| Title |
Synopsis |
Mike's Rating |
Marie's Rating |
| Backstreet |
Original version of the classic "other woman"
story with Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullivan. |
 |
 |
| Bad and the Beautiful, The |
Nice inside-Hollywood melodrama starring a Machiavellian
Kirk Douglas and a surprisingly-capable Lana Turner. |
|
|
| Best Years Of Our Lives, The |
A fine family history centered around veterans returning
from World War II starring Myrna Loy and Frederick March. |
|
|
| Bridge Over the River Kwai |
The classic prisoner-of-war drama with Alec Guinness
and Sessue Hayakawa, and William Holden. |
|
|
| Brief Encounter |
The original English version with Trevor Howard,
a love story of great passion and heartbreak. |
|
|
| Casablanca |
How can we forget "Round up the usual suspects!"?. |
|
|
| Dark Victory |
Young Bette Davis and a wooden George Brent
in a real tear-jerker. Humphrey Bogart has a small role. |
 |
|
| Day At The Races, A |
The Marx Brothers at their best (worst?). |
|
|
| Double Indemnity |
One of the greatest film noir. A fine
performance by Fred MacMurray. |
|
|
| Drive A Crooked Road |
Mickey Rooney's career was on the skids when he gave a
fine performance in this forgotton film noir. |
 |
Didn't see it |
| Gaslight |
Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in a psychological
thriller. |
|
|
| It Happened One Night |
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in the classic
romantic comedy. |
|
|
| Jezebel |
Bette Davis at her most despicable. |
|
|
| Laura |
Romantic thriller with Dana Andrews and a
gorgeous Gene Tierney. |
|
|
| Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner, The |
Tom Courtenay gives a strong performance as an alienated
teen who excels as a cross-country runner. |
|
|
| Man Who Knew Too Much, The |
Jimmy Stewart's best dramatic role as a tourist inadvertently
caught up in intrigue. |
|
|
| My Little Chickadee |
Mae West and W. C. Fields on the screen together; what
more can you say? |
|
|
| Night At The Opera, A |
Another Marx Brothers romp. |
|
|
| Night Of The Hunter |
Directed by Charles Laughton, stark, stylized and
slightly surreal. Stunning blank-and-white photography and Robert Mitchum
in his best role. |
|
|
| Notorious |
Ingrid Bergman's classic performance in a romantic
spy thriller, Claude Raines co-stars. |
|
|
| Postman Always Rings Twice, The |
Film noir with an underrated John Garfield. Lana
Turner co-stars. |
|
|
| Public Enemy |
Jimmy Cagney's definitive tough-guy role. |
|
|
| Riffifi |
A gritty tale of a jewel heist. It was a landmark for
sex and violence in the 1950's. Made in France by Middletown, CT native Jules Dassin. |
|
|
| Saboteur |
Espionage thriller with Robert Cummings as the villain.
An early Hitchcock film. |
|
|
| San Francisco |
Clark Gable in a bigger-than-life sem-musical set around
the famous earthquake. |
|
|
| Set-Up, The |
Robert Ryan wasn't the most compelling actor but he
was excellent in this short film noir about a has-been boxer. |
|
|
| Shane |
The best western ever features majestic sets based on
Remington paintings. Jack Palance is one of the great villains. |
|
|
| Sullivan's Travels |
Social commentary film by Preston Sturgis featuring
Joel McRae. |
|
|
| Sunset Boulevard |
Gloria Swanson declares "I am big, it's the pictures
that got small!". William Holden is the world-weary writer. |
|
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| Third Man, The |
Orson Welles plays the great villain, Harry Lime. Marie
didn't care for the music. |
|
|
| Thunder Road |
An early cinema-verite, often denigrated because of it's
moonshine runner theme. Robert Mitchum wrote the screenplay and music. |
|
|
| Wages Of Fear, The |
Gripping multi-lingual tale of truckers hauling dynamite.
