For Love of the Game (1999)

IMDb plot summary: After 19 years of playing the game he's loved his whole life, Detroit Tigers pitcher Billy Chapel has to decide if he's going to risk everything and put everything out there.

Directed by Sam Raimi. Starring Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly, and Jena Malone.

I'm not entirely convinced the two halves of this movie, the ball game and the flashback, play together as well as the film wants them to. But more importantly, the character of Billy Chapel isn't nearly likable or interesting enough to hold my attention for 2 hours. He's a pretty self-centered jerk, but not in any way that invites thoughtfulness or reflection, and I'm not even ENTIRELY sure the film is aware that he's unlikable -- we might be supposed to sympathize with him more. The scenes with the ongoing baseball game are by far the most interesting, since it doesn't require us to care very much about his character, just enjoy the excitement of the athletic achievement. Not one to go out of your way to see.

How it entered my Flickchart:

For Love of the Game < Frank

For Love of the Game < The Professional

For Love of the Game > Madagascar

For Love of the Game < It Could Happen to You

For Love of the Game < Bohemian Rhapsody

For Love of the Game > Nicholas Nickleby

For Love of the Game > Fist of Legend

For Love of the Game > The Proposal

For Love of the Game > Blow

For Love of the Game < The Stepford Wives (2004)

For Love of the Game > Countdown

Final spot: #2867 out of 3393, or 16%.

Casualties of War (1989)

IMDb plot summary: During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.

Directed by Brian De Palma. Starring Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Harvey, and John C. Reilly.

This is a heavy watch, and much less sensationalized than I would have expected from Brian De Palma. This is the first dramatic performance I think I've seen of Michael J. Fox's, and he does well, bringing a desperate earnestness to the role that really helps us sympathize with him and his sense of helplessness, like there's nothing he can do for this woman. John C. Reilly plays one of other soldiers in this small group, and it's fascinating to watch his character change from someone friendly and amiable into someone way too okay with committing atrocities. The film isn't perfect, but it's a solid effort that does something a little different from the rest of the genre.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Casualties of War < Frank

Casualties of War > Dark Passage

Casualties of War < Big Hero 6

Casualties of War > The Talented Mr. Ripley

Casualties of War < Safety Last!

Casualties of War < Eat Drink Man Woman

Casualties of War < Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Casualties of War < Ace in the Hole

Casualties of War > Nurse Betty

Casualties of War > Lolita (1962)

Casualties of War < Diabolique

Final spot: #626 out of 3392, or 82%.

Willy's Wonderland (2021)

IMDb plot summary: A quiet drifter is tricked into a janitorial job at the now condemned Willy's Wonderland. The mundane tasks suddenly become an all-out fight for survival against wave after wave of demonic animatronics. Fists fly, kicks land, titans clash -- and only one side will make it out alive.

Directed by Kevin Lewis. Starring Nicolas Cage, Emily Tosta, Beth Grant, and Ric Reitz.

This is absolutely ridiculous. The premise alone is ludicrous, but then we do actually get these amazing scenes of Nicolas Cage wordlessly battling animatronic gorillas or ostriches or whatever else there is, and it's just a whirlwind of goofy. It is the right kind of goofy, though. It's just having a very good time playing around with this concept and letting it be exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. If anything, the ever-so-slightly more grounded subplots of the teenagers drag it down a little bit, but not much, and it all ends with a truly satisfying climactic scene. This movie knows exactly what it wants to be and goes for it.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Willy's Wonderland > Fahrenheit 451

Willy's Wonderland < Dark Passage

Willy's Wonderland > Fantasia 2000

Willy's Wonderland > The Artist

Willy's Wonderland < Manhattan Murder Mystery

Willy's Wonderland > Inside Llewyn Davis

Willy's Wonderland > The Hudscucker Proxy

Willy's Wonderland < The Fantasticks

Willy's Wonderland > Kursk

Willy's Wonderland < Frankenweenie

Willy's Wonderland > An American Werewolf in London

Final spot: #971 out of 3391, or 71%.

