screen. I also love how Wilder makes Sherlock Holmes funny on screen. In the film Holmes and Watson, they tried to make Sherlock funny by portraying him as kind of dumb (which doesn't work, because he's supposed the be extremely smart). This however keeps him very smart, they just make him a little socially inept. They make him a little hard to live with. The mystery is alright, but the comedy is what makes this film good.
1/8/24 "Original Cast Album: Company" 1970
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I can't even spit at this hour of the morning" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a fascinating look at the musical "Company" cast recording. It was originally envisioned as a TV show by D. A. Pennebaker (director of Don't Look Back, Monterey Pop, and The War Room). The problem is, the studio never wrote back to him, so he just made it a movie. The recording of the album seemed like a really stressful time. They were there until 4 AM trying to record the record. The star of the show was obviously Elaine Stritch. You could see how stressed she was getting when recording the song "Ladies Who Lunch". Her screaming at herself was a sad sight because she was so into it the entire time. During the rest of the numbers, she is so invested in the songs that she's acting with reactions to other people singing despite not being on stage. Seeing Sondheim's work is remarkable. He truly was of the greats. This is such an amazing idea that could've made an incredible TV show.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I can't even spit at this hour of the morning" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a fascinating look at the musical "Company" cast recording. It was originally envisioned as a TV show by D. A. Pennebaker (director of Don't Look Back, Monterey Pop, and The War Room). The problem is, the studio never wrote back to him, so he just made it a movie. The recording of the album seemed like a really stressful time. They were there until 4 AM trying to record the record. The star of the show was obviously Elaine Stritch. You could see how stressed she was getting when recording the song "Ladies Who Lunch". Her screaming at herself was a sad sight because she was so into it the entire time. During the rest of the numbers, she is so invested in the songs that she's acting with reactions to other people singing despite not being on stage. Seeing Sondheim's work is remarkable. He truly was of the greats. This is such an amazing idea that could've made an incredible TV show.
11/18/25 "Brewster McCloud" 1970
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I forgot the opening line." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such a delightfully bizarre movie, right from the start. This movie follows Brewster McCloud (Bud Cort), a young man who lives in a bomb shelter under the Houston Astrodome. He dreams of building his own wings and flying away, but this love has caused him to be the number one suspect in a string of bird murders. The film's writing is all over the place and doesn't make much sense at times, but that's the point. This film is a dark absurdist movie. Some of it hasn't aged well, however, especially with the treatment of the women in the movie, but they still have quite a bit to do. It was so funny watching the opening sequence and seeing "introducing... Shelley Duvall". She really takes this movie for me, she's so funny and knows the vibe of the movie back and forth.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I forgot the opening line." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such a delightfully bizarre movie, right from the start. This movie follows Brewster McCloud (Bud Cort), a young man who lives in a bomb shelter under the Houston Astrodome. He dreams of building his own wings and flying away, but this love has caused him to be the number one suspect in a string of bird murders. The film's writing is all over the place and doesn't make much sense at times, but that's the point. This film is a dark absurdist movie. Some of it hasn't aged well, however, especially with the treatment of the women in the movie, but they still have quite a bit to do. It was so funny watching the opening sequence and seeing "introducing... Shelley Duvall". She really takes this movie for me, she's so funny and knows the vibe of the movie back and forth.
4/3/24 "Husbands" 1970
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Don't believe truth. Archie, just don't believe truth." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I've always wanted to see a film by John Cassavetes, but I feel like this probably isn't his best. It has a really nice premise. It's about a group of three friends who go to London after the death of their fourth friend. The dialogue is great, but this film has no business being two and a half hours. Many of the scenes just drag on and don't really add much to the movie. The fight that the John Cassavete character got into with his wife was a rough watch because it was such a realistic argument. The main three do a great job, especially Peter Falk who was great in both the dramatic parts and comedic parts. As a whole, I feel like I started with the wrong film. There's promise in this film for his others, but this one just wasn't as brilliant as people say.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Don't believe truth. Archie, just don't believe truth." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I've always wanted to see a film by John Cassavetes, but I feel like this probably isn't his best. It has a really nice premise. It's about a group of three friends who go to London after the death of their fourth friend. The dialogue is great, but this film has no business being two and a half hours. Many of the scenes just drag on and don't really add much to the movie. The fight that the John Cassavete character got into with his wife was a rough watch because it was such a realistic argument. The main three do a great job, especially Peter Falk who was great in both the dramatic parts and comedic parts. As a whole, I feel like I started with the wrong film. There's promise in this film for his others, but this one just wasn't as brilliant as people say.
5/15/25 "Get Carter" 1971
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "A pint of bitter... in a thin glass!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a pretty alright spy thriller that didn't exactly wow me. The action was pretty well done, and so was the acting, but the meat of the movie just didn't really move me too much. Michael Caine does a wonderful job in this film, it's funny seeing him so young, because I'm so used him from the 90s up. I can see how people saw his performance and cast in him in more projects, but it just wasn't really for me.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "A pint of bitter... in a thin glass!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a pretty alright spy thriller that didn't exactly wow me. The action was pretty well done, and so was the acting, but the meat of the movie just didn't really move me too much. Michael Caine does a wonderful job in this film, it's funny seeing him so young, because I'm so used him from the 90s up. I can see how people saw his performance and cast in him in more projects, but it just wasn't really for me.
2/21/24 "Little Murders" 1971
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Makes you sleep better." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This film has a very aggressive theme of Nihilism. It's about a woman named Patsy (Marcia Rodd) saving a man from getting beat up, Alfred (Elliot Gould). As they start talking it becomes clear that Alfred believes life is meaningless while Patsy is more optimistic. She marries him because she thinks she can change his way of thinking. Throughout the film, we see how messed up the world is around Albert. He explains how he randomly gets beat up every day, to the point where he starts daydreaming during it. I don't want to spoil too much, but it has such an interesting story that fits right in with the new wave movement of cinema. I would highly suggest this film.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Makes you sleep better." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This film has a very aggressive theme of Nihilism. It's about a woman named Patsy (Marcia Rodd) saving a man from getting beat up, Alfred (Elliot Gould). As they start talking it becomes clear that Alfred believes life is meaningless while Patsy is more optimistic. She marries him because she thinks she can change his way of thinking. Throughout the film, we see how messed up the world is around Albert. He explains how he randomly gets beat up every day, to the point where he starts daydreaming during it. I don't want to spoil too much, but it has such an interesting story that fits right in with the new wave movement of cinema. I would highly suggest this film.
3/10/24 "Bananas" 1971
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I object, your honor! This trial is a travesty. It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Let's get the Woody Allen is a horrible person thing out of the way. He is a disgusting man who did something horrible that can't be forgiven. There's a line in this film that almost foreshadows this crime (it's an odd running joke in his films). However, I separate art from the artist and I can say that this is a really solid film. It's about Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen), a neurotic New Yorker who recently fell in love with an activist named Nancy (Louise Lasser). They plan on going to the Banana Republic of San Marcos to help with the revolution of the people, but his girlfriend breaks up with him, so he goes alone. When he gets there, he accidentally joins the rebel resistance and climbs the ranks to become their leader. It's a funny premise that is really well written. You could really see the Marx Brothers' influence in this film. It's the perfect length, I feel like if it went any longer, it would get a little stale. As a whole, this ranks as one of Allen's better films of the early 70s.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I object, your honor! This trial is a travesty. It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Let's get the Woody Allen is a horrible person thing out of the way. He is a disgusting man who did something horrible that can't be forgiven. There's a line in this film that almost foreshadows this crime (it's an odd running joke in his films). However, I separate art from the artist and I can say that this is a really solid film. It's about Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen), a neurotic New Yorker who recently fell in love with an activist named Nancy (Louise Lasser). They plan on going to the Banana Republic of San Marcos to help with the revolution of the people, but his girlfriend breaks up with him, so he goes alone. When he gets there, he accidentally joins the rebel resistance and climbs the ranks to become their leader. It's a funny premise that is really well written. You could really see the Marx Brothers' influence in this film. It's the perfect length, I feel like if it went any longer, it would get a little stale. As a whole, this ranks as one of Allen's better films of the early 70s.
6/24/25 "The Panic In Needle Park" 1971
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You're my girl" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I feel like this film is a lesser "Days of Wine and Roses", but still a well-done film. It's Al Pacino's film debut, and he absolutely steals the scene. He plays a heroin addict named Bobby who's dating a homeless woman named Helen (Kitty Winn). He starts to get her into Heroin, and that builds a dependence between the two of them. This is filmed in that classic New Wave Hollywood style that I really gel with. Pacino is a firecracker in this movie, but other than that, I would reccomend just watching "Days of Wine and Roses".
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You're my girl" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I feel like this film is a lesser "Days of Wine and Roses", but still a well-done film. It's Al Pacino's film debut, and he absolutely steals the scene. He plays a heroin addict named Bobby who's dating a homeless woman named Helen (Kitty Winn). He starts to get her into Heroin, and that builds a dependence between the two of them. This is filmed in that classic New Wave Hollywood style that I really gel with. Pacino is a firecracker in this movie, but other than that, I would reccomend just watching "Days of Wine and Roses".
11/10/24 "Klute" 1971
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Don't feel bad about losing your virtue. I sort of knew you would. Everybody always does." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Although this film has a great atmosphere, I thought it was just okay. It's about a call girl (Jane Fonda) getting stalked by a psychopath, so she has to work with the private eye, Klute (Donald Sutherland). These two do a great job with their roles and really add a lot of emotion. The mystery was fun, but it dragged on a little bit and some scenes just felt unnecessary.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Don't feel bad about losing your virtue. I sort of knew you would. Everybody always does." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Although this film has a great atmosphere, I thought it was just okay. It's about a call girl (Jane Fonda) getting stalked by a psychopath, so she has to work with the private eye, Klute (Donald Sutherland). These two do a great job with their roles and really add a lot of emotion. The mystery was fun, but it dragged on a little bit and some scenes just felt unnecessary.
5/30/25 'McCabe and Mrs. Miller" 1971
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass so much, follow me?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm going to commit movie sin by saying I'm not a big Robert Altman fan. I feel as though his situation is a "master of none" situation where when he tries to do every genre, he doesn't really excel in any. I mean, sure, he did do a Western here, but it wasn't particularly good in my opinion. The shots were nice, and having it set in winter made it stand out, but I just couldn't get into the story. We follow a gambler, McCabe (Warren Beatty), who decides with his winnings to open a brothel, but he can't really do it alone, which is where the prostitute Mrs. Miller comes in (Julie Christie). I felt like the two didn't really have a lot of chemistry together and ended up making the movie a tad dull.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass so much, follow me?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm going to commit movie sin by saying I'm not a big Robert Altman fan. I feel as though his situation is a "master of none" situation where when he tries to do every genre, he doesn't really excel in any. I mean, sure, he did do a Western here, but it wasn't particularly good in my opinion. The shots were nice, and having it set in winter made it stand out, but I just couldn't get into the story. We follow a gambler, McCabe (Warren Beatty), who decides with his winnings to open a brothel, but he can't really do it alone, which is where the prostitute Mrs. Miller comes in (Julie Christie). I felt like the two didn't really have a lot of chemistry together and ended up making the movie a tad dull.
9/3/24 "Shaft" 1971
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Vic, your case just busted wide open." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a film that I've been meaning to see for a while. It's insane that this film came out in 1971 because it feels so ahead of its time with its portrayal of New York and the way it's shot. I get a lot of Taxi Driver from this film (which would come out 6 years later). We follow John Shaft, a private eye, who needs to track down the daughter of a crime boss. The action in this film is really incredible and shot really well. It's insane that this was Gordon Parks' second live-action film because as much as I liked The Learning Tree, this feels like it's on a completely new level. The one thing that was sort of lacking in the film was the script, the lines were a little cheesy and the story itself was alright, but the pure energy and charisma of the film really make it stand out.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Vic, your case just busted wide open." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a film that I've been meaning to see for a while. It's insane that this film came out in 1971 because it feels so ahead of its time with its portrayal of New York and the way it's shot. I get a lot of Taxi Driver from this film (which would come out 6 years later). We follow John Shaft, a private eye, who needs to track down the daughter of a crime boss. The action in this film is really incredible and shot really well. It's insane that this was Gordon Parks' second live-action film because as much as I liked The Learning Tree, this feels like it's on a completely new level. The one thing that was sort of lacking in the film was the script, the lines were a little cheesy and the story itself was alright, but the pure energy and charisma of the film really make it stand out.
3/11/24 "The Devils" 1971 6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Don't look at me! Look at your city! If your city is destroyed, your freedom is destroyed also" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
I'll start by saying that the production design for this film was absolutely insane. The directing of Ken Russell led to this film looking incredible the whole time. My problem with the film comes from the actual script. I wasn't too engaged in the plot of this film. It's about a priest named Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) who has very unorthodox views on sex and religion and he teaches them to a 17th century France. Everyone loves him except Cardinal Richelieu, who wants to have more control. He convinces everyone that Grandier is a Satanist. The plot isn't too compelling and the characters fall kind of flat. There are some excellent performances, especially Oliver Reed, and great cinematography, but the film isn't that great as a whole.
I'll start by saying that the production design for this film was absolutely insane. The directing of Ken Russell led to this film looking incredible the whole time. My problem with the film comes from the actual script. I wasn't too engaged in the plot of this film. It's about a priest named Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) who has very unorthodox views on sex and religion and he teaches them to a 17th century France. Everyone loves him except Cardinal Richelieu, who wants to have more control. He convinces everyone that Grandier is a Satanist. The plot isn't too compelling and the characters fall kind of flat. There are some excellent performances, especially Oliver Reed, and great cinematography, but the film isn't that great as a whole.
9/23/23 "The Last Picture Show" 1971
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Never you mind, honey. Never you mind." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
One of the most melodramatic films I've seen in a while. Does it work? Some of it! I feel like this plot could've worked if they tamed down the over-the-top drama of it. It's about the relationship between two high schoolers. They live in a dying town in Texas and they both try their best to escape it somehow. It has some great moments and especially some great acting, but as a whole, it just didn't stand out to me.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Never you mind, honey. Never you mind." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
One of the most melodramatic films I've seen in a while. Does it work? Some of it! I feel like this plot could've worked if they tamed down the over-the-top drama of it. It's about the relationship between two high schoolers. They live in a dying town in Texas and they both try their best to escape it somehow. It has some great moments and especially some great acting, but as a whole, it just didn't stand out to me.
3/4/23 "The French Connection" 1971
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Well check it yourself"
I'm gonna start with the positives, I love Gene Hackman, he's great in any role. I also enjoyed the Car Chase, it was pretty impressive. That's all I could really say about it. I feel like this film was needlessly violent, you can tell this was made in the few years after the Hays code went away. I also think it's funny how the blood is bright pink. It was sad because when a character died all I could think about was how much it resembled melted crayola pink crayons. This one just wasn't really for me. Sorry for all the negative reviews, kind of a weird coincidence.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Well check it yourself"
I'm gonna start with the positives, I love Gene Hackman, he's great in any role. I also enjoyed the Car Chase, it was pretty impressive. That's all I could really say about it. I feel like this film was needlessly violent, you can tell this was made in the few years after the Hays code went away. I also think it's funny how the blood is bright pink. It was sad because when a character died all I could think about was how much it resembled melted crayola pink crayons. This one just wasn't really for me. Sorry for all the negative reviews, kind of a weird coincidence.
2/14/22 "Macbeth" 1971
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "What!? You egg! *stabs someone*"
Full disclosure, I'm not the biggest fan of Macbeth. I find the original play dull and overrated, but this movie is way worse than the play. This film makes Lady Macbeth such a passive character and it really ruins it for me. One reason that the film could be sexist is that Roman Polanski did it. Another could be the fact that Hugh Hephner did it in collaboration. There are so many naked people in this movie, for absolutely no reason. This film is such a literal adaptation that it gets so boring. Since they did it so literally, some of the things don't adapt to the screen, like imagining the dagger. Overall, boring movie
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "What!? You egg! *stabs someone*"
Full disclosure, I'm not the biggest fan of Macbeth. I find the original play dull and overrated, but this movie is way worse than the play. This film makes Lady Macbeth such a passive character and it really ruins it for me. One reason that the film could be sexist is that Roman Polanski did it. Another could be the fact that Hugh Hephner did it in collaboration. There are so many naked people in this movie, for absolutely no reason. This film is such a literal adaptation that it gets so boring. Since they did it so literally, some of the things don't adapt to the screen, like imagining the dagger. Overall, boring movie
10/27/24 "The Hospital" 1971
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I mean, where do you train your nurses, Mrs. Christie--Dachau?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was expecting a lot more from Paddy Chayefsky. He previously wrote the smash-hit "Marty" and five years after this, he wrote "Network", but this was a stale comedy that wasn't very memorable. We follow the chief of medicine (George C. Scott) who's depressed after his personal life falls apart. One day at the hospital, he finds that doctors are mysteriously dying and it's getting blamed on him. George C. Scott overacts like crazy in this film, and the writing isn't too great, especially for Chayefsky. I can't believe this won best screenplay. I'll forget this movie in a week.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I mean, where do you train your nurses, Mrs. Christie--Dachau?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was expecting a lot more from Paddy Chayefsky. He previously wrote the smash-hit "Marty" and five years after this, he wrote "Network", but this was a stale comedy that wasn't very memorable. We follow the chief of medicine (George C. Scott) who's depressed after his personal life falls apart. One day at the hospital, he finds that doctors are mysteriously dying and it's getting blamed on him. George C. Scott overacts like crazy in this film, and the writing isn't too great, especially for Chayefsky. I can't believe this won best screenplay. I'll forget this movie in a week.
3/13/24 "The Boy Friend" 1971
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Now go out there and be so great that you'll make me hate you!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Ken Russell might just be the most insane director out there. This is a love letter to 1920s musicals (which became 1930s movies). A lot of the shots are tributes to the great Busby Berkeley (for instance, the iconic line of feet leading to the main couple smiling. The story is actually a pretty fun one. It's about an amateur theater company putting on a production of "The Boy Friend" for a Hollywood producer who might turn the musical into a film. A lot of the most creative shots come from the producer's vision of the possible movie. The actors are all trying to upstage each other in order to get that lucrative Hollywood deal. A lot of the humor also comes from how annoying the songs are. The songs are written to mock the 1920s style of musicals and they really amp that up with really obnoxious and over-the-top performances. As a whole, this is a really interesting film that has some beautiful shots and some really obnoxious songs.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Now go out there and be so great that you'll make me hate you!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Ken Russell might just be the most insane director out there. This is a love letter to 1920s musicals (which became 1930s movies). A lot of the shots are tributes to the great Busby Berkeley (for instance, the iconic line of feet leading to the main couple smiling. The story is actually a pretty fun one. It's about an amateur theater company putting on a production of "The Boy Friend" for a Hollywood producer who might turn the musical into a film. A lot of the most creative shots come from the producer's vision of the possible movie. The actors are all trying to upstage each other in order to get that lucrative Hollywood deal. A lot of the humor also comes from how annoying the songs are. The songs are written to mock the 1920s style of musicals and they really amp that up with really obnoxious and over-the-top performances. As a whole, this is a really interesting film that has some beautiful shots and some really obnoxious songs.
3/14/24 "Clockwork Orange" 1971
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I was cured, all right!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no.
This has been a film that I've been trying to see for a while. Finally watching it, I understand the hype. It's about a teenager and his friends in a not-too-distant future spending their free time committing horrible acts of sexual assault and "Ultraviolence". They don't have any reason to commit these horrible acts, they just do it for laughs. I love how this film constantly shows the juxtaposition between high and low culture. The main character loves Beethoven, and while he's committing horrible acts to a woman he's singing the classic song "Singin' In The Rain". The sets are also made up of classical architecture that has graffiti all over them showing sexual scenes. The film is also shot really well, using a lot of fish-eyed lenses and intimidating close-ups. Without getting into spoilers, I love how this film shows that everyone has this side to them, it's just whether or not they let it out. This is one of Kubrick's best, but it's really intense.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I was cured, all right!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no.
