Rewatched 12 Angry Men on Netflix recently. Love that movie.

Top 10 all time for sure.

Yes very good documentary. I don't remember what special it was on, maybe ESPN when Ryan retired but Reggie Jackson said "I hated facing Nolan Ryan, not because he struck me out all the time but because I knew he could kill me."

That's fair.

Beetlejuice - It's ok. Some inventive stuff about death, a very non-traditional story. The old woman and the interior decorator are great characters.

Beetlejuice himself is barely in it, and unfortunately he's rapey in a way that we're meant to find funny and slightly charming. He's definitely a villain, but we're still meant to think it's good clean fun and laugh when he lifts women's skirts or force-kisses them. Would not fly today, but I'd welcome a sequel in which he's reformed and seeks redemption (my date's idea).

The pacing and build-up is off; the stakes don't feel high at the end, as it hasn't been properly set up. "Showtime!" is declared, but what should be a chaotic, tense climax doesn't feel that different from the rest of the movie. The "showtime!" that's declared in the Addam's Family Pinball machine is a more effective build-up and climax (granted, that's a high bar).

The Silence of the Lambs and Manhunter - Both suffer from their supposed main plotlines of the non-Hannibal serial killers. I don't give the slightest **** about the non-Hannibal killers.

Both fall into this pop psychology nonsense about how "you don't want a guy like Hannibal Lecter in your head", and how just working on cases related to him has made people go to the mental hospital. Lambs is worse with this.

Lambs gets even dumber than pop psychology, with absurdly cryptic riddles being passed back and forth like 1960s Riddler and Batman. "Why would he have used the word 'hello'? It must be an acronym. But for what?"

The title of Lambs refers to more Freudian pop psychology nonsense.

Both movies spend way too much dead time late in their runs focusing on the serial killer (both watching him in action and more stupid investigations), which almost no time was devoted to prior in either case. Lambs had already given us a proper climax by that point; this should have been interwoven better.

If both movies cut out 15+ minutes that we spend on the serial killers towards the end, Manhunter might actually be a better movie. Mann might be as good at evoking a sexy, synthy '80s vibe as Lynch is at evoking dread.

Manhunter: decent, would recommend to any fan of Hannibal, and I'm sure it's better than the more recent two movies starring him.

Lambs: good, suffers a lot from dumb '90s ****, the fact that so many movies copied the serial killer elements, and dead weight. Should not be looked at as uncritically as it is.

Edward Scissorhands - I'm not a fan of the "sad fantasy" theme in general. I like whimsical fantasy, funny fantasy, serious fantasy, whatever else, but the sad tone to me is off-putting. I'd like to say it feels forced but that might just be me trying to justify why I don't like the tone. May need a bit more time to marinate on this.

I didn't hate it.

5>4>6>7a>7b>1>3>2

Part 1 is good, but it drags and I disagree that it works fine as a standalone movie. You need to see Part 2 for a decent amount of the movie to payoff imo.

Order of the Phoenix is the best movie & book. Such a great journey from start to finish.

The Searchers is on TCM right now if anyone is awake. Have seen it at least a dozen times, it's still just as remarkable as ever. Actually I was very young for many of those viewings, I see a hundred times more nuance as an adult obviously. Thematic debates aside, Wayne is truly a powerhouse in this movie; An all time classic to me.

Poop,I'm meaning to watch it,but I'm too sleepy,and no DVR.....

Was it TCM UK or US?

Thanks for the response. I think it works as a stand alone movie because it's about Harry's mission before he has any idea if he's going to succeed or not and the uncertainty that surrounds him, and Ron and Hermione. And his will to keep going even at the longest of odds. Ending it with Dobby's death and Voldemort getting the elder wand was a nice touch IMO. Harry has some momentum and has found some horcruxes but his friends are still dying and Voldemort just obtained the strongest wand of all time. (Obviously we all know Harry will win, but I think the movie does a good job shrouding it in doubt)

Maybe I've just read the books to many times to fully appreciate all the movies, but the 5th movie always seemed a bit like a bunch of scenes crammed together to fit into one movie because the source material was so long. The character of Umbridge is obviously one of the series' biggest accomplishments though and the actress that plays her plays her marvelously. Since I grew up with the books/films maybe seeing Harry make so many mistakes hurts my enjoyment/view of the product a bit too much.

I still think Prisoner of Azkaban works the best as a standalone movie.

I probably like DH Pt1 so much because it's so personal for me. Getting to watch the characters/actors grow up was a huge part of the value of the series for me, and seeing all 3 emerge into IMO actually good actors (it took some longer then others ) was great fun. And getting to spend some quiet time with them in Pt1 was much more intimate than pt2. Which was basically a long action scene other than the Snape reveal. Snape the GOAT.

Saving Private Ryan Is on netflix as of 9/1. Watched it for the second time ever since watching it in a film class in college. Nothing really to say other than it's just as harrowing and powerful and anxiety inducing and frustrating as the first time I saw it. One thing I maybe noticed more than the first time I saw it is that while Tom Hanks is the hero of the movie, he sure does make a lot of mistakes. I know that's the point, but I think the first time I watched it his mistakes were overshadowed by everone elses. Excellent war movie. Will not watch again soon.

Natalie Wood made a fine-looking Indian!

nobody likes the 5th book the most

Looks better on bluray....

I enjoy parts of Saving Private Ryan, but as a whole found it to be too campy.

"What's the pool up to on me right now? I'm a school teacher."

k

band of brothers >>>>>>>>>all other war films

I see your location is China, are you an American ex-pat or otherwise from a country of the Allied forces? Corny is about the very last word I would use to describe that movie. Before anyone says it, no I am not getting riled up or going all don't tread on me; Just curious is all.

yes, expat

Saving Private Ryan is not campy...but it is purposely earnest, without irony, and maybe even a little corny.

super campy

star of david scene super campy

german soldier coming back in the final fight quite campy

I'm sure there's more, but can't remember off the top of my head. It's a fine movie, but after the D Day scene it loses a lot of the realism and becomes very cliched.

The german soldier doesn't come back tho

Really? I thought he's in the last battle. If not I guess I remembered incorrectly. Minor point anyways.

I haven't seen this movie in years but I'm almost certain that the German soldier they release regroups with the other soldiers that make the attack for the final battle, he even shoots Tom Hanks character and is killed by the young American translator when the Germans surrender to him.