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Fear Strikes Out (1957)
So-so
I hadn't seen this movie in 40-50 years. It seems so dated.
Is Jimmy the only one in this family with a mental disorder? It sure seems like his father has one... pushing & pushing & pushing Jimmy to achieve what he never did or could. Funny how you never see his father working in this movie.
The baseball scenes are atrocious. From a distance, it's Fenway and up close (with no fans showing), it's a different ballpark.
Anthony Perkins didn't exactly look like he could throw well and the little bit you see, he (pardon the expression) throws like a girl.
In one scene, the lefty pitcher begins his windup, and then the scene backs up to show the entire field and a righty is throwing.
The Yellow Birds (2017)
Could Have Been Better
I guess this movie was meant to be a drama with flashbacks of war.
The main part of the movie is when Jennifer Anniston (Mrs Murphy) advises her son's friend that if anything happens to her son,
she wants to hear from him first. That just didn't sound realistic... what mother thinks like that or says that out loud?
The worst part of this movie are the tons of flashbacks, not always to the same point in time. It was as if the audience had to see a present-day result first, and then see what led to it.
I love movies about after-war, my favorite being The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Others I like include Brothers, The Lucky One, The Lucky Ones, Megan Leavey, The Messenger, Pride of the Marines, Taking Chance, Thank You for Your Service.
The Best years of Our Lives is my favorite movie ever.... it is listed in the top 100 of all time, but usually my friends have never heard of it.
I'd probably rate the others around an 8, but The Yellow Birds was a notch below them.
Love, Lights, Hanukkah! (2020)
Cute movie
Firstly, I'm not sure why some people think that being Jewish doesn't show up on a DNA test. I've seen it on that PBS TV show Finding Your Roots, and recently I had ordered a test for my daughter which shows she's 50% Jewish, my half.
As far as the movie goes, it was cute... a little bland, but there aren't a lot of Hanukkah movies from which to choose. Perhaps I may have given it a six or seven if there were a lot of other Hanukkah movies.
Personally, I thought it was very emotional when the star found out who her biological mother is. I can't imagine what that would really be like.
Anyway, i would certainly recommend it to others.
Uncharted (2022)
Falls Short
It was trying to be a movie like national treasure and Indiana Jones combined but fell way short. The script, the clues,etc. Was all juvenile and "all over the place." I guess Tom Holland was set up to be like Spider-Man with his fighting skills. Just another silly movie where everybody seems to die except the good guys.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Entertaining, but....
I rated it a 7 for pure entertainment value, but...
Mark Wahlberg can't act. Perhaps we can blame some of the lines on the writers. Too monotone... sounds like a street thug instead of an educated astronaut.
But where the original movie ends at the Statue of Liberty with the best (surprising) ending ever, especially for 1968, this movie may have the worst/silliest/rushed/predictable ending ever.
I see similarities with the remake of The Time Machine where the Moorlocks seemed fairly weak in the 1960 version and they seemed to have super strength in the 2002 remake (gee, just a year after this movie).
Here, in this remake, the Apes seem to have too much strength a la the Time Machine remake.
The best thing about remakes are the inclusion of more sophisticated CGI. However, the script and action are inferior.
Always love to see Paul Giamatti. He adds the only humor to this dark movie.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Entertaining
Like a "B" movie... cartoonish with some horrible acting (Jim Kelly) and casting (Kelly, Kien Shih-60 yrs old at the time).
But there's only one Bruce Lee and he is entertaining.
This movie came out when I was 18... I'd probably have given it a 10 back then.
Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)
Unrealistic scenes
Seemed interesting, and based on a true story.
Maybe I would have rated it a 5 at best... but the ending couldn't be believed in the way a real british agent would have acted and the way it played out. Either a bad script or horrible directing... or both.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Palestinian Chicken (2011)
I'm going to F_ _ _ the Jew Out of You
This is probably my favorite Curb episode, but that line from the Palestinian woman might be my favorite line of all time.... especially with Larry's friend sitting downstairs with his yarmulke on listening to it all. Also the line, F_ _ _ Me Jew Bastard. Who would come up with these except Larry David.