This has been a film that I've been trying to see for a while. Finally watching it, I understand the hype. It's about a teenager and his friends in a not-too-distant future spending their free time committing horrible acts of sexual assault and "Ultraviolence". They don't have any reason to commit these horrible acts, they just do it for laughs. I love how this film constantly shows the juxtaposition between high and low culture. The main character loves Beethoven, and while he's committing horrible acts to a woman he's singing the classic song "Singin' In The Rain". The sets are also made up of classical architecture that has graffiti all over them showing sexual scenes. The film is also shot really well, using a lot of fish-eyed lenses and intimidating close-ups. Without getting into spoilers, I love how this film shows that everyone has this side to them, it's just whether or not they let it out. This is one of Kubrick's best, but it's really intense.
7/9/22 "Harold and Maude" 1971
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They're just backing away from life. *Reach* out. Take a *chance*. Get *hurt* even. But play as well as you can. Go team, go! Give me an L. Give me an I. Give me a V. Give me an E. L-I-V-E. LIVE! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room."
Not gonna lie, this one made me cry. It's one of those classic indie movie vibes of existentialism and a low budget. It's what inspired Wes Anderson's style with the balanced shots. At first, I didn't like this movie since a lot of the jokes came from the many ways Harold would pretend to kill himself for his mom which came off as insensitive. We later learn that those actions really affect his character since he's all about death. At a funeral where he's crashing, he meets Maude, an 80-year-old funeral crasher who's all about life. We learn how both sides came from near-death experiences and yet they both have different views on life. Maude is just delightful in this movie and Harold does a great job as well. Overall this is an incredible film that you just have to see all the way through
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They're just backing away from life. *Reach* out. Take a *chance*. Get *hurt* even. But play as well as you can. Go team, go! Give me an L. Give me an I. Give me a V. Give me an E. L-I-V-E. LIVE! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room."
Not gonna lie, this one made me cry. It's one of those classic indie movie vibes of existentialism and a low budget. It's what inspired Wes Anderson's style with the balanced shots. At first, I didn't like this movie since a lot of the jokes came from the many ways Harold would pretend to kill himself for his mom which came off as insensitive. We later learn that those actions really affect his character since he's all about death. At a funeral where he's crashing, he meets Maude, an 80-year-old funeral crasher who's all about life. We learn how both sides came from near-death experiences and yet they both have different views on life. Maude is just delightful in this movie and Harold does a great job as well. Overall this is an incredible film that you just have to see all the way through
12/9/24 "Dirty Harry" 1971
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's so clear how many movies were inspired by this movie. Dirty Harry (played by Clint Eastwood) is a no-nonsense cop who must find a killer who has a kidnapped girl that he's taken hostage. This film has some classic one-liners, great action sequences, and a really great villain. It can get a little slow at points, but there's a sense of tension throughout. Something about this film that I don't get though is how obvious it is that Harry is in the wrong at some points, but the film treats it like he's right. He breaks many laws (including amendments) and yet the cops who tell him that he is wrong are portrayed as being weak. This is a pretty cop story, that sort of stays in what you'd expect of the film.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's so clear how many movies were inspired by this movie. Dirty Harry (played by Clint Eastwood) is a no-nonsense cop who must find a killer who has a kidnapped girl that he's taken hostage. This film has some classic one-liners, great action sequences, and a really great villain. It can get a little slow at points, but there's a sense of tension throughout. Something about this film that I don't get though is how obvious it is that Harry is in the wrong at some points, but the film treats it like he's right. He breaks many laws (including amendments) and yet the cops who tell him that he is wrong are portrayed as being weak. This is a pretty cop story, that sort of stays in what you'd expect of the film.
11/21/23 "What's Up, Doc?" 1972
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I love you means never having to say you're sorry!" "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Its screenplay is a work of genius with not only how many jokes there are but the quality of said jokes. The film follows four people who have identical bags and stay on the exact same floor in a San Francisco Hotel. These include Judy (Barbara Streisand) whose bag is filled with laundry. Howard (Ryan O'Neil) whose bag is filled with igneous rocks. Mr. Smith (Michael Murphy) whose bag has government documents that he shouldn't have, so Mr. Jones (Phil Roth) tries to steal the bag from Mr. Smith. Lastly, Mrs. Van Hoskins (Mabel Albertson) whose bag is filled with jewelry. Throughout the movie, these bags get mixed up all over the place leading to many comical situations. Also, Judy just decides to love Howard and puts all her energy into messing with him until he gets with her. He has a fiancee though, Madeline Kahn (who's great as always). This whole film sounds all over the place, but it's pretty easy to follow when you're watching it. This film is one of the best screwball comedies because it takes everything great from the 1930s/40s and makes it modern. Near perfection in every way.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I love you means never having to say you're sorry!" "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Its screenplay is a work of genius with not only how many jokes there are but the quality of said jokes. The film follows four people who have identical bags and stay on the exact same floor in a San Francisco Hotel. These include Judy (Barbara Streisand) whose bag is filled with laundry. Howard (Ryan O'Neil) whose bag is filled with igneous rocks. Mr. Smith (Michael Murphy) whose bag has government documents that he shouldn't have, so Mr. Jones (Phil Roth) tries to steal the bag from Mr. Smith. Lastly, Mrs. Van Hoskins (Mabel Albertson) whose bag is filled with jewelry. Throughout the movie, these bags get mixed up all over the place leading to many comical situations. Also, Judy just decides to love Howard and puts all her energy into messing with him until he gets with her. He has a fiancee though, Madeline Kahn (who's great as always). This whole film sounds all over the place, but it's pretty easy to follow when you're watching it. This film is one of the best screwball comedies because it takes everything great from the 1930s/40s and makes it modern. Near perfection in every way.
6/24/23 "Pink Flamingos" 1972
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote " Suppose someday there weren't any chickens. Oh, Babs, what could I possibly do? And then the eggman wouldn't have... he wouldn't have a job. It might happen, Babs. What could I do?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is the most vile film I've ever seen in my life. I decided to watch this film since John Waters is a huge director and this is his most famous film, I had no idea what I was getting into. The film is about Divine and her family fighting with a couple to be the filthiest person alive so they do several vile things to earn the title. Divine is a great actress and delivers her lines with enthusiasm, and her mom in this movie is basically the exact opposite, but in the best way. Those were the two best parts, other than that this film is just trying to see how much they can get away with. Although it's a part of the 1001 movies to see before you die and BFI's greatest films of all time, I just didn't like it at all
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote " Suppose someday there weren't any chickens. Oh, Babs, what could I possibly do? And then the eggman wouldn't have... he wouldn't have a job. It might happen, Babs. What could I do?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is the most vile film I've ever seen in my life. I decided to watch this film since John Waters is a huge director and this is his most famous film, I had no idea what I was getting into. The film is about Divine and her family fighting with a couple to be the filthiest person alive so they do several vile things to earn the title. Divine is a great actress and delivers her lines with enthusiasm, and her mom in this movie is basically the exact opposite, but in the best way. Those were the two best parts, other than that this film is just trying to see how much they can get away with. Although it's a part of the 1001 movies to see before you die and BFI's greatest films of all time, I just didn't like it at all
3/14/24 "Play It Again, Sam" 1972
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm so excited, I think I'll brush all my teeth today!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This might be one of my favorite Woody Allen films. He's a horrible guy, but a fantastic writer. This started as a play (in which the main four returned to reprise their roles) about a Movie Critic who's going through a divorce and trying to get back on his feet again. An imaginary Humphrey Bogart appears and starts coaching him on how to find love. This comes to a boiling point when he starts having an affair with his best friend's wife. This proves that the best Woody Allen projects are the ones that don't need a gimmick. He doesn't need to be in the future, or 1800s Russia, or a fake South American country, he can write honestly which leads to the best moments. This feels like a precursor to Annie Hall, because the main three are him, Diane Keaton, and Tony Roberts. Some lines in this film haven't aged well whatsoever, but as a whole, it hits more than it misses. It's one of his best films behind "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan".
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm so excited, I think I'll brush all my teeth today!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This might be one of my favorite Woody Allen films. He's a horrible guy, but a fantastic writer. This started as a play (in which the main four returned to reprise their roles) about a Movie Critic who's going through a divorce and trying to get back on his feet again. An imaginary Humphrey Bogart appears and starts coaching him on how to find love. This comes to a boiling point when he starts having an affair with his best friend's wife. This proves that the best Woody Allen projects are the ones that don't need a gimmick. He doesn't need to be in the future, or 1800s Russia, or a fake South American country, he can write honestly which leads to the best moments. This feels like a precursor to Annie Hall, because the main three are him, Diane Keaton, and Tony Roberts. Some lines in this film haven't aged well whatsoever, but as a whole, it hits more than it misses. It's one of his best films behind "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan".
10/9/23 "Frenzy" 1972
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I might as well do what you put me away for" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Hitchcock wasn't the same after the 60s. I feel like Frenzy is the thought of "since it can be done, it will be done!". Hitchcock works when he's restricted in what he can do in his films. Through the Hays code, we could see how creatively he could get around such conventions. Here it feels like the thrill of how he gets around the censors has gone since now he can just do whatever he wants. They also try to add comedy and it rarely works. The thrills are good sometimes and lead to some classic Hitchcock moments, but these are few and far between. Far from the best Hitchcock film.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I might as well do what you put me away for" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Hitchcock wasn't the same after the 60s. I feel like Frenzy is the thought of "since it can be done, it will be done!". Hitchcock works when he's restricted in what he can do in his films. Through the Hays code, we could see how creatively he could get around such conventions. Here it feels like the thrill of how he gets around the censors has gone since now he can just do whatever he wants. They also try to add comedy and it rarely works. The thrills are good sometimes and lead to some classic Hitchcock moments, but these are few and far between. Far from the best Hitchcock film.
6/11/24 "The Harder They Come" 1972
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You know, this is show business, baby. No business, no show!" Do they say the title of the movie: Yes
This is such a culturally rich film. This is the film that brought Reggae to the U.S. In the 70s. This film was made in Jamaica and is all about Reggae. It follows Ivanhoe (Jimmy Cliff) creating the hit song "The Harder They Come" to hopefully become a famous star, but the producers take the song away from him. Ivanhoe has to turn to crime when he can't make money off the song. Even though the song is a big hit, he doesn't get a single penny of it. It's such a great commentary on the music industry and how musicians often get used to the system just to make money for themselves. I can completely understand why this film was a big deal when it came out, especially if you've never heard of Reggae before.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You know, this is show business, baby. No business, no show!" Do they say the title of the movie: Yes
This is such a culturally rich film. This is the film that brought Reggae to the U.S. In the 70s. This film was made in Jamaica and is all about Reggae. It follows Ivanhoe (Jimmy Cliff) creating the hit song "The Harder They Come" to hopefully become a famous star, but the producers take the song away from him. Ivanhoe has to turn to crime when he can't make money off the song. Even though the song is a big hit, he doesn't get a single penny of it. It's such a great commentary on the music industry and how musicians often get used to the system just to make money for themselves. I can completely understand why this film was a big deal when it came out, especially if you've never heard of Reggae before.
7/10/24 "The Candidate" 1972
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "What do we do now?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I don't really have a lot to say about this film. It's a pretty alright political satire but it's not really memorable. There's a reason why no one really brings this up in conversation when it comes to film. It's about a man running for the Senate purely to shake up the system. He has an interest in actually winning, he just wants to mess with the system. This seems like a fun idea, but the execution kind of brings this down. It's just not that funny to be a comedy nor that dramatic to be a drama. It won best screenplay somehow, which I don't get in the slightest.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "What do we do now?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I don't really have a lot to say about this film. It's a pretty alright political satire but it's not really memorable. There's a reason why no one really brings this up in conversation when it comes to film. It's about a man running for the Senate purely to shake up the system. He has an interest in actually winning, he just wants to mess with the system. This seems like a fun idea, but the execution kind of brings this down. It's just not that funny to be a comedy nor that dramatic to be a drama. It won best screenplay somehow, which I don't get in the slightest.
6/23/25 "Super Fly" 1972
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "8-Track Stereo, color T.V. in every room, and can snort a half a piece of dope everyday? That's the American Dream" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's rough because I think Gordon Park jr. was trying to follow up on his father's work, but not as well. There are some parallels between this and Shaft, but this seems more like an imitation of Shaft than its own thing. We follow a drug dealer who decides to do one last score before quitting for good. The cinematography and score are really well done, but this film just isn't very memorable.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "8-Track Stereo, color T.V. in every room, and can snort a half a piece of dope everyday? That's the American Dream" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's rough because I think Gordon Park jr. was trying to follow up on his father's work, but not as well. There are some parallels between this and Shaft, but this seems more like an imitation of Shaft than its own thing. We follow a drug dealer who decides to do one last score before quitting for good. The cinematography and score are really well done, but this film just isn't very memorable.
7/14/23 "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But You Were Afraid To Ask)" 1972
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I AM NOT A WAITER, I AM A DOCTOR!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Sex. Boom! That's the joke! Go home folks, we did it! We've perfected comedy! Bazinga! Seriously, this was one of the most unfunny films I've seen. Woody Allen is out of his element here, since this whole movie is just a collection of sketches and wow is he not a good sketchwriter! The problem lies in how undercooked the sketches feel. They're normally around one joke, and when that joke isn't funny, it's one of the worst viewing experiences. It's also really creepy how many of the segments have a comment about being a pedophile. The clues were all there. I gave this movie two stars for two stars in the film who make this film somewhat livable. Gene Wilder was in the "hilarious" segment where he gets into a sexual relationship with a sheep (I can already hear you dying laughing through the screen). The writing is absolute dog water, but Gene Wilder carries the scene by trying his best to make it funny. The other big star was Tony Randall who plays the command center in a human body trying his hardest to make sure everything goes right. Tony Randall is a very funny actor, and he lets some of that shine through, but he's weighed down by the very unfunny writing. Do you know who's not good in this film? Woody Allen. This might just be his worst performance in a film that I've seen. He just gives nothing and pretends like he's the best actor there. This whole film was basically made as revenge when the author of this film quoted one of his movies on the Johnny Carson show, so he made the movie based on his book but only read the titles of each chapter. Yep. This isn't even a part of his book, it's just Woody Allen looking at chapter names and asking "wouldn't it be funny if...". It wasn't. It just wasn't
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I AM NOT A WAITER, I AM A DOCTOR!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Sex. Boom! That's the joke! Go home folks, we did it! We've perfected comedy! Bazinga! Seriously, this was one of the most unfunny films I've seen. Woody Allen is out of his element here, since this whole movie is just a collection of sketches and wow is he not a good sketchwriter! The problem lies in how undercooked the sketches feel. They're normally around one joke, and when that joke isn't funny, it's one of the worst viewing experiences. It's also really creepy how many of the segments have a comment about being a pedophile. The clues were all there. I gave this movie two stars for two stars in the film who make this film somewhat livable. Gene Wilder was in the "hilarious" segment where he gets into a sexual relationship with a sheep (I can already hear you dying laughing through the screen). The writing is absolute dog water, but Gene Wilder carries the scene by trying his best to make it funny. The other big star was Tony Randall who plays the command center in a human body trying his hardest to make sure everything goes right. Tony Randall is a very funny actor, and he lets some of that shine through, but he's weighed down by the very unfunny writing. Do you know who's not good in this film? Woody Allen. This might just be his worst performance in a film that I've seen. He just gives nothing and pretends like he's the best actor there. This whole film was basically made as revenge when the author of this film quoted one of his movies on the Johnny Carson show, so he made the movie based on his book but only read the titles of each chapter. Yep. This isn't even a part of his book, it's just Woody Allen looking at chapter names and asking "wouldn't it be funny if...". It wasn't. It just wasn't
7/18/23 "The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie" 1972
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "In our hearts, we have the same ideals. The bomb and pollution, for example. You're against them. Well, so am I. You're in favor of free love. So am I." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I'm going, to be honest, I don't get why so many people love this film. It's listed as a comedy but I didn't find it really funny. There were some really interesting dream sequences that I enjoyed, but they were just that. Dream sequences that added nothing to the story. It's about six rich people trying to sit down and have a meal together, but every time they try to eat, they always get interrupted somehow. That's the film! The dream sequences are the best parts and the only parts of the film I really enjoyed. Looking at the Letterboxd reviews I'm not alone in thinking that I don't get the jokes. Very overrated
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "In our hearts, we have the same ideals. The bomb and pollution, for example. You're against them. Well, so am I. You're in favor of free love. So am I." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I'm going, to be honest, I don't get why so many people love this film. It's listed as a comedy but I didn't find it really funny. There were some really interesting dream sequences that I enjoyed, but they were just that. Dream sequences that added nothing to the story. It's about six rich people trying to sit down and have a meal together, but every time they try to eat, they always get interrupted somehow. That's the film! The dream sequences are the best parts and the only parts of the film I really enjoyed. Looking at the Letterboxd reviews I'm not alone in thinking that I don't get the jokes. Very overrated
5/19/24 "1776" 1972
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Sit down John!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes.
Sorry to anger all 2 1776 fans out there, but I was not a fan of this film. The songs were very bland to me and none of them really stood out to me. I feel like whenever I watch a musical there's normally a song that I go "Yep! That's the big" This didn't have one of those, they were all just collectively forgettable. It made some funny jokes about the Founding Fathers but not enough to make it interesting. It tries to comment on the complex history of America, but not enough to make it worth while.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Sit down John!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes.
Sorry to anger all 2 1776 fans out there, but I was not a fan of this film. The songs were very bland to me and none of them really stood out to me. I feel like whenever I watch a musical there's normally a song that I go "Yep! That's the big" This didn't have one of those, they were all just collectively forgettable. It made some funny jokes about the Founding Fathers but not enough to make it interesting. It tries to comment on the complex history of America, but not enough to make it worth while.
8/14/24 "Avanti!" 1972
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I don't object to foreigners speaking a foreign language. I just wish they'd all speak the same foreign language." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's interesting seeing Billy Wilder test the waters with a New Wave film. It follows two people dying in Italy while cheating on their spouses, so their separate children (Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills) unintentionally meet and start following the footsteps of their parent's love affair. They start to argue however about where their parents should be buried because Jack Lemmon doesn't want the affair to be well documented. This has a very '70s tone, which aids the feel of this film. There's a running joke in this film however where they keep calling Juliet Mills fat when she really isn't. Luckily, this has to do with some of her character development, but the fat jokes aren't that funny, which is a shame because the rest of the jokes are pretty funny. Overall, this is a pretty underrated gem.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I don't object to foreigners speaking a foreign language. I just wish they'd all speak the same foreign language." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's interesting seeing Billy Wilder test the waters with a New Wave film. It follows two people dying in Italy while cheating on their spouses, so their separate children (Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills) unintentionally meet and start following the footsteps of their parent's love affair. They start to argue however about where their parents should be buried because Jack Lemmon doesn't want the affair to be well documented. This has a very '70s tone, which aids the feel of this film. There's a running joke in this film however where they keep calling Juliet Mills fat when she really isn't. Luckily, this has to do with some of her character development, but the fat jokes aren't that funny, which is a shame because the rest of the jokes are pretty funny. Overall, this is a pretty underrated gem.
7/1/24 "The Heartbreak Kid" 1972
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Not if they tied me to a horse and pulled me forty miles by my tongue" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I grew up with the 2007 one, which felt like it encapsulated 2000's comedy films. Though I laughed a lot more in the 2000's one, this one is a better movie. The characters feel a lot more realistic than in the 2007 one and they make the Charles Grodin character the punching bag vs. the 2007 Malin Akerman character. The film follows two newlyweds who obviously got married just so they could do the deed, but as the honeymoon continues, Lenny (Charles Grodin) begins questioning his relationship with his new wife, Lila (Jeannie Berlin) where he finds little things about her that he doesn't like. In the 2007 one, they added so many reasons to why he should leave his wife whereas in this version they're more presented as small quirks that just irritate the character. He runs into Kelly (Cybill Shepherd) and falls head over heels. The film is about Lenny trying to date Kelly behind Lila's back. Eddie Albert plays Kelly's dad and he does an incredible job. The main four as a whole are fantastic. Though not the funniest film, there is still a lot here that really works.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Not if they tied me to a horse and pulled me forty miles by my tongue" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I grew up with the 2007 one, which felt like it encapsulated 2000's comedy films. Though I laughed a lot more in the 2000's one, this one is a better movie. The characters feel a lot more realistic than in the 2007 one and they make the Charles Grodin character the punching bag vs. the 2007 Malin Akerman character. The film follows two newlyweds who obviously got married just so they could do the deed, but as the honeymoon continues, Lenny (Charles Grodin) begins questioning his relationship with his new wife, Lila (Jeannie Berlin) where he finds little things about her that he doesn't like. In the 2007 one, they added so many reasons to why he should leave his wife whereas in this version they're more presented as small quirks that just irritate the character. He runs into Kelly (Cybill Shepherd) and falls head over heels. The film is about Lenny trying to date Kelly behind Lila's back. Eddie Albert plays Kelly's dad and he does an incredible job. The main four as a whole are fantastic. Though not the funniest film, there is still a lot here that really works.
