The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

IMDb plot summary: A partially idealized film of the controversial pornography publisher and how he became a defender of free speech for all people.
Directed by Milos Forman. Starring Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love and Edward Norton.

This was... an awkward and uncomfortable movie to watch. Not because of the explicit content or anything like that, but because Larry Flynt was such an awkward and uncomfortable character. His mood and attitude swing wildly back and forth all throughout the movie. Rather than drawing me into the story, that instability made me feel like there *wasn't* a concrete character being portrayed here. And maybe that was the idea. It might have done its job well, but what it gave me was someone who I didn't particularly care to spend two hours with. Despite enjoying the interesting questions throughout about freedom of speech and such, I breathed a little sigh of relief when the flick was finally over. 1.5 stars.

Flickchart: #1387 out of 1982, below Monkey Business and above The Defiant Ones.

Buy it on Amazon for $9.99.

Apollo 13 (1995)

IMDb plot summary: Three astronauts must devise a strategy to return to Earth safely after their spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage.
Directed by Ron Howard. Starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris.

Am I losing my taste for space-based dramas? Between this and The Right Stuff, I don't seem to be enjoying them as much as I hope. That being said, I wasn't at all *bored* by this, the way I was with The Right Stuff. It was a good ride throughout the run of the movie (the nearly 2 1/2 hour run time zoomed by), but when it finished I felt oddly let down on an emotional level. I still haven't quite put my finger on what about it didn't measure up for me, but it's like I can almost feel the movie slipping from my mind and refusing to be something I'll remember. It's an odd feeling, and I do recognize this is an extremely not-professional review ("this movie feels weird!"), but the technical aspects of the movie are all solid, so all I can do is address the fact that *something* was off emotionally for me... even if I'm not sure what. 3 stars.

Flickchart: #789 out of 1981, below The Hunt for Red October and above Away From Her.

Rent it on Amazon for $2.99.

Send Me No Flowers (1964)

IMDb plot summary: A hypochondriac thinks he's dying this time, and makes plans for his wife which she discovers and misunderstands.
Directed by Norman Jewison. Starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall.

Well, this was absolutely the wrong script for Rock Hudson and Doris Day. They're so sincere and sweet, and the script is dark and morbidly funny. The end result is incongruous and confusing. I just kept thinking how much funnier if it would be if, for example, instead of Rock Hudson, Jack Lemmon played the lead. And then I got sad because I didn't have Jack Lemmon, I had Rock Hudson, and as a result the movie kind of falls apart. The supporting cast is decent, though, and all my laughs came from them. Overall, a very disappointing flick. 1.5 stars.

Flickchart: #1315 out of 1980, below A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy and above The Bourne Identity.

Rent it on Amazon for $2.99.

Video Game High School (2012)

(No IMDb plot summary available.)
Directed by Matthew Arnold, Brandon Laatsch, and Freddie Wong. Starring Josh Blaylock, Johanna Braddy, Jimmy Wong and Ellary Porterfield.

It wasn't until halfway through this movie on Netflix that I did a little research and discovered it was a movie-length edit of a web series, and that made SO MUCH SENSE. That is exactly how it felt. But I didn't even mind the choppy, amateur feel of it because the script itself is so much fun. It's goofy and ridiculous and over-the-top and I found myself smiling throughout and really falling in love with the characters. This is a pretty specific style of humor that is certainly not going to appeal to everyone, but I found it charming and entertaining, and that's really all I could ask for in my comedies. 4 stars.

Flickchart: This movie is not on Flickchart yet. I've added it to the database, but until it's been approved by the moderators, no Flickchart rating.

Frozen (2013)

IMDb plot summary: Fearless optimist Anna teams up with Kristoff in an epic journey, encountering Everest-like conditions, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf in a race to find Anna's sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom in eternal winter.
Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. Starring Kristin Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad.

Even setting aside this movie's freaking amazing cast of musical theater people, this is one of Disney's best efforts lately. I was underwhelmed by Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, and The Princess and the Frog, but this movie has won me over. It has easily one of the best animated soundtracks in recent years (Robert Lopez for the win) and two of the most compelling female characters Disney's ever created. Princesses Anna and Elsa have so many nuances and layers that I found myself thoroughly intrigued by them all the way through in a way I haven't been since... I've gotta go with Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The emphasis on familial love rather than romantic love is a refreshing change from the typical Disney princess story. The comic relief is present throughout but doesn't overwhelm the core story - and I have to say, Josh Gad was an inspired choice to voice the always-optimistic snowman Olaf. His "In Summer" song was easily one of the highlights of the movie.

In addition to all of this, the visuals are stunning. "Let It Go" left me nearly breathless - Idina Menzel's vocals soar as she constructs her gorgeous castle of ice. The ice and snow images are so beautiful - this is definitely one worth seeing on the big screen.

This is my favorite non-Pixar effort in ages from Disney. Kudos to them. 4.5 stars.

Flickchart: #210 out of 1979, below Across the Universe and above Once.

Robot & Frank (2012)

IMDb plot summary: Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.
Directed by Jake Schreier. Starring Frank Langella, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon and Liv Tyler.

This is a creative and charming little flick set just slightly in the future. Frank Langella is wonderful as the aging old man who finds himself bonding in an unusual way with his helper robot. The basic storyline almost resembles an animal movie - the robot could almost have been a dog or some other pet - but then it takes an unexpected turn and becomes a much more interesting story. It's delightful and sweet and original and well worth the watch. 4 stars.

Flickchart: #438 out of 1978, below Flight and above In a Lonely Place.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

IMDb plot summary: A naive male prostitute and his sickly friend struggle to survive on the streets of New York City.
Directed by John Schlesinger. Starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.

I feel like I was supposed to get a whole lot more of this than I did. While I was very drawn to Dustin Hoffman's Rico character, I was thoroughly uninterested in Jon Voight, whose character remained at the center of the story. When the gritty realness of the story broke for dreamlike flashbacks or fantasy sequences, I wasn't sure what I was meant to take from any of them, and they just felt out of place. Overall, I wish more time had been spent on Rico and less on Joe. I was not crazy about this one. 2.5 stars.

Flickchart: #1321 out of 1977, below It's Always Fair Weather and above The Professional.