Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Train Man (2005)


IMDb plot summary: The supposedly true story of a 23-year-old otaku (Japanese geek) who intervenes when a drunk man is harassing several women on a train. The otaku ultimately begins dating one of the women, and posts on a website asking for advice every step of the way.
Directed by Shôsuke Murakami. Starring Takayuki Yamada, Mika Nakatan, Ryôko Kuninaka, and Eita. 

It has been so long since I've seen a really great romantic film. This was a really great one. It did everything a romance should -- it was heartwarming and gooey and delightful and I got so attached to the characters. I also loved how it set up online friendships as being super valid and helpful but not a substitute for real world interactions. This is a really wonderful movie and I'm so sad that it's so difficult to find. It took me forever to locate it, but I'm so glad I did.

5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Train Man > Pulp Fiction
Train Man > Sweet Smell of Success
Train Man > Melancholia
Train Man > Roman Holiday
Train Man < Desk Set
Train Man > The King's Speech
Train Man < Inception
Train Man > Forrest Gump
Train Man > Holes
Train Man > Spider-Man

Final spot: #111 out of 2795. Whoa.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Friday the 13th (1980)


IMDb plot summary: A group of camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp which, years before, was the site of a child's drowning.
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham. Starring Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, and Betsy Palmer.

Not much to say about this one. It was more fun than I thought it would be. As I only know Jason's story through various pop culture references, it took some unexpected turns for me at the end, which was fun.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Friday the 13th > Pulp Fiction
Friday the 13th < Sweet Smell of Success
Friday the 13th < Silent Movie
Friday the 13th > Mother!
Friday the 13th < Splice
Friday the 13th > Ender's Game
Friday the 13th < The Pianist
Friday the 13th < Extraordinary Measures
Friday the 13th > Koyaanisqatsi
Friday the 13th > Hugo
Friday the 13th < The Absent-Minded Professor

Final spot: #1170 out of 2794.

The Trojan Women (1971)


IMDb plot summary: The women of Troy face enslavement after the fall of their city.
Directed by Mihalis Kakogiannis. Starring Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Geneviève Bujold, and Irene Papas.

This is, as far as I can tell, a pretty straightforward presentation of Euripedes' play. I was going to say "film adaptation" but it doesn't really feel like a film adaptation so much as just a filmed version of the play. Which, of course, isn't necessarily going to be a problem with me. There are some really lovely moments here -- Katharine Hepburn exudes sorrow just by looking at people -- and a few intense and powerful monologues, but the melodramatic style of acting too often leads to shrieking important lines. Euripedes was a tough read when I went through a bunch of his plays last year. It's easier to watch, but it's still slow to get through. I appreciate what this movie does more than I enjoy it.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Trojan Women > In Time
The Trojan Women < Sweet Smell of Success
The Trojan Women > Blade
The Trojan Women < His Girl Friday
The Trojan Women < Signs
The Trojan Women < The Fly (1986)
The Trojan Women > Nine to Five
The Trojan Women > Something to Sing About
The Trojan Women > Brave
The Trojan Women < Monsters

Final spot: #1009 out of 2793.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Old School (2003)


IMDb plot summary: Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity near their alma mater.
Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, and Jeremy Piven.

Well, this is supremely lazy. There have been plenty of movies like this, but they at least fake character development and give them a passing reason for why they're doing what they're doing. No such luck for these guys here. Nor is it even funny, it's like 90% Will Ferrell freaking out with no provocation. Not a lot to come away with here.

0.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Old School < Pulp Fiction
Old School < The Children's Hour
Old School < Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Old School > ...And Your Name Is Jonah
Old School < Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Old School > Joseph: King of Dreams
Old School < The Passion of Joan of Arc
Old School > Stepsister from Planet Weird
Old School > Thr3e
Old School > Holy Motors
Old School < Capote

Final spot: #2555 out of 2792.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Iron Man 2 (2010)


IMDb plot summary: With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.
Directed by Jon Favreau. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, and Scarlett Johansson.

*shrug* I don't know. I don't care. I thought maybe I'd care more about an old Marvel from before it got all bloated, but nope.

