RoboCop (1987)

IMDb plot summary: In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, and Ronny Cox.

Well, this is delightfully silly and 80s-y. So many goofy little moments, from that dumb ad that keeps playing to the board member cheerfully giving a thumbs up after their leader is murdered. Definitely enjoyably cheesy.

How it entered my Flickchart:
RoboCop > Sisters
RoboCop < Ordet
RoboCop < Freaky Friday (2003)
RoboCop > Crazy Heart
RoboCop > Premium Rush
RoboCop > The Killing
RoboCop > Duck Soup
RoboCop > Monsters Vs. Aliens
RoboCop > Malcolm X
RoboCop < Thor

Final spot: #1065 out of 2824.

Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1999)

IMDb plot summary: In dreamlike mountain scenery, Toshiko makes a daring escape from her sexually warped Uncle Sonezaki. Fortunately, she met Samehada as she runs for her life, which is also escaping from some slayers. What follows is a wild chase that leads the audience into a comically violent world.
Directed by Katsuhito Ishii. Starring Tadanobu Asano, Ittoku Kishibe, Sie Kohinata, and Kimie Shingyôji. 

I... do not get this. This is one of those movies that makes me feel dumb because while I can sort of track the overall plot, I can't follow most of what's happening moment to moment. I couldn't find the tone of the movie either - it had moments that seemed extremely dark and noirish and others that seemed almost cartoonishly goofy. I tried looking up some reviews and other info on the movie in the hope that I could get a better grip on it, but so far no luck.

1.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl < The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl > Wilde
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl < Cropsey
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl > Barry
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl < The American President
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl < Les Miserables (1935)
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl < Simone
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl < Side Effects
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl > The Dinner Guest
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl < Albert Nobbs

Final spot: #1935 out of 2823.

Darkest Hour (2017)

IMDb plot summary: In May 1940, the fate of Western Europe hangs on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean a humiliating defeat for Britain and its empire.

Directed by Joe Wright. Starring Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, and Lily James.

There's nothing overtly *bad* about this movie, but it's not exciting either. Especially compared to Dunkirk, which I didn't love much either, but it was at least a more unique way of telling the story. Every moment of this movie feels like the most obvious, unoriginal choice there could be. Again, not actively bad, just nothing creative in its storytelling.

1 star.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Darkest Hour < The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Darkest Hour < Three Kings

Darkest Hour > Napoleon

Darkest Hour > The Overnight

Darkest Hour > Airborne

Darkest Hour < In the Company of Men

Darkest Hour > Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Darkest Hour > Rio Bravo

Darkest Hour > Ray

Darkest Hour > Waltz with Bashir

Darkest Hour > In the Mood for Love

Final spot: #2162 out of 2822.

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

IMDb plot summary: In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe.
Directed by Boots Riley. Starring Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, and Omari Hardwick.

This is one of the wildest cinematic rides I've been on in awhile. It's hilarious and uncomfortable and startling and relatable and creative and bizarre and I liked it a lot.

4 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Sorry to Bother You > To Rome with Love
Sorry to Bother You > The Departed
Sorry to Bother You < High School Musical
Sorry to Bother You > Open Your Eyes
Sorry to Bother You < The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Sorry to Bother You > Take Shelter
Sorry to Bother You < Flight
Sorry to Bother You > Lovely & Amazing
Sorry to Bother You < Beautiful Boy
Sorry to Bother You < Thermae Romae
Sorry to Bother You > Monsieur Lazhar

Final spot: #471 out of 2821.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

IMDb plot summary: Two siblings and three of their friends en route to visit their grandfather's grave in Texas end up falling victim to a family of cannibalistic psychopaths.
Directed by Tobe Hooper. Starring Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, and William Vail.

This is one of the most viscerally upsetting horror movies I've seen in awhile. Right from the beginning, even before anything menacing has actually happened, there's a sense of things being just generally not right, a vague "squick" factor. That only gets more intense as it goes on, to the point that when the credits finally roll, even though our heroine is ostensibly safe, it feels like she's stuck in a perpetually unsafe world. This all sounds more negative than it is. This is a tremendously impactful horror film, and that's exactly why it's not one I can imagine ever wanting to watch again.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre > To Rome with Love
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre < Spellbound (2002)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre > Thor
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre < Sin City
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre > The Happening
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre < School of Rock
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre < The Hunt for Red October
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre < A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre > Death to Smoochy
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre > Zero Effect
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre < 12 Angry Men (1997)

Final spot: #961 out of 2820.