The Crow (1994)

IMDb plot summary: A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.

Directed by Alex Proyas. Starring Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis, and Ernie Hudson.

This movie, on its surface, is a familiar story. What sets it apart from other typical horror movies is mostly that it clearly isn't actually intended to be a horror movie. Such empathy is shown toward the main character, the undead avenger, that we're obviously meant to be rooting for him, and it makes for an interesting ride. It brought back such incredibly strong "moody goth teen in the late 90s" vibes for me. I could almost read the fanfiction written by young girls fantasizing in which Eric or other hot guys in dramatic makeup would show up and avenge their bullies. It was like I was back in the days of my greatest Phantom of the Opera obsession. Funny how a movie you've never seen can bring back an entire era of your life! The story itself is more generic revenge action story, but the way it treats its main character to clearly appeal to teenage girls gives it a slightly different twist, which is enjoyable to watch play out. I had way more fun with this than I thought I would -- it was a whole nostalgic ride that I hadn't expected.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Crow > Fahrenheit 451

The Crow < Dark Passage

The Crow > Fantasia 2000

The Crow > The Artist

The Crow < 13th

The Crow > Inside Llewyn Davis

The Crow < Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

The Crow > Doctor Strange

The Crow > Logan's Run

The Crow < The Lady Vanishes

The Crow < Hell in the Pacific

The Crow > The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Final spot: #984 out of 3390, or 71%.

The Anderson Tapes (1971)

IMDb plot summary: After Duke Anderson is released from prison after ten years for taking the rap for a scion of a Mafia family, he cashes in a debt of honor with the mob to bankroll a caper.

Directed by Sidney Lumet. Starring Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, and Ralph Meeker.

This is more interesting in concept than it is in execution. The surveillance of the characters is so ever-present, but it feels like it's used more as a gimmick than anything thematically cohesive, like the initial idea was just a straightforward crime heist movie and then someone said, "This needs something extra," so they threw this at it. The crime DID need something extra, but I'm not sure this was it. Sean Connery is enjoyable enough as the lead here, though it's Martin Balsam who is most captivating, playing the amiable gay antique store owner whose job is to assess what is and isn't worth stealing. There are also a few interesting plot wrinkles involving a gangster the crew is forced to take along on the job against their will. This is one of those rare movies that I think would benefit from a remake. The moral questions of surveillance are more relevant than ever, and integrating it further into the story thematically could make something very compelling.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Anderson Tapes > The Misfits

The Anderson Tapes < Dark Passage

The Anderson Tapes < Fantasia 2000

The Anderson Tapes < Ice Age

The Anderson Tapes < Mr. Nice Guy

The Anderson Tapes < Skyfall

The Anderson Tapes > Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)

The Anderson Tapes < Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

The Anderson Tapes > Dazed and Confused

The Anderson Tapes > Neighbors

The Anderson Tapes < Bad Education

Final spot: #1658 out of 3389, or 51%.

Army of the Dead (2021)

IMDb plot summary: Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

Directed by Zack Snyder. Starring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, and Omari Hardwick.

While I really enjoyed the high-energy horror sequences in Snyder's Dawn of the Dead, this one falls a little flat for me. It feels more like watching someone play a video game than anything else. That's not always a bad thing, but here I find it disorienting, like it makes all the character development around it seem like cut scenes -- the kind that are mostly filler until you get to the part where you can actually fight. It undercuts any hope at emotional catharsis and leaves the whole thing feeling a little cold. Dawn of the Dead didn't have much emotional underpinnings either, but the action scenes there at least felt exciting. Here they're dimly lit and edited too fast to really catch what's happening. Overall, disappointing.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Army of the Dead < Fahrenheit 451

Army of the Dead > Firewall

Army of the Dead < Run Lola Run

Army of the Dead < Annie (2014)

Army of the Dead < Don't Look Now

Army of the Dead > The Night of the Hunter

Army of the Dead > The Great Escape

Army of the Dead > The Other Sister

Army of the Dead > Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

Army of the Dead < Definitely, Maybe

Army of the Dead < The Day of the Triffids

Army of the Dead > Zorba the Greek

Final spot: #2440 out of 3388, or 28%.