1 star.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Iron Man 2 < Pulp Fiction
Iron Man 2 < The Children's Hour
Iron Man 2 > Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Iron Man 2 < The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Iron Man 2 > Seven Pounds
Iron Man 2 < Stuart Little
Iron Man 2 < The Night of the Hunter
Iron Man 2 > The Collective
Iron Man 2 > The Devil is a Woman
Iron Man 2 > Bulworth
Iron Man 2 < Freaky Friday (1976)
Final spot: #2236 out of 2791.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)


IMDb plot summary: During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future copilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.
Directed by Ron Howard. Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Joonas Suotamo, Woody Harrelson, and Emilia Clarke.

This is a fine movie, but it adds absolutely nothing to the story or character of Han Solo. Like all prequels, it's utterly meaningless. On top of that, it's got pretty cheesy dialogue even for a Star Wars movie. It's not a bad movie, just a pointless one.

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Solo: A Star Wars Story < Lord of War
Solo: A Star Wars Story > The Children's Hour
Solo: A Star Wars Story > Double Jeopardy
Solo: A Star Wars Story > Our Idiot Brother
Solo: A Star Wars Story > Marvin's Room
Solo: A Star Wars Story < Walk the Line
Solo: A Star Wars Story > Paper Moon
Solo: A Star Wars Story < Dark City
Solo: A Star Wars Story < Death at a Funeral (2007)
Solo: A Star Wars Story > About Last Night...
Solo: A Star Wars Story > A Knight's Tale
Solo: A Star Wars Story > The Man in the Iron Mask

Final spot: #1455 out of 2790.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

It Comes At Night (2017)


IMDb plot summary: Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son. Then a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge.
Directed by Trey Edward Shults. Starring Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Carmen Ejogo.

I had high hopes for this one, but I must admit I was ultimately disappointed. The film's wavering between reality and nonreality (which may include large pieces of the ending, according to the director, who cleared nothing up for me) is less intriguing for me and more frustrating, like I felt like this film was stubbornly refusing all my attempts to understand it. I think there are certainly some things of substance here, but you have to dig for them, and the taste I got upfront was not enough to pique my interest.

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
It Comes At Night < Lord of War
It Comes At Night > The Children's Hour
It Comes At Night > Shadows and Fog
It Comes At Night > Our Idiot Brother
It Comes At Night < Marvin's Room
It Comes At Night > 13 Going on 30
It Comes At Night < Interestate 60
It Comes At Night < The Crazies (2010)
It Comes At Night > My Sassy Girl
It Comes At Night < Good Morning, Vietnam
Final spot: #1519 out of 2789.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Dogma (1999)


IMDb plot summary: An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loop-hole and reenter Heaven.
Directed by Kevin Smith. Starring Linda Fiorentino, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Chris Rock.

So I didn't expect to like this at all, but... it's kind of a fascinating film. There's a lot of comedy in there and a lot of silly moments and as a Christian I think most of this theology isn't at all correct, but I found it very moving in an odd sort of way. It was a very pleasant surprise.

3.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Dogma > Lord of War
Dogma < Baby Driver
Dogma > Silent Movie
Dogma > Demetri Martin. Person.
Dogma > High and Low
Dogma > A Christmas Carol (1951)
Dogma > Kolya
Dogma > Split
Dogma > My Life as a Dog
Dogma > Reservoir Dogs
Dogma > Sweet Smell of Success

Final spot: #698 out of 2788.

Poltergeist (1982)


IMDb plot summary: A family's home is haunted by a host of ghosts.
Directed by Tobe Hooper. Starring Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, and Dominique Dunne.

(Spoilers ahead.)

Well, this works pretty well for the most part. It's a good build, especially that moment near the end when you think it's mostly over and then it comes back WAY wilder than before. And that final scene of the house just collapsing into itself is intense. There's definitely some cheesy acting and dialogue but overall it manages to hold its own.

3.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Poltergeist > Pulp Fiction
Poltergeist < Baby Driver
Poltergeist > Blade
Poltergeist > His Girl Friday
Poltergeist < High and Low
Poltergeist > The Hateful Eight
Poltergeist > Captains Courageous
Poltergeist < Six Degrees of Separation
Poltergeist > Isle of Dogs
Poltergeist > Monsoon Wedding

Final spot: #797 out of 2787.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Detroit (2017)


IMDb plot summary: Fact-based drama set during the 1967 Detroit riots in which a group of rogue police officers respond to a complaint with retribution rather than justice on their minds.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Starring Ben O'Toole, Jacob Latimore, John Boyega, and Algee Smith.

