Movie list and personal ratings

Ever have trouble remembering if you've seen a particular movie before and whether or not it was decent? A list with a few comments might be helpful.

12 Angry Men (1957) 7/20 - 6+1 for being a classic
It's about 12 jurors, 11 of which believe a boy is guilty for murdering his father. 1 juror feels they should talk about it more and digs deeper, and slowly more become convinced that the evidence isn't as convincing. This plot has been copied and redone in other movies, TV shows, and, I'd imagine, radio dramas. While you may not remember the acting, you may remember how the most vocal juror that believes he is guilty was baited into saying "I'll kill you!" like the victim allegedly said, and how superficial and racist some people are.

Ademus 8.7/10
The life, and death, of Mozart, yes, the composer, from the perspective of a jealous contemporary. It's almost on the list of movies you need to see. Knock a few of the top ones off, then come back to this, unless you do like movies set in the 1700s.

A Few Good Men (1992) 5/10 stars
Tom Cruise plays a cocky lawyer that goes up against a commander, Jack Nicholson and there's the quote that says, "I'm entitled to the Truth!" You can't handle the truth!" It was fine.

Apollo 13 9/10
Haven't watched it recently, but I remember it was a great movie with Tom Hanks. Things go wrong on this superstitiously numbered spacecraft. It's a great movie. While it isn't referenced as much as some other movies in terms of scenes or music, it's worth watching. Drama

American Hustle (6.5/10)
Other people really liked it. Whatever. It was fine, but didn't really move me. Some hustlers get caught by a detective, but are told they will be released if they can convince four other people to do illegal stuff. They end up finding a clean politician that is loved by his community that they can swindle and the detective forces them to get him involved, but the swindlers revolt. Meh. Good acting. Cute actress.

A-Team (2010)  5/10 stars
I actually watched all the TV episodes before watching this and had low expectations because the characters were played by different actors, but they did a decent job. It wasn't a bad movie and there were some big name actors like Jessica Biel, and Liam Neeson.

Braveheart (1995) 9.5/10
Although the movie is slightly ruined when you find out they didn't have tartans at this point in history, this is one of my favorite movies.

Captain Phillips (2013) 8.1/10
It's one of those movies that did a lot right and did a good job of showing the motivations between the Solami pirates who were fisherman until foreign nations came in and overfished their seas, so they became dicated by the rich, who became rich by raiding merchant ships which often did not have firearms to defend themselves. The script had a decent amount of quick thinking that I wouldn't have thought to do, but was super realistic. While it's probably no classic, a morality class could have fun with it. It also supposedly derived from actual events and the captain led the crew in an unsafe place that was close to known pirates in order to save time, but in themovie, the captain was portrayed in a positive way (It was Tom Hanks, and he was very good). Nothing to write home about, but not bad. If it's in the background, you may not into it.

Chariots of Fire (1981) 9/10
One of those movies you have to see and is referenced regularly with music and beach running. A well done inspirational Christian movie about 1920's Scottish Olympic athlete Eric Liddell, a devout Christian, who refused to run in the 100 yard dash because it took place on a Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. Instead he ran a longer race not on Sunday despite not having an optimized training plan for the extra endurance needed. I don't remember if he won, or just got a bronze, but was happy with it because his convictions were so strong, but this movie may have made me tear up when I watched it when I was 12.

Company of Heroes (2013) 5/10 stars
It's a WWII film based on a video game. A group of infantry delivering ham find themselves on a mission to rescue someone forced to build the Germans a nuclear bomb. It was fine, but didn't come close to Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gates. It wasn't hard to watch or slow though, which was good. It did show B17s flying 200 feet above the factory they were bombing... not accurate, but it's a movie. I'm exactly neutral to it. The best part was when guys are talking about their girlfriends and one is asked if he has a girl. He says he has two. At the end, he expands on it and makes everyone laugh.

Dark Blue World (2001) 9.5/10
It's a WWII foreign film with subtitles that follows a standard plot, but holy cow, this was an amazing story about a few of the pilots. It's not a background movie, it's a movie you have to pay attention to the whole time and probably will not regret it. One of my favorite movies. Drama Action

Das Boot (1981) 9.5/10
This is one of my favorite movies, even though the voice dubbing of one of the characters is just annoying. It follows the somber story of a German U-Boat from the perspective of a reporter and looks at the German captain who is forced to follow ridiculous orders and make tough decisions, the crew and the insane hardships and successes they endure. This is especially an amazing movie if you tour the German U-Boat in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. This needs to be film archived. The music is almost on par with Requiem for a Dream. You do need an attention span to watch it. Action Drama. 3:19

Dirty Harry (1971) 7/10
This is a classic movie with a famous quote, "I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" quote. The first, and probably most memorable of the Dirty Harry collection. It is a part of American culture with Clint Eastwood. Not particularly amazing by today's standards, but it's ok and there is almost an obligation to see it if you need to burn some time. Extra points because of the cultural significance.

Django Unchained (2012) 9/10 stars
What happens when a slave is rescued from some white people who have him walking in chains and is told he could be reunited with his wife if he hunts down and kills bad white people? This movie. At the end, Quentin Tarantino is a tad excessive in the blood and force people fly back when they get hit by bullets, but this was a very fun movie to watch.

Food Inc.
A movie that shows images of overstuffed chicken cages, cows, etc. Slow, but somewhat informative.

Forrest Gump (1994) 9/10
Yeah, though there were a handful of scenes that were a bit too much for me, like him dabbing his face on a t-shirt in the perfect form of a smiley face used at Wal-Mart, this movie is referenced regularly and worth a watch. "Run, Forrest. Run!" It's the story about a slow guy growing up in the 1960s and Vietnam. It's so random, but so good! You gotta watch this.