6/9/25 "Cries and Whispers" 1972
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Can't you hear that? Someone's crying. Can't you hear it? Someone's crying and crying." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is such a bleak and devastating movie. It might be my favorite Ingmar Bergman film. It follows a group of four sisters as one of them gets cancer. The sister with cancer can't get the help she needs, because each of her sisters is dealing with something in their own lives that is taking a significant mental toll on them. While Bergman's work is normally bleak, this, especially, is a gut punch as we witness these four people truly suffer.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Can't you hear that? Someone's crying. Can't you hear it? Someone's crying and crying." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is such a bleak and devastating movie. It might be my favorite Ingmar Bergman film. It follows a group of four sisters as one of them gets cancer. The sister with cancer can't get the help she needs, because each of her sisters is dealing with something in their own lives that is taking a significant mental toll on them. While Bergman's work is normally bleak, this, especially, is a gut punch as we witness these four people truly suffer.
9/24/23 "Don't Look Now" 1973
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It's like a city in aspic, wrapped over from a dinner party, where all the guests are dead or gone. It frightens her. Too many shadows." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a pretty interesting horror movie. It follows a couple who recently lost their kid going to Venice for a job. While there a blind woman tells the wife (Julie Christie) that she can see her daughter and describes her perfectly. The husband (Donald Sutherland) doesn't believe her but then starts seeing strange things all throughout Venice. It was shot really well and had great acting moments, but it was pretty slow and not that scary. The last 10 minutes were the best part. I can see the influence on future movies though.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It's like a city in aspic, wrapped over from a dinner party, where all the guests are dead or gone. It frightens her. Too many shadows." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a pretty interesting horror movie. It follows a couple who recently lost their kid going to Venice for a job. While there a blind woman tells the wife (Julie Christie) that she can see her daughter and describes her perfectly. The husband (Donald Sutherland) doesn't believe her but then starts seeing strange things all throughout Venice. It was shot really well and had great acting moments, but it was pretty slow and not that scary. The last 10 minutes were the best part. I can see the influence on future movies though.
10/8/24 "Love and Anarchy" 1973
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "A perfect Sunday!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such an interesting film that it felt equally humorous and dramatic. We follow an anarchist farmer, Tunin (Giancarlo Giannini), before WW2, who has one goal: to kill Benito Mussolini. In order to do this, he stays in a brothel to try to hide from the government. He meets a woman named Salome (Mariangela Melato) whose boyfriend died trying to kill Mussolini. The film is humorous because of how high-energy Salome is compared to the low-energy Tunin. There's a lot of quick lines and realistic scenes that make this film really memorable and interesting.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "A perfect Sunday!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such an interesting film that it felt equally humorous and dramatic. We follow an anarchist farmer, Tunin (Giancarlo Giannini), before WW2, who has one goal: to kill Benito Mussolini. In order to do this, he stays in a brothel to try to hide from the government. He meets a woman named Salome (Mariangela Melato) whose boyfriend died trying to kill Mussolini. The film is humorous because of how high-energy Salome is compared to the low-energy Tunin. There's a lot of quick lines and realistic scenes that make this film really memorable and interesting.
3/15/24 "The Long Goodbye" 1973
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Yeah, I even lost my cat." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes!
I feel like this is trying hard to be a classic noir film, but sort of fails at it. This film feels like it's strangely low-stakes. Despite the plot being about Murder, it never really feels like we should care about anything that's happening. This feels like it's trying to emulate the work of Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, and Howard Hawks without actually doing anything interesting. The source material is from the "Phillip Marlowe" set of books, which had several screen adaptions (the most popular being "The Big Sleep" with Humphrey Bogart). This has an interesting version of Marlowe where he's a lot more of a pathetic character than an indestructible machine. It sort of works, but this takes a lot away from Marlowe I feel. I can appreciate Elliot Gould's choice to not do a Bogart impersonation, and he has some good moments but he's just not really a good fit for the role. As a whole, I feel like this film took off like it did just because it started the neo-noir trend, it wasn't the best.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Yeah, I even lost my cat." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes!
I feel like this is trying hard to be a classic noir film, but sort of fails at it. This film feels like it's strangely low-stakes. Despite the plot being about Murder, it never really feels like we should care about anything that's happening. This feels like it's trying to emulate the work of Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, and Howard Hawks without actually doing anything interesting. The source material is from the "Phillip Marlowe" set of books, which had several screen adaptions (the most popular being "The Big Sleep" with Humphrey Bogart). This has an interesting version of Marlowe where he's a lot more of a pathetic character than an indestructible machine. It sort of works, but this takes a lot away from Marlowe I feel. I can appreciate Elliot Gould's choice to not do a Bogart impersonation, and he has some good moments but he's just not really a good fit for the role. As a whole, I feel like this film took off like it did just because it started the neo-noir trend, it wasn't the best.
5/19/25 "High Plains Drifter" 1973
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Just a peaceful hour to drink it in." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This feels a lot like his Sergio Leone trilogy, but this film has its own special flavor that makes this a pretty interesting western. Clint Eastwood is playing a very similar type of "man with no name" character, but this one is a lot more chaotic than his previous roles. It's a really morally grey look at the western genre, where you really can't tell if we're supposed to root for or be against his character.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Just a peaceful hour to drink it in." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This feels a lot like his Sergio Leone trilogy, but this film has its own special flavor that makes this a pretty interesting western. Clint Eastwood is playing a very similar type of "man with no name" character, but this one is a lot more chaotic than his previous roles. It's a really morally grey look at the western genre, where you really can't tell if we're supposed to root for or be against his character.
6/17/25 "Paper Moon" 1973
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "No, I don't like ya!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such a charming film. It has a premise that seems like it's been done to death, but Bogdanovich really finds a fresh way of writing it. We follow a bible salesman (Ryan O'Neal) during the great depression who gets stuck with this little girl (Tatum O'Neal) who may or may not be his daughter. As he tries to scam people throughout Kansas, he finds that this little girl can help with his scams. Being real-life father and daughter, the two of them have really obvious chemistry. The whole film is full of great performances and clever writing.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "No, I don't like ya!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such a charming film. It has a premise that seems like it's been done to death, but Bogdanovich really finds a fresh way of writing it. We follow a bible salesman (Ryan O'Neal) during the great depression who gets stuck with this little girl (Tatum O'Neal) who may or may not be his daughter. As he tries to scam people throughout Kansas, he finds that this little girl can help with his scams. Being real-life father and daughter, the two of them have really obvious chemistry. The whole film is full of great performances and clever writing.
1/4/25 "Fantastic Planet" 1973
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "What a shame we can't play with her anymore." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is such a wonderfully animated film. It tells such an interesting story, too. We follow a group of giant aliens called the Draags, who keep Oms (later generations of human beings) as house pets and entertainment. We follow an Om as he tries to break free from these abusive Draags and finds a society of wild Oms. The film features such great alien designs and effectively utilizes its concept to its full potential. It's such an engaging film that was a huge step forward for animation.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "What a shame we can't play with her anymore." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is such a wonderfully animated film. It tells such an interesting story, too. We follow a group of giant aliens called the Draags, who keep Oms (later generations of human beings) as house pets and entertainment. We follow an Om as he tries to break free from these abusive Draags and finds a society of wild Oms. The film features such great alien designs and effectively utilizes its concept to its full potential. It's such an engaging film that was a huge step forward for animation.
2/2/25 "Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid" 1973
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Keep change, Bob!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm not really that into Westerns, so this film was fighting a losing battle. I personally just found this film to be very boring and didn't have a lot to keep me in it. We follow Pat Garrett (James Coburn), a lawman who cattlemen hire to take down his friend, Billy The Kid (Kris Kristofferson). There's a Bob Dylan jumpscare in the movie with him not only starring in this film but also writing the soundtrack for it (including the iconic "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"). I felt like the plot was very slow, making this tough to sit through.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Keep change, Bob!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm not really that into Westerns, so this film was fighting a losing battle. I personally just found this film to be very boring and didn't have a lot to keep me in it. We follow Pat Garrett (James Coburn), a lawman who cattlemen hire to take down his friend, Billy The Kid (Kris Kristofferson). There's a Bob Dylan jumpscare in the movie with him not only starring in this film but also writing the soundtrack for it (including the iconic "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"). I felt like the plot was very slow, making this tough to sit through.
10/16/24 "The Last Of Sheila" 1973
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Honey, would you drop me down a Tab? My mouth is so dry, I feel like they could shoot "Lawrence of Arabia" in it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such an interesting murder-mystery film, mostly because of the two writers. Stephen Sondheim (composer of Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Company) and Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) wrote this film together based on their parties where they would leave clues for their guests to solve. This film is about a rich movie producer (James Coburn), having a party on the year anniversary since his wife, Shelia, died in a hit and run. So he invited six of his friends there that day to play a game. He gives them a card that has a secret that someone would have on the group, and the group has to find out each other's fake secret. Little do the secrets actually refer to one another with the last card being "You are a Hit and Run Killer". It's a really fun mystery that has a lot of twists and turns that I wouldn't want to spoil. There's one thing that's odd about the film where one of the secrets revealed is that one of them is a child molester, but the rest of the gang seems cool with that fact. Other than that small thing, this film is really gripping.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Honey, would you drop me down a Tab? My mouth is so dry, I feel like they could shoot "Lawrence of Arabia" in it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such an interesting murder-mystery film, mostly because of the two writers. Stephen Sondheim (composer of Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Company) and Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) wrote this film together based on their parties where they would leave clues for their guests to solve. This film is about a rich movie producer (James Coburn), having a party on the year anniversary since his wife, Shelia, died in a hit and run. So he invited six of his friends there that day to play a game. He gives them a card that has a secret that someone would have on the group, and the group has to find out each other's fake secret. Little do the secrets actually refer to one another with the last card being "You are a Hit and Run Killer". It's a really fun mystery that has a lot of twists and turns that I wouldn't want to spoil. There's one thing that's odd about the film where one of the secrets revealed is that one of them is a child molester, but the rest of the gang seems cool with that fact. Other than that small thing, this film is really gripping.
6/28/23 "American Graffiti" 1973
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You're the most beautiful, exciting thing I've ever seen in my life and I don't know anything about you." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Nope
"Hey, remember the '50s and early '60s? Pretty cool right!" That's basically the entire film in a nutshell. I understand what they were going for since 1962 was before the assassination of JFK and the Vietnam War and the overall loss of innocence American faced, much like the loss of innocence the characters are going to face when going off to school, but I just didn't care about any of the characters. There were some sweet moments and semi-interesting story beats, but as a whole, this was very boring. The best part of this film is the absolute banger soundtrack with songs by Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, and the Beach Boys (although they slander them in the film despite giving them their most iconic moment). Honestly just listen to the soundtrack, it's the only part of this film worth remembering.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You're the most beautiful, exciting thing I've ever seen in my life and I don't know anything about you." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Nope
"Hey, remember the '50s and early '60s? Pretty cool right!" That's basically the entire film in a nutshell. I understand what they were going for since 1962 was before the assassination of JFK and the Vietnam War and the overall loss of innocence American faced, much like the loss of innocence the characters are going to face when going off to school, but I just didn't care about any of the characters. There were some sweet moments and semi-interesting story beats, but as a whole, this was very boring. The best part of this film is the absolute banger soundtrack with songs by Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, and the Beach Boys (although they slander them in the film despite giving them their most iconic moment). Honestly just listen to the soundtrack, it's the only part of this film worth remembering.
4/1/24/ "F For Fake" 1973
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It's pretty, but is it Art?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
An absolute trip of a documentary. It's the last film of Orson Welles, it's all about lies and deception. He makes a solid promise though that he won't lie for the next hour and he tells the story of Elmyr de Hory (An art fraud) and Clifford Irving (an author who claimed that he's writing a biography with Howard Hughes). He goes into the world of fraud and questions it in the first place. He brings up the point that it takes the nod of a critic to make an artwork important, so if you can trick a critic into making a painting important, what's the point? This was a pretty interesting documentary, if not a little pretentious. It's really smart, but Welles definitely thinks this is a masterpiece. I would recommend it.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It's pretty, but is it Art?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
An absolute trip of a documentary. It's the last film of Orson Welles, it's all about lies and deception. He makes a solid promise though that he won't lie for the next hour and he tells the story of Elmyr de Hory (An art fraud) and Clifford Irving (an author who claimed that he's writing a biography with Howard Hughes). He goes into the world of fraud and questions it in the first place. He brings up the point that it takes the nod of a critic to make an artwork important, so if you can trick a critic into making a painting important, what's the point? This was a pretty interesting documentary, if not a little pretentious. It's really smart, but Welles definitely thinks this is a masterpiece. I would recommend it.
11/5/23 "Mean Streets" 1973
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "What's the matter with you?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Honestly, this was a rough start for the Robert De Niro/Martin Scorsese friendship. It's crazy to think that they would still be making films 50 years later after this one. I personally thought that the plot didn't go anywhere, which would be fine if I cared about the characters at all (which I didn't really). Scorsese would do much better in three years when he made "Taxi Driver".
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "What's the matter with you?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Honestly, this was a rough start for the Robert De Niro/Martin Scorsese friendship. It's crazy to think that they would still be making films 50 years later after this one. I personally thought that the plot didn't go anywhere, which would be fine if I cared about the characters at all (which I didn't really). Scorsese would do much better in three years when he made "Taxi Driver".
9/18/22 "Robin Hood" 1973
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Borrow? Boy, are we in debt."
I was not expecting to like this one so much. This is a part of my Disney binge with my sister where we try to watch all of the Disney Animated movies in chronological order. I always regarded this one as a low-tier one since no one ever talks about it, but this was probably one of the funniest Disney movies. The jokes are genuinely funny and the character animation is stellar. Sometimes I would laugh at the facial expressions more than the joke. All of the characters are well-defined and extremely likable (except the characters who are supposed to be unlikable which they ham up to hilarious levels). This movie is also very sweet with some great commentary about greed and corruption (cough, cough Nixon). Haha yes VERY GOOD.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Borrow? Boy, are we in debt."
I was not expecting to like this one so much. This is a part of my Disney binge with my sister where we try to watch all of the Disney Animated movies in chronological order. I always regarded this one as a low-tier one since no one ever talks about it, but this was probably one of the funniest Disney movies. The jokes are genuinely funny and the character animation is stellar. Sometimes I would laugh at the facial expressions more than the joke. All of the characters are well-defined and extremely likable (except the characters who are supposed to be unlikable which they ham up to hilarious levels). This movie is also very sweet with some great commentary about greed and corruption (cough, cough Nixon). Haha yes VERY GOOD.
10/12/22 "The Wicker Man" 1973
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Do sit down, Sergeant. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent."
I can see how much Midsommar took from this (but this movie did this concept a lot better). The stakes in this film are a lot higher than in Midsommar and make a lot more sense. In this one the plot kicks off almost immediately with a police officer looking for a missing little girl, that's how he goes to the island where he learns about the odd community whereas Midsommar is just "Hey! Let's go learn about this new community!". I also feel like the pacing in this one is really good, it uses its time well to set up the story and engage you with the mystery of the missing child. Also, the man with the signature look of superiority himself Christopher Lee is in this movie and he does a great job with his character. This film is also sort of a musical, I'm not too sure if it counts but there are several musical numbers in it where the town is singing songs but it's not like when people just sing normally, it's fully staged and with choreography. A really interesting film that you should see
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Do sit down, Sergeant. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent."
I can see how much Midsommar took from this (but this movie did this concept a lot better). The stakes in this film are a lot higher than in Midsommar and make a lot more sense. In this one the plot kicks off almost immediately with a police officer looking for a missing little girl, that's how he goes to the island where he learns about the odd community whereas Midsommar is just "Hey! Let's go learn about this new community!". I also feel like the pacing in this one is really good, it uses its time well to set up the story and engage you with the mystery of the missing child. Also, the man with the signature look of superiority himself Christopher Lee is in this movie and he does a great job with his character. This film is also sort of a musical, I'm not too sure if it counts but there are several musical numbers in it where the town is singing songs but it's not like when people just sing normally, it's fully staged and with choreography. A really interesting film that you should see
11/22/24 "The Last Detail" 1973
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It takes a certain kind of a sadistic temperament to be a Marine." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I wasn't a huge of this movie at first, but it slowly grew on me. We follow two men in the Navy (Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) as they're put on a detail to bring a young offender (Randy Quaid) to prison. When they start to talk to him and get to know him, they realize he isn't that bad of a guy. They also realize how young he is, so they decide to show him a good time before he gets put away for a long time. Jack Nicholson does a great job as always, but Randy Quaid really gives a great performance as well. Though I've never seen Otis Young in a film before, he does a great job too. These three really bounce off each other and make an enjoyable film. Hal Ashby directed this film and you can see his touch on the film. Some parts of the film are a little dated, but as a whole, it's a pretty great film with some standout characters.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It takes a certain kind of a sadistic temperament to be a Marine." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I wasn't a huge of this movie at first, but it slowly grew on me. We follow two men in the Navy (Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) as they're put on a detail to bring a young offender (Randy Quaid) to prison. When they start to talk to him and get to know him, they realize he isn't that bad of a guy. They also realize how young he is, so they decide to show him a good time before he gets put away for a long time. Jack Nicholson does a great job as always, but Randy Quaid really gives a great performance as well. Though I've never seen Otis Young in a film before, he does a great job too. These three really bounce off each other and make an enjoyable film. Hal Ashby directed this film and you can see his touch on the film. Some parts of the film are a little dated, but as a whole, it's a pretty great film with some standout characters.
11/16/25 "Papillon" 1973
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Does it matter?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I wasn't expecting this film to carry as much of a punch as it does. This film is a prison escape movie, but instead of just a jail, it's an island in French Guiana. The film tracks the unlikely friendship between Papillon (Steve McQueen) and Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman), who are very different people, but have to get along to escape. There are a ton of really interesting sequences and shots that really make this film stand on its own. I was a bit nervous that it would just be a retelling of "The Great Escape", but it really wasn't. The two actors have a lot of chemistry and really add flavor to this familiar plot.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Does it matter?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I wasn't expecting this film to carry as much of a punch as it does. This film is a prison escape movie, but instead of just a jail, it's an island in French Guiana. The film tracks the unlikely friendship between Papillon (Steve McQueen) and Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman), who are very different people, but have to get along to escape. There are a ton of really interesting sequences and shots that really make this film stand on its own. I was a bit nervous that it would just be a retelling of "The Great Escape", but it really wasn't. The two actors have a lot of chemistry and really add flavor to this familiar plot.
7/7/23 "Sleeper" 1973
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "My brain? It's my second favorite organ!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was just a mess of a film. It's about a man who gets woken up after being frozen for 200 years and being thrown into a revolution against the leader. Most of the problems with the film come from how ambitious Woody Allen wanted to make the film. He wanted to make this film three hours long and in two parts where we see his life before he gets sent to the future and the actual movie where he's in the future. He also wanted to make a silent film, so it was originally going to be that it's illegal to talk in the future, making the film a silent picture. The company said no to this idea, but Woody Allen still kept the silent sequences in there and there are a lot. The sci-fi plot is too much for Woody Allen. Woody Allen works when it's grounded in reality and this just isn't. Most of the jokes in this movie are "Look at this invention" or "Woody Allen does odd face!". It's hard to believe four years after this made "Annie Hall" since this film is such a silly, stupid film
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "My brain? It's my second favorite organ!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was just a mess of a film. It's about a man who gets woken up after being frozen for 200 years and being thrown into a revolution against the leader. Most of the problems with the film come from how ambitious Woody Allen wanted to make the film. He wanted to make this film three hours long and in two parts where we see his life before he gets sent to the future and the actual movie where he's in the future. He also wanted to make a silent film, so it was originally going to be that it's illegal to talk in the future, making the film a silent picture. The company said no to this idea, but Woody Allen still kept the silent sequences in there and there are a lot. The sci-fi plot is too much for Woody Allen. Woody Allen works when it's grounded in reality and this just isn't. Most of the jokes in this movie are "Look at this invention" or "Woody Allen does odd face!". It's hard to believe four years after this made "Annie Hall" since this film is such a silly, stupid film
7/24/22 "The Sting" 1973
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat as well."
