The Quiet Man

The is my second John Wayne film ("The Searchers" was my first and I loved it), and I definitely enjoyed Wayne in this. He has a striking presence about him, and even though his speaking pattern can be jarring, his ability to move through emotions and convey honesty through everything is refreshing and quite impressive. My problem with this film was the script, and it's not even something that would have bothered anyone when it was released. Quite honestly, the treatment of Maureen O'Hara's character was rather atrocious. She is repeatedly physically assaulted throughout the film, and it's all played for comedy. I guess it was funny to hit, shove, drag, and beat your wife with sticks when this film came out, but it left a really sour taste in my mouth and I couldn't seem to move past it. I wasn't rooting for Wayne's character to win her over - I was hoping someone would arrest him. But that's the changing of the times I guess. However, I couldn't really enjoy the film because of it. 3/5

The Quiet Man on Netflix

The Walk

I remember hearing stories of people who got physically ill in theaters watching this film, and I couldn't believe it. Until I saw it, that is. Robert Zemeckis breaks all the rules of direction and made me feel unsafe and about to fall throughout this film, and it's a triumph. How could this have not been nominated for Best Direction I'll never know. JGL is wonderful as always, and the script is taut and engaging throughout. A fine film for sure. 4/5

The Walk on Netflix

Enter the Dangerous Mind

OH. MY. GOD. This is so good. So so so good. It had me from the first 90 seconds and never let me go for the whole of the film. Jake Hoffman in the lead role is simply outstanding. I know I've seen him in small parts in other films, but I don't ever remember him in a lead role, so I'm so glad he's now gotten this phenomenal performance under his belt. The direction by Delara and Teran is mind-blowing and visually stunning in a way that utterly complements the plot of the film. The script is tight and beautifully drawn out. Other reviewers refer to "plot twists" - I don't see them as twists at all, as they were obvious and telegraphed in a way to alert the viewer early on to the subtext of the film. But perhaps this films crowning glory is it's music, which sets the perfect stage for everything that occurs throughout this film. I honestly can't say enough good things - this is a true indie gem and worth your time to watch. 5/5

Enter the Dangerous Mind on Netflix

Blue Hawaii

This is my second Elvis film, and I'm still torn about him. This was better to me than "Jailhouse Rock" was. It was fun and silly and played to all of Elvis' strengths as a performer and actor. The problem for me wasn't him, it was the insipid film. There was virtually no plot to speak of, the acting was all pretty terrible, and some of the musical numbers came so out of left field I was left scratching my head. I guess I'm looking for something in between the two films. I want a comedy, but one with a plot and at least some kind of character movement. Does such a thing exist in Elvis' catalog? If so, point me to it, because I'm really hoping to find something I like better than what I've seen thus far. 3/5

Jailhouse Rock on Netflix

Undermind

This was a good idea that just never came together. The acting was leaden, the script clumsy, the direction overdone. The story idea was sound, and I've seen this devise work before, but this just never gelled. Too bad. 2.5/5

Undermind on Netflix

These Final Hours

This apocalyptic drama is truly wonderful and shines a light on how we might behave if the end of the world was upon us. Strong script, solid acting, and simple yet effective direction - a real gem. 4.5/5

These Final Hours on Netflix

Creep

A perfect example of how a really creepy movie can be made for about eight dollars. Duplass and Brice were both good, but Duplass really shines in this - he's a much better actor than he gets credit for being. Even though much of the plot was apparent to fans of this genre, I still enjoyed it a lot. 4/5

Creep on Netflix

Jailhouse Rock

My first Elvis movie, and I'm rather mixed about it. The script for this paced way too fast and tried to tell way too much story too quickly. That really threw me off, and I felt it definitely lacked in the character development this story so badly needed. I'm torn on Elvis himself as well. I enjoyed him to a point, but I felt that this role required more meat and gravitas than he had. My husband thinks I'll like "Blue Hawaii" more - I'm going to try that next. 2.5/5

