Jack's Movie Log
August 16, 2006
V for Vendetta (2005)
A There are a lot of things about this movie that I like. The portrayal of the right wing totalitarian state was done very well. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first time I saw it. More shocking on a first viewing.
Posted by jacknilan
at 4:52 PM EDT
Updated: August 17, 2006 10:20 PM EDT
August 15, 2006
The Skeleton Key (2005)
B Better than I thought it was going to be.
Posted by jacknilan
at 2:33 PM EDT
Updated: August 17, 2006 10:19 PM EDT
Blazing Saddles (1974)
A Had some really great scenes. Only thing that keeps it from being one of the truly great movies is that the story wasn't all that strong.
Posted by jacknilan
at 12:01 AM EDT
Updated: August 17, 2006 10:22 PM EDT
August 14, 2006
The Man From Laramie (1955)
B Another good James Stewart movie, this one by Anthony Mann. Mann's movies are always a little bit off.
Posted by jacknilan
at 1:11 PM EDT
16 Blocks (2006)
B- A lot like an old Clint Eastwood movie, The Gauntlet.
Posted by jacknilan
at 12:01 AM EDT
August 13, 2006
Go West (1940)
C+ Overall, I was disappointed by this Marx brothers film.
Posted by jacknilan
at 8:01 AM EDT
August 10, 2006
Trouble in Paradise (1932)
A- Not dated at all. I really liked the beginning, didn't finish as strong. Pre-code presentation makes it interesting. Criminals commit crimes and get away with it. Wouldn't happen a few years later with the code in place.
Posted by jacknilan
at 4:37 PM EDT
Updated: August 17, 2006 10:23 PM EDT
Munich (2005)
A i liked it even better the second time. Points out futility and dilemma of the Israeli-Palestinian situation. There are no good answers. The one thing I think Spielburg was really trying to get across that to keep things going the way they are now is definitely not the solution.
Posted by jacknilan
at 11:19 AM EDT
August 9, 2006
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
A Great movie. I thought George Sanders was especially good and I never knew that Angela Lansbury and Donna Reed once looked that good.
Posted by jacknilan
at 9:52 PM EDT
August 8, 2006
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
A This movie really had a great performance by Gena Rowland. I thought the movie was also really good. As the movie went on I began to feel that Nick was crazier than Gena's character.
Posted by jacknilan
at 8:07 PM EDT
August 7, 2006
The Killers (1946)
A I saw the 1964 re-make first and didn't love it but this was great. Burt Lancaster, Edmond O'Brien and Ava Gardner were great. Great film noir.
Posted by jacknilan
at 12:01 AM EDT
August 6, 2006
Rififi (1955)
A Its suprising how gripping a scene 25 minutes long without dialogue can be. This is surely one of the great heist capers.
Posted by jacknilan
at 12:01 AM EDT
August 4, 2006
Hidalgo (2004)
B There was a good movie in this story but this film didn't quite make it. I never really identified with the pian and suffering Frank was going through. Info was thrown out about his Indian heritage but I never really identified with it.
Posted by jacknilan
at 9:51 AM EDT
August 3, 2006
Glory Road (1996)
B Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and this story has a fascinating background. It's a shame that they changed some of the events and game situations to make the story more exciting. I think it was interesting enough on its own merits. I think it could have been really good if it had not been so Hollywoodized. It could have been uglier, more real and ultimately much better.
Almost a mirror copy of what they did with Remember the Titans.
Posted by jacknilan
at 8:30 AM EDT
Updated: August 3, 2006 1:42 PM EDT
August 2, 2006
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
A I really enjoyed this movie. Ben Gazzara was really good in an underplayed role as all as these wild things happened around him. The movie moved along slowly but it really had a great sense of realism about it. I really felt I was watching real life.
Posted by jacknilan
at 8:43 PM EDT
Updated: August 2, 2006 8:47 PM EDT
Pickpocket (1959)
A- Not as good as I thought it was going to be. I never did empathize with or understand the motivations of the pickpocket. There were some great scenes on the gang staging pickpockets and on the techniques of pickpocketing.
As I later thought about this movie I liked it better than when I wrote the above comments. I am going to have to watch it again. The movie stripped all the hooks from the movie and just presented the story in a documentary like style. I think i am going to like it much better on my next viewing.
Posted by jacknilan
at 7:19 AM EDT
Updated: August 6, 2006 9:44 PM EDT
July 31, 2006
Bamboozled (2000)
B I thought the movie started really well but it didn't end well. Too bad, it had potential. The clips at the end were really something. though.
Posted by jacknilan
at 8:39 PM EDT
July 29, 2006
Near Dark (1987)
B+ A pretty good vampire movie although it sort of goes Hollywood in the end.
Posted by jacknilan
at 12:01 AM EDT
July 26, 2006
Through a Glass Darkly(1961)
C+ I didn't like this Bergman film too much. Can only take so much of that dark outlook. I'll have to watch this another time.
Posted by jacknilan
at 9:15 PM EDT
The Narrow Margin (1952)
A- I had seen this noir film before but I still didn't get the twist. It was very good.
Posted by jacknilan
at 9:13 PM EDT
Newer | Latest | Older