I was cheated. People say that this is a comedy, but it really isn't that funny. I checked this one out BECAUSE of the fact that it was a comedy. I feel like the comedy genre is always pushed to the side when it comes to Oscar winners. There have only a handful of Comedy winners when it comes to the Oscars, remove the Dramedy and that number drops down to a minimal number. There are more Oscar-winning from Britain than there have been comedy movies that have won Oscars. That's weird, right? I can't be the only one to think how odd that is. This movie isn't a comedy, rather it's a Con movie. This is one of the earliest ones making it a really popular film. I can commend it for pretty much starting a genre, but I feel like this film falls flat. Every step of the way was pretty predictable, except for one part where there would've been no way for the audience to know it was coming. In my opinion, a good twist is one that the audience could've probably guessed thanks to the clues on screen. The twist in Sixth Sense or Fight Club was one that the audience could've probably guessed, but here one of the twists came completely out of the left field. They also had a very safe bet with the casting of this movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid themselves. Overall, I feel like this one doesn't deserve the Oscar
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat as well."
I was cheated. People say that this is a comedy, but it really isn't that funny. I checked this one out BECAUSE of the fact that it was a comedy. I feel like the comedy genre is always pushed to the side when it comes to Oscar winners. There have only a handful of Comedy winners when it comes to the Oscars, remove the Dramedy and that number drops down to a minimal number. There are more Oscar-winning from Britain than there have been comedy movies that have won Oscars. That's weird, right? I can't be the only one to think how odd that is. This movie isn't a comedy, rather it's a Con movie. This is one of the earliest ones making it a really popular film. I can commend it for pretty much starting a genre, but I feel like this film falls flat. Every step of the way was pretty predictable, except for one part where there would've been no way for the audience to know it was coming. In my opinion, a good twist is one that the audience could've probably guessed thanks to the clues on screen. The twist in Sixth Sense or Fight Club was one that the audience could've probably guessed, but here one of the twists came completely out of the left field. They also had a very safe bet with the casting of this movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid themselves. Overall, I feel like this one doesn't deserve the Oscar
10/23/22 "The Exorcist" 1973
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU"
This movie has to be one of the most overrated horror films. It's very slow and sort of led to nothing in my opinion. This didn't have a lot of tension or really a lot of good atmospheres. The vibe of this movie is "unfunny south park", I know this came out before but it feels like most of this movie boils down to "Look at this child swear... not normal!" The special effects are pretty good in this one and the actress who played Regan did a great job, just not for me
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU"
This movie has to be one of the most overrated horror films. It's very slow and sort of led to nothing in my opinion. This didn't have a lot of tension or really a lot of good atmospheres. The vibe of this movie is "unfunny south park", I know this came out before but it feels like most of this movie boils down to "Look at this child swear... not normal!" The special effects are pretty good in this one and the actress who played Regan did a great job, just not for me
9/17/25 "Ali: Fear Eats The Soul"
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Fear eats the soul" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Sort of
This was a really touching movie. It was inspired by the work of Douglas Sirk but really elevates it for a modern audience. We follow an old, German who falls in love with a Moroccan migrant. This film tackles loneliness really well, but it also tackles themes of racism and xenophobia. It's really sweet seeing the main couple's relationship advance and how they need each other. I can see why people adore this film. While it sticks too close to the melodramatic cliches that make up the genre, I would say this is a really good film!
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Fear eats the soul" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Sort of
This was a really touching movie. It was inspired by the work of Douglas Sirk but really elevates it for a modern audience. We follow an old, German who falls in love with a Moroccan migrant. This film tackles loneliness really well, but it also tackles themes of racism and xenophobia. It's really sweet seeing the main couple's relationship advance and how they need each other. I can see why people adore this film. While it sticks too close to the melodramatic cliches that make up the genre, I would say this is a really good film!
4/30/25 "Mame" 1974
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Well, maybe just a TINY triple!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes.
What a joyless musical. Based on the stage musical, which was based on the movie, which was based on the play, which was based on the book, this film has very little of the charm of the previous interpretations. This can be boiled down to the horrible casting of Lucille Ball as Mame. In the original movie, Rosalind Russell brought warmth and love to the original character and made Mame such an endearing character. Lucy, however, plays Mame very cold and agitated; she never seems like she having fun. Maybe if the original casting choice, Angela Lansbury, had been picked, it would have helped with this film's lack of charm, but some of these problems can be boiled down to the pacing itself. Though being 10 minutes shorter than the original, all the scenes seem so boiled down and condensed, to the point where major plot events happen in seconds. This is most likely to give way to the songs, but not even the songs can really save this wishy-washy plot. I'm sure I might like the songs more if I listened to the original cast, but they were pretty forgettable. Lucy's vocals don't help at all; the years of smoking have caught up with her. Gone is her old squeaky, high-pitched voice; now her voice is very low and creaky. Overall, just watch the 50s one.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Well, maybe just a TINY triple!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes.
What a joyless musical. Based on the stage musical, which was based on the movie, which was based on the play, which was based on the book, this film has very little of the charm of the previous interpretations. This can be boiled down to the horrible casting of Lucille Ball as Mame. In the original movie, Rosalind Russell brought warmth and love to the original character and made Mame such an endearing character. Lucy, however, plays Mame very cold and agitated; she never seems like she having fun. Maybe if the original casting choice, Angela Lansbury, had been picked, it would have helped with this film's lack of charm, but some of these problems can be boiled down to the pacing itself. Though being 10 minutes shorter than the original, all the scenes seem so boiled down and condensed, to the point where major plot events happen in seconds. This is most likely to give way to the songs, but not even the songs can really save this wishy-washy plot. I'm sure I might like the songs more if I listened to the original cast, but they were pretty forgettable. Lucy's vocals don't help at all; the years of smoking have caught up with her. Gone is her old squeaky, high-pitched voice; now her voice is very low and creaky. Overall, just watch the 50s one.
5/29/25 "The Sugarland Express" 1974
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Prove it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Spielberg's first studio-backed film really shows the type of movies he'd make in the future. This film is a wonderful blend of drama and comedy that works so well due to the amazing chemistry between the main characters. After learning that their child has been given to foster care, criminal parents Lou-Jean (Goldie Hawn) and Clovis Poplin (William Atherton) escape jail to try to get their baby back. The plan backfires horribly when the only way they can do so is by kidnapping a highway patrolman and using him as a hostage. The relationship between the couple and the patrolman is such an interesting one and really makes the movie pretty gripping. The best performance in the movie is easily Goldie Hawn, who really shines in this serious role. While it could drag a little and seem a little dated, this is a really well done film that shows the power of Spielberg's directing.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Prove it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Spielberg's first studio-backed film really shows the type of movies he'd make in the future. This film is a wonderful blend of drama and comedy that works so well due to the amazing chemistry between the main characters. After learning that their child has been given to foster care, criminal parents Lou-Jean (Goldie Hawn) and Clovis Poplin (William Atherton) escape jail to try to get their baby back. The plan backfires horribly when the only way they can do so is by kidnapping a highway patrolman and using him as a hostage. The relationship between the couple and the patrolman is such an interesting one and really makes the movie pretty gripping. The best performance in the movie is easily Goldie Hawn, who really shines in this serious role. While it could drag a little and seem a little dated, this is a really well done film that shows the power of Spielberg's directing.
1/19/25 "That's Entertainment" 1974
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You know, you can wait around and hope, but, I'll tell ya, you'll never see the likes of this again." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I feel very conflicted about this film. On a cynical note, it's clear that this was a way to try to cash in on the old musicals at a time when musicals were dead. This is clearly a "best of" compilation of MGM musicals and it sort of shows, but I absolutely love MGM musicals. Optimistically, this is a love letter to these musicals that made this studio great. They brought back their old stars like Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, and Elizabeth Taylor to tell their stories when filming. This film was also sort of heartbreaking seeing how torn up the sets were. Seeing footage of Fred Astaire dancing in a train station, only to see it in the modern day with Fred Astaire back again was pretty touching. It was also heartbreaking because you can feel the absence of Judy Garland, who died five years prior. A lot of the film focuses on her, with Liza Minnelli telling her mom's story. Seeing footage of all her roles to "Get Happy". As a whole, this is a great tribute to those amazing musicals and really showed the best of.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You know, you can wait around and hope, but, I'll tell ya, you'll never see the likes of this again." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I feel very conflicted about this film. On a cynical note, it's clear that this was a way to try to cash in on the old musicals at a time when musicals were dead. This is clearly a "best of" compilation of MGM musicals and it sort of shows, but I absolutely love MGM musicals. Optimistically, this is a love letter to these musicals that made this studio great. They brought back their old stars like Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, and Elizabeth Taylor to tell their stories when filming. This film was also sort of heartbreaking seeing how torn up the sets were. Seeing footage of Fred Astaire dancing in a train station, only to see it in the modern day with Fred Astaire back again was pretty touching. It was also heartbreaking because you can feel the absence of Judy Garland, who died five years prior. A lot of the film focuses on her, with Liza Minnelli telling her mom's story. Seeing footage of all her roles to "Get Happy". As a whole, this is a great tribute to those amazing musicals and really showed the best of.
11/21/25 "California Split" 1974
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Lady, you don't throw oranges on an escalator!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I have to say, this might be my favorite Robert Altman film. This really follows that "New Hollywood" type of film, in the best way. We follow Bill Denny (George Segal), a casual gambler, who meets the professional, Charlie Waters (Elliot Gould) as he takes Bill down with him in the intense world of gambling. It's interesting to see the bond between the two as Charlie's bad habits rub off on Bill. Segal and Gould have wonderful chemistry and bounce off each other really well.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Lady, you don't throw oranges on an escalator!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I have to say, this might be my favorite Robert Altman film. This really follows that "New Hollywood" type of film, in the best way. We follow Bill Denny (George Segal), a casual gambler, who meets the professional, Charlie Waters (Elliot Gould) as he takes Bill down with him in the intense world of gambling. It's interesting to see the bond between the two as Charlie's bad habits rub off on Bill. Segal and Gould have wonderful chemistry and bounce off each other really well.
8/12/22 "The Longest Yard" 1974
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote " My, you have lovely hair. You ever find any spiders in it?"
A pretty famous sports movie and I can see why. I love the shots that separated the screen like it's a comic book and how the football match was shot. Other than this though, this feels kind of like a run-of-the-mill sports movie. It has the added touch of commentary about police brutality which was a nice spin on it, but overall it just hit basically the same beats as the other sports movies. A satisfying watch, just a little predictable.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote " My, you have lovely hair. You ever find any spiders in it?"
A pretty famous sports movie and I can see why. I love the shots that separated the screen like it's a comic book and how the football match was shot. Other than this though, this feels kind of like a run-of-the-mill sports movie. It has the added touch of commentary about police brutality which was a nice spin on it, but overall it just hit basically the same beats as the other sports movies. A satisfying watch, just a little predictable.
9/21/25 "Black Christmas" 2025
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Why don't you go find a wall socket and stick your tongue in it? That'll give you a charge." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's such a shame I found this film to be only mediocre, because there were some elements I enjoyed. This film is a horror staple and really had some iconic elements, but I feel like it's missing that extra push to make it great. The camera work is really well done, being shot with a fish-eye lens to make it a little shaky, to make the audience uncomfortable. Also, the plastic bag kill is very iconic in the horror world and has inspired multiple movies (including the third Terrifier movie). My problem is, outside of the kills, this film lacks character. This takes place in a sorority house, but I feel like none of the characters exist past their stereotype. Unfortunately, the film doesn't have that memorable cast to make this a stand-out film.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Why don't you go find a wall socket and stick your tongue in it? That'll give you a charge." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's such a shame I found this film to be only mediocre, because there were some elements I enjoyed. This film is a horror staple and really had some iconic elements, but I feel like it's missing that extra push to make it great. The camera work is really well done, being shot with a fish-eye lens to make it a little shaky, to make the audience uncomfortable. Also, the plastic bag kill is very iconic in the horror world and has inspired multiple movies (including the third Terrifier movie). My problem is, outside of the kills, this film lacks character. This takes place in a sorority house, but I feel like none of the characters exist past their stereotype. Unfortunately, the film doesn't have that memorable cast to make this a stand-out film.
9/16/23 "Female Trouble" 1974
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I worry that you'll work in an office, have children, celebrate wedding anniversaries. The world of the heterosexual is a sick and boring life." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Oh yeah
This is another John Waters film, and it's definitely a step up from Pink Flamingos. This film has a stronger (and personally funnier) plot about Dawn Davenport (Divine), a young girl whose life goes down a dark and violent path after she doesn't get Cha-cha heels for Christmas. It's interesting how existential this film gets and how we are following Dawn (when in other movies she would be the antagonist). Divine does an incredible job and absolutely makes this film, she has such a manic energy to her character that makes it fun to watch. The supporting cast also does a fantastic job. My main problem is how this film still tries to see how far they can go (much like Pink Flamingos) and still contains some vile and disgusting images. I can see why this is his highest-rated film on Letterboxd.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I worry that you'll work in an office, have children, celebrate wedding anniversaries. The world of the heterosexual is a sick and boring life." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Oh yeah
This is another John Waters film, and it's definitely a step up from Pink Flamingos. This film has a stronger (and personally funnier) plot about Dawn Davenport (Divine), a young girl whose life goes down a dark and violent path after she doesn't get Cha-cha heels for Christmas. It's interesting how existential this film gets and how we are following Dawn (when in other movies she would be the antagonist). Divine does an incredible job and absolutely makes this film, she has such a manic energy to her character that makes it fun to watch. The supporting cast also does a fantastic job. My main problem is how this film still tries to see how far they can go (much like Pink Flamingos) and still contains some vile and disgusting images. I can see why this is his highest-rated film on Letterboxd.
8/14/24 "The Front Page" 1974
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "May the wind at your back never be your own." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The Front Page is one of the most successful plays in history, so it was interesting seeing Billy Wilder take on such an iconic play. The last movie version of The Front Page up to that point was the wildly successful "His Girl Friday" (which changed the source material slightly). This is a bit more accurate to the play, but I feel like this takes a bad turn. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are really funny in this, but they slow down the delivery to fit the Lemmon and Matthau style of comedy more. The jokes are funny, but this really slows down the manic pacing of the original. This may not be a big deal, but that's one of the most iconic elements of the play, the quick dialogue. This is a good movie, but it's just not the Front Page or His Girl Friday.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "May the wind at your back never be your own." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The Front Page is one of the most successful plays in history, so it was interesting seeing Billy Wilder take on such an iconic play. The last movie version of The Front Page up to that point was the wildly successful "His Girl Friday" (which changed the source material slightly). This is a bit more accurate to the play, but I feel like this takes a bad turn. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are really funny in this, but they slow down the delivery to fit the Lemmon and Matthau style of comedy more. The jokes are funny, but this really slows down the manic pacing of the original. This may not be a big deal, but that's one of the most iconic elements of the play, the quick dialogue. This is a good movie, but it's just not the Front Page or His Girl Friday.
1/14/25 "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" 1974
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If you ask me that one more time, I'm gonna beat you to death." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's hard to believe that this is a Scorsese film, it feels so different for him. This doesn't focus on crime or thrills, but rather a very human story. We follow Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son after her husband dies. She wants to move to California to be a singer, but she doesn't have the money, so she settles in Arizona where she works as a waitress. This core of this movie rests on Ellen Burstyn's performance, and it's a darn good one (and an Oscar-winning one). She really makes Alice a living, breathing person with highs and lows. The film is also shot really well (especially the opening sequence being a mix of Wizard of Oz and Gone With The Wind). One thing that holds this film back is how annoying the kid is, he's like Veda from Mildred Pierce with how annoying he can be. While not Scorsese's best, it certainly showed his promise as an auteur.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If you ask me that one more time, I'm gonna beat you to death." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's hard to believe that this is a Scorsese film, it feels so different for him. This doesn't focus on crime or thrills, but rather a very human story. We follow Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son after her husband dies. She wants to move to California to be a singer, but she doesn't have the money, so she settles in Arizona where she works as a waitress. This core of this movie rests on Ellen Burstyn's performance, and it's a darn good one (and an Oscar-winning one). She really makes Alice a living, breathing person with highs and lows. The film is also shot really well (especially the opening sequence being a mix of Wizard of Oz and Gone With The Wind). One thing that holds this film back is how annoying the kid is, he's like Veda from Mildred Pierce with how annoying he can be. While not Scorsese's best, it certainly showed his promise as an auteur.
8/21/22 "Shampoo" 1975
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Egypt!"
This was just an awful movie. No jokes, no plot, and randomly set in the '60s for no reason. I can't talk a lot about this very bad movie since it has no plot, terrible.
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Egypt!"
This was just an awful movie. No jokes, no plot, and randomly set in the '60s for no reason. I can't talk a lot about this very bad movie since it has no plot, terrible.
9/23/25 "The Stepford Wives" 1975
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If I am wrong, I'm insane... but if I'm right, it's even worse than if I was wrong." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is what "Don't Worry Darling" was trying desperately to be. This film has such a great sense of tension and suspense to make it worth the watch. We follow Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross), a photographer, who moves out of the city with her family to the small town of Stepford. There, she notices that all of the women in the town are acting strange and she tries to get to the bottom of it. I love what this film has to say about sexism in the 70s and how some people viewed the femnist movement at the time. The actors do a great job portraying these characters that often call for them to go a little over the top. It's a hard line to follow, but Paula Prentiss as Bobbie is such a great performance, especially towards the end. The coffee scene was so eerie and could've easily come off as silly if she didn't act as well as she did. As a whole, I can see why this is a horror classic.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If I am wrong, I'm insane... but if I'm right, it's even worse than if I was wrong." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is what "Don't Worry Darling" was trying desperately to be. This film has such a great sense of tension and suspense to make it worth the watch. We follow Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross), a photographer, who moves out of the city with her family to the small town of Stepford. There, she notices that all of the women in the town are acting strange and she tries to get to the bottom of it. I love what this film has to say about sexism in the 70s and how some people viewed the femnist movement at the time. The actors do a great job portraying these characters that often call for them to go a little over the top. It's a hard line to follow, but Paula Prentiss as Bobbie is such a great performance, especially towards the end. The coffee scene was so eerie and could've easily come off as silly if she didn't act as well as she did. As a whole, I can see why this is a horror classic.
9/21/24 "Deep Red" 1975
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I can feel death in this room!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a movie with a really cool atmosphere, It has a very similar setup to "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" where it's a person witnessing a murder and they have to solve it. This, however, has a lot better visuals, and a lot more frights. There is a lot of really interesting editing and directing in this film, I just felt like the mystery wasn't really all too special. The imagery in this movie is insanely ahead of its time. This was a really interesting horror film that I would suggest.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I can feel death in this room!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a movie with a really cool atmosphere, It has a very similar setup to "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" where it's a person witnessing a murder and they have to solve it. This, however, has a lot better visuals, and a lot more frights. There is a lot of really interesting editing and directing in this film, I just felt like the mystery wasn't really all too special. The imagery in this movie is insanely ahead of its time. This was a really interesting horror film that I would suggest.