This movie is suffocating and infuriating in the best possible way. I'd forgotten Kathryn Bigelow directed this, but I much prefer it to The Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty, as the characters here really rise to the front in a way I didn't see happen in the other two.

4 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Detroit > Pulp Fiction
Detroit > Sweet Smell of Success
Detroit < Garden State
Detroit < Tropic Thunder
Detroit > We're No Angels (1955)
Detroit < The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Detroit > Sneakers
Detroit < The Pirates of Penzance (1983)
Detroit < The Basketball Diaries
Detroit < Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Detroit < Walking and Talking
Detroit < Manhattan Murder Mystery
Final spot: #587 out of 2786.

Blade (1998)


IMDb plot summary: A half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.
Directed by Stephen Norrington. Starring Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, and N'Bushe Wright.

This is a cool concept and has some good visual character design and fight scenes, but the script's pretty messy. Enjoyable enough overall, though.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Blade > In Time
Blade < Baby Driver
Blade > Finding Forrester
Blade < His Girl Friday
Blade < V for Vendetta
Blade < The Fly (1986)
Blade < Nine to Five

Flickchart keeps crapping out on me at this point, so we'll just leave it here for the moment. I don't see it climbing much higher. This puts it at #1044 out of 2785.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The Dark Side of the Moon (1990)


IMDb plot summary: In 2022, a repair crew is sent to fix an orbital weapon but their spaceship malfunctions and ends up heading towards the dark side of the moon. There, in a mysterious, seemingly abandoned space shuttle, a sinister force lies in wait.
Directed by D.J. Webster. Starring Robert Sampson, Will Bledsoe, Joe Turkel, and Camilla More.

As much as I have a fondness for cheesy sci-fi, this is a pretty uninspiring one, though I did laugh out loud when the big mystery turned out to be not only connected to the Bermuda Triangle, but to the actual devil and the number of the Beast. It's a very dated film, both in terms of aesthetics (though being so low-budget didn't help) and in terms of, well, things like its treatment of women, and it's not clever enough or well-scripted enough to overcome it. On top of that, it's just *dark*. Not sad dark, I mean about a third of the time I literally wasn't sure what was happening on the screen. There kept being these big reveals about who the new villain was and I couldn't follow them because I couldn't see them. I like dumb low-budget science fiction a lot of the time, but this one doesn't quite hit the mark for me.

1 star.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Dark Side of the Moon < Pulp Fiction
The Dark Side of the Moon < The Children's Hour
The Dark Side of the Moon > Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
The Dark Side of the Moon > The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Dark Side of the Moon < Bad Moms
The Dark Side of the Moon > 30 Minutes or Less
The Dark Side of the Moon > Redline
The Dark Side of the Moon > Taxi
The Dark Side of the Moon > Eagle Eye
The Dark Side of the Moon < The Boss
Final spot: #2180 out of 2784.

Monday, May 14, 2018

Hannibal (2001)


IMDb plot summary: Living in exile, Hannibal Lecter tries to reconnect with now disgraced F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling, and finds himself a target for revenge from a powerful victim.
Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, and Ray Liotta.

This has none of the intelligence and elegance of Silence of the Lambs, preferring instead to lean on grossness for grossness' sake. It's an adequate cheap horror that would have been better as a standalone not trying to stand on the shoulders of a much better film.

1 star.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Hannibal < Pulp Fiction
Hannibal < The Children's Hour
Hannibal > Agent Cody Banks
Hannibal < The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Hannibal > Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Hannibal < Facing the Giants
Hannibal > An American in Paris
Hannibal > Winter Passing
Hannibal > Gigi
Hannibal < And Then There Were None (1945)

Final spot: #2311 out of 2783.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

American Pie (1999)


IMDb plot summary: Four teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night.
Directed by Paul Weitz. Starring Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Eddie Kaye Thomas.

Well, this is horrifying and disgusting. It paints creeps as being owed sex and women as sexual objects to be tricked into use. Wacky sex hijinks can make for a funny movie, but not when they're coming out of such an awful worldview. The ending attempts to add some heart but doesn't do nearly enough to undo or even balance out the toxic attitudes toward women found in every second of the rest of the movie. Ewwww.

