Song of the South (1945)

IMDb plot summary: The kindly story-teller Uncle Remus tells a young boy stories about trickster Br'er Rabbit, who outwits Br'er Fox and slow-witted Br'er Bear.
Directed by Wilfred Jackson and Harve Foster. Starring James Baskett, Bobby Driscoll, Ruth Warrick, and Luana Patten.

I didn't know very much about this film aside from the controversy over its racist portrayal of African-Americans in the south. I definitely see those elements in here. While the film purportedly takes place after the Civil War and the characters here are not plantation slaves, there is a definite air of subservience and passivity to the African-American characters -- Uncle Remus's entire purpose is to tell encouraging stories to the young white boy -- and it is uncomfortable to watch.

Fortunately, there's not much of a conflict here between my discomfort with the negative stereotypes and my enjoyment of the film, because I didn't think it was terribly good to begin with. The animated sequences are well done and many of the songs are enjoyable (incidentally, I suppose I'm glad that the animated characters were played by actual African-American actors, not white actors adopting a dialect? I think?) but the story framing them is thin, awkward, and doesn't allow time for the miraculous changes supposedy wrought by Uncle Remus' stories. The final scene is particularly silly, when the father abruptly reappears, no explanations, no indications of whether what took him away in the first place was resolved, apparently hinting that they're going to live with Grandmother forever now and not return to Atlanta.

I'm glad I've seen it to help cross off my Disney list but I certainly don't have any reason to watch it again.

1 star.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Song of the South < George of the Jungle
Song of the South < Rio Bravo
Song of the South > The Great Train Robbery
Song of the South < Doctor Zhivago
Song of the South < Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Song of the South > Stalker
Song of the South < Frankenstein
Song of the South > Mamma Mia!
Song of the South < Fame (2009)
Song of the South > David Copperfield (1935)
Song of the South > Me Before You

Final spot: #2280 out of 2670.

Fright Night (1985)

IMDb plot summary: When a teenager learns that his next door neighbour is a vampire, no one will believe him.
Directed by Tom Holland. Starring Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, and Roddy McDowall.

Lately I've been finding myself giving just about every movie I see a mid-to-low ranking and I've been wondering if I wasn't in a positive movie-watching mood or if I had been seeing just that many mediocre movies. Well, whichever one it is, the streak has been broken, because I LOVED this. I've seen the 2011 remake with Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, and David Tennant, and I had a great time with it, but I recall it basically wearing its camp on its sleeve, ramping everything up into a fast-paced meta melodrama horror. This one is surprisingly a little quieter, with the first chunk of the movie leaning heavily on slow creepy scenes before it jumps into wild gross effects in the latter half. Both halves of the movie are equally interesting, though, and I didn't at all feel disappointed when faces started melting and goo started dripping because after all that build, I wanted to see some stuff go crazy, and it really, really did. SO much fun.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Fright Night > Ghostbusters (1984)
Fright Night > Catfish
Fright Night > The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Fright Night < A Charlie Brown Christmas
Fright Night > Horrible Bosses
Fright Night < District 9
Fright Night < Love and Death
Fright Night > High School Musical 2
Fright Night < Life of Brian
Fright Night < Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Fright Night > Kick-Ass (...Why is this so high on my chart?)
Final spot: #236 out of 2670.

UHF (1989)

IMDb plot summary: An unemployed visionary becomes the manager of a local public station. The station becomes a success, with all sorts of hilarious sight gags and wacky humor.
Directed by Jay Levey. Starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, and Michael Richards.

Earlier in my current movie challenge I watched Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and it did *not* go over well. This one reminded me of it on more than one occasion. They both have a sense of playful goofiness, but this one is (somehow) slightly more grounded. There are actual stakes involved, the characters are quirky but they're mostly acknowledged as quirky within the world so I don't feel like I'm watching a group of aliens trying to be human. A lot of the humor does *not* work for me here and just goes for the most childish option, but there's a goofy sincerity here I kind of admire, and I can absolutely see this being something I'd love as a child. As an adult it doesn't sit quite as well, but it's all right.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
UHF > Trainwreck
UHF < Catfish
UHF < The Player
UHF > Marathon
UHF > Laura
UHF > Pi
UHF < The Red Shoes
UHF < Star Trek: First Contact
UHF < Finding Dory
UHF > Wide Awake
UHF < Stalag 17

Final spot: #1039 out of 2669.

Wild Zero (1999)

IMDb plot summary: Only legendary Japanese garage rock band Guitar Wolf can stand between a race of aliens from destroying earth with an army of zombies.
Directed by Tetsuro Takeuchi. Starring Guitar Wolf, Drum Wolf, Bass Wolf, and Masashi Endô.

