Moe, Event Horizon is a good horror movie.

I caught a double feature. Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, the best thing about this movie is the Pale Lady. The movie to me acts as a jumping off point for people being introduced into the horror genre. So many stereotypes, with some of the actors pulling off their roles that it's kind of like swatting away a fly. I give it 5.
The next movie was A score to Settle. This one stars Nicholas Cage. I suggest you wait for it to come DVD BlueRey. A mob enforcer does 20 years then gets out due a health issue, goes after his former partners, while trying to get close to his kid to reconnect. 4/10

THE KITCHEN

I'm a big Melissa McCarthy fan so almost anything with her will get me into the theater, and this had a couple of other good additions as well in Elisabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish. Based on a comic book series, this story tells that of these 3 women who take over their husbands mob business while they serve a jail sentence. The story could have been better early on to flesh out the characters. Pretty early on in the film their husbands are sent away and they take over. However, my main issue with the film was believability. I wasn't buying that these women, in 1978 in Hell's Kitchen New York could muscle out the other men who were looking to take over for their husbands while they were gone. Short of walking tall with a confident look on their face, the story was clunky and Elisabeth Moss was really the only character to have an interesting character arc out of the 3. 5.5/10

Yeah, this could have worked as a comedy like Johnny Dangerously.

LoL

I was thinking more like GOTTI

BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997)

Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), short on brains but long on dong, is recruited to the adult film industry by big time director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds). Adams becomes Dirk Diggler, and rises to the top of the porno ranks, only to descend into drug addiction, crime and general misery before being taken back by Horner. This very long (155 minutes) film moves along briskly, and though porn is the milieu, it's more about the "family" Horner creates around his movies and his home, with many gentle and comic touches. Wahlberg and Reynolds are excellent, and are ably supported by Don Cheadle, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, John C. Reilly and Luis Guzman. Very enjoyable.

GOOD BOYS

A great raunchy comedy that didn't disappoint. The 3 boys (Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams and Brady Noon) worked well together and as an audience, you buy in that these 3 guys are friends. They come across as genuine towards each other and their different dynamics work well blended together during the show. For me, my favorite character was Lucas played by Keith L. Williams. This was my first time seeing his work but his character of Lucas is the straight and narrow, "I have to tell my parents everything" character that pairs beautifully against Tremblay's Max and Noon's Thor, who do everything in their power to hide their recent adventures from parental figures. 6/10

READY OR NOT

Going in to this I was a little apprehensive as I anticipated a let down. The story is simple enough from the previews where a newly wed bride (played by Samara Weaving) has to play a game with her new husband and his family on the night of their wedding. The game that's chosen is hide and seek and while at first she believes the game to be harmless, she quickly realizes his entire family is out to kill her to prevent a terrible curse if she survives until morning. An interesting story that keeps you engaged throughout, doesn't overstay it's welcome, doesn't have overly elaborate death scenes and also at times seems to beckon to a KILL BILL/I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE kinda vibe, which I dug. A great performance by start Samara Weaving. I liked her in Netflix's THE BABYSITTER but she took it up a notch with this and I look forward to seeing more from her. 6/10

Brightburn
As most people probably know this is a movie that imagines the origin story of an evil Superman whose alien powers, true purpose and malignant nature (this kid is the walking incarnation of the AD&D alignment of chaotic evil) don't become apparent until about twelve years after he's arrived on our planet and is seemingly undergoing puberty-or whatever the alien equivalent is. His adoptive mother (Elizabeth Banks) is the last to want to believe the worst of her son Brandon, but as the film makes clear with an extended classroom discussion of parasitic wasps and their various victims, Brandon is responding to his instincts and programming. There was likely not anything his adoptive parents could have done to not set him off eventually. This might have been more enjoyable if there had been some internal conflict on Brandon's part.

Richard Donner directed Superman and The Omen. Brightburn is a mashup of both of those films. This is low budget with a fair number of plot holes but it's not meant to be analyzed that deeply. It is very gory, or at least has some quite violent scenes. Those who can't tolerate extreme violence are cautioned.

Rated this flick high, very good

BODY HEAT (1981)

In this would-be modern film noir, mediocre but girl-chasing lawyer Ned Racine (Mumblemouth William Hurt) picks up rich, bored housewife Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner) and agrees to murder her rich, ruthless husband (Richard Crenna) to cash in on her inheritance. Of course , she's secretly playing him, but any resemblance with "Double Indemnity" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice" ends there because the movie is too slow-moving, and the ironies and traps are too contrived. Still, it's atmospheric, and it held our interest to the end. Not bad.

I remember this Movie..... I gotta turn my wife on to this.
Will do and see what she thinks , I think this is something she may enjoy.