Flora & Uysses (2021)

IMDb plot summary: When Flora rescues a squirrel she names Ulysses, she is amazed to discover he possesses unique superhero powers, which take them on an adventure of humorous complications that ultimately change Flora's life and her outlook forever.

Directed by Lena Khan. Starring Matilda Lawler, Alyson Hannigan, Ben Schwartz, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth.

This is a spectacularly silly premise that doesn't distinguish itself much, aside from filling the film with a great comedic cast. (When I was talking to my husband about this, he pointed that it features all the voice actors for the kids in the new DuckTales... and, yeah. The kid ducks are all just in this movie. Get that cross-casting, I guess, Disney!) Ben Schwartz is especially, unexpectedly great as the father, bringing just the right combination of optimism and seriousness to the role. The character of the next door neighbor, who becomes Flora and Ulysses' sidekick, is also a great character, with some very funny one-liners that made me laugh out loud several times. This is definitely a movie for children, with mostly children's jokes and children's stakes (when there are stakes at all), so there's not a LOT to recommend it to adults, aside from, yeah, Ben Schwartz's surprisingly good performance and the child sidekick. It's harmless but mostly bland.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Flora & Ulysses < Fahrenheit 451

Flora & Ulysses > Hercules

Flora & Ulysses > Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Flora & Ulysses > Enemy of the State

Flora & Ulysses > Son of Rambow

Flora & Ulysses > Twisted Nerve

Flora & Ulysses < To Be or Not to Be

Flora & Ulysses > The Wailing

Flora & Ulysses < Strawberry and Chocolate

Flora & Ulysses > Rogue One

Flora & Ulysses > The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

Final spot: #1728 out of 3387, or 49%.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

IMDb plot summary: A teenage murder witness finds himself pursued by twin assassins in the Montana wilderness with a survival expert tasked with protecting him -- and a forest fire threatening to consume them all.

Directed by Taylor Sheridan. Starring Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Finn Little, and Jon Bernthal.

This movie is very... middle-of-the-road. The most interesting pieces of it by far are the villains, who have a cold ruthlessness that we've seen on film before but somehow seems more out of place here and therefore more malicious. There's a strange bit in the middle about how difficult it is to be a firefighter, which doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of this story. This isn't a bad movie, but it's mostly forgettable and isn't going to linger in my mind.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Those Who Wish Me Dead < Frank

Those Who Wish Me Dead > Hercules

Those Who Wish Me Dead < Run Lola Run

Those Who Wish Me Dead > Blue Valentine

Those Who Wish Me Dead < Dear Frankie

Those Who Wish Me Dead < *batteries not included

Those Who Wish Me Dead > In the Mood for Love

Those Who Wish Me Dead > Solo: A Star Wars Story

Those Who Wish Me Dead > Captain Marvel

Those Who Wish Me Dead > Alice in Wonderland (1999)

Those Who Wish Me Dead > V/H/S/2

Those Who Wish Me Dead < Crumb

Final spot: #2277 out of 3386, or 33%.

Moonlight (2016)

IMDb plot summary: A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.

Directed by Barry Jenkins. Starring Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes, and Alex R. Hibbert.

I wanted to fall in love with this movie. I love when movies tell the stories of people on the margins in thoughtful and compassionate ways, and this definitely does that. Ultimately, though, while I find the first two thirds of the movie extremely compelling, I struggle a little bit to connect the final third. I can't quite process the ending section and what I'm meant to take away from it the same way I can with the first two. I am completely willing to believe that's a fault on my end rather than the film's, and the lack of ending resolution is quite possibly the only fitting finale this story can take. I wonder a bit if the original play, which had all three segments happening simultaneously, would help it sit more definitively for me. Regardless, even if it didn't quite work for me, others should see it. Chiron's a compelling character, the cinematography is captivating, and it's a story that doesn't get told often.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Moonlight > Fahrenheit 451

Moonlight < Key Largo

Moonlight < Being John Malkovich

Moonlight > Real Life

Moonlight > Rachel, Rachel

Moonlight > Chaos Theory

Moonlight < Cool Hand Luke

Moonlight > Spanglish

Moonlight > American Outlaws

Moonlight > Hoosiers

Moonlight > Logan Lucky

Final spot: #1297 out of 3385, or 62%.