How it entered my Flickchart:
American Pie < Lord of War
American Pie < Shrek 2
American Pie < Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
American Pie < ...And Your Name Is Jonah
American Pie < Free Willy
American Pie < The Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove
American Pie < Alvin and the Chipmunks
American Pie < Big Daddy
American Pie < Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
American Pie > God's Not Dead 2
American Pie < The Pacifier

Final spot: #2780 out of 2782.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Brigsby Bear (2017)


IMDb plot summary: Brigsby Bear Adventures is a children's TV show produced for an audience of one: James. When the show abruptly ends, James's life changes forever, and he sets out to finish the story himself. Written by Brigsby Bear Productions
Directed by Dave McCary. Starring Kyle Mooney, Greg Kinnear, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., and Matt Walsh.

This is... so strange. I'm not sure what else to say about it yet. One of those movies that I genuinely can't classify as comedy or drama, not because it's both but because it might not be either? I think it might be great? But also maybe awful? I CAN NOT TELL.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Brigsby Bear > Pulp Fiction
Brigsby Bear > Sweet Smell of Success
Brigsby Bear < Smashed
Brigsby Bear > Bernie
Brigsby Bear < The Lady Eve
Brigsby Bear < The Red Violin
Brigsby Bear > The Graduate
Brigsby Bear < Planet of the Apes (1968)
Brigsby Bear < True Lies
Brigsby Bear > Anomalisa
Brigsby Bear > Apollo 13
Brigsby Bear < Whale Rider
Final spot: #495 out of 2781.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)


IMDb plot summary: There's a mystery afoot in Gotham City, and Batman must go toe-to-toe with a mysterious vigilante, who goes by the name of Red Hood. Subsequently, old wounds reopen and old, once buried memories come into the light.
Directed by Brandon Vietti. Starring Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, John DiMaggio, and Neil Patrick Harris.

With both this and Mask of the Phantasm, which I watched earlier in my challenge, I found myself struggling to get into it as a movie. This one similarly feels like just a long TV show episode, like I'm missing last week's episode to make this one really stick. That being said, it's not a bad TV-episode-like movie. It has some good dramatic action toward the end and builds a surprisingly effective climax with the little bit of worldbuilding it incorporates. Part of the problem with Batman on the whole is that his villains are *always* more interesting than he is, so it's tough to be on his side.

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Batman: Under the Red Hood > Pulp Fiction
Batman: Under the Red Hood < Baby Driver
Batman: Under the Red Hood < Silent Movie
Batman: Under the Red Hood < Mother!
Batman: Under the Red Hood > The Tempest (2010)
Batman: Under the Red Hood < The Switch
Batman: Under the Red Hood > Nowhere Boy
Batman: Under the Red Hood < The Wedding Singer
Batman: Under the Red Hood < Shall We Dance? (2004)
Batman: Under the Red Hood > The Hangover
Batman: Under the Red Hood < Three Colors: Blue

Final spot: #1278 out of 2780.

Monday, May 7, 2018

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)


IMDb plot summary: Several people are hunted by a cruel serial killer who kills his victims in their dreams. While the survivors are trying to find the reason for being chosen, the murderer won't lose any chance to kill them as soon as they fall asleep.
Directed by Wes Craven. Starring Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, John Saxon, and Ronee Blakley.

A HUGE blind spot for me as a movie buff. Some really good creepy death scenes, but I expected a bit more out of the actual nightmares. It almost seems more mystery than horror for much of the movie, which is kind of underwhelming when you already know the answer. Still pretty good (and, DANG, that blood-spewing bed is one of the most horrifying things I've seen).

3.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
A Nightmare On Elm Street > In Time
A Nightmare On Elm Street < Baby Driver
A Nightmare On Elm Street > Finding Forrester
A Nightmare On Elm Street > Auntie Mame
A Nightmare On Elm Street > Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
A Nightmare On Elm Street < Yojimbo
A Nightmare On Elm Street > The Imposter
A Nightmare On Elm Street < Murder by Death
A Nightmare On Elm Street > The Artist
A Nightmare On Elm Street < Eat Pray Love

Final spot: #753 out of 2779.

Sunday, May 6, 2018

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore. (2017)


IMDb plot summary: When a depressed woman is burglarized, she finds a new sense of purpose by tracking down the thieves alongside her obnoxious neighbor. But they soon find themselves dangerously out of their depth against a pack of degenerate criminals.
Directed by Macon Blair. Starring Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, Devon Graye, and Robert Longstreet.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore < Pulp Fiction
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore > The Children's Hour
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore > Blue Velvet
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore < Rigoletto
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore > X-Men
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore > Sherlock Holmes
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore < Drive
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore < Josh and the Big Wall!
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore < Mickey Blue Eyes
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore > Singles
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore < White Nights
Final spot: #1602 out of 2778.