Good pick up T
Thanks

SECONDS (1966)

Arthur Hamilton, (John Randolph), a frustrated, 50-ish NYC banker contacts a mysterious company that arranges a stand-in death for him. After extensive plastic surgery and physical conditioning, he is "reborn" as Antiochus Wilson (Rock Hudson), a successful painter with a plush studio in Malibu. But, he's still unhappy until he falls for an attractive divorcee (Salome Jens), who turns out to be a company employee paid to make him happy. Crushed, he returns to NY, visits with his widow (as Wilson), gets an earful about Hamilton, and demands that the company give him another remake, which results in a nasty surprise. "Seconds" is John Frankenheimer's masterpiece--every middle aged man's fantasy/nightmare. All the performances are excellent, the supporting cast includes Wesley Addy, Jeff Corey, Will Geer, Frances Reid and Khigh (Wo Fat) Deigh, and the photography by James Wong Howe is brilliant. A masterpiece of suspense and tragedy.

I liked Ted Danson's performance. Quirky.

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE (2018)

It's 1969, and several guests, each with his/her secrets, arrive at the empty El Royale Hotel, on the border of California and Nevada. The two most straightforward stories belong to Doc O'Kelly (Jeff Bridges), posing as a priest, who wants to recover a stash of money he hid under the floorboards after an armored car robbery 10 years earlier; and Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), a lounge singer on her way to a gig in Reno. The rest are too convoluted to go into here. Director Drew Goddard makes like Tarantino (or perhaps Lynch) in providing a stylish, somewhat menacing setting situation, with sudden (but not excessive) violence and some partly illuminating flashbacks. The movie is pretty gripping for the first 90 minutes or so. Then it just falls apart for the remaining hour, dominated by the sudden appearance of a sadistic, exceedingly irritating, guru. Bridges, always good, is excellent here, and Erivo is even better--and a first-class singer as well. The rest is forgettable.

I haven't seen it since the theater but I remember enjoying it. I need to give it another shot. It's actually recorded on my DVR. Just haven't found the time to clean it up yet.

I watched The Mule last night. I don't know why Eastwood chose his character's involvement in a drug operation to convey the moral of a negligent husband and father. Certainly, there are any number of storylines that a talent like Eastwood could have pursued to get the film's message across.

IT CHAPTER TWO

My most anticipated movie of the year after Quentin Tarantino's ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD didn't disappoint! Picking up 27 years later from the events of the first film, Part 2 brings our favorite losers together for round 2 with Pennywise the Clown. Bill Hader as the adult version of Richie Tozier steals the show (much like Finn Wolfhard did in part 1). Bill Skarsgård gives another remarkable performance as Pennywise and with a runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes, it didn't feel that long and had good pacing throughout. Rumor is there may be a director's cut which will splice the two films together and have a runtime of 5 hours or more (they may add additional scenes as well). My only grip with the film was the use of the de-aging technology. While I appreciate the efforts for continuity and to have the kids look the same way they did in the first film, for me, the technology's not perfect yet and took away from their performance during those scenes. I truly applaud the cast and crew for bringing one of Stephen King's best novels to such an incredible film experience. 8/10

EDGE OF THE CITY (1957)

In this tense, existentialist-type drama (Martin Ritt's directoral debut), Axel North (John Cassavetes), on the lam as an Army deserter, lands a job on the NYC waterfront, working for thuggish, racist, corrupt crew boss Charlie Malick (Jack Warden, perfect for this role). He's immediately befriended by Tommy Tyler (Sidney Poitier), another crew boss who's not afraid of Malik. Axel only gradually warms to Tommy and his wife (Ruby Dee, always good). The film strongly evokes "On the Waterfront" but more than stands on its own. Cassavetes and Poitier are outstanding, and the filming, on NYC streets, adds grit and realism. Very good.

Just watched Stand Up Guys with Pacino, Arkin, and Walken. You know, some movies are meant to be simply enjoyed because of their actors. It's hard to beat that trio. The plot, script, etc. was not the best, but I enjoyed what the actors did with what they had. Walken has an inimitable style and cadence that noone can match.

THE VIKINGS (1958)

In this sword-and-fjord spectacle, Viking king Ragnar (Ernest Borgnine) and his son Einar (Kirk Douglas) merrily lead their band in plunder-and-rape raids on the British coast. Aided by an English turncoat, they kidnap Morgana (Janet Leigh), who's betrothed to nasty English noble Aiella (Frank Thring, the Sultan of Sneer). But a surly slave, Eric (Tony Curtis), plots to save Morgana by killing Einar, who turns out to be his half-brother as a result of one of Ragnar's royal rapes. The dialog is too incredibly campy to inspire any real attempts at acting. But, the filming is colorful, and the Viking rave-ups, awash in beer drunk out of stagl horns, turkey cuts flung all around, and general barbarian debauchery, are riotous. The juice is supplied by Borgnine, who laughs roaringly throughout the film. You should, too. Enjoy.