The concept of this movie is more fun than the actual execution, for me. In theory, a punk rock biker zombie flick sounds *amazing*, but it can't quite maintain that energy and I ended up spending a lot of time watching people I didn't care about do things that didn't matter to me. There are some terrifically fun elements, so it does land in the upper half of my chart, but I didn't like it as much as I wanted to once I realized what it was. I'm glad I got to watch it though!

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Wild Zero > Trainwreck
Wild Zero < High Strung
Wild Zero < Manhattan Murder Mystery
Wild Zero > Marathon
Wild Zero < A Separation
Wild Zero < Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
Wild Zero > Adam
Wild Zero > A Tale of Two Sisters
Wild Zero < The Ring
Wild Zero < Descendants
Wild Zero < The Gift
Wild Zero < Cat's Eye

Final spot: #1136 out of 2668.

The Florida Project (2017)

IMDb plot summary: Set over one summer, the film follows precocious 6-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World.
Directed by Sean Baker. Starring Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valerie Cotto, and Bria Vinaite.

Mild spoilers ahead.

This is kind of an amazing movie. So much of that has to go to the character of the young child Moonee and the *amazing* actress that plays her. This is some of the best child acting I've ever seen. (That final scene with her and Jancey... Wow.) She's surrounded by equally great adult actors, but since most of the story centers around her viewpoint, she could have easily tanked the whole thing if she hadn't been perfect. Fortunately, that's not the case.

At first I wasn't sold on the ending. It reminded me of what I dislike most about the Coens -- their tendency to end their movies in the middle of a scene, and not even a scene that feels climactic. I had to do a little digging and read other reviewers' takes on the film's final few shots before I could get on board. Now, though, I think it works, and it left me feeling simultaneously hopeful and sad for the characters I'd grown to empathize with, though I couldn't say I'd grown to love them (they are so aggressive and combative I always felt myself bristling a bit as they interacted with others). I have a feeling this one will climb higher the longer I sit with it.

4 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Florida Project > Trainwreck

The Florida Project > Cloud Atlas

The Florida Project < Benny & Joon

The Florida Project < The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

The Florida Project > The Producers (2005)

The Florida Project > We're Not Married!

The Florida Project > Jack Goes Boating

The Florida Project < The Goodbye Girl (2004)

The Florida Project > The Great Race

The Florida Project < Get Out

Final spot: #514 out of 2666.

The Monkey King (2014)

IMDb plot summary: A monkey born from heavenly stone acquires supernatural powers and must battle the armies of both gods and demons to find his place in the heavens.
Directed by Pou-Soi Cheang. Starring Donnie Yen, Yun-Fat Chow, Aaron Kwok, and Yitian Hai.

Like so many Chinese fantasy films I've seen, this looks stunning. Lots of fairy tale elements to the images that really bring it home, and the scene where the titular character laments his murdered tribe is beautifully done. That being said, the movie as a whole doesn't really work for me despite liking so many individual elements and it's hard to say why.

2.5 stars.

The Monkey King < Trainwreck
The Monkey King > Seasons of the Heart
The Monkey King < A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Monkey King > The Secret of My Success
The Monkey King < Cellular
The Monkey King > Running With Scissors
The Monkey King > Dr. No
The Monkey King < I Remember Mama
The Monkey King > MASH
The Monkey King < Dr. Strangelove

Final spot: #1764 out of 2665.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

IMDb plot summary: The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.
Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, and Johnny Galecki.

I can see why people love this. Even when the jokes didn't land for me (frequently), I think it's an extraordinarily well-crafted comedy, building the chaos really well so that it never felt too zany too quickly. It's not at all my comedy style, but I can appreciate it for what it is. (As a side note, Clark would have been a much more likable character if we had not had that extended scene toward the beginning where he lied about being married so he could flirt with the checkout girl. Every interaction he had with his wife after that just made me feel sad for her.)

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation < To Be or Not to Be (1942)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation > Seasons of the Heart
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation > The Day of the Triffids
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation > Everyone Says I Love You
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation < Dear Frankie
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation > Oblivion
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation < Battle of the Sexes
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation > Wedding Crashers
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation < Martian Child

Final spot: #1388 out of 2664.

Enemy of the State (1998)

IMDb plot summary: A lawyer becomes a target by a corrupt politician and his NSA goons when he accidentally receives key evidence to a serious politically motivated crime.
Directed by Tony Scott. Starring Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, and Lisa Bonet.

