Officer O'Brien (1930)

IMDb plot summary: Bill O'Brien is promoted to lieutenant in the police department for his arrest of Mike Patello, gang leader and racketeer, for murder. Meanwhile, Captain Antrim informs Bill that his father has just been released from prison.

Directed by Tay Garnett. Stars William Boyd, Ernest Torrence, and Dorothy Sebastian.

Officer O'Brien is the story of an honorable police officer trying to help his newly-released convict father go straight, but it proves more difficult than he anticipated. This is a very straightforward story that is certainly a little dated in its telling but the story is a compelling one. The father in particular has an old-fashioned style of acting that you have to acclimate to, but his character motivations are more complex than I'd have expected in a character borne out of that tropey acting. The story is well-paced, and the final scenes are narratively satisfying. There are quite a few unnecessary subplots that could have been cut, but overall it's a pretty solid film with interesting character arcs.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Officer O'Brien (1930)

lost to Mad Max (#1984 → #1983)

beat The Pajama Game (#2974 → #2982)

lost to Harry and the Hendersons (#2479 → #2475)

lost to Ghost (#2726 → #2709)

beat Fame (#2850 → #2853)

beat The Unsinkable Molly Brown (#2788 → #2787)

lost to Saboteur (#2756 → #2750)

beat Burning Annie (#2771 → #2786)

beat Resident Evil (held at #2763)

beat Brainscan (#2759 → #2792)

beat Willow (#2757 → #2758)

Final spot: #2775/3973 on my Flickchart, or 30%.

The Benson Murder Case (1930)

IMDb plot summary: A ruthless, crooked stockbroker is murdered at his luxurious country estate, and detective Philo Vance just happens to be there. He decides to find out who killed him.

Directed by Frank Tuttle. Starring William Powell, William 'Stage' Boyd, and Eugene Pallette.

The Benson Murder Case is a classic murder mystery featuring William Powell's detective character Philo Vance trying to figure out who  murdered a wealthy man in his own home. Philo Vance showed up as part of a sketch in one of my very first 1930 films, structured as a variety show, so it was kind of fun to see an actual example of Vance on film, but other than that, there really wasn't much to separate this from the oodles of other similar stories being told in the 30s. I enjoy the gimmick of every plausible subject just happening to show up on the victim's doorstep the night of the murder, but I couldn't keep most of them straight with their very minimal back stories. The clues that led to the final answer did not capture my attention in any way. Philo Vance also didn't seem to have much going for him as a detective, so I definitely don't see the appeal. Overall a pretty bland entry into my 1930 project collection, and one I'm likely to forget immediately after watching it.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Benson Murder Case (1930)

lost to It's Kind of a Funny Story (#1983 → #1985)

lost to Try Seventeen (#2973 → #2975)

beat Johnny Tremain (#3469 → #3470)

beat Petulia (#3220 → #3227)

beat A Jazzman's Blues (#3096 → #3101)

lost to Heidi (#3034 → #3028)

beat How to Deal (#3065 → #3069)

lost to Ice Station Zebra (#3049 → #3040)

lost to She's All That (#3057 → #3059)

beat Wrath of Man (#3061 → #3065)

lost to War of the Buttons (#3059 → #3053)

lost to Ivan the Terrible, Part I (#3060 → #3055)

Final spot: #3062 out of 3972, or 23%.

She's Having a Baby (1988)

IMDb plot summary: Young newlyweds find out just how unprepared they are for their future together.

Directed by John Hughes. Starring Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth McGovern, and Alec Baldwin.

She's Having a Baby is a John Hughes film starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern as a young married couple struggling to make their relationship work as life becomes overwhelming. While the title refers to a pregnancy, that really doesn't come into play until fairly far into the story -- it really is just a story of two very young, very naive adults trying to work through what they owe to each other and to themselves now that they're in a relationship. It is frustrating at times to watch these kids grow up together -- there's a part of me that just wants to shake them and say, "You're not ready for any of this," but I think the story does a good job of portraying their confusion in the adult world. There's surprisingly little resolution in this story, functioning more as a slice-of-life about the two of them, and while I would have liked a bit more structure, I grew to enjoy the characters I was watching. It's not Hughes' best work but I warmed to it, and it has a satisfying ending.

How it entered my Flickchart:

She's Having a Baby (1988)

beat Gothika (#1983 → #1982)

lost to Repo Man (held at #989)

beat A Night to Remember (#1485 → #1489)

lost to Draft Day (#1236 → #1231)

lost to Men in Black (#1361 → #1360)

lost to Possession (#1423 → #1422)

lost to The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (#1454 → #1455)

lost to Sweet Smell of Success (#1469 → #1466)

beat The Virtuous Sin (#1477 → #1482)

beat Bottle Rocket (#1473 → #1475)

lost to His Girl Friday (#1471 → #1472)

lost to Panic Room (#1472 → #1467)

Final spot: #1470 out of 3971, 63%.

Montana Moon (1930)

IMDb plot summary: A vacuous and flirtatious daughter of a wealthy rancher falls in love and marries a Texas cowboy and rancher, who calls her 'Montana', and eventually clash over their different lifestyles, to the point of almost ending their marriage.

Directed by Malcolm St. Clair. Starring Joan Crawford, Johnny Mack Brown, and Dorothy Sebastian.