In the Heights (2021)

IMDb plot summary: A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.

Directed by Jon M. Chu. Starring Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, and Melissa Barrera.

I was so, so excited for this movie when I first heard it announced, and it met every expectation I had and then some. The story, music, and casting was already set to be great, but the cinematography elevates it to a whole new level, something completely different than you'd get in a stage production, using fantastical angles and effects to visually convey the themes of the songs. This took my breath away in songs like "Pacience y Fe," where an elderly woman muses on her past. In the literal world of the film, she's lying in bed remembering, but the film takes her wandering among stylized versions of the places and people that formed her life. I don't have enough time to rave about all of this film -- just know that it brought smiles to my face and tears to my eyes and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

How it entered my Flickchart:

In the Heights > Fahrenheit 451

In the Heights > Key Largo

In the Heights > Big Hero 6

In the Heights > Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

In the Heights > A Monster Calls

In the Heights > Donnie Darko

In the Heights < The Purple Rose of Cairo

In the Heights < Memento

In the Heights > Into the Woods (1991)

In the Heights < Noises Off

Final spot: #22 out of 3384, or 99%. Whoa. But... I think that may be correct. I may just have to rewatch it to confirm.

Coming to America (1988)

IMDb plot summary: An extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.

Directed by John Landis. Starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley, and James Earl Jones.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this getting into it. I'm on and off about Eddie Murphy and wasn't sure if an 80s comedy would be leaning into or avoid tropes about African countries that could sit badly today. Fortunately, it works pretty well, and I attribute so much of that to Murphy's performance. His character is often naive or misinformed, but never stupid, so he comes off as someone genuinely trying to learn something new and improve at it, not a character to be mocked for misunderstanding. He's also such a sincere, charming character -- something I've never really seen in a performance from him before. I seldom laughed out loud at this movie, but I smiled a lot, and I rooted fiercely for this character. I'm glad I finally watched it.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Coming to America > The Misfits

Coming to America > Dark Passage

Coming to America < Big Hero 6

Coming to America < Contagion

Coming to America < Beetlejuice

Coming to America > This Boy's Life

Coming to America < Christopher Robin

Coming to America > American Dreamz

Coming to America < They Came Together

Coming to America > The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Coming to America > Role Models

Final spot: #774 out of 3383, or 77%.

Stowaway (2021)

IMDb plot summary: A three-person crew on a mission to Mars faces an impossible choice when an unplanned passenger jeopardizes the lives of everyone on board.

Directed by Joe Penna. Starring Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette.

So it turns out that movies where people are just hanging out in space without a spaceship TERRIFY me. I had the same visceral reaction to this that I did to the movie Gravity, and it occasionally made me too nervous to keep watching. Aside from that, it's a well-written, solid thriller, with a few absolutely chilling reveals as their options grow more limited, and it does a great job of pulling its audience into the ethical question. I FEEL the dilemma in a way other films WANT me to feel theirs. And when a movie hooks you in like that, it pays off -- I found the final resolution very moving and had to sit with it for awhile afterward. Keep an eye out for this one.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Stowaway > The Misfits

Stowaway > The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Stowaway < Big Hero 6

Stowaway < Knights of Badassdom

Stowaway > Beetlejuice

Stowaway > Picnic at Hanging Rock

Stowaway > A Single Man

Stowaway < True Lies

Stowaway < Synecdoche, New York

Stowaway > Onward

Stowaway > Booksmart

Stowaway < Colossal

Final spot: #654 out of 3382, or 81%.