Reminded me of when Jaime Pressly told Howard Stern (as an insult) that he looked like he was "Slapped With The Yarmulke"
Arrival (2016)
A Film That Requires Thinking
Wow. I just reviewed a bunch of the "1" ratings. I find the low ratings are for a couple of reasons. One, it was a pure "talkie." No action and no threats from aliens. The other reason is, they didn't understand what was going on.
When I originally saw this movie in the theater, I spent several minutes afterwards in the lobby explaining things to my friends (e.g., how Amy Adams kept seeing her future and how Amy learned from the alien that they do not experience time in a linear fashion). Some strangers came over to me to also hear my explanation and I realized how difficult it was to understand. I thought the best scene in the movie was when she's looking into her future and gathering information that she needs immediately in the present.
I've probably seen the movie 4 times now, kinda' looking for "nuances" but mainly because it's among my favorite sci-fi/alien genre films.
I guess the movie just isn't that everyone. It reminded me of Interstellar, which I also found somewhat confusing while watching it for the first time.
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Best Picture Ever Made
This was a true 10 to me, from the script to the acting. From the emotion of Homer getting home and wondering how he'll be with his girlfriend, to Milly sensing when her husband is home without having heard him come through the door. Seems like when I mention this film to friends as my #1 favorite, hardly anyone has heard of it; perhaps because it's from 1946. I'm sure I've seen it 10 times. It seems to be in the top 100 of most lists I see. There's still such an attraction of seeing how returning veterans can get back to their normal lives, if possible. Other movies have tried, but none succeed like this one. The 2 hrs and 50 min really give them the chance to develop the characters. I probably found Fredric March's acting to be the most realistic, but that could be spread around especially since Homer wasn't a real actor. You had to feel for Dana Andrews who wanted something better out of life than his old job and just couldn't get it, while being berated by his wife as a loser.
Open Range (2003)
Most Realistic Looking Western I've Ever Seen
Not sure if I think it should be rated as a 9 or 10, but as a western I must give it a 10. I don't always see Kevin Costner in the right roles (e.g., Robin Hood), but here he's perfect in the low-key role and so is Duvall as his boss (and some of Duvall's humor). My favorite westerns up until now are movies like Shane, Jesse James, Big Jake, Destry Rides Again, Magnificent Seven -1960... just to give you a feel for my taste. There's something about the guns, the way they shoot, the muddy streets, etc. that make this look like the most realistic looking western. About the only negative was I didn't always like Anette Bening's acting; in 1 scene she sounded like a school girl where her voice seemed to change to a higher pitch when she learns Costner had previously thought she was married. I guess at this moment, I've seen this movie 5-7 times and never get bored. Perhaps the script isn't totally original, but I find it still ranks up there. I also like how they didn't rush the shooting scenes at the end and it was quite lengthy and enjoyable, including the chocolates, the cigars, the help Percy (Michael Jeter) gave them, and learning their real names.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
One of my favorites
I didn't really intend to write an in depth review, I basically wanted to say that upon reading many reviews, it appears that the few that elected to give this movie a low rating seem to take things too seriously, as if just because they don't believe in these Aliens or that Mr. Spielberg's vision doesn't match their own visions of what aliens would be like, they cannot enjoy the movie; how silly. I simply say, you must watch this film for the pure enjoyment of it and sit back and realize what a great script this really is. Do I think Aliens will appear as little men as shown? Do I think they will be able to control the lights for an entire city? It just doesn't matter. I've probably seen this movie 6-8 times over the years and enjoy it as much now as ever.
Condor (2018)
Can't Wait for Each Show
The movie was one of my favorites. I thought Max Von Sydow as Joubert, was the most riveting character of the movie; couldn't wait to hear what he would say next. However, I'm now watching this 20 year old middle-eastern "girl" as Joubert; I just don't see her as believable and feel it hurts the show; her personality seems bland. However, as my title indicates, I can't wait for each show to be on. I would also add that in 1975, Robert Redford, at 39, is playing what is supposed to be a young man (like in "The Natural"); Hollywood just doesn't get it. I prefer to see Max Irons (although he's 32, he looks like he's in his 20's, which is how the character should look).