Montana Moon is a romance about a spoiled young heiress who finds herself unexpectedly falling in love with one of her wealthy father's ranch hands, and they spontaneously elope. When they get back into the real world, though, their very different worldviews start to cause tension between them. This is not an exciting story, but it's told fairly well. Our leads have believable chemistry, even as we know deep down they're not going to last as a couple, and so it's disappointing to see them fall apart even though it is truly inevitable. The beginning is set up well enough that the (spoiler) happy ending does feel unbelievable, though, and that brings the whole thing down a bit. The first 2/3 are a pretty solid drama, and then it falls apart at the end. Because of that, it ranked lower on my Flickchart than I expected, but it is a little better than that would suggest.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Montana Moon < Walk the Line

Montana Moon > Margaret

Montana Moon < The Fourth Kind

Montana Moon > The Autopsy of Jane Doe

Montana Moon > Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Montana Moon < The Apostle

Montana Moon < The Defiant Ones

Montana Moon > Flypaper

Montana Moon > Come to the Stable

Montana Moon > An Ideal Husband

Montana Moon > Convict 13

Montana Moon < Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Final spot: #2623 out of 4044, or 35%.

I Saw the TV Glow (2024)

IMDb plot summary: A teenager just trying to make it through life in the suburbs is introduced by a classmate to a mysterious late-night TV show.

Directed by Jane Schoenbrun. Starring Justice Smith, Jack Haven, and Ian Foreman.

I Saw the TV Glow is a film about two outcast teenagers who form a bond over a beloved TV show they both relate to deeply. The story takes some unexpected turns after it sets up that premise, so I'm going to leave the rest of the plot vague. This movie blew me away. The final scene was such a visceral gut punch, I just wanted to turn off my screen and cry. I read and watched a few video essays and critical takes on the meaning of the film after watching it, and, yeah, having a stronger understanding of the kind of experience this film intended to convey made it even more moving. Justice Smith in particular is incredible here, his vocal tone truly capturing the perpetual fear that keeps his character in a chokehold. I love the way the story is told and how much it pulled me in. A lot of that is due to the visuals, which are so evocative of not only the time period but also the mood. Overall, a heartbreaking and beautifully crafted horror/drama, and I'm going to be thinking about it for a very long time.

How it entered my Flickchart:

I Saw the TV Glow > David Copperfield (1935)

I Saw the TV Glow > In the Name of the Father

I Saw the TV Glow > Chariots of Fire

I Saw the TV Glow < Gravity

I Saw the TV Glow > Dream Scenario

I Saw the TV Glow < Castle in the Sky

I Saw the TV Glow > Aftersun

I Saw the TV Glow > Bad Times at the El Royale

I Saw the TV Glow > Dead Poets Society

I Saw the TV Glow > Operation Petticoat

I Saw the TV Glow > Pitch Perfect

I Saw the TV Glow > Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

Final spot: #316 out of 4043, or 92%.

Conclave (2024)

IMDb plot summary: When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a web of conspiracies and intrigue that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.

Directed by Edward Berger. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow.

Conclave is a dramatic film about the death of a fictional Catholic Pope, and the gathering of Cardinals who must choose his successor. Ralph Fiennes plays the facilitator of the conclave, and he is joined by an excellent supporting cast to round out the dramatic tension. This is exactly the kind of slow talk-y moralizing drama I am always drawn to. What is each character's motivation? What secrets will come to light? Is our main character an unreliable narrator? I'll be on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to find out. The movie is paced very well, with the twists and turns and ethical quandaries all coming at just the right time to maximize the drama. With all these pieces in motion, it could have landed in a very anticlimactic place, unable to follow through on its set-up, but I was deeply satisfied with how the story ended. It's an excellent character study and question of moral responsibility, especially as relates to faith and tradition. I really appreciated this movie and I'm glad I got around to seeing it.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Conclave > David Copperfield (1935)

Conclave > Elf

Conclave < Two Days, One Night

Conclave > Spencer

Conclave < Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Conclave < Face/Off

Conclave > Lolita (1962)

Conclave > Carnage

Conclave > What About Bob?

Conclave > Star Trek (2009)

Conclave > Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Conclave > Civil War

Final spot: #695 out of 4042, or 83%.

Soup to Nuts (1930)

IMDb plot summary: Mr. Schmidt's costume store is bankrupt because he spends his time on Rube Goldberg-style inventions. The creditors send a young manager who falls for Schmidt's niece Louise, but she'll have none of him. Schmidt's friends Ted, Queenie, and some goofy firemen try to help out, and things come to a slapstick head when Louise needs rescuing from a fire.

Directed by Benjamin Stoloff. Starring Ted Healy, Charles Winninger, and Frances McCoy.

Soup to Nuts is a 1930 film about a costume shop going through some managerial changes that wreak some havoc among the workers and owner's family. It's notable for being the film debut of the three comedians who would go on to form the Three Stooges, although at this time they were working as a foursome with Ted Healey. Aside from that historically interesting note, there's not a lot about this movie that stands out. While it's billed as a comedy, a lot of the family and business drama is played pretty straight and take up most of the film, and it's a little jarring to see these goofy slapstick comedians come in, do a little gag, and then move on. Our dramatic leads are tropey but likable enough. It just doesn't do a lot to settle into either the comedy or the drama, and they don't blend together well, so it all ends up kind of mushing together. Disappointing.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Soup to Nuts < David Copperfield (1935)

Soup to Nuts > American Sniper

Soup to Nuts < The Fourth Kind

Soup to Nuts < The Autopsy of Jane Doe

Soup to Nuts > Independence Day

Soup to Nuts > The Witches of Eastwick

Soup to Nuts > Blue is the Warmest Color

Soup to Nuts < Water for Elephants

Soup to Nuts > Resident Evil

Soup to Nuts < Father of the Bride (1950)

Soup to Nuts > Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Soup to Nuts > Hurlyburly

Final spot: #2798 out of 4041, or 31%.