The Swan Princess (1994)

IMDb plot summary: A power-hungry sorcerer curses a princess to live as a swan by day in this tale of everlasting love.

Directed by Richard Rich. Starring Jack Palance, Howard McGillin, Michelle Nicastro, and John Cleese.

This plot is a little confusing, and it's just one of many pieces of this story that just don't seem to make any sense. The timeframe of this movie is exceptionally confusing, the rules of this spell are so unclear, the sidekicks pop up out of nowhere and are just expected to be understood, the romance sets up an obstacle that then vanishes for no reason... It's just all a strange messy Disney knock-off. The songs are decent, although not terribly catchy, and the voice acting is solid, and the animation, while nothing noteworthy, is at least clear and not obnoxious. I could see being into this as a young child, but as an adult it leaves me pretty cold.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Swan Princess < The Misfits

The Swan Princess < Hercules

The Swan Princess > Sahara (2005)

The Swan Princess < Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging

The Swan Princess < Little Witch Academia

The Swan Princess > The Passion of Joan of Arc

The Swan Princess > Enter the Void

The Swan Princess > Atlantis: The Lost Empire

The Swan Princess < The Number 23

The Swan Princess > Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)

The Swan Princess > American Made

Final spot: #2861 out of 3381, or 15%.

Immortal Beloved (1994)

IMDb plot summary: The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Besides all the work he is known for, the composer once wrote a famous love letter to a nameless beloved, and the movie tries to find out who this beloved was--not easy, as Beethoven has had many women in his life.

Directed by Bernard Rose. Starring Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbe, Isabella Rossellini, and Johanna ter Steege.

This movie is mostly just a lavish romance wrapped up in the trappings of being about a famous composer. Beethoven's film features prominently throughout the score, and there are a few scenes of his work, but most of it centers around the drama and mystery of his life, and that's handled awkwardly -- at one point, characters are explaining flashbacks to each other that they were there for! Gary Oldman is pretty great as Beethoven, though not quite enough to drum up enough sympathy for his character and how badly he treats some of these women. I'm not as interested as I used to be in the plight of the tortured genius who treats people badly, so I was somewhat dissatisfied with the film's overall goal. While there are some good individual moments, it's no Amadeus.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Immortal Beloved < Fahrenheit 451

Immortal Beloved > Hercules

Immortal Beloved < Run Lola Run

Immortal Beloved > Blue Valentine

Immortal Beloved < Dear Frankie

Immortal Beloved > *batteries not include

Immortal Beloved < Burlesque

Immortal Beloved > The Conjuring

Immortal Beloved > The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Immortal Beloved > The 101-Year-Old Man Who Skipped Out on the Bill and Disappeared

Immortal Beloved < 'Master Harold'...And the Boys

Final spot: #2246 out of 3380, or 34%.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)

IMDb plot summary: Follows Holiday during her career as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair.

Directed by Lee Daniels. Starring Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, and Natasha Lyonne.

Andra Day carries this movie impressively, showing Holiday as a fully fleshed out complicated woman capable of both great generosity and great selfishness. It makes her story more engaging to watch than a lot of biopics. It's a sobering look at how far our government can be willing to go to avoid looking bad. The musical performances are great as well, particularly when we DO finally get to hear "Strange Fruit" in its entirety. This is worth a watch, especially if this is an era of history that's fairly unfamiliar to you as it was to me.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The United States vs. Billie Holiday > The Misfits

The United States vs. Billie Holiday < Dark Passage

The United States vs. Billie Holiday > Fantasia 2000

The United States vs. Billie Holiday < The Artist

The United States vs. Billie Holiday < Men in Black III

The United States vs. Billie Holiday > Pushing Tin

The United States vs. Billie Holiday < Ramona and Beezus

The United States vs. Billie Holiday > Quartet

The United States vs. Billie Holiday <  Marooned

The United States vs. Billie Holiday < The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The United States vs. Billie Holiday > Ballet Shoes

The United States vs. Billie Holiday < Lady Bird

Final spot: #1198 out of 3379, or 65%.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

IMDb plot summary: Film version of the musical stage play, presenting the last few weeks of Christ's life told in an anachronistic manner.