Good Will Hunting (8/10)
Robin Williams was borderline perfect in this movie. About a guy that grew up in the slums of Boston, hung out with loyal, but loser friends, and read a lot of books which made him smart, good at mathematical proofs, and an eloquent talker (if anyone with a Boston accent can be eloquent). He had

Gravity (2013) 6.5/10 stars
People raved about this movie. I thought it was good, but not as good as Apollo 13, just more modern. Good acting. Good special effects. Looked real, not obvious CGI. Nothing wrong with it. It just didn't leave me with immense emotion like Requiem for a Dream. Astronauts fight to survive debris that destroys opportunity after opportunity to get back to earth. Do they make it?

Now You See Me (2013) 7.5/10 stars
A decent movie about a bunch of magicians/con artists with personality. Short scenes, so OK for people with short attention spans who couldn't handle some of the classics. Some special effects were over the top for me. Not bad at all, though too far fetched for me to believe at times. It's fun, but not a movie that's to be remembered like Butterfly Effect or Requiem for a Dream.

Oblivion (2013) 6.5/10 stars
Tom Cruise services drones that protect machines that are supposed to take the natural resources away from earth and transport them to Titan, where the survivors of earth had to move to after a war. Things get weird when he finds a clone of himself....

The Dead Pool (1988) 6.1/10 stars
The final Dirty Harry film. It was OK. I did enjoy the small amount of Jim Carrey in this one. Liam Nielson is a horror film director and people start dying. Clint Eastwood figures it out.

The Enforcer (1976) 6/10 stars
The third Dirty Harry Clint Eastwood movie. Dirty Harry has to track down some American hippie terrorists.

The Good The Bad and the Ugly 8.5/10 stars
Even though it was old, slow, and three hours long, it didn't feel drawn out. The little Western whistling ditty in this movie is pretty famous. Clint Eastwood and two other guys all play dirty with each other in an attempt to recover some buried gold. It got a little extra rating than normal because it is part of American culture.

The Perks of being a Wallflower 8/10
I liked it. About a withdrawn guy who gets befriended by a group of people, including Emma Watson and makes a mistake I could almost see myself making.

The Prestige 5/10
Rival magicians go after each other. Good acting. I was neutral to it. Not a bad movie.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) 7/10
It's kind of like a modern day Scarface; it's the story of a regular guy that builds up a less-than-legal stock company and the ups and downs of his life. There is a lot of nudity, foul language, and drug use that my parents' generation may not be able to handle.

The World's End (2013) 6.5/10 stars
A silly English comedy about a guy that wants to relive a drinking route. Kinda reminds me of a Dr. Who episode. If you liked Hot Fuzz, you may enjoy this. Hot Fuzz was better in my opinion.

HappyThankYouMorePlease (2010) 8.5/10 stars
Full of surprising lighthearted bits and unexpected cute twists, this was a nice movie about unlikely dating. If you like Ted from 'How I Met Your Mother' and like the enchanting Kate Mara, you'll probably like this. Not a part of pop culture, but not bad.

Red (2010) 6.5/10
Retired Extremely Dangerous: A Bruce Willis action movie that is less serious than Die Hard. John Malkovich is the comic relief as a crazed guy who was given LSD growing up.

Red 2 (2013) 8.5/10 stars
Very fun, although a bit stupid silly, action movie with Bruce Willis and John Malkovich, who may dress up as the Chiquita banana lady. I laughed a lot. Watching RED first would be good, but not necessary. It may give a little more background, but it can be a standalone film. It's not referenced anywhere or anything, but a fun flick.

Requiem for a Dream (2000) 9/10 stars
If you can handle graphic drugs, sex, and INTENSE emotion, depression, loss, etc. This was an incredible movie that actually makes you feel. I won't say it makes you feel good. It won't. It made me incredibly anxious. But I have to give credit to a director that was able to make me feel that much emotion, regardless of what emotion it was.

I was told to watch this movie by a Hollywood video employee about why you shouldn't do heroin, and HOLY COW. People with low tolerances may not be able to handle it. But if you can, you will understand a lot of pop culture references made to the music and the video clips of inhaling heroin, such as referenced in this Dove commercial. I still feel anxious when I think about this movie and a lump forms in my throat. I showed this to a girl in college, and she turned it off because it was revolting. A few years later she watched it again, and said it was one of the best films she'd seen. It's one of those movies. It is also a part of American culture.

Silver Lining Playbook 5/10
A guy in a mental hospital, after catching his wife cheating on him and nearly killing the guy, gets out and tries to prove himself to his wife by helping another person do something she wants. That girl is played by Jennifer Lawrence.

Spartacus (1960) 8.5/10
I don't care that it's old. It gives insight into history and still holds its own. I found out about it because of a Seinfeld episode

Sudden Impact 6/10
Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood, tracks down a murderer that shoots a group of guys in the balls then their heads. The detective sleeps with the female killer when he's not 100% sure if she's a suspect. "Do you want to be alone tonight, Callahan? Neither do I." This is the fourth Dirty Harry movie.

Underground (Emir Kusturica) (1995) 4.5/10
A long foreign film about a resistance cell near Russia that builds a tank and hosts a marriage. Some scenes may stick with you for a long time if you can get into dramas, like accidentally ordering the deaths of people, and having his mother jump to save her husband, nd get killed and both of them set on fire in an electric wheelchair mistaken for the enemy and seeing their burning bodies rolling around on the chair in the middle of town when he got there. It was on some list of movies someone has to see before they die. If you have a long time and want a film to analyze and discuss, this may be an option.

Waking Life 2/10
It was a progressive cartoon talking about the theories, meaning of life, and stuff like that as if some of the characters were high. It couldn't hold my attention, but some people may like it.


To watch
Sea Wolves-U Boat documentary