Yves Montand stars. |
|
|
| Title |
Synopsis |
Mike's Rating |
Marie's Rating |
| 28 Up |
Fascinating documentary that follows a group of children
through 28 years of their lives. |
|
|
| 9 1/2 Weeks |
An intense, erotic tale with Mickey Rourke at his best. |
|
|
| Affliction |
A gripping yet disturbing account of how an abusive
father passes on the legacy to his son. Outstanding set design captures the
feel of nothern New Hampshire perfectly (though shot in Quebec). |
|
|
| Age Of Innocence, The |
Excellent sets, food, and costumes. From the Edith
Wharton novel, narrated by Joanne Woodward. |
|
|
| Airplane |
The prototype for many wacky spoofs that followed. |
|
|
| Amelie |
A charming French film. The story is along the lines
of It's A Wonderful Life but rendered in the style of Ally McBeal. |
|
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| Babe |
The world's most lovable piglet in a heartwarming story
and the message that anyone can succeed. |
|
|
| Babe, Pig In The City |
A rare case of a sequel being better than the
original. A magical masterpiece for all ages. |
|
|
| Bagdad Cafe |
An offbeat story of a woman who comes to a small town
and has a profound change on residents' lives. |
|
|
| Barbarians At The Gate |
A terrific fact-based comedy based on the takeover of
RJR Nabisco. James Garner is wonderful. |
|
|
| Beautiful Girls |
An interesting story with insights into men's feelings
about women. |
|
|
| Big Chill, The |
Great characters in a story of adults trying to
recapture the good things they remember about being young. |
|
|
| Big Night |
Food is the star in this story of two Italian brothers
and their New Jersey restaurant. |
|
|
| Body Heat |
A classic film noir updated by Lawrence Kasdan. Sample
dialog: "You're not too smart are you? I like that in a man.". |
|
|
| Boost, The |
James Woods gives a chilling look at how a normal,
middle class man can become captive to cocaine. |
|
 |
| Boxer, The |
A intense, moody story set amidst Northern Ireland's
political turmoil. |
|
|
| Brassed Off |
A touching story of British coal miners and their attempt
to keep their company band alive after the mine shuts down. |
|
|
| Breaker Morant |
Intense performances highlight this courtroom drama
about atrocities committed during the Boer War. |
|
|
| Broadway Danny Rose |
One of Woody Allen's best characters, a hapless talent
agent who can't quite hit the big time. |
|
|
| Bye Bye Blues |
A charming, offbeat Australian film about a young woman
who joins a dance band while her husband is away in World War II. |
|
|
| Chicken Run |
The first feature from the Aardman Animation studios, a
marvelous and imaginative account of chickens breaking out of prison. Also see
their short The Wrong Trousers. |
|
|
| Chinatown |
Roman Polanski's classic film noir with Jack Nicholson's
memorable role as a private eye. |
|
|
| Chocolat |
A wonderful cast tells the story of a woman who brings
joy to a small French village. Look for another fine Johnny Depp performance. |
|
|
| Clean And Sober |
Michael Keaton does a great job portraying a middle-class
man in a downward spiral of drug abuse. |
|
|
| Clockwatchers |
An on-the-mark portrayal of the quiet desperation of
temporary office workers. It's almost documentary in look and feel. |
|
|
| Conversation, The |
Gene Hackman creates one of the screen's great characters,
a lonely man who makes his living eavesdropping on others' lives. |
|
|
| Crossover Dreams |
Ruben Blades plays to type in a story of a Latino musician
with dreams of success in the pop field. |
|
|
| Crossroads |
A fine tale combining the occult, fantasy, and some good
delta blues music. |
|
|
| Damage |
A Brutally intense drama about how a man's passion can
destroy himself and all those around him. Jeremy Irons is unforgettable. |
|
|
| Dark City |
The plot is pretty thin but the payoff in this sci-fi
piece is the visuals. They're like nothing you've seen before. |
|
 |
| Days Of Heaven |
Centered around migrant farm workers in the turn-of-the-century
midwest, this film succeeds on its stunning photography. |
|
|
| Dead Man Walking |
Sean Penn is marvelous as a convicted murderer on death row. |
|
|
| Dead Ringers |
Jeremy Irons plays twin gynecologists in this murder mystery. |
|
|
| Dreamlife Of Angels, The |
A marvelous French film that studies how two young women's
different approaches to life yield very different outcomes. Outstanding performances
by both actresses. |
|
|
| Drugstore Cowboy |
A fine study of drug low-lifes with Matt Dillon in one
more of his fine roles. |
|
|
| Duel |
Spielberg's first movie, made for TV, with all the suspense
of his later, bigger-budget efforts. |
|
|
| Ed Wood |
Johnny Depp does a fine job as Ed Wood, real-life director
of laughably bad movies. |
|
|
| Educating Rita |
Michael Caine is wonderful in this engaging Pygmalion
story of an English teacher and his student. |
|
|
| Eight Men Out |
John Sayles wrote and directed this realistic account
of the White Sox baseball gambling scandal. |
|
|
| Election |
Reese Witherspoon is becoming my favorite actress and Matthew
Broderick is good as well in this dark comedy. |
|
|
| Eve's Bayou |
A surprisingly effective family drama set in rural
Louisiana in the 60's. It examines how our memories are affected by