9/5/25 "The Prisoner Of Second Avenue" 1975
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "We're not friendly with the police!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Neil Simon is such an unbelievably talented writer. This film is just oozing with charm and really funny moments. I feel like pairing Jack Lemmon with Neil Simon is always a great idea, and then to pair him with Anne Bancroft in this movie is such a stroke of genius. We follow a New York couple as the husband loses his job during a heat wave. We see the two of them slowly lose their minds as they're stuffed in this New York apartment. The pair has such great chemistry, and the writing really pairs with the strength of the two. Jack Lemmon is perfect as the neurotic lead, and Bancroft is great as the anchor to hold him down. As a whole, this is a very funny movie with the obvious peak being the Slyester Stallone scene.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "We're not friendly with the police!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Neil Simon is such an unbelievably talented writer. This film is just oozing with charm and really funny moments. I feel like pairing Jack Lemmon with Neil Simon is always a great idea, and then to pair him with Anne Bancroft in this movie is such a stroke of genius. We follow a New York couple as the husband loses his job during a heat wave. We see the two of them slowly lose their minds as they're stuffed in this New York apartment. The pair has such great chemistry, and the writing really pairs with the strength of the two. Jack Lemmon is perfect as the neurotic lead, and Bancroft is great as the anchor to hold him down. As a whole, this is a very funny movie with the obvious peak being the Slyester Stallone scene.
5/13/23 "Tommy" 1975
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "See me, Feel me, Touch me, Heal me..." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes.
A pretty odd rock opera (as most are). The Who's "Tommy" is such an interesting film. It's based on the album of the same name. Tommy was the first rock opera and the story is bananas. It's about a young boy witnessing a murder and getting so traumatized by it that he turns "Blind, deaf, and dumb", he later becomes so good at pinball that his family starts a religious cult. There are a lot of fun cameos in this one like Jack Nicholson, Tina Turner (David Bowie turned it down, which was a shame), and none other than Sir Elton John as the Pinball Wizard. His cover of the song made it to the Top 10 charts. The movie was hard to follow but the songs were great and it almost feels like a time capsule to the '70s
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "See me, Feel me, Touch me, Heal me..." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes.
A pretty odd rock opera (as most are). The Who's "Tommy" is such an interesting film. It's based on the album of the same name. Tommy was the first rock opera and the story is bananas. It's about a young boy witnessing a murder and getting so traumatized by it that he turns "Blind, deaf, and dumb", he later becomes so good at pinball that his family starts a religious cult. There are a lot of fun cameos in this one like Jack Nicholson, Tina Turner (David Bowie turned it down, which was a shame), and none other than Sir Elton John as the Pinball Wizard. His cover of the song made it to the Top 10 charts. The movie was hard to follow but the songs were great and it almost feels like a time capsule to the '70s
4/7/23 "The Return Of The Pink Panther" 1975
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Supposing I told you that your fly was undone?", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
This is leagues better than the first one. This is the second Pink Panther film but the third Clouseau film. They took a French play and put Clouseau in it ("A Shot In The Dark") but this is the second to use the Pink Panther jewel. What's weird is they bring back Cato and Dreyfuss from "A Shot In The Dark" and Charles Lytton (now Litton) from the first one but recast him as Christopher Plummer instead of David Niven. Overall this film is much stronger than the first one since they focus on Clouseau more than Charles Lytton. The first one thought the series would follow Lytton, but they turned the whole franchise around after Sellers' performance. There are some stellar running gags in this film that never overstay their welcome with an incredible performance from Sellers. It did drag in some places but that's basically whenever Sellers was off-camera. I feel like this wanted to still keep some of the seriousness of a heist movie, but it just doesn't really fit in and takes away from the comedic mood. At least this film has more silly Sellers moments than serious heists like the previous one.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Supposing I told you that your fly was undone?", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
This is leagues better than the first one. This is the second Pink Panther film but the third Clouseau film. They took a French play and put Clouseau in it ("A Shot In The Dark") but this is the second to use the Pink Panther jewel. What's weird is they bring back Cato and Dreyfuss from "A Shot In The Dark" and Charles Lytton (now Litton) from the first one but recast him as Christopher Plummer instead of David Niven. Overall this film is much stronger than the first one since they focus on Clouseau more than Charles Lytton. The first one thought the series would follow Lytton, but they turned the whole franchise around after Sellers' performance. There are some stellar running gags in this film that never overstay their welcome with an incredible performance from Sellers. It did drag in some places but that's basically whenever Sellers was off-camera. I feel like this wanted to still keep some of the seriousness of a heist movie, but it just doesn't really fit in and takes away from the comedic mood. At least this film has more silly Sellers moments than serious heists like the previous one.
3/11/24 "Love and Death" 1975
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "as empty experiences go, it's one of the best." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Another Woody Allen film, another reminder that he's an awful person but an incredibly gifted writer. I never expected to see a comedy film parodying Russian literature, but it strangely works really well. I love the running joke in the film where the characters would monologue something that sounds deep and resonant, but as they go on it just gets worse and worse. Unfortunately, Woody Allen is really funny in this film, and fortunately, so is Diane Keaton. Diane Keaton is such an integral part of a Woody Allen film, her being there and showing off her comedic chops really elevates the films. The best jokes come from the absurd situations but the deadpan reactions. It was a delightful jumpscare to see Jessica Harper of "Suspiria" and "Phantom of the Paradise" fame showing up in the film. As a whole, this is definitely one of his better films and is the perfect middle point between his over-the-top early work and his philosophical later work. The very next film he would release is Annie Hall. It just stinks that he was such an absolute monster of a person.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "as empty experiences go, it's one of the best." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Another Woody Allen film, another reminder that he's an awful person but an incredibly gifted writer. I never expected to see a comedy film parodying Russian literature, but it strangely works really well. I love the running joke in the film where the characters would monologue something that sounds deep and resonant, but as they go on it just gets worse and worse. Unfortunately, Woody Allen is really funny in this film, and fortunately, so is Diane Keaton. Diane Keaton is such an integral part of a Woody Allen film, her being there and showing off her comedic chops really elevates the films. The best jokes come from the absurd situations but the deadpan reactions. It was a delightful jumpscare to see Jessica Harper of "Suspiria" and "Phantom of the Paradise" fame showing up in the film. As a whole, this is definitely one of his better films and is the perfect middle point between his over-the-top early work and his philosophical later work. The very next film he would release is Annie Hall. It just stinks that he was such an absolute monster of a person.
5/25/24 "Nashville" 1975
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Who do you think is running Congress? Farmers? Engineers? Teachers? Businessmen? No, my friends. Congress is run by lawyers." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I really don't like ensemble movies that much, and this isn't really an exception. Yes, you can have 26 celebrities in this film, but you have to make them matter. I feel like none of the stories are that developed. Just because you have 26 half-baked stories doesn't make a complete film. The songs in this film are pretty great though (I'm Easy, for instance, the Oscar Winner). Maybe I'm just not a Robert Altman fan. I haven't really liked one of his movies.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Who do you think is running Congress? Farmers? Engineers? Teachers? Businessmen? No, my friends. Congress is run by lawyers." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I really don't like ensemble movies that much, and this isn't really an exception. Yes, you can have 26 celebrities in this film, but you have to make them matter. I feel like none of the stories are that developed. Just because you have 26 half-baked stories doesn't make a complete film. The songs in this film are pretty great though (I'm Easy, for instance, the Oscar Winner). Maybe I'm just not a Robert Altman fan. I haven't really liked one of his movies.
3/3/22 "Jaws" 1975
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's not funny."
What a dumb movie. Not that it doesn't have artistic merit, there were some cool shots, but the story is so simple for being a 2-hour long movie. The first half is pretty good, but when they get on that boat that's when it just dragged on. Plus they made so many cheap shots (IE killing a kid and a dog). Also, it was so obvious that they were going to use the air capsules because 20 minutes earlier they were over-explaining them to Chekov's Gun us later. Plus I feel like we can't really antagonize the shark for what it did. It literally doesn't have the Brain function to distinguish a fish and a human. Good start for Spielberg, but I can see why he's embarrassed by it
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's not funny."
What a dumb movie. Not that it doesn't have artistic merit, there were some cool shots, but the story is so simple for being a 2-hour long movie. The first half is pretty good, but when they get on that boat that's when it just dragged on. Plus they made so many cheap shots (IE killing a kid and a dog). Also, it was so obvious that they were going to use the air capsules because 20 minutes earlier they were over-explaining them to Chekov's Gun us later. Plus I feel like we can't really antagonize the shark for what it did. It literally doesn't have the Brain function to distinguish a fish and a human. Good start for Spielberg, but I can see why he's embarrassed by it
4/23/25 "Picnic at Hanging Rock" 1975
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "What we see and what we seem are but a dream, a dream within a dream." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Man, this was a slow movie, and the pay-off wasn't even worth it. We follow a couple of young girls as they go on a picnic, but a panic arises when they don't come back. It could be interesting, but they don't go missing until almost 45 minutes into the movie. The soundtrack and cinematography are pretty well done, but the acting is quite bad, and the screenplay is even worse.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "What we see and what we seem are but a dream, a dream within a dream." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Man, this was a slow movie, and the pay-off wasn't even worth it. We follow a couple of young girls as they go on a picnic, but a panic arises when they don't come back. It could be interesting, but they don't go missing until almost 45 minutes into the movie. The soundtrack and cinematography are pretty well done, but the acting is quite bad, and the screenplay is even worse.
3/29/25 "Grey Gardens" 1975
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present... Do you know what I mean...?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is such a sad film, purely because of the fact that it's a documentary. We follow "Big Edith" and "Little Edith", two relatives of Jackie Kennedy who live in Grey Gardens. The house is in utter disarray with a series of Raccoons and health violations throughout, causing them to possibly get evicted. This would be hard for them since they never really leave the house. Almost all of their conversations are based on the past or what could've been. It's so sad seeing these two eccentric women haunted by their past and almost feeling like they're trapped in this house because too much has changed in the outside world.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present... Do you know what I mean...?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is such a sad film, purely because of the fact that it's a documentary. We follow "Big Edith" and "Little Edith", two relatives of Jackie Kennedy who live in Grey Gardens. The house is in utter disarray with a series of Raccoons and health violations throughout, causing them to possibly get evicted. This would be hard for them since they never really leave the house. Almost all of their conversations are based on the past or what could've been. It's so sad seeing these two eccentric women haunted by their past and almost feeling like they're trapped in this house because too much has changed in the outside world.
12/29/22 "Barry Lyndon" 1975
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Lord Bullingdon, have you lost your tongue?"
I feel like this is an overrated Kubrick movie. Is it bad? No, it's not bad, it just gets a little boring in some places and was way too long (three hours and nine minutes). The cinematography was pretty good but not as good as the rest of Kubrick's work. I feel like 2001, Shining, and even Dr. Strangelove had better shots and camera movement. The story was interesting, it's about a poor man who cheats his way to becoming an Aristocrat, but the story didn't really need to fill the length. I understand why it's so beloved, but I just couldn't really get into it as much
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Lord Bullingdon, have you lost your tongue?"
I feel like this is an overrated Kubrick movie. Is it bad? No, it's not bad, it just gets a little boring in some places and was way too long (three hours and nine minutes). The cinematography was pretty good but not as good as the rest of Kubrick's work. I feel like 2001, Shining, and even Dr. Strangelove had better shots and camera movement. The story was interesting, it's about a poor man who cheats his way to becoming an Aristocrat, but the story didn't really need to fill the length. I understand why it's so beloved, but I just couldn't really get into it as much
7/18/22 "Taxi Driver" 1976
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote “Someday, A Real Rain Will Come And Wash All This Scum Off The Streets.”
I feel like this film was a mixed bag. The problem with this film is how it handles its main character. The whole point of Travis Bickle is how he's an insomniac and isn't in his clear mind. Many film critics believe that some of the scenes in this movie happen in his head which explains the bad ending, but Scorsese never makes it clear. I feel like "King of Comedy" does a better job on this front because in that movie Scorsese clearly shows what's real and what's fake, but as the film goes on the two get harder to distinguish. The movie was a great ride throughout, it's just the ending that pulls it down. There was also a large part of the movie setting up for something that just never happened. It's funny watching Joker first to see how much they stole from Scorsese since Joker is basically a mix between Taxi Driver and King of Comedy. Overall this film has great performances from almost all of the actors and a good character study for Travis Bickle, but that ending really pulls this film down
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote “Someday, A Real Rain Will Come And Wash All This Scum Off The Streets.”
I feel like this film was a mixed bag. The problem with this film is how it handles its main character. The whole point of Travis Bickle is how he's an insomniac and isn't in his clear mind. Many film critics believe that some of the scenes in this movie happen in his head which explains the bad ending, but Scorsese never makes it clear. I feel like "King of Comedy" does a better job on this front because in that movie Scorsese clearly shows what's real and what's fake, but as the film goes on the two get harder to distinguish. The movie was a great ride throughout, it's just the ending that pulls it down. There was also a large part of the movie setting up for something that just never happened. It's funny watching Joker first to see how much they stole from Scorsese since Joker is basically a mix between Taxi Driver and King of Comedy. Overall this film has great performances from almost all of the actors and a good character study for Travis Bickle, but that ending really pulls this film down
2/17/25 "The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie" 1976
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "when i can be what people want me to be rather than be myself." Do they say the title of the movie within in the movie: No
It's interesting to see Cassavetes try his hand at the noir genre. This film follows Cosmo (Ben Gazzara), a peepshow operator who has a gambling problem. One night, he loses big time, and in order to pay his debt, he has to kill a Chinese bookie that's been protected by the mafia. I feel like the Cassavetes style of film making doesn't really work in the noir sense, it's far too slow to have any really tension. There were some really interesting character moments, but this feels like a precursor to a Coen Brothers film.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "when i can be what people want me to be rather than be myself." Do they say the title of the movie within in the movie: No
It's interesting to see Cassavetes try his hand at the noir genre. This film follows Cosmo (Ben Gazzara), a peepshow operator who has a gambling problem. One night, he loses big time, and in order to pay his debt, he has to kill a Chinese bookie that's been protected by the mafia. I feel like the Cassavetes style of film making doesn't really work in the noir sense, it's far too slow to have any really tension. There were some really interesting character moments, but this feels like a precursor to a Coen Brothers film.
6/11/24 "The Man Who Fell To Earth" 1976
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "The strange thing about television is that it - doesn't tell you everything. It shows you everything about life on Earth." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I had been looking forward to seeing this film for a while, but I was very underwhelmed. I mean, it's an Alien movie with David Bowie, how could that not work? The editing is very distracting in this film, I can understand what they were going for, but it really hindered the storytelling more than it helped it. David Bowie alien comes to Earth to hopefully bring water back to his desert planet. Things get complicated when he starts inventing various tools that catch the government's eye. He has to stay to help invent things for the government and falls in love. It sounds fun, but it's really slow and not that engaging.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "The strange thing about television is that it - doesn't tell you everything. It shows you everything about life on Earth." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I had been looking forward to seeing this film for a while, but I was very underwhelmed. I mean, it's an Alien movie with David Bowie, how could that not work? The editing is very distracting in this film, I can understand what they were going for, but it really hindered the storytelling more than it helped it. David Bowie alien comes to Earth to hopefully bring water back to his desert planet. Things get complicated when he starts inventing various tools that catch the government's eye. He has to stay to help invent things for the government and falls in love. It sounds fun, but it's really slow and not that engaging.
4/10/23 "All The President's Men" 1976
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Is there any place you don't smoke?", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is obviously an iconic political thriller about the Watergate Scandal, but it doesn't really feel like a thriller. It takes quite a while to get to the point and dragged in a lot of places. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman do an amazing job, of course. They have a lot of chemistry together and really sell their characters. This movie would've been rated lower if they weren't in it since it takes such a long time before it's interesting. It gets little peaks of interest as the film goes on, but not enough to engage me for the rest of the film, one of the most interesting scenes happens at the end of the movie for 3 minutes when it would've been more interesting if it was developed earlier.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Is there any place you don't smoke?", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is obviously an iconic political thriller about the Watergate Scandal, but it doesn't really feel like a thriller. It takes quite a while to get to the point and dragged in a lot of places. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman do an amazing job, of course. They have a lot of chemistry together and really sell their characters. This movie would've been rated lower if they weren't in it since it takes such a long time before it's interesting. It gets little peaks of interest as the film goes on, but not enough to engage me for the rest of the film, one of the most interesting scenes happens at the end of the movie for 3 minutes when it would've been more interesting if it was developed earlier.
6/2/24 "Silent Movie" 1976
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "NO!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes (in a title card)
It's odd that this Mel Brooks film hasn't been talked about a lot. It was released two years after his wildly successful 1974 outings, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles (which were released 10 months after each other). This film follows a washed-up director (Mel Brooks) staging his huge comeback by creating a modern-day silent picture, the problem is that no one really wants to make it unless he gets big stars. The film is Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, and Dom DeLuise exploring Hollywood looking for A-listers to put in their new film. Did I mention the entire film is silent? This leads to many creative gags. It's odd because they didn't go the Chaplin, Keaton, or Lloyd route, it feels more like a Laurel and Hardy, Marx Brothers, or Three Stooges. The main three's chemistry is really great and leads to a very charming film that could've easily turned into a mess. It's obviously not his best work, but it shouldn't be forgotten.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "NO!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes (in a title card)
It's odd that this Mel Brooks film hasn't been talked about a lot. It was released two years after his wildly successful 1974 outings, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles (which were released 10 months after each other). This film follows a washed-up director (Mel Brooks) staging his huge comeback by creating a modern-day silent picture, the problem is that no one really wants to make it unless he gets big stars. The film is Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, and Dom DeLuise exploring Hollywood looking for A-listers to put in their new film. Did I mention the entire film is silent? This leads to many creative gags. It's odd because they didn't go the Chaplin, Keaton, or Lloyd route, it feels more like a Laurel and Hardy, Marx Brothers, or Three Stooges. The main three's chemistry is really great and leads to a very charming film that could've easily turned into a mess. It's obviously not his best work, but it shouldn't be forgotten.
9/21/22 "The Omen" 1976
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Look at me, Damien! It's all for you."
This was a wonderful movie. It never really seemed to drag or get boring. The whole movie is very suspenseful and has some great moments of horror and shock. This movie has a great atmosphere and a great mystery that make the whole thing entertaining.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Look at me, Damien! It's all for you."
This was a wonderful movie. It never really seemed to drag or get boring. The whole movie is very suspenseful and has some great moments of horror and shock. This movie has a great atmosphere and a great mystery that make the whole thing entertaining.
9/6/25 "The Ritz" 1976
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "HeeHeeHee Hohoho Hahaha" Do they say they say the title of the movie: Yes
I'm so shocked that people don't talk about this movie as much as they should; it's really funny. It's a movie that is filled with laughs and a great premise. A man (Jack Weston) is on the run from a mobster (Jerry Stiller) who wants to kill him, so he tells his taxi driver to take him to a place where no one would find him. They take him to a gay bathhouse where he meets an assortment of different characters. While all of them are quite funny, the clear standout is Rita Moreno as the showgirl, Googie. Moreno brings energy to the character that's just electric. I highly suggest checking this movie out; it's aged pretty well!
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "HeeHeeHee Hohoho Hahaha" Do they say they say the title of the movie: Yes
I'm so shocked that people don't talk about this movie as much as they should; it's really funny. It's a movie that is filled with laughs and a great premise. A man (Jack Weston) is on the run from a mobster (Jerry Stiller) who wants to kill him, so he tells his taxi driver to take him to a place where no one would find him. They take him to a gay bathhouse where he meets an assortment of different characters. While all of them are quite funny, the clear standout is Rita Moreno as the showgirl, Googie. Moreno brings energy to the character that's just electric. I highly suggest checking this movie out; it's aged pretty well!
9/4/23 "Assault On Precinct 13" 1976
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "For over thirty years." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a pretty interesting premise for a film that doesn't live up to the hype they set up. We follow a small group of cops as they try to protect their police station from a street gang that decides to storm the premises. It feels like a zombie movie in the way that the gang moves together and how they all move for one goal, chaos. The characters aren't as interesting as I would've liked, which leaves the film feeling a little slow in some places, but it's a pretty great premise that leads to a pretty good movie. It's funny that this John Carpenter film was the one before Halloween (where he would strike it big).
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "For over thirty years." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a pretty interesting premise for a film that doesn't live up to the hype they set up. We follow a small group of cops as they try to protect their police station from a street gang that decides to storm the premises. It feels like a zombie movie in the way that the gang moves together and how they all move for one goal, chaos. The characters aren't as interesting as I would've liked, which leaves the film feeling a little slow in some places, but it's a pretty great premise that leads to a pretty good movie. It's funny that this John Carpenter film was the one before Halloween (where he would strike it big).