A fluffy, forgettable paranoid thriller. Will Smith, as always, is an effortlessly charming action star.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Enemy of the State < To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Enemy of the State > Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
Enemy of the State < The Day of the Triffids
Enemy of the State > Cinderella (1950)
Enemy of the State > Saturday Night Fever
Enemy of the State > Blackadder Back & Forth
Enemy of the State < Bowling for Columbine
Enemy of the State > Kiss Me Kate
Enemy of the State < My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
Enemy of the State < Mulholland Dr.
Enemy of the State > Over the Hedge

Final spot: #1693 out of 2663.

mother! (2017)

IMDb plot summary: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

It's hard to put into words how I feel about this one, but it's not like I could leave it NOT reviewed. The film feels like an emotional punch in the gut and is at times very difficult to watch, largely thanks to a heartwrenching performance from Jennifer Lawrence and a near-constant sense of stomach-churning nightmare surrealism. The images are so striking that it's almost disappointing to then resign yourself to the fact that this film has a definite *meaning*, particularly if, like me, you find Darren Aronofsky's official answer deeply unsatisfying. It's certainly a film that will sit with me but I don't connect with it the way I have many of Aronosky's previous work, since as a surrealist allegory it's limited on things like characterization.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
mother! > To Be or Not to Be (1942)
mother! < Zootopia
mother! < A Matter of Life and Death
mother! > Marathon
mother! < Laura
mother! < Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
mother! > Adam
mother! < Who Framed Roger Rabbit
mother! < Seven Chances
mother! > Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
mother! > Ghost World
mother! < Modern Times

Final spot: #1139 out of 2662.

Battle of the Sexes (2017)

IMDb plot summary: The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.
Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Starring Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, and Natalie Morales.

Fun, but the pacing is weird and ultimately it's going to be forgettable. I also somehow can't tell if Stone and Carell are really good in this or really not good.

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Battle of the Sexes < To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Battle of the Sexes > Passion
Battle of the Sexes > Mr. Pip
Battle of the Sexes > Rack, Shack & Benny
Battle of the Sexes > Music Within
Battle of the Sexes < Dear Frankie
Battle of the Sexes > The Whistleblower
Battle of the Sexes > Office Space
Battle of the Sexes < Cafe Society
Final spot: #1383 out of 2661.

What Lies Beneath (2000)

IMDb plot summary: The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Harrison Ford, Diana Scarwid, and Miranda Otto.

I was hopeful for this one. I like Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford, I like Robert Zemeckis, I like psychological thriller/horrors. This, however, was better in theory than in execution. The dialogue is pretty clunky, the acting is very over-the-top, and the final chase scene was pretty clearly supposed to carry the rest of the movie but went on for far, far too long and required way too much suspension of disbelief. The movie would have been significantly stronger if it had ended about 15 minutes earlier. Still not a strong movie, but stronger. It's a bummer it didn't work for me, because I do like the premise, and the mystery unfolds in an interesting way, but it is regrettably sloppy.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
What Lies Beneath < Trainwreck
What Lies Beneath > Passion
What Lies Beneath < The Day of the Triffids
What Lies Beneath > Cinderella (1950)
What Lies Beneath > Saturday Night Fever
What Lies Beneath < Alice in Wonderland (1999)
What Lies Beneath > Marathon Man
What Lies Beneath < Legend
What Lies Beneath < Defending Your Life
What Lies Beneath < Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
What Lies Beneath > The Toy That Saved Christmas

Final spot: #1722 out of 2660.

Batman Returns (1992)

IMDb plot summary: When a corrupt businessman and the grotesque Penguin plot to take control of Gotham City, only Batman can stop them, while the Catwoman has her own agenda.
Directed by Tim Burton. Starring Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Christopher Walken.

Like most franchise movies, it's fairly difficult for me to evaluate this on its own as a partial story, much less to distinguish it from other movies in the series, but I think this is a pretty good one. It's definitely got a fun and distinct Tim Burton vibe to it, and the Danny Elfman score is great. Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman is my favorite part of the movie, though. She's got this amazing tragic arc that made me care about her in a way I didn't care about anyone else, and it made me far, far more interested in Catwoman as a character than I'd ever been before. Good flick, still going to confuse it with other Batman movies.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Batman Returns > Snakes on a Plane
Batman Returns < Zootopia
Batman Returns < A Matter of Life and Death
Batman Returns > Marathon
Batman Returns > Laura
Batman Returns > Inside Llewyn Davis
Batman Returns > Journey to the Center of the Earth
Batman Returns < Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Batman Returns > Stage Fright (2014)
Batman Returns < Star Trek: Generations
Final spot: #1012 out of 2659.