small subtleties of inetrpretation. |
|
|
| Fat City |
Directed by John Huston, this is probably the best film
about boxing. Fine performances by Stacy Keach and a young Jeff Bridges. |
|
|
| Five Easy Pieces |
Jack Nicholson is perfect as a peripatetic young man
with great talent and no direction. Superb final scene. |
|
|
| Flamingo Kid, The |
Great chemistry between Matt Dillon and Richard Creena
drive this coming-of-age film set in 1906's Long Island. |
|
|
| Four Weddings And A Funeral |
A strong romantic comedy in the screwball tradition, led
but Hugh Grant. |
|
|
| Full Monty, The |
A well-rounded British comedy about factory workers who
hatch a plan to make money as exotic dancers. |
|
|
| Gallipoli |
The tragedy and futility of war is portrayed in this
exceptional film about a company of Australian soldiers. |
|
|
| Grifters, The |
The underrated John Cusack carries this character study
of a family of con artists. |
|
|
| Hail, Hail Rock And Roll |
This documentary on Chuck Berry shows him to be a very
complex, sensitive individual. |
|
|
| Hard Driver (aka Last American Hero) |
Probably the best movie ever about stock car racing,
based loosely on the life of Junior Johnson. Jeff Bridges seems right at home. |
|
|
| Harry In Your Pocket |
An interesting Canadian production that takes us inside
the pickpocket profession. Nice performances by James Coburn and Walter Pidgeon. |
|
|
| Heartland |
Terrific performances by Rip Torn and Concetta Farrell give
a gritty realism to this portrayal of pioneer life. |
|
|
| Hilary and Jackie |
Based on the true story of two English sisters,
both musically talented, whose careers take very different paths. |
|
|
| Homeboy |
Mickey Rourke plays the title role in this touching story
of a washed-up boxer. |
|
|
| Honeysuckle Rose |
Willie Nelson stars in this engaging story of a musician
much like his himself. |
|
|
| I Walk The Line |
Perhaps Gregory Peck's best role as a southern sheriff
who falls for a young woman. Tuesday Weld is terrific as the latter. |
|
|
| Idolmaker, The |
Based on the life of rock & roll impresario Bob Marcucci.
Ray Sharkey creates a memorable title character in this realistic look
at the 50's musinc business. |
|
|
| Imaginary Crimes |
This touching story revolves around a man (Harvey Keitel)
who is good at heart but always lets his family down with impossible
money-making schemes. |
|
|
| Insomnia (original version) |
Stellan Skarsgard in an intense murder mystery with psychological
jousting between a cop and the suspect. |
|
|
| It Could Happen To You |
What happens when a lottery winner gives half his winnings
to a waitress? Nicholas Cage at his best. |
|
|
| Krays, The |
A gripping story about a family of English gangsters. There
is some brutal violence. |
|
|
| L. A. Confidential |
A taut police drama in the tradition of Chinatown. |
|
|
| Lantana |
Anthony Lapaglia in an Australian film that peels away the
characters' veneers with a great script and tremendous acting.. |
|
|
| Liberty Heights |
The third of Barry Levinson's looks back to his
Baltimore roots. One of the best portraits of the 50's. |
|
|
| Lone Star |
John Sayles delivers another winner in this story of
ethnic prejudice and family secrets in a Texas border town. |
|
|
| Lonely Are The Brave |
One of Kirk Douglas' best roles as an out-of-place cowboy
at odds with modern society. |
|
|
| Long Good Friday, The |
A fast-paced action drama with Bob Hoskins very convincing
as an English mobster. |
|
|
| Madness Of King George, The |
An interesting look at King George, the one who let the
American colonies get away. |
|
|
| Magic |
A highly unusual story about a ventriloquist (Anthony Hopkins)
whose dummy begins to take over his personality. |
|
|
| Mambo Kings, The |
An early Antonio Banderas role in a story about how success
can strain family unity. |
|
|
| Man In The Moon, The |
One of the best stories about a young girl's first
romantic love and the bond between sisters. |
|
|
| Matewan |
John Sayles wrote and directed this account of the labor
strife in the West Virginia coal fields. |
|
|
| McCabe And Mrs Miller |
Warren Beatty and Julie Christie are memorable in this
offbeat western allegory. Very well-drawn subordinate characters. |
|
|
| Men With Guns |
Another John Sayles film, this one about the brutality
of political conflict in Latin America. |
|
|
| Mermaids |
This warm family drama is led by Cher and Winona Ryder. |
|
|
| Mississippi Burning |
Based on events in Mississippi in the 1960's when northern
activists attempted to register voters. Strong performances carry a somewhat
predictable story. |
|
|
| Muriel's Wedding |
This is a poignant, yet humorous account of a young lady
who desperately wants to get married. Toni Collette is perfect. |
|
|
| My Brilliant Career |
An engaging Australian film about a young girls growing up. |
|
|
| My Brother's Keeper |
A documentary about the death of an elderly man and the
attempt to convict his brother of murder. Touchingly human but with disturbing
images of rural poverty |
|
|
| Night Moves |
Very complex mystery with Gene Hackman and Jennifer Warren
and an assortment of Florida characters. |
|
|
| Once Upon A Time In America |
A great film tracing the lives of gangsters in New York.