The Big Chill (1983)

IMDb plot summary: A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina winter house after the funeral of one of their friends.
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, and William Hurt.

This is pretty solid. Each of the characters is just interesting enough and gets just enough screen time that I feel like I've gotten to know them a little and care about how things ultimately work out for them. Overall, there's nothing really wrong with it, but I didn't feel as emotionally connected to it as I hoped to. It's one that I feel might grow on me on a rewatch, though, so I'll have to give that a shot someday. In the meantime, I like its quiet, thoughtful nature and its compelling characters (and cast), and I'm glad I saw it.

3.5 stars.

How it entered into my Flickchart:
The Big Chill > Million Dollar Baby
The Big Chill < Fury
The Big Chill > The Master
The Big Chill > Last Action Hero
The Big Chill < Black Narcissus
The Big Chill > Fantasia 2000
The Big Chill > Le samourai
The Big Chill < Three Colors: White
The Big Chill < Oscar
The Big Chill > Wristcutters: A Love Story
The Big Chill < Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Final spot: #812 out of 2819, or 71%. This puts it at #32 out of 93 so far in the challenge.

King Kong (2005)

IMDb plot summary: In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to the mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with leading lady Ann Darrow.
Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, and Thomas Kretschmann.

I have no doubt this would have been a fantastic movie to see in theaters. It's definitely going for a big spectacle feel to it. The problem comes in when the film attempts to attach meaning or profundity to what is, at its heart, just a series of dramatic images of monsters. The film is too heavily loaded with dramatic fight scenes and sweeping landscape panoramas to lend much weight to the humanity of the story beneath it. It's a little ironic that a movie about, in some ways, the dangers of prioritizing spectacle over empathy should be this off-balance. That being said, it does look great. But it doesn't look great enough or carry enough emotional depth to justify a 3 1/2 hour runtime.

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
King Kong < Stardust
King Kong > Awake
King Kong > The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
King Kong > The Circus
King Kong > The Day After Tomorrow
King Kong > Pleasantville
King Kong > Code 46
King Kong < Wonder Boys
King Kong > 17 Again
King Kong < George of the Jungle

Final spot: #1425 out of 2818.

Tag (2018)

IMDb plot summary: A small group of former classmates organize an elaborate, annual game of tag that requires some to travel all over the country.
Directed by Jeff Tomsic. Starring Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, and Hannibal Buress.

The serious parts of this work better than the jokes, which are not particularly good.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Tag < Stardust
Tag > Awake
Tag > The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
Tag < The Circus
Tag > Hotel Rwanda
Tag < Legally Blonde
Tag < The Barkleys of Broadway
Tag > Patriots Day
Tag > Crash (2004)
Tag < White Nights
Final spot: #1657 out of 2817.

Moms' Night Out (2014)

IMDb plot summary: Moms' Night Out is a movie starring Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, and Patricia Heaton. Hardworking mom Allyson has a crazy night out with her friends, while their husbands watch their children.
Directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin. Starring Sara Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, and Trace Adkins.

As far as Christian movies, this wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. It's got a reasonably likable protagonist and more than a few jokes that land -- not enough, but a few. For the most part, though, aside from our lead character, everyone else is seriously underdeveloped and the message gets mangled. Like, this woman goes on this crazy Hangover-esque-but-not-really adventure, and the takeaway is "I appreciate my kids now"? Because, what, it could be worse? I'm just not convinced that the experiences she had would lead to the epiphany she did. And the other two ladies had their own mini crises that barely got resolved. (Actually, Izzy's NEVER gets resolved.) It's a step in the right direction for Christian entertainment but it's still sloppy and doesn't know how to naturally tie in a meaning for the story.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Moms' Night Out < Julie & Julia
Moms' Night Out < Out of Time
Moms' Night Out > The Haunting (1963)
Moms' Night Out > Upstream Color
Moms' Night Out > Monster from the Ocean Floor
Moms' Night Out > Julia
Moms' Night Out > Sleeper
Moms' Night Out > After Hours
Moms' Night Out < Holiday Affair
Moms' Night Out < Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Moms' Night Out < Heat
Moms' Night Out > Scrooged
Final spot: #2122 out of 2816, which seems a bit unfairly low since I didn't think it was that bad. Ah well.