Akira (1988)


IMDb plot summary: A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop.
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Starring Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, and Tessho Genda.

My husband chose this movie for me for my movie challenge, even though he hadn't seen it himself, as an incentive for us to watch it together. I'm not sure how he felt about it, but I'm still processing it. The animation is really lovely, which is nice because I frequently have difficulty registering and following the anime style, but most of this is expressive enough that I can follow it. Most of the story is fascinating and very well told, and I was definitely swept up into the story. Where it actually becomes difficult to grasp for me is in the final 30 minutes or so, when the climactic scene just keeps getting more intense but somehow never delivered the narrative or emotional punch I wanted it to end with. I enjoyed most of it, but I'm not sure I'm sold on the ending. But it's one I think I need to keep thinking about.

3.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Akira > In Time
Akira > Sweet Smell of Success
Akira < Garden State
Akira < Tropic Thunder
Akira < Evil Dead II
Akira < Boyhood
Akira > The Departed
Akira < Red Carpet
Akira > Serendipity
Akira < Jackie Brown

Final spot: #666 out of 2777.

Isle of Dogs (2018)


IMDb plot summary: Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog.
Directed by Wes Anderson. Starring Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, and Bob Balaban.

Well, this is very Wes Anderson, meaning I can enjoy quite a bit as I watch it (and I did) and then it will fade very, very quickly from my memory. Anderson's quirkiness puts a bit of necessary emotional distance between the movie and the audience. I'm also unsure that setting it in Japan was much more than a quirky gimmick, which is a little uncomfortable. Overall, an enjoyable movie but it isn't going to make much of a lasting impact on me.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Isle of Dogs > In Time
Isle of Dogs < Baby Driver
Isle of Dogs > The Village
Isle of Dogs > Source Code
Isle of Dogs < Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Isle of Dogs > Blazing Saddles
Isle of Dogs > You Can't Take It With You
Isle of Dogs < Six Degrees of Separation
Isle of Dogs > Mr. Holmes
Isle of Dogs < Monsoon Wedding
Final spot: #795 out of 2776, which is a bit too high but it'll do for now.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)


IMDb plot summary: When Cartman and his friends go see an R rated movie, they start cursing and their parents think that Canada is to blame.
Directed by Trey Parker. Starring Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, and Isaac Hayes.

I have never seen an episode of the South Park TV show but I had high hopes for this, given how much I enjoy Parker & Stone's other musical efforts. The music is definitely the best part of this film. Some of these songs are fantastic -- clever lyrics, music that is a perfect parody of various musical styles, and, on the whole, pretty solid jokes. But compared to something like Cannibal!, the jokes are much more sophomoric, and compared to The Book of Mormon, the satire feels extremely aimless. There's a carelessness to this (that I suspect is tonally carried over from the show itself) that not only keeps it from ever really working but frequently gets in the way of the actual jokes. I chuckled a few times, but on the whole I wasn't sold.

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
South Park > No Country for Old Men (which really needs to be moved out of the center of my chart)
South Park < Baby Driver
South Park < The Village
South Park < Ghost World
South Park > Lolita (1997)
South Park < All That Jazz
South Park > National Lampoon's Vacation
South Park > The Magnificent Ambersons
South Park < Wreck-It Ralph
South Park > Silent Hill
South Park < Crocodile Dundee
Final spot: #1265 out of 2775

Thursday, May 3, 2018

The Bad Seed (1956)


IMDb plot summary: A housewife suspects that her seemingly perfect eight year-old daughter is a heartless killer.
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Starring Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Henry Jones, and Eileen Heckart.

It's a good concept and a mostly decent script, aside from a very abrupt ending, but the acting comes across as very dated and could use a bit more subtlety. (Though of course that's what got all the Oscar nominations.) This is a film that might benefit from a remake.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Bad Seed > No Country for Old Men
The Bad Seed < Baby Driver
The Bad Seed > The Illusionist (2006)
The Bad Seed < Auntie Mame
The Bad Seed > Hamlet (2009)
The Bad Seed < A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)
The Bad Seed < Josie and the Pussycats
The Bad Seed > Away We Go
The Bad Seed > Frances Ha
The Bad Seed < Sleight

Final spot: #937 out of 2774.