HUSTLERS

I'll start out by saying I'm not much of a JLo fan. She hasn't done anything for me, in any form of media. But I'll give her this: she pulled this part off. The rest of the cast (Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, and Lili Reinhart) as well as the film are enjoyable. For most, this is probably a non-theater movie, but it still surpassed my expectations. 6/10

Just read your review to Wife, very interesting.

She has a question for you.
She enjoyed your reviews and likes your scoring method of 1 - 10.

Her question is if you were scoring on a scale of 100 of course it could be translated as a 60 but if you were scoring on scale of 100 , would your score be higher?
Maybe a 70 - 75% ?

Just asking since I said your 6 is 60% but she insisted I get your opinion since scores and percentages can differ.

It'd probably be the same. So in your example, I'd say HUSTLERS is 60% in my opinion.

THE MULE (2018)

This is your basic Clint Eastwood vehicle, and it works pretty well. He plays Earl Stone, a 90-year-old (not hard for Clint, who's 89), estranged from his family and facing foreclosure of his flower business. Then he's offered a job driving drugs for a Mexican cartel--they see him as ideal because he's very old, harmless-looking and is a careful driver. He makes plenty of money, but, inevitably, Crime Doesn't Pay. Eastwood's Stone is independent without being flinty, often humorous, and gets out of a couple of tricky situations. The Mexicans are amiable at first, then thuggish. The ending is weak, but, overall, it was enjoyable.

I don't know why Eastwood chose his character's involvement in a drug operation to convey the moral of a negligent but remorseful husband and father. Certainly, there are any number of storylines that a talent like Eastwood could have pursued to get the film's message across.

Ode to Joy
This is an intermittently humorous though predictable romantic comedy that deftly weaves through some dark passageways before returning to the crowd pleasing formula that typifies the genre. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy must reexamine his life choices and triumph over internal challenges and fears. Hopefully transformed, newly confident boy goes after girl again hoping for second chance. The hook is that the boy is this case Charlie (Martin Freeman) has a form of narcolepsy that causes him to pass out when he experiences strong emotions, primarily joy. So he walks around with tacks in his shoes, listens to a lot of Wagner, and avoids pretty women. His life gets complicated when he meets a pretty woman Francesca (Morena Baccarin) who for some reason finds him attractive and wants to get to know him. However, as expected Charlie faints when Francesca invites him up for coffee.

In the hospital, visited by his protective younger brother Cooper (Jake Lacy), Charlie suggests that Cooper, a friendly kindergarten teacher, go out with Francesca. Charlie pretends that this is pure altruism on his part, but he has some hidden purposes. Charlie takes up with the quirky and kooky Bethany (Melissa Rauch in a funny and deliberately deglamorized role) a woman who whatever else she is will not trip Charlie's wires as far as platonic or erotic joy is concerned. Freeman nails his role as a stodgy man who claims to be content that life is passing by him ever more quickly. This movie was not as funny or as interesting as it thought it was but it did make me smile a few times.

CRIME WAVE (1953)

In this is a very good, little (73 minutes) film noir, Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson), ex-con trying to go straight, is a target for a trio of San Quentin escapees headed by Doc Penney (Ted deCorsia, Eternal Thug with Brains), who want him to steal a plane and fly them to Mexico after a bank robbery. They hold his wife (Phyllis Kirk, very pretty) hostage. Steve's in a tight spot because thuggish, unforgiving LAPD Det. Lt. Sims (Sterling Hayden) has him in his sights. You can sign me up for anything with Hayden in it, and he doesn't disappoint. The ensemble cast, including Charles Buchinsky (later Bronson, who has a significant role), Jay Novello and crazy Timothy Carey, can't be beat. Director Andre De Toth, another of Hitler's gifts to America, keeps the action taut in the film noir tradition, and it gets lots of authenticity from its filming on the streets of LA. A winner.

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE (1990)

Aristocratic Claus von Bulow (Jeremy Irons), convicted of trying to kill his alcohol and pills-abusing, wealthy socialite wife Sunny (Glenn Close), hires ace Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) to work his appeal. The contrast couldn't be more perfect: von Bulow, elegant, restrained, unflappable; and Dersh, Brooklyn street kid, hyper, intense, with a regular hippie commune of law students helping with the case. The two are absolutely brilliant. Irons won an Oscar, but the movie belongs to Silver, a versatile and vastly underrated actor. Really enjoyable.

JOKER

After watching this last night all I can say is, wow and that I can't wait to see it again. Incredible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. The hype on this is real. Very Taxi Driver-esque and De Niro slides comfortably into his Rupert Pupkin character from THE KING OF COMEDY. I'm glad this film really shined a light on mental health and hopefully this can bring further discussion to the conversation. I'll admit I was apprehensive when the film was first announced but the cast and crew knocked it out of the park. I'm hoping some Oscars are in their future, especially for Phoenix! 8/10

I thought it was Joaquin Phoenix doing the Rupert Pupkin tribute while De Niro was portraying a Jerry Lewis like character?