3/30/24 "Harlan County U.S.A" 1976
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Who's side are you on?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a very powerful documentary. It focused on the mining strikes in Harlan County and how the town reacted to said strikes. The director, Barbara Kopple, shows every side of this issue and how it affects everybody in this town. As a whole, Kopple does a great job of showing us the town of Harlan County and the various residence who live there. It's a shame how the conflict of this film seems like it'll never be over. There's always a Harlan County somewhere out there.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Who's side are you on?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a very powerful documentary. It focused on the mining strikes in Harlan County and how the town reacted to said strikes. The director, Barbara Kopple, shows every side of this issue and how it affects everybody in this town. As a whole, Kopple does a great job of showing us the town of Harlan County and the various residence who live there. It's a shame how the conflict of this film seems like it'll never be over. There's always a Harlan County somewhere out there.
10/14/22 "Carrie" 1976
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I said, 'Aw shucks.'"
This movie combines two things I love. Stephen King and Brian De Palma. I've always been a fan of Stephen King's works, especially his horror movies (It, The Shining, Misery). I really like Brian De Palma's directing style (see Phantom of the Paradise, I highly suggest it). This seems like a perfect mixture of the two and has some signature styles (De Palma's Split Screens and Speed-ups and Stephen King's bully characters and mystical powers). I can tell this is a Stephen King movie because I wasn't really a fan of the ending, I thought it was sort of anti-climactic. The whole film however had this fantastic setup and the prom scene was incredible and really made the movie worth it. I just felt like after that moment I wouldn't have ended as they did in the movie. I can easily see why this is still remembered after all of these years
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I said, 'Aw shucks.'"
This movie combines two things I love. Stephen King and Brian De Palma. I've always been a fan of Stephen King's works, especially his horror movies (It, The Shining, Misery). I really like Brian De Palma's directing style (see Phantom of the Paradise, I highly suggest it). This seems like a perfect mixture of the two and has some signature styles (De Palma's Split Screens and Speed-ups and Stephen King's bully characters and mystical powers). I can tell this is a Stephen King movie because I wasn't really a fan of the ending, I thought it was sort of anti-climactic. The whole film however had this fantastic setup and the prom scene was incredible and really made the movie worth it. I just felt like after that moment I wouldn't have ended as they did in the movie. I can easily see why this is still remembered after all of these years
6/28/23 "Network" 1976
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Wow, it's insane how much this film predicted modern television. This film is about a news-anchor learning that he will get fired after several years working there, so he goes on an angry rant live. The executives decide that he needs to continue since many people are starting to watch his crazy ramblings on TV, giving them a lot of high ratings. This film is written so well that every line could've been the best line in the film. The "I'm mad as hell" scene was such a powerful scene that it gave me chills, the look of sadness that William Holden gave during that scene was so good. As a whole, the cast was amazing, especially Peter Finch and William Holden. This is one of those films that are absolute classics and aged really well
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Wow, it's insane how much this film predicted modern television. This film is about a news-anchor learning that he will get fired after several years working there, so he goes on an angry rant live. The executives decide that he needs to continue since many people are starting to watch his crazy ramblings on TV, giving them a lot of high ratings. This film is written so well that every line could've been the best line in the film. The "I'm mad as hell" scene was such a powerful scene that it gave me chills, the look of sadness that William Holden gave during that scene was so good. As a whole, the cast was amazing, especially Peter Finch and William Holden. This is one of those films that are absolute classics and aged really well
1/12/23 "Rocky" 1976
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "ADRIEEEEEEEN", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yep!
Well, I finally saw Rocky! It's fine... not a lot to say about Rocky that hasn't already been said. Rocky is a great character and I like how little boxing there were and more Rocky ramblings. I feel like this movie shouldn't have won the Oscar, but I'm kind of glad that it did. I'm proud of the Oscars for picking a popular movie that everybody loved and one that actually stood the test of time. It's hard when the nominees' were Taxi Driver, Network, and All The President's Men (Carrie and The Omen came out this year too, but just weren't nominated). Overall, pretty solid movie
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "ADRIEEEEEEEN", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yep!
Well, I finally saw Rocky! It's fine... not a lot to say about Rocky that hasn't already been said. Rocky is a great character and I like how little boxing there were and more Rocky ramblings. I feel like this movie shouldn't have won the Oscar, but I'm kind of glad that it did. I'm proud of the Oscars for picking a popular movie that everybody loved and one that actually stood the test of time. It's hard when the nominees' were Taxi Driver, Network, and All The President's Men (Carrie and The Omen came out this year too, but just weren't nominated). Overall, pretty solid movie
11/29/30 "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" 1976
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I thought you said your dog didn't bite?" "That's not my dog" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is arguably the silliest Pink Panther film but it's not without its charm. This isn't as good as "Return of the Pink Panther" or "A Shot In The Dark" but it still has some great moments. This is a lot more slapstick-heavy than the other ones which I feel balances witty dialogue and slapstick sequences better. I do like the plot though, because it picks up directly from the last one. Dreyfus escapes from an asylum so he can kill Inspector Clouseau, who has no idea any of this is going on. I loved the choreography of this film and how they have the slapstick scenes play out like the assassin scene is one of the best in the franchise. We see 14 different assassins try to kill Inspector Clouseau, but they just end up killing each other as Clouseau is blissfully unaware. Peter Sellers and Hebert Lom both give everything in this film. It's funny to see Dreyfus go from a regular guy in the first couple of movies to a complete over-the-top supervillain. Not the best Pink Panther film, but it's certainly still very funny.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I thought you said your dog didn't bite?" "That's not my dog" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is arguably the silliest Pink Panther film but it's not without its charm. This isn't as good as "Return of the Pink Panther" or "A Shot In The Dark" but it still has some great moments. This is a lot more slapstick-heavy than the other ones which I feel balances witty dialogue and slapstick sequences better. I do like the plot though, because it picks up directly from the last one. Dreyfus escapes from an asylum so he can kill Inspector Clouseau, who has no idea any of this is going on. I loved the choreography of this film and how they have the slapstick scenes play out like the assassin scene is one of the best in the franchise. We see 14 different assassins try to kill Inspector Clouseau, but they just end up killing each other as Clouseau is blissfully unaware. Peter Sellers and Hebert Lom both give everything in this film. It's funny to see Dreyfus go from a regular guy in the first couple of movies to a complete over-the-top supervillain. Not the best Pink Panther film, but it's certainly still very funny.
12/13/25 "Silver Streak" 1976
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I've met some dumb bastards in my time, but you outdo them all!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was expecting the first Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor movie to have a lot more Richard Pryor than it did. I feel like this comedy leans more towards being a neo-noir than a comedy at most points. The jokes are fine, but they're never incredible to me. There aren't too many standout comedy scenes. We follow a man (Gene Wilder) on a train who meets a girl (Jill Clayburgh). While they're sleeping together, the man sees someone hanging outside the window, shot in the head. The rest of the movie follows him trying to uncover the truth of what happened.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I've met some dumb bastards in my time, but you outdo them all!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was expecting the first Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor movie to have a lot more Richard Pryor than it did. I feel like this comedy leans more towards being a neo-noir than a comedy at most points. The jokes are fine, but they're never incredible to me. There aren't too many standout comedy scenes. We follow a man (Gene Wilder) on a train who meets a girl (Jill Clayburgh). While they're sleeping together, the man sees someone hanging outside the window, shot in the head. The rest of the movie follows him trying to uncover the truth of what happened.
11/10/22 "Suspiria" 1977
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Susie, do you know anything about... witches?"
This is a really well-put-together movie. The shots, camera movements, and sets overall are all amazing. The colored lighting reminds me of Vertigo in the way that they add to the tone and atmosphere. This movie also had some really disturbing sequences which had me on edge, like the wire and maggots. Jessica Harper is the lead in this movie (she's from Phantom of the Paradise, which is a great movie by the way). This film also has an interesting mystery and a very interesting plot. It can drag a little bit sometimes and you don't really know what's going on for most of the movie (you still don't quite know at the end), but other than that this is a great movie.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Susie, do you know anything about... witches?"
This is a really well-put-together movie. The shots, camera movements, and sets overall are all amazing. The colored lighting reminds me of Vertigo in the way that they add to the tone and atmosphere. This movie also had some really disturbing sequences which had me on edge, like the wire and maggots. Jessica Harper is the lead in this movie (she's from Phantom of the Paradise, which is a great movie by the way). This film also has an interesting mystery and a very interesting plot. It can drag a little bit sometimes and you don't really know what's going on for most of the movie (you still don't quite know at the end), but other than that this is a great movie.
1/15/22 "Eraserhead" 1977
10/10 Stars, Favorite quote "OKAY PAUL!!!"
Wow. That might've been the scariest movie I've ever seen. Lynch's direction and imagery in this movie are just nightmarish. It's also the weirdest movie I've ever seen. Don't go into this one thinking it'll make sense. Not a single thing in this movie makes sense. The lighting in this movie... beautiful. The lighting and the black-and-white cinematography really led to an amazing experience. Watch it, but not if you're weak of heart.
10/10 Stars, Favorite quote "OKAY PAUL!!!"
Wow. That might've been the scariest movie I've ever seen. Lynch's direction and imagery in this movie are just nightmarish. It's also the weirdest movie I've ever seen. Don't go into this one thinking it'll make sense. Not a single thing in this movie makes sense. The lighting in this movie... beautiful. The lighting and the black-and-white cinematography really led to an amazing experience. Watch it, but not if you're weak of heart.
3/15/22 "Annie Hall" 1977
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm just looking for the eggs"
I really didn't want to like this movie. Woody Allen is a very creepy guy and I wanted this movie to be bad so I can say that this movie wasn't worth the hype. I can't say that. This movie is absolutely wonderful. Something I love about this movie is how it's formatted. The movie doesn't have a clear chronology. The movie is taken at random points throughout Alvy and Annie's relationship. I really enjoyed the way they did this. Every time a new scene starts you try to speculate whether they are in a happy relationship or if they're close to the end of that relationship. This obviously came before "500 Days of Summer" and does it a lot better in my opinion. Another aspect of this film that I enjoy is the technical aspect of it. Woody Allen's writing in this movie is extremely funny. His little remarks have so much sarcasm and wit to them. I also enjoy how he writes his own character. You can tell he wrote his character as a very exaggerated version of himself. I love how neurotic he is throughout and how he keeps coming up with excuses to get out of things he didn't want to do, like how he was trying to break down the Grassy Knoll conspiracy to try to get out of having sex. When you add the editing effects and the fourth wall breaks and the random extras that Alvy talks to and that one scene where it becomes animated for a solid 30 seconds, that's when this movie truly becomes a masterpiece. As I said, I don't like Woody Allen as a person. He is a weird, weird little man, which makes it so sad how great of a writer he was. I could put so many quotes into the best quote of the movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who's tired of the modern rom-com. This movie was subverting the Rom-Com genre 45 years ago. Wonderful film.
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm just looking for the eggs"
I really didn't want to like this movie. Woody Allen is a very creepy guy and I wanted this movie to be bad so I can say that this movie wasn't worth the hype. I can't say that. This movie is absolutely wonderful. Something I love about this movie is how it's formatted. The movie doesn't have a clear chronology. The movie is taken at random points throughout Alvy and Annie's relationship. I really enjoyed the way they did this. Every time a new scene starts you try to speculate whether they are in a happy relationship or if they're close to the end of that relationship. This obviously came before "500 Days of Summer" and does it a lot better in my opinion. Another aspect of this film that I enjoy is the technical aspect of it. Woody Allen's writing in this movie is extremely funny. His little remarks have so much sarcasm and wit to them. I also enjoy how he writes his own character. You can tell he wrote his character as a very exaggerated version of himself. I love how neurotic he is throughout and how he keeps coming up with excuses to get out of things he didn't want to do, like how he was trying to break down the Grassy Knoll conspiracy to try to get out of having sex. When you add the editing effects and the fourth wall breaks and the random extras that Alvy talks to and that one scene where it becomes animated for a solid 30 seconds, that's when this movie truly becomes a masterpiece. As I said, I don't like Woody Allen as a person. He is a weird, weird little man, which makes it so sad how great of a writer he was. I could put so many quotes into the best quote of the movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who's tired of the modern rom-com. This movie was subverting the Rom-Com genre 45 years ago. Wonderful film.
12/5/25 "The Ascent" 1977
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Herr Major, nothing important." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie is so incredibly well shot. It makes great use of deep focus and black and white cinematography. It's about two Soviet partisans during WW2 as they venture out to get more supplies, but on the way, they get captured by Nazis and tortured for information. It's a hard film to watch just because of how intense the torture could be. The director, Larisa Shepitko, really gets great performances out of her actors.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Herr Major, nothing important." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie is so incredibly well shot. It makes great use of deep focus and black and white cinematography. It's about two Soviet partisans during WW2 as they venture out to get more supplies, but on the way, they get captured by Nazis and tortured for information. It's a hard film to watch just because of how intense the torture could be. The director, Larisa Shepitko, really gets great performances out of her actors.
7/4/22 "Star Wars" 1977
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's no moon"
What can I say about this movie besides, wow? I've never seen this movie before because I was scared off by trying to see the prequels first when I was too young. Great pacing and amazing chemistry really make this a wonderful film that deserves the following it got.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's no moon"
What can I say about this movie besides, wow? I've never seen this movie before because I was scared off by trying to see the prequels first when I was too young. Great pacing and amazing chemistry really make this a wonderful film that deserves the following it got.
1/4/23 "Desperate Living" 1977
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You're the proud owner of... RABIES!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is definitely the weirdest John Waters film. We follow a housewife (Mink Stole) as she runs away with her maid after murdering her husband and they end up in Mortville, a town that's run by an evil queen (Edith Massey) who kills anyone who doesn't follow her every word. It's funny how the film shifts from a suburban drama to a messed-up fairy tale. This is the last film in the "Trilogy Of Trash" (Pink Flamingos, Female Troubles, and this) but it's the most different. There's no Divine in this film, he was in Europe performing in a play, and David Lochary couldn't be in the film due to his struggle with PCP. This is a great close to a very weird trilogy.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You're the proud owner of... RABIES!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is definitely the weirdest John Waters film. We follow a housewife (Mink Stole) as she runs away with her maid after murdering her husband and they end up in Mortville, a town that's run by an evil queen (Edith Massey) who kills anyone who doesn't follow her every word. It's funny how the film shifts from a suburban drama to a messed-up fairy tale. This is the last film in the "Trilogy Of Trash" (Pink Flamingos, Female Troubles, and this) but it's the most different. There's no Divine in this film, he was in Europe performing in a play, and David Lochary couldn't be in the film due to his struggle with PCP. This is a great close to a very weird trilogy.
11/4/22 "The Hills Have Eyes" 1977
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "We recommend that until we can get to you, you stand on your heads, with your thumbs up."
This film is pretty underrated. This is a Wes Craven film (the same man who directed Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream) and this is one of the lowest-rated ones of the binge and I don't understand why. This film is one of the most disturbing ones of the binge thus far with such a claustrophobic feeling the entire time since it only takes place in two primary locations, the RV and the hills. There are also very few characters in this one so you get to know each and every one pretty well. You shouldn't watch this one if you are faint of heart.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "We recommend that until we can get to you, you stand on your heads, with your thumbs up."
This film is pretty underrated. This is a Wes Craven film (the same man who directed Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream) and this is one of the lowest-rated ones of the binge and I don't understand why. This film is one of the most disturbing ones of the binge thus far with such a claustrophobic feeling the entire time since it only takes place in two primary locations, the RV and the hills. There are also very few characters in this one so you get to know each and every one pretty well. You shouldn't watch this one if you are faint of heart.
10/28/25 "Sorcerer" 1977
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It's the kind of place nobody wants to go looking." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film started pretty slow, but eventually, I understood why people hyped this film up. Although I haven't seen the more revered original, The Wages Of Fear, this film feels like a very 70s movie in a good way. We follow four refugees in South America from different countries, all working on a dangerous job of transferring dynamite across the jungle in an old truck. The film has some really tense moments throughout, and Friedkin really directs the heck out of it.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "It's the kind of place nobody wants to go looking." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film started pretty slow, but eventually, I understood why people hyped this film up. Although I haven't seen the more revered original, The Wages Of Fear, this film feels like a very 70s movie in a good way. We follow four refugees in South America from different countries, all working on a dangerous job of transferring dynamite across the jungle in an old truck. The film has some really tense moments throughout, and Friedkin really directs the heck out of it.
10/11/23 "House" 1977
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The girls will wake up... when they are hungry." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is one of the most creative and crazy films I've seen. It's a Japanese horror movie about six friends going to a house over the summer, but little do they know the house is haunted. It's such a simple setup, but they do so many creative things with it. The editing, cinematography, and the effect are all like a nightmare that you're watching. Not everything makes sense, but you're just there for the ride to see what odd thing happens next. My one note though is that they set up a plot line with the main girl getting a step-mom that they don't really do a lot with, but that's just a small nitpick in what otherwise is a really fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The girls will wake up... when they are hungry." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is one of the most creative and crazy films I've seen. It's a Japanese horror movie about six friends going to a house over the summer, but little do they know the house is haunted. It's such a simple setup, but they do so many creative things with it. The editing, cinematography, and the effect are all like a nightmare that you're watching. Not everything makes sense, but you're just there for the ride to see what odd thing happens next. My one note though is that they set up a plot line with the main girl getting a step-mom that they don't really do a lot with, but that's just a small nitpick in what otherwise is a really fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
5/21/24 "A Little Night Music" 1977 7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "But where are the clowns? Send in the clowns. Don't bother, they're here." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a pretty unpopular movie adaptation, but I really don't understand why. Now, I haven't seen or heard the original Broadway show, but it is really well-written, especially the songs. Finding a new Sondheim musical so elegantly written is such a treat. It's also really well cast, more specifically, Elizabeth Taylor. Her performance of "Send In The Clowns" is like a punch to the gut (in a good way). She delivers it so perfectly and she's actually singing herself, which is cool! The problems come with the very stale cinematography, which has been a complaint for a while. It is pretty boring to look at, but that shouldn't bring down the whole film. It's a shame there aren't many prints of this film, because it's quite good.
This is a pretty unpopular movie adaptation, but I really don't understand why. Now, I haven't seen or heard the original Broadway show, but it is really well-written, especially the songs. Finding a new Sondheim musical so elegantly written is such a treat. It's also really well cast, more specifically, Elizabeth Taylor. Her performance of "Send In The Clowns" is like a punch to the gut (in a good way). She delivers it so perfectly and she's actually singing herself, which is cool! The problems come with the very stale cinematography, which has been a complaint for a while. It is pretty boring to look at, but that shouldn't bring down the whole film. It's a shame there aren't many prints of this film, because it's quite good.
4/8/25 "The Last Wave" 1977
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Dream is a shadow ... of something real." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was pretty underwhelming for me. I was sort of expecting more, and this didn't deliver. It's a story about an Australian lawyer who has to defend a group of Aboriginal people after they murdered someone within the group but they refuse to tell him what happened. After this, he starts to get visions of the end of the world. It was just really boring, not going to lie. I couldn't really get into this film as much.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Dream is a shadow ... of something real." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was pretty underwhelming for me. I was sort of expecting more, and this didn't deliver. It's a story about an Australian lawyer who has to defend a group of Aboriginal people after they murdered someone within the group but they refuse to tell him what happened. After this, he starts to get visions of the end of the world. It was just really boring, not going to lie. I couldn't really get into this film as much.