Terrific performances by Robert DeNiro, James Woods, and Treat Williams. Beware
the short version. |
|
|
| One Fine Day |
A strong romantic comedy with Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer. |
|
|
| One Trick Pony |
Paul Simon produced and directed this semi-autobiographical
tale. |
|
|
| Payday |
Rip Torn creates the definitive washed-up country singer.
Well-drawn supporting characters create a realistic look at the country music scene. |
|
|
| Piano, The |
Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel are wonderful in this
period love story. |
|
|
| Planes, Trains, and Automobiles |
The perfect blend of comedy and drama with Steve Martin
and John Candy in the role he was born to play. |
|
|
| Pleasantville |
A comedy with some serious overtones. Terrific
performance by Reece Witherspoon. |
|
|
| Prancer |
A Christmas story for children and adults. It's a warmhearted
account of a girl who believes she's seen one of Santa's reindeer. |
|
|
| Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert |
A funny, touching trip with a busload of transvestites
across the Australian outback. An exceptional performance by Terence Stamp. |
|
|
| Q&A |
Nick Nolte is excellent in this otherwise ordinary
police drama. |
|
|
| Quiz Show |
A true-to-life portrayal of the 19050's quiz show scandal.
John Turturro is appropriately annoying as Herb Stempel. |
|
|
| Raging Bull |
A superb performance by Robert DeNiro as Jake LaMotta, but
not the definitive boxing picture. |
|
|
| Rambling Rose |
Laura Dern's enchanting Rose makes this a winning
family story. |
|
|
| Red Rock West |
A classic film noir made better with Nicholas Cage and a
villainous Dennis Hooper, who seems to have improvised this role. |
|
|
| Remains Of The Day |
Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins are perfectly paired in
this account of love's opportunity lost. |
|
|
| Road Games |
An overlooked thriller in an Australian setting with
Stacy Keach as a trucker and Jamie Lee Curtis as a hitchiker. |
|
|
| Ruby In Paradise |
A small movie that hits the mark. Ashley Judd is perfect
as the small-town girl re-focusing her life in Florida. |
|
|
| Say Amen, Somebody |
A documentary on the life of legendary gospel performer
Thomas A. Dorsey. Great music. |
|
|
| Secret Of Roan Inish, The |
John Sayles' magical telling of an Irish folk tale. |
|
|
| Secrets And Lies |
A taut, engrossing look at an English family's troubles
brought about through lack of communication. |
|
|
| Shall We Dance |
A charming Japanese import about a shy businessman who
longs to learn ballroom dancing and learns a lot about life as well. |
|
|
| Sorcerer |
Often compared unfavorably with its inspiration Wages
of Fear, this works well as a thriller with great sets and a taut script. |
|
|
| Straight Time |
Dustin Hoffman gives a realistic portrayal of a petty
criminal who just can't go straight. |
|
|
| Tao of Steve, The |
A very well-played modern romantic comedy, mostly from
the male point of view. |
|
|
| Tender Mercies |
A small jewel based on a Horton Foote story about a has-been
country singer played by Robert Duvall. Betty Buckley is terrific as his ex-wife. |
|
|
| Thief |
James Caan does a good job as the high-tech safecracker in
this caper film. Check the music as they cut open the safe. |
|
|
| Train, The |
Burt Lancaster had one of his best roles in this John
Frankenheimer film about rescuing art work from the Nazis. |
|
|
| Truth About Cats And Dogs, The |
Janeine Garofolo carries this romantic comedy about a plain
animal trainer's search for true love. |
|
|
| Under Suspicion |
Liam Neeson and Laura San Giacomo in a taut cat-and-mouse
murder mystery. |
|
|
| Untamed Heart |
Marisa Tomei didn't capture the public's fancy with this
follow-up to My Cousin Vinny but this bittersweet love story is worth
seeing. |
|
|
| Usual Suspects, The |
Who knows what's real and what isn't in this complex
story of drug deals, murder, and the ephemeral Keyser Soze. |
|
|
| Visions Of Light |
A documentary tribute to the great cinematographers. |
|
|
| Wag The Dog |
This topical political satire is saved from being campy
by a fine performance by Dustin Hoffman as a film director who manufactures
a war. |
|
|
| Welcome To The Dollhouse |
A painfully accurate look at the horrors we went through
in junior high. And where did they find those outfits?. |
|
|
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit |
A technical tour-de-force and hilarious. Bob Hoskins is
a private eye straddling the real and cartoon worlds to investigate a murder. |
|
Didn't see it |
| Wicker Man, The |
Good horror film don't need graphic violence as evidenced
by this nail-biter from England. See if you can guess the ending. |
|
|