Boogie Nights (1997)

IMDb plot summary: The story of a young man's adventures in the Californian pornography industry of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Burt Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, and John C. Reilly.

Boogie Nights has been on my watch list for ages. And now that I've finally seen it, my response is similar to that of a lot of Paul Thomas Anderson movies -- there are individual pieces of total brilliance, but I am uninvested in the narrative as a whole. There are a few scenes in here that almost stun me with how perfectly scripted and shot they are (Wahlberg's confrontation with his abusive mom is one, as well as the scene with Philip Seymour Hoffman's attempted kiss). But the sum of all these individual parts leaves me a little cold, especially in the last 15 minutes or so when what has been an increasingly Requiem-for-a-Dream-esque nightmare suddenly flips upside down and everything is abruptly lovely and awesome again, with no hints at any of the darkness that happened before. I'm glad I finally saw it, but I'm not totally sold on it.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Boogie Nights > Ghostbusters II
Boogie Nights < Fruitvale Station
Boogie Nights < Being John Malkovich
Boogie Nights < Peggy Sue Got Married
Boogie Nights > In and Out
Boogie Nights > Star Trek Into Darkness
Boogie Nights < Ramona and Beezus
Boogie Nights > The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
Boogie Nights > Mad Max
Boogie Nights > Ran
Boogie Nights < It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown

Final spot: #1257 out of 2815.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

IMDb plot summary: Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for the kids while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world.
Directed by Brad Bird. Starring Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, and Huck Milner.

So it's a decent movie. It's fun and enjoyable. The first one was also a decent, fun, enjoyable movie. But there's no world in which we need to have both of them. They don't enhance or complement each other, they mostly just get in each other's way. *shrug* It's just really, really hard to care about this movie.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Incredibles 2 > Aliens
Incredibles 2 < Fruitvale Station
Incredibles 2 < Nine to Five
Incredibles 2 < To Sir, With Love
Incredibles 2 > Deconstructing Harry
Incredibles 2 > Selma
Incredibles 2 < It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
Incredibles 2 < The Revenant
Incredibles 2 > The Last Unicorn
Incredibles 2 > John Dies at the End
Incredibles 2 > Logan

Final spot: #1265 out of 2814.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)

IMDb plot summary: Roman J. Israel, Esq., a driven, idealistic defense attorney, finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a crisis and the necessity for extreme action.
Directed by Dan Gilroy. Starring Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, and Lynda Gravatt.

Denzel's performance is phenomenal here -- he really gets swallowed up in this character -- but overall the movie falls pretty flat.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Roman J. Israel, Esq. < Hustle and Flow

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > After Hours

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

Roman J. Israel, Esq. < Last Holiday

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > An Ideal Husband

Roman J. Israel, Esq. < Drive

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > Patriots Day

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > The Barkleys of Broadway

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > Shanghai Knights

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > God Wants Me to Forgive Them!?!

Roman J. Israel, Esq. > As Good As It Gets

Final spot: #1627 out of 2813.

Contact (1997)

IMDb plot summary: Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, sending plans for a mysterious machine.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Jodie Foster, Matthew McConnaughey, Tom Skerritt, and William Fichtner.

When Arrival came out a couple years ago, a lot of people compared it to Contact, but honestly the two are extremely different. Contact is concerned with the big-picture questions, the grandiose nature of life on other planets and the bigness of the universe and the existence or non-existence of God and how faith fits into the realm of science. Arrival is about the details, the details of linguistics and the details of one mother's journey through motherhood, and even though there are big-picture concerns with Arrival as well, it's very much a more focused story. Contact is good, and Jodie Foster is so very good in her role, but it drowns a little bit in its bigness, especially in its third act, and that keeps the emotional component from coming through as clearly as I wanted it to. Still solid, still a very interesting ride, but not as emotionally powerful as I expected and hoped for.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Contact > Tarzan
Contact > Sleeping with Other People
Contact < Breakfast at Tiffany's
Contact < The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
Contact > Corrina, Corrina
Contact > Gone Baby Gone
Contact < Mr. Brooks
Contact < Father of the Bride (1991)
Contact < Hairspray Live!
Contact < Match Point
Contact < Center Stage
Contact < Shakespeare Behind Bars

Final spot: #571 out of 2812.