5/26/24 "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" 1977
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "This means something. This is important." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I was expecting a more traditional science fiction film, but this was way better. It's more of a family drama with little hints of sci-fi sprinkled throughout. A father named Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) encounters a UFO and tries to get people to believe him. It's especially hard on his family, who think he's crazy. It's such a compelling story seeing Roy slowly lose his family. The extraterrestrial elements added to the film are also really well done. It's crazy we got two giant sci-fi films that would forever change the genre in 1977 (this and Star Wars)
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "This means something. This is important." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I was expecting a more traditional science fiction film, but this was way better. It's more of a family drama with little hints of sci-fi sprinkled throughout. A father named Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) encounters a UFO and tries to get people to believe him. It's especially hard on his family, who think he's crazy. It's such a compelling story seeing Roy slowly lose his family. The extraterrestrial elements added to the film are also really well done. It's crazy we got two giant sci-fi films that would forever change the genre in 1977 (this and Star Wars)
3/26/25 "Goodbye Girl" 1977
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "'I gave my money back to Card Sharks?' Hey mom, dad was lending money to sharks?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Neil Simon really hits this screenplay out of the park. We follow an unemployed dancer who finds that her boyfriend has left without her to film a movie in California. She soon finds that he sold the apartment to someone else. After a disastrous meeting, the two decide to share the apartment, since neither one has enough money to live on their own. There are a lot of aspects of the odd couple in this film, specifically with two roommates who don't get along. Richard Dreyfuss won best actor in this role, and it's pretty well deserved. I thought that Marsha Mason could've won if Diane Keaton wasn't as wonderful as Annie Hall. A really well-done script that can get a little slow, but it's worth it to get to know these characters.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "'I gave my money back to Card Sharks?' Hey mom, dad was lending money to sharks?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Neil Simon really hits this screenplay out of the park. We follow an unemployed dancer who finds that her boyfriend has left without her to film a movie in California. She soon finds that he sold the apartment to someone else. After a disastrous meeting, the two decide to share the apartment, since neither one has enough money to live on their own. There are a lot of aspects of the odd couple in this film, specifically with two roommates who don't get along. Richard Dreyfuss won best actor in this role, and it's pretty well deserved. I thought that Marsha Mason could've won if Diane Keaton wasn't as wonderful as Annie Hall. A really well-done script that can get a little slow, but it's worth it to get to know these characters.
2/27/22 "High Anxiety" 1977
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "HERE! HERE! HERE! HERE'S YOUR PAPER! HERE'S YOUR PAPER! HERE'S YOUR PAPER! HAPPY NOW? HAPPY? HAPPY NOW?" Do they say the name of the movie within the movie: Yes!
This is easily Mel Brook's most underrated film. In this film, he tackles Hitchcock and does it extremely well. You can tell that he's done his homework for this film. He references "Vertigo", "Psycho", "The Birds", "Rebecca", "North By Northwest", and way more. Many put the writing of this film down, I personally think it's really well written. While watching it never just is straight up "Vertigo" or straight up "The Birds", it's a perfect amalgamation of all the films together to make a completely new story that feels like something Hitchcock would write. The strength of this film is clearly the acting. Mel Brooks is great as always, but Madeline Kahn is fantastic. She's only in it for a short while but she steals the show. Cloris Lechman was also hilarious as Nurse Diesel, she is easily one of the best characters in the film. I feel like the sidekick didn't really add all that much, but the rest of the supporting cast makes up for that. When I was watching this film, I was dying laughing at the bellboy who just completely loses it, so after the film I looked it up and the bellboy was none other than Barry Levinson (The director of Rain Man and Good Morning Vietnam). If you like Mel Brooks and Hitchcock you'd love this film
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "HERE! HERE! HERE! HERE'S YOUR PAPER! HERE'S YOUR PAPER! HERE'S YOUR PAPER! HAPPY NOW? HAPPY? HAPPY NOW?" Do they say the name of the movie within the movie: Yes!
This is easily Mel Brook's most underrated film. In this film, he tackles Hitchcock and does it extremely well. You can tell that he's done his homework for this film. He references "Vertigo", "Psycho", "The Birds", "Rebecca", "North By Northwest", and way more. Many put the writing of this film down, I personally think it's really well written. While watching it never just is straight up "Vertigo" or straight up "The Birds", it's a perfect amalgamation of all the films together to make a completely new story that feels like something Hitchcock would write. The strength of this film is clearly the acting. Mel Brooks is great as always, but Madeline Kahn is fantastic. She's only in it for a short while but she steals the show. Cloris Lechman was also hilarious as Nurse Diesel, she is easily one of the best characters in the film. I feel like the sidekick didn't really add all that much, but the rest of the supporting cast makes up for that. When I was watching this film, I was dying laughing at the bellboy who just completely loses it, so after the film I looked it up and the bellboy was none other than Barry Levinson (The director of Rain Man and Good Morning Vietnam). If you like Mel Brooks and Hitchcock you'd love this film
12/21/24 "Coming Home" 1978
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I'm just telling you that there's a choice to be made here." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Yet another Hal Ashby win in my books. The first thing I noticed about this film was how insane the soundtrack was. They've got songs by The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, etc. The craziest one though was the Beatles. They're very protective with their songs, so I was not expecting them to appear throughout the film. The film takes place in 1968, during the Vietnam War. Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda) is taking care of veterans as her husband, Bob (Bruce Dern), is overseas fighting the war. While there, she finds an old friend who's become paralyzed after the war, Luke (Jon Voight) and the two start a bit of a relationship. I love how this film ties the drama of the two's relationship as well as the disillusionment with the war.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I'm just telling you that there's a choice to be made here." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Yet another Hal Ashby win in my books. The first thing I noticed about this film was how insane the soundtrack was. They've got songs by The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, etc. The craziest one though was the Beatles. They're very protective with their songs, so I was not expecting them to appear throughout the film. The film takes place in 1968, during the Vietnam War. Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda) is taking care of veterans as her husband, Bob (Bruce Dern), is overseas fighting the war. While there, she finds an old friend who's become paralyzed after the war, Luke (Jon Voight) and the two start a bit of a relationship. I love how this film ties the drama of the two's relationship as well as the disillusionment with the war.
8/18/22 "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" 1978
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Merely means that these youngsters are enjoying themselves."
Robert Zemeckis' first film and this was a pretty solid entry. What worked best about this film was the characters and their motivation. The first act was dedicated to introducing the audience to the characters in the movie and why each one wanted to see the Ed Sullivan performance of the Beatles. Rosie an actual fan, Grace is a photographer who wanted pictures of the Beatles, Larry is interested in Grace so he takes his dad's limo to join them, Pam tags along to support the group, Janis wants to go to protest the Beatles, and how folk music is being set to the side for their music, and Tony is interested in Pam and also hates the Beatles, not for any reason... he just really doesn't like the Beatles. After this, they all split off naturally and have their own arcs live out and are never boring. It's so interesting to see how all of them go off and have their own encounters with the Beatles and how they all meet with each other and all try to achieve their goals. You can really see the Robert Zemeckis style of writing in this film that'll later be reflected in the Back to The Future trilogy. Overall, a film for Beatles lovers and haters alike
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Merely means that these youngsters are enjoying themselves."
Robert Zemeckis' first film and this was a pretty solid entry. What worked best about this film was the characters and their motivation. The first act was dedicated to introducing the audience to the characters in the movie and why each one wanted to see the Ed Sullivan performance of the Beatles. Rosie an actual fan, Grace is a photographer who wanted pictures of the Beatles, Larry is interested in Grace so he takes his dad's limo to join them, Pam tags along to support the group, Janis wants to go to protest the Beatles, and how folk music is being set to the side for their music, and Tony is interested in Pam and also hates the Beatles, not for any reason... he just really doesn't like the Beatles. After this, they all split off naturally and have their own arcs live out and are never boring. It's so interesting to see how all of them go off and have their own encounters with the Beatles and how they all meet with each other and all try to achieve their goals. You can really see the Robert Zemeckis style of writing in this film that'll later be reflected in the Back to The Future trilogy. Overall, a film for Beatles lovers and haters alike
5/16/23 "Up In Smoke" 1978
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "uuhhh... Isn't it on the license, man? Yeah, that's it! Pedro De Pacas, man, that's my name..." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The grandfather of all stoner comedies, this is a trailblazer when it comes to that type of comedy. I feel like this film is more than just simple weed jokes. The chemistry between Cheech and Chong is amazing, the two just bounce off of each other really smoothly. The writing is also really great, I love how the jokes just keep coming. A very solid movie.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "uuhhh... Isn't it on the license, man? Yeah, that's it! Pedro De Pacas, man, that's my name..." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The grandfather of all stoner comedies, this is a trailblazer when it comes to that type of comedy. I feel like this film is more than just simple weed jokes. The chemistry between Cheech and Chong is amazing, the two just bounce off of each other really smoothly. The writing is also really great, I love how the jokes just keep coming. A very solid movie.
12/23/25 "Midnight Express" 1978
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "OH BILLY!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is a rough film to review, not only for the film itself, but also for the history surrounding this film. The film is incredibly well-made and deals with the real story of Billy Hayes (Brad Davis), who was caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and was made an example by the country. He received a lengthy 30-year sentence and was tortured ruthlessly. The problem with this film comes from the historical accuracy, because many people said that the real situation wasn't as bad. Both Brad Davis and Oliver Stone (the writer of the movie) would go on to apologize for how this film villainized the Turkish people. Brad Davis gives an incredible performance and really sells the role. As a whole, while this film is controversial, I have to say that it is really well made and makes a wonderful film.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "OH BILLY!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is a rough film to review, not only for the film itself, but also for the history surrounding this film. The film is incredibly well-made and deals with the real story of Billy Hayes (Brad Davis), who was caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and was made an example by the country. He received a lengthy 30-year sentence and was tortured ruthlessly. The problem with this film comes from the historical accuracy, because many people said that the real situation wasn't as bad. Both Brad Davis and Oliver Stone (the writer of the movie) would go on to apologize for how this film villainized the Turkish people. Brad Davis gives an incredible performance and really sells the role. As a whole, while this film is controversial, I have to say that it is really well made and makes a wonderful film.
8/15/24 "Fedora" 1978
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Remember those days? Moral turpitude? You could have six husbands but you couldn't have an illegitimate child. Now you can have six children and no husband and who cares?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's interesting how one of Billy Wilder's last films feels like one of his earliest. His film output since "One, Two, Three" has all been comedies, but this is a noir film like "Double Indemnity", "The Lost Weekend", and "Sunset Boulevard". "Sunset Boulevard" especially, because this is often seen as a companion piece, with both films being about washed-up movie stars who fell in love with a screenwriter who William Holden plays. It even starts out with a death, instead of the writer dying though, it's the movie star named Fedora who's famous for always looking really young. There's a mystery involved that's really interesting and kept me really engaged. This feels like a mix between Sunset Boulevard and Vertigo. It's a very fitting end to Billy Wilder's career before "Buddy Buddy" didn't do well.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Remember those days? Moral turpitude? You could have six husbands but you couldn't have an illegitimate child. Now you can have six children and no husband and who cares?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's interesting how one of Billy Wilder's last films feels like one of his earliest. His film output since "One, Two, Three" has all been comedies, but this is a noir film like "Double Indemnity", "The Lost Weekend", and "Sunset Boulevard". "Sunset Boulevard" especially, because this is often seen as a companion piece, with both films being about washed-up movie stars who fell in love with a screenwriter who William Holden plays. It even starts out with a death, instead of the writer dying though, it's the movie star named Fedora who's famous for always looking really young. There's a mystery involved that's really interesting and kept me really engaged. This feels like a mix between Sunset Boulevard and Vertigo. It's a very fitting end to Billy Wilder's career before "Buddy Buddy" didn't do well.
2/16/24 "Heaven Can Wait" 1978
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "She relives it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a really well-done film that completely outshines the original. We follow Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty), a quarterback for the Rams who dies preemptively and gets taken to heaven. While there, the boss, Mr. Jordan (James Mason) realizes that he was taken too soon and gets sent back in a different body (due to his being cremated). He gets put in the body of a rich man who was murdered by his wife (Dyan Cannon) and her mistress (Charles Grodin). Everyone is really great in the movie, but I just adore Charles Grodin. The Elaine May written script is also really well done and adds a lot of heart to the original film (Here Comes Mr. Jordan). I can see why people really enjoyed this.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "She relives it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a really well-done film that completely outshines the original. We follow Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty), a quarterback for the Rams who dies preemptively and gets taken to heaven. While there, the boss, Mr. Jordan (James Mason) realizes that he was taken too soon and gets sent back in a different body (due to his being cremated). He gets put in the body of a rich man who was murdered by his wife (Dyan Cannon) and her mistress (Charles Grodin). Everyone is really great in the movie, but I just adore Charles Grodin. The Elaine May written script is also really well done and adds a lot of heart to the original film (Here Comes Mr. Jordan). I can see why people really enjoyed this.
8/24/24 "Dawn Of The Dead" 1978
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them. It gets up and kills! The people it kills get up and kill!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This often gets called one of the best sequels of all time and I think I have to agree. This follows George A. Romero's landmark film "Night of the Living Dead", the low-budget horror movie that was made for 125,000 dollars. The sequel has a bigger budget, which works for the film, taking place in a giant mall. It's a classic story about the zombie apocalypse breaking out and a group of survivors trying to hide in a mall to fend for themselves. It's really well shot and the pacing was wonderful. It's funny that the zombies' skin is dark blue because they were trying to make their skin grey (like the original movie) but it came out blue. It's a really well-made film that was almost as groundbreaking as the first.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them. It gets up and kills! The people it kills get up and kill!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This often gets called one of the best sequels of all time and I think I have to agree. This follows George A. Romero's landmark film "Night of the Living Dead", the low-budget horror movie that was made for 125,000 dollars. The sequel has a bigger budget, which works for the film, taking place in a giant mall. It's a classic story about the zombie apocalypse breaking out and a group of survivors trying to hide in a mall to fend for themselves. It's really well shot and the pacing was wonderful. It's funny that the zombies' skin is dark blue because they were trying to make their skin grey (like the original movie) but it came out blue. It's a really well-made film that was almost as groundbreaking as the first.
4/20/24 "Days of Heaven" 1978
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Nobody's perfect. There was never a perfect person around. You just have half-angel and half-devil in you." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I'm not the biggest Terrence Malick, I've always found his work to be sort of pretentious and dull. This is pretty much what I was expecting. The cinematography is beautiful (like most of his films) but I feel like he was focusing more on how good the shots of the film can look vs. actually making a good movie. This is about a worker named Bill (Richard Gere) who kills his boss and runs away to a farm with his sister Linda and girlfriend Abby. Once at the farm, the farmer falls in love with Abby who's secretly dating Bill (they told people they were siblings). It just wasn't that gripping for me, personally. I can respect the cinematography, but as a whole, it wasn't as good as everyone says.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Nobody's perfect. There was never a perfect person around. You just have half-angel and half-devil in you." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I'm not the biggest Terrence Malick, I've always found his work to be sort of pretentious and dull. This is pretty much what I was expecting. The cinematography is beautiful (like most of his films) but I feel like he was focusing more on how good the shots of the film can look vs. actually making a good movie. This is about a worker named Bill (Richard Gere) who kills his boss and runs away to a farm with his sister Linda and girlfriend Abby. Once at the farm, the farmer falls in love with Abby who's secretly dating Bill (they told people they were siblings). It just wasn't that gripping for me, personally. I can respect the cinematography, but as a whole, it wasn't as good as everyone says.
6/20/22 "Halloween" 1978
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I hate a guy with a car and no sense of humor!"
I watched this one for 2 reasons: it's a staple of classic horror and defined a genre (if you don't count Psycho), and because it's going to be a maze at Universal Horror Nights and seemed like a good excuse to finally see it. This has some SLOW pacing, and by slow I mean SLOW. It also feels very disjointed, the three main parties (Laurie, Michael Myers, and Dr. Loomis) didn't meet until the very last 10 minutes of the movie. At first, I was thinking that it was because I'm watching it so far away from its original release date, but then I thought how ridiculous that was. I've seen so many Hitchcock movies that came out decades before this and still have me on the edge of my seat. Also, there were some Twilight Zone episodes that were scarier than this movie. This is an important movie but I just feel like it didn't age well whatsoever.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I hate a guy with a car and no sense of humor!"
I watched this one for 2 reasons: it's a staple of classic horror and defined a genre (if you don't count Psycho), and because it's going to be a maze at Universal Horror Nights and seemed like a good excuse to finally see it. This has some SLOW pacing, and by slow I mean SLOW. It also feels very disjointed, the three main parties (Laurie, Michael Myers, and Dr. Loomis) didn't meet until the very last 10 minutes of the movie. At first, I was thinking that it was because I'm watching it so far away from its original release date, but then I thought how ridiculous that was. I've seen so many Hitchcock movies that came out decades before this and still have me on the edge of my seat. Also, there were some Twilight Zone episodes that were scarier than this movie. This is an important movie but I just feel like it didn't age well whatsoever.
6/23/25 "The Wiz" 1978
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Success, fame, and fortune, they're all illusions. All there is that is real is the friendship that two can share." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film has one of the most intricate production designs I've seen. The aesthetics of the film's Oz as a New York City-type place is such a cool visual style. There's something I wouldn't say works as well, but this is a really solid musical. Most of the problems, I would say, boil down to Diana Ross as Dorothy. She's just not meant for the role, despite having a great singing voice. Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and Lena Horne were great additions to the film and really stood out in a good way. I also thought it was odd that they waited to introduce the Wicked Witch of the West until the end. The ending song of "Home" was a really well done sequence.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Success, fame, and fortune, they're all illusions. All there is that is real is the friendship that two can share." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film has one of the most intricate production designs I've seen. The aesthetics of the film's Oz as a New York City-type place is such a cool visual style. There's something I wouldn't say works as well, but this is a really solid musical. Most of the problems, I would say, boil down to Diana Ross as Dorothy. She's just not meant for the role, despite having a great singing voice. Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and Lena Horne were great additions to the film and really stood out in a good way. I also thought it was odd that they waited to introduce the Wicked Witch of the West until the end. The ending song of "Home" was a really well done sequence.
1/6/23 "The Deer Hunter" 1978
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I feel a lot of distance and I feel far away", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Sort of
This is one of the most important best picture wins because it basically divided cinema. I'll start with my thoughts on the film. I enjoyed the characters and the symbolism of the deer and Russian roulette, but I feel like the film could've been a lot shorter. Clocking in at 3 hours, a lot of the scenes feel superfluous, almost like this was just trying to be an oscar winning movie (this is a surprise tool that'll help us later). The ending also has a really confusing choice. It's the main cast singing "God Bless America". I feel like this sort of takes away from the movie since the whole thing was about the Vietnam War, a war that made Americans question their own government and started several counterculture movements. This film is also applauded for how they handle PTSD and violence, but I feel like these were handled better in other films. The violence was just a natural sign of the times, we saw violence like this in "Bonnie and Clyde" which lost the Oscar the previous decade. Also, the PTSD felt like it was skimmed over slightly, especially compared to "The Best Years Of Our Lives" which won the Oscar 30 years prior and went over the concept of PTSD for an audience who've never seen it explained. This film is Oscar bait clearly... and they knew that. They released this film only for two weeks since they knew that they could win an Oscar and that's the minimum time it could be out to be eligible. They ended up winning several Oscars and becoming a big hit. This movie invented Oscar bait and now we live in an industry where cinema is divided between cinema for the Oscars and cinema for the public. There once was a time when films like "It Happened One Night" and "Annie Hall" could win since people just thought they were good movies, not because they were a checklist of buzzwords. Sorry for the rant, but overall it was pretty good!
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I feel a lot of distance and I feel far away", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Sort of
This is one of the most important best picture wins because it basically divided cinema. I'll start with my thoughts on the film. I enjoyed the characters and the symbolism of the deer and Russian roulette, but I feel like the film could've been a lot shorter. Clocking in at 3 hours, a lot of the scenes feel superfluous, almost like this was just trying to be an oscar winning movie (this is a surprise tool that'll help us later). The ending also has a really confusing choice. It's the main cast singing "God Bless America". I feel like this sort of takes away from the movie since the whole thing was about the Vietnam War, a war that made Americans question their own government and started several counterculture movements. This film is also applauded for how they handle PTSD and violence, but I feel like these were handled better in other films. The violence was just a natural sign of the times, we saw violence like this in "Bonnie and Clyde" which lost the Oscar the previous decade. Also, the PTSD felt like it was skimmed over slightly, especially compared to "The Best Years Of Our Lives" which won the Oscar 30 years prior and went over the concept of PTSD for an audience who've never seen it explained. This film is Oscar bait clearly... and they knew that. They released this film only for two weeks since they knew that they could win an Oscar and that's the minimum time it could be out to be eligible. They ended up winning several Oscars and becoming a big hit. This movie invented Oscar bait and now we live in an industry where cinema is divided between cinema for the Oscars and cinema for the public. There once was a time when films like "It Happened One Night" and "Annie Hall" could win since people just thought they were good movies, not because they were a checklist of buzzwords. Sorry for the rant, but overall it was pretty good!