Jailhouse Rock on Netflix

Hillary: The Movie

Yes, this is a political hit-piece, but it sure is interesting and persuading. Worth watching right now. 3/5

Hillary: The Movie on Netflix

Mad Max: Fury Road

This is in fact the second time I've seen this movie. The first was in the theater, but my companions accidentally bought 3D tickets. 3D movies make me incredibly ill, I had to watch most of it without the glasses on, and by the end I felt like dying and proper hated this film. My husband convinced me to watch it again so I could properly review it, and I'm glad he did. This is a good film, adrenaline filled, action packed, and with a great score too boot. The direction is AMAZING, and I even enjoyed the acting. The problem for me remains the plot, as in there really is no plot. And this is why I'm totally baffled at the nod for Best Picture, because.... well.... no plot you see. Director? Costumes? Music? Cinematography? Sure. All that. But Movie? No damn way. Still, it was fun, I did really enjoy it. 4/5

Mad Max: Fury Road on Netflix

Concussion

Before I say anything, I want to make it clear that, taken simply as a movie, this film is quite good. The script was tight and explained dense medical knowledge well, and the direction was solid. Will Smith was quite excellent and certainly deserved an Oscar nomination for his work. My problem here is personal and beyond the movie. As a life-long professional wrestling fan, I have spent the last two decades watching great men and woman die tragically because of concussion trauma. I have met many who have lost their lives to CTE, including Chris Benoit, who tragically killed his whole family and then himself. Omitting the part pro wrestling played in this story is just strange and sad to me. In point of fact, Christopher Nowinski from the WWE was the person who sent the case of Andre Waters to Dr. Omalu, but that is omitted in the film. The fact that pro wrestling and the WWE were very active in the fight to get CTE recognized and were among the first to institute concussion protocols is something I would have loved to hear about that. This is not the fault of the film itself, but rather what was, I think, a poor decision on the part of who designed the film. So, despite my personal reaction, this is a very fine film. 4/5

Concussion on Netflix

Janis: Little Girl Blue

I enjoyed this as I really didn't know much about Janis going into it. It was nice to get a framework for her life, but I really wish there has been more depth on her as a person, her inner emotional life, how she found and gained mastery of her music. They also left major parts of her love life uncovered, which was really something I was interested in knowing more about. For me this was good, but not great. 3/5

Janis: Little Girl Blue on Netflix

Megan is Missing

This is, quite honestly, one of the more profoundly and deeply disturbing films I've seen in a while, and I watch a lot of twisted things. The campy cheesiness of the first half of the film paves the way for a second half that grows more dark and horrifying every minute. The end of this film had me so upset I nearly turned it off. I kind of wish I had, as I'm going to have nightmares for days. The only thing stopping me from rating this higher is the acting, which is really bad. Really, truly bad. And because it is so bad, it's hard to really sink into this film as one needs to, but, for me, that was a welcome blessing. Such a dark film. 4/5

Megan is Missing on Netflix

Point Break

I should start with a disclaimer - I never was a big fan of the original "Point Break". I found it cheesy and silly, but it did have style and character. This, however, was a goat-fuck of a film. First of all, what in sweet holy hell did this have to do with the original film? Other than a couple of name, nothing at all. Hell, I don't even know why they named it "Point Break", as it truly wasn't a remake at all. They weren't even surfers for fuck's sake! The only reason this gets a star is that the action sequences are truly beautiful. The free-climbing and the squirrel-suit diving were particularly gorgeous, so it has that at least. But character, plot, continuity... none of that here. Truly a wasted "remake". 2/5

Point Break on Netflix

Byzantium

Although I figured out what kind of movie this was about ten minutes in, I was nonetheless hooked by it. Ronan was fabulous, perhaps even better than she was in "Brooklyn", which is saying a lot. And I would like to pass a law that mandates that Caleb Landry Jones must be in all films made, as he is so wonderful. I quite enjoyed this. 4/5

Byzantium on Netflix