12/10/24 "Superman" 1978
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "MISS TESCHMACHERRRRRR!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I remember, when I was younger, I watched a bit of this film but stopped for some reason. I think I was on a flight, but I never got to finish this movie. Finishing it, finally, made me realize how crazy it was that they perfected the Superman movie in the 70s, and then just haven't been able to remake it. A lot of this comes down to the absolute perfect performance of Christopher Reeves. The way he shifts from the ultra-confident Superman to the naive and timid Clark Kent is really incredible. The film is a little cheesy at times (especially the "can you read my mind" monologue), but that's a lot of the appeal of Superman. Superman is hope for a better tomorrow. That's what the Synder films got so wrong with him. In this film, Superman cares about every resident (even a random cat he found in a tree). He wouldn't destroy most of Metropolis without caring about the damage being done. Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor was such an interesting portrayal. He's so funny in the role while still being menacing. The infamous ending was kind of a cop-out, but other than that, every modern-day Superhero movie is in debt to this film.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "MISS TESCHMACHERRRRRR!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I remember, when I was younger, I watched a bit of this film but stopped for some reason. I think I was on a flight, but I never got to finish this movie. Finishing it, finally, made me realize how crazy it was that they perfected the Superman movie in the 70s, and then just haven't been able to remake it. A lot of this comes down to the absolute perfect performance of Christopher Reeves. The way he shifts from the ultra-confident Superman to the naive and timid Clark Kent is really incredible. The film is a little cheesy at times (especially the "can you read my mind" monologue), but that's a lot of the appeal of Superman. Superman is hope for a better tomorrow. That's what the Synder films got so wrong with him. In this film, Superman cares about every resident (even a random cat he found in a tree). He wouldn't destroy most of Metropolis without caring about the damage being done. Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor was such an interesting portrayal. He's so funny in the role while still being menacing. The infamous ending was kind of a cop-out, but other than that, every modern-day Superhero movie is in debt to this film.
10/11/23 "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" 1978
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "How do you know my name?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No!
This just might be one of the best remakes I've seen. This film takes what the first one did and expands the premise. Is it better? I'm really not sure, because both have pros and cons. I like how this one shows what happens to the human bodies after the pod people form, and it's really creepy to see. This film also has better effects than the original, obviously. This one also has some bigger names due to the higher budget. This one had a budget of 3.5 million dollars vs. the original with 415,000. Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nimoy are in this film and all do a great job. I love how they brought back Kevin McCarthy from the '50s to do the original ending in the middle of the film to establish that this film will be different. I liked the ending of this one more, but that's because the studio meddled with the '50s one which led to its more optimistic ending. I felt like the pacing in this, though still pretty good, just doesn't hold a candle to the original one. The original is so concentrated and so focused that there isn't a dull moment. This film also takes the original out of the small town and into the city. I sort of like the small-town setup more, it leads to the scarier thought "Well if a small town can get completely taken over, what about big cities?". It also leads to heightened stakes since they discuss taking over big cities since there are many members in the town. Overall, this is worth a watch and is still great, it's on the same level as the first one and it just comes down to preference on which one is better
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "How do you know my name?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No!
This just might be one of the best remakes I've seen. This film takes what the first one did and expands the premise. Is it better? I'm really not sure, because both have pros and cons. I like how this one shows what happens to the human bodies after the pod people form, and it's really creepy to see. This film also has better effects than the original, obviously. This one also has some bigger names due to the higher budget. This one had a budget of 3.5 million dollars vs. the original with 415,000. Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nimoy are in this film and all do a great job. I love how they brought back Kevin McCarthy from the '50s to do the original ending in the middle of the film to establish that this film will be different. I liked the ending of this one more, but that's because the studio meddled with the '50s one which led to its more optimistic ending. I felt like the pacing in this, though still pretty good, just doesn't hold a candle to the original one. The original is so concentrated and so focused that there isn't a dull moment. This film also takes the original out of the small town and into the city. I sort of like the small-town setup more, it leads to the scarier thought "Well if a small town can get completely taken over, what about big cities?". It also leads to heightened stakes since they discuss taking over big cities since there are many members in the town. Overall, this is worth a watch and is still great, it's on the same level as the first one and it just comes down to preference on which one is better
9/22/24 "Nosferatu" 1979
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Death is not the worst. There are things more horrible than death." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I feel like this didn't really need to exist. This is a remake of the 1922 classic silent film, Nosferatu, but it doesn't really have the same artistic merit. The original film was a textbook example of German expressionism, but this film doesn't follow suit. They go with realistic sets instead of hyper-stylized, which is a shame. This definitely a post-Dracula vampire film. They changed the classic "Count Orlac" back to "Count Dracula" and also added the "Listen to them, the children of the night" line. I personally feel like this doesn't hit the same as the original, although Klaus Kinski does a great job in the role. There were some great effects, but on the whole, I would suggest just watching the original.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Death is not the worst. There are things more horrible than death." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I feel like this didn't really need to exist. This is a remake of the 1922 classic silent film, Nosferatu, but it doesn't really have the same artistic merit. The original film was a textbook example of German expressionism, but this film doesn't follow suit. They go with realistic sets instead of hyper-stylized, which is a shame. This definitely a post-Dracula vampire film. They changed the classic "Count Orlac" back to "Count Dracula" and also added the "Listen to them, the children of the night" line. I personally feel like this doesn't hit the same as the original, although Klaus Kinski does a great job in the role. There were some great effects, but on the whole, I would suggest just watching the original.
12/1/25 "The China Syndrome" 1979
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "He was not a loony. He was the sanest man I ever knew in my life." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This feels like a pretty standard neo-noir film. It follows two reporters who accidentally stumble upon a mass conspiracy. No, not that one. This one follows a nuclear plant as the reporters (Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas) filmed an accident. When they tried to air the accident, the company censored the footage. The big question is, what are they trying to cover up? I'm going to be so honest, I just watched this film for Jack Lemmon, who does a great job in the role. His later roles are really interesting to me because during the 70s and 80s, he tended to stay away from comedy. This film is a little forgettable, but still good.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "He was not a loony. He was the sanest man I ever knew in my life." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This feels like a pretty standard neo-noir film. It follows two reporters who accidentally stumble upon a mass conspiracy. No, not that one. This one follows a nuclear plant as the reporters (Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas) filmed an accident. When they tried to air the accident, the company censored the footage. The big question is, what are they trying to cover up? I'm going to be so honest, I just watched this film for Jack Lemmon, who does a great job in the role. His later roles are really interesting to me because during the 70s and 80s, he tended to stay away from comedy. This film is a little forgettable, but still good.
3/17/24 "Mad Max" 1979
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The chain in those handcuffs is high-tensile steel. It'd take you ten minutes to hack through it with this. Now, if you're lucky, you could hack through your ankle in five minutes. Go." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is a very humble start to the Mad Max series. Being made for only 350,000 dollars, you can see where this film cut some corners. They made it set in the "not-so-distant" future. I'm guessing mostly due to budget constraints, but it adds a pretty cool aspect to the film. There are some sci-fi objects, but it mostly feels like the modern day. The story's a little all over the place, but there are some great acting moments and it's shot really well. I love the campy shot whenever someone's eyes would pop out due to fear. A pretty good indie film that I imagine made bigger and better films later.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The chain in those handcuffs is high-tensile steel. It'd take you ten minutes to hack through it with this. Now, if you're lucky, you could hack through your ankle in five minutes. Go." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is a very humble start to the Mad Max series. Being made for only 350,000 dollars, you can see where this film cut some corners. They made it set in the "not-so-distant" future. I'm guessing mostly due to budget constraints, but it adds a pretty cool aspect to the film. There are some sci-fi objects, but it mostly feels like the modern day. The story's a little all over the place, but there are some great acting moments and it's shot really well. I love the campy shot whenever someone's eyes would pop out due to fear. A pretty good indie film that I imagine made bigger and better films later.
6/26/22 "Manhattan" 1979
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The brain is easily the most overrated organ in the body"
I always start off my Woody Allen film reviews by saying how much I hate the person of Woody Allen. Here's a SparkNotes version for those who don't know. After being with Mia Farrow and adopting a couple of kids, he decided to marry one of the kids he adopted (Soon-Yi) who he started seeing when she turned 21. Though he's a complete and total creep, he makes great movies, like this one. Although this one isn't as funny as Annie Hall or Bullets over Broadway it focuses more on drama. The whole movie is just seeing how much of a mess Woody Allen's life is in. It's weird watching this movie because of how much Woody Allen's character is very similar to Ross's character on Friends. Both are neurotic New Yorkers whose wives have left them after their wives realize that they are lesbian and both of them date an underage girl. It makes this movie a little uncomfortable how Woody Allen dated this young girl (that'll be a surprise tool that'll help us later in his career!). This film had some solid jokes and a lot to think about after, but it doesn't have the same feeling as Annie Hall to me
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The brain is easily the most overrated organ in the body"
I always start off my Woody Allen film reviews by saying how much I hate the person of Woody Allen. Here's a SparkNotes version for those who don't know. After being with Mia Farrow and adopting a couple of kids, he decided to marry one of the kids he adopted (Soon-Yi) who he started seeing when she turned 21. Though he's a complete and total creep, he makes great movies, like this one. Although this one isn't as funny as Annie Hall or Bullets over Broadway it focuses more on drama. The whole movie is just seeing how much of a mess Woody Allen's life is in. It's weird watching this movie because of how much Woody Allen's character is very similar to Ross's character on Friends. Both are neurotic New Yorkers whose wives have left them after their wives realize that they are lesbian and both of them date an underage girl. It makes this movie a little uncomfortable how Woody Allen dated this young girl (that'll be a surprise tool that'll help us later in his career!). This film had some solid jokes and a lot to think about after, but it doesn't have the same feeling as Annie Hall to me
2/24/22 "Apocalypse Now" 1979
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The Horror"
Wow. This movie was amazing. The acting was phenomenal, especially the insane performance of Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, and Laurence Fishburne. The complexity of Marlon Brando's character is astonishing. The Misen Scene in this movie along with the color palette gets progressively darker as they go on their journey. This movie isn't your average Vietnam War, because of the wonderful third act. Trigger Warning though, they kill a cow live on camera. It's not CG-I either, they straight-up murder a cow on camera. It's very sickening but serves the purpose of the movie. The soundtrack to the movie is also spectacular. "The Flight of the Valkyries" was the perfect fit for the helicopters, and "The End" by the Doors played at both the start and end of the film, wow. Incredible.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The Horror"
Wow. This movie was amazing. The acting was phenomenal, especially the insane performance of Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, and Laurence Fishburne. The complexity of Marlon Brando's character is astonishing. The Misen Scene in this movie along with the color palette gets progressively darker as they go on their journey. This movie isn't your average Vietnam War, because of the wonderful third act. Trigger Warning though, they kill a cow live on camera. It's not CG-I either, they straight-up murder a cow on camera. It's very sickening but serves the purpose of the movie. The soundtrack to the movie is also spectacular. "The Flight of the Valkyries" was the perfect fit for the helicopters, and "The End" by the Doors played at both the start and end of the film, wow. Incredible.
2/19/24 "The Kids Are Alright" 1979
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You couldn't pick more - four more horrible geezers that make more - I mean, make the worst noise that you've ever heard in your life!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
At first, I wasn't a big fan of the direction, but it slowly grew on me. This documentary of The Who mainly uses archived footage of the band in interviews and performances. At first, it felt pretty directionless, but as the special went on, they slowly started adding more stories. It focuses a lot on Pete Townshend and Keith Moon. Pete Townshend never seemed satisfied with the Who, he seemed to focus more on the artistic elements of the Who. Meanwhile, we see how truly chaotic Keith Moon was. Destroying hotel rooms, biting people's legs, and just being an insane drummer. As a whole, this paints a great portrait of the band and makes me want to know more about them
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You couldn't pick more - four more horrible geezers that make more - I mean, make the worst noise that you've ever heard in your life!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
At first, I wasn't a big fan of the direction, but it slowly grew on me. This documentary of The Who mainly uses archived footage of the band in interviews and performances. At first, it felt pretty directionless, but as the special went on, they slowly started adding more stories. It focuses a lot on Pete Townshend and Keith Moon. Pete Townshend never seemed satisfied with the Who, he seemed to focus more on the artistic elements of the Who. Meanwhile, we see how truly chaotic Keith Moon was. Destroying hotel rooms, biting people's legs, and just being an insane drummer. As a whole, this paints a great portrait of the band and makes me want to know more about them
1/29/24 "Quadrophenia" 1979
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Look, I don't wanna be the same as everybody else. That's why I'm a Mod, see? I mean, you gotta be somebody, ain't ya, or you might as well jump in the sea and drown." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a shockingly great movie. I expected a campier, over-the-top film like Tommy, but this was completely different. Tommy took the music from the 1969 album of the same name and made a full musical using the songs and had very crazy situations that Tommy got into. This on the other hand is very realistic and hardly uses any of the who's music. The film uses the songs in the album to form the story. It's about a young boy named Jimmy who wants to fit in with the mod crowd as his friend chooses the rocker lifestyle. It's a simple story that reminds me of New-Wave films. The pacing is slow, but it gives us time to get to know the character and makes the audience feel nostalgic for a time they haven't even lived. Seeing how desperate Jimmy is to try to find himself is a really sad arc that we see throughout the film. I would highly suggest this film for film buffs, it's a really underrated film.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Look, I don't wanna be the same as everybody else. That's why I'm a Mod, see? I mean, you gotta be somebody, ain't ya, or you might as well jump in the sea and drown." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a shockingly great movie. I expected a campier, over-the-top film like Tommy, but this was completely different. Tommy took the music from the 1969 album of the same name and made a full musical using the songs and had very crazy situations that Tommy got into. This on the other hand is very realistic and hardly uses any of the who's music. The film uses the songs in the album to form the story. It's about a young boy named Jimmy who wants to fit in with the mod crowd as his friend chooses the rocker lifestyle. It's a simple story that reminds me of New-Wave films. The pacing is slow, but it gives us time to get to know the character and makes the audience feel nostalgic for a time they haven't even lived. Seeing how desperate Jimmy is to try to find himself is a really sad arc that we see throughout the film. I would highly suggest this film for film buffs, it's a really underrated film.
1/10/22 "Breaking Away" 1979
5/10 Stars, Favorite quote "Hiiiii there. Want to roll some baallllsss???"
A little too trope-y this one. I felt I knew exactly what was going to happen from the first 10 minutes. It focuses on one poor kid who just wants to ride his BICYCLE! He models himself after the Italian bike rides, so he tries to be as Italian as humanly possible. This got really annoying and borderline offensive. He even said at one point "Spicy Meat-a-ball". The race scene was really great though, the rest was kind of mediocre. Not horrible, just mediocre.
5/10 Stars, Favorite quote "Hiiiii there. Want to roll some baallllsss???"
A little too trope-y this one. I felt I knew exactly what was going to happen from the first 10 minutes. It focuses on one poor kid who just wants to ride his BICYCLE! He models himself after the Italian bike rides, so he tries to be as Italian as humanly possible. This got really annoying and borderline offensive. He even said at one point "Spicy Meat-a-ball". The race scene was really great though, the rest was kind of mediocre. Not horrible, just mediocre.
11/10/25 "Stalker" 1979
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Flexibility and softness are the embodiment of life. That which has become hard shall not triumph." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I feel like I didn't quite get this movie. Everyone loves this movie, and I can see why. The visuals are beautiful, and the dialogue is well done, but I just couldn't really get the story. I think that might've been the point, but it was a very dense film to pick up on. It's, in no means, a bad movie, but I just couldn't really see it for the masterpiece everyone says it is. I really hope that one day I can understand this film.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Flexibility and softness are the embodiment of life. That which has become hard shall not triumph." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I feel like I didn't quite get this movie. Everyone loves this movie, and I can see why. The visuals are beautiful, and the dialogue is well done, but I just couldn't really get the story. I think that might've been the point, but it was a very dense film to pick up on. It's, in no means, a bad movie, but I just couldn't really see it for the masterpiece everyone says it is. I really hope that one day I can understand this film.
9/23/24 "The Brood" 1979
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Thirty seconds after you're born you have a past, and sixty seconds after that you begin to lie to yourself about it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a slow burn for me. While not David Cronenberg's first film, this definitely starts his "peak era". We follow a man who notices his wife is acting weird after a psychologist's visit, there's also been a series of attacks done by a brood of mutant children. The reveal for this makes the slow wait worth it. The ending is just classic Cronenberg and contains the most disturbing part of the film. The brood of children is also pretty scary, but the film as a whole could've used more fright throughout. Samantha Eggar gives a great performance, though. She's what brings this film together. Also, Art Hindle and Oliver Reed do a great job.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Thirty seconds after you're born you have a past, and sixty seconds after that you begin to lie to yourself about it." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a slow burn for me. While not David Cronenberg's first film, this definitely starts his "peak era". We follow a man who notices his wife is acting weird after a psychologist's visit, there's also been a series of attacks done by a brood of mutant children. The reveal for this makes the slow wait worth it. The ending is just classic Cronenberg and contains the most disturbing part of the film. The brood of children is also pretty scary, but the film as a whole could've used more fright throughout. Samantha Eggar gives a great performance, though. She's what brings this film together. Also, Art Hindle and Oliver Reed do a great job.
1/29/23 "Kramer Vs. Kramer" 1979
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Do you like fried chicken?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I never thought that there would be a movie that deserved the Best Picture win more than "Apocalypse Now"... but here we are! This film is simply wonderful. Dustin Hoffman is incredible in this film he gives such an honest and realistic performance. The story was gripping, I couldn't look away for a single moment, the story was such a sad yet hopeful film. This is an Oscar winner you should see
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Do you like fried chicken?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I never thought that there would be a movie that deserved the Best Picture win more than "Apocalypse Now"... but here we are! This film is simply wonderful. Dustin Hoffman is incredible in this film he gives such an honest and realistic performance. The story was gripping, I couldn't look away for a single moment, the story was such a sad yet hopeful film. This is an Oscar winner you should see
4/28/24 "All That Jazz" 1979
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "At least I don't have to lie to you anymore" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
At first didn't get the hype for this one. It just seemed like a regular musical bio-pic, but then towards the end of the film, I really got it. It's a really beautiful film about Joe Gideon (Roy Schnider), a famous choreographer/director whose personal life is falling apart. The only things that are keeping him together are his work, drugs, and alcohol. This film was choreographed, directed, and written by Bob Fosse, the famous choreographer/director who made this semi-autographical which makes it a really interesting film. I wouldn't want to spoil anything about this movie, but it's a really great movie.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "At least I don't have to lie to you anymore" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
At first didn't get the hype for this one. It just seemed like a regular musical bio-pic, but then towards the end of the film, I really got it. It's a really beautiful film about Joe Gideon (Roy Schnider), a famous choreographer/director whose personal life is falling apart. The only things that are keeping him together are his work, drugs, and alcohol. This film was choreographed, directed, and written by Bob Fosse, the famous choreographer/director who made this semi-autographical which makes it a really interesting film. I wouldn't want to spoil anything about this movie, but it's a really great movie.
7/10/23 "Being There" 1979
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Life is a state of mind." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
One of Peter Sellers' last films, and it gives us one of the most refined characters that he's ever played. It's interesting seeing how toned-down Chance the Gardner is compared to other characters he's played. This story is about a gardener who lives his life only gardening and watching TV until one day he has to leave the mansion where he works to find a new life. He soon becomes a political icon, despite not knowing what he's talking about. The ending was sort of weird and a left turn, but the whole film has such a great message about life and what reality is. This is made by the same guy who made "Harold and Maude" and it definitely has that vibe to it.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Life is a state of mind." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
One of Peter Sellers' last films, and it gives us one of the most refined characters that he's ever played. It's interesting seeing how toned-down Chance the Gardner is compared to other characters he's played. This story is about a gardener who lives his life only gardening and watching TV until one day he has to leave the mansion where he works to find a new life. He soon becomes a political icon, despite not knowing what he's talking about. The ending was sort of weird and a left turn, but the whole film has such a great message about life and what reality is. This is made by the same guy who made "Harold and Maude" and it definitely has that vibe to it.
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