Directed by Norman Jewison. Starring Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, and Barry Dennen.

This film takes a fourth-wall-breaking approach to the narrative, featuring a group of actors traveling to the desert, performing the show, and traveling back home. It's a creative choice that lets the performances and cinematography shine. And they do! Carl Anderson as Judas is especially electrifying, with incredible renditions of "Heaven On Their Minds" and "Damned for All Time." Where the film maybe lacks a bit is in the original musical source itself. "Gethsemane" is a great tune but only works for me out of context with the show, because IN context, Jesus is one of the pettiest, most unlikable characters in musical theater history, and it's almost impossible to empathize with him in that moment. Maybe that's intended to solidify Judas as our protagonist, but then we get just SO much Jesus in the story and I get antsy for it to pass. As always, whenever I watch a production of Jesus Christ Superstar I have to go rewatch some Godspell to cleanse my palate a bit. But if you already love the show, the film is a great production of it and I'd highly recommend it.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Jesus Christ Superstar > The Misfits

Jesus Christ Superstar < Dark Passage

Jesus Christ Superstar > Fantasia 2000

Jesus Christ Superstar > The Artist

Jesus Christ Superstar > Manhattan Murder Mystery

Jesus Christ Superstar < Shall We Dance? (2004)

Jesus Christ Superstar > The Color Purple

Jesus Christ Superstar > Sisters

Jesus Christ Superstar > Good Morning, Vietnam

Jesus Christ Superstar > Gremlins

Jesus Christ Superstar < Muriel's Wedding

Final spot: #899 out of 3378, or 73%.

A Soldier's Sweetheart (1998)

IMDb plot summary: An Army medic brings his girlfriend to stay with him at an out of the way Vietnam outpost in 1967, the woman disappears one day and he begins searching for her.

Directed by Thomas Michael Donnelly. Starring Georgina Cates, Kiefer Sutherland, Christopher Birt, and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

The most interesting part of this movie is definitely the general narrative core, which was just as interesting in the original short story. However, when it comes to the actual filmmaking, there are some bizarre choices, especially the camerawork in play. It vacillates between traditional stable camera shots and wildly unstable camera movements -- and not in the way a film might be using deliberately to simulate the feeling of being there. More like whoever was holding the camera just frequently loses his balance and staggers to the side trying to regain it, and then they just decide to use that take anyway. At first I thought maybe it was the crappy VHS transfer quality of the version I was watching on YouTube, but, no, I think those were deliberate camera choices, and they're baffling. Everything in between the core story, which is great, and the cinematography, which is awful, is just okay. I vote read the short story, skip the movie.

How it entered my Flickchart:

A Soldier's Sweetheart < The Misfits

A Soldier's Sweetheart > Deliverance

A Soldier's Sweetheart < Run Lola Run

A Soldier's Sweetheart > Two for the Money

A Soldier's Sweetheart > Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

A Soldier's Sweetheart < Rigoletto

A Soldier's Sweetheart < Ghost

A Soldier's Sweetheart > Buddy Buddy

A Soldier's Sweetheart > Crash

A Soldier's Sweetheart < Gunga Din

A Soldier's Sweetheart < The Big Sleep

A Soldier's Sweetheart < The American President

Final spot: #2196 out of 3377, or 35%.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

IMDb plot summary: Singer Dewey Cox overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.

Directed by Jake Kasdan. Starring John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, and Kristen Wiig.

This was a lot more entertaining that I'd have ever expected it to be. There are so many small, subtle jokes, like the ever-increasing number of babies Kristen Wiig has, that don't have attention called to them but made me smile. The music's pretty good too! John C. Reilly's a pretty competent pop/rock performer, and the songs are just cheesy enough to make them fit in a parody film but just realistic enough to be genuinely enjoyable. As with many comedies more than a few years old, there are a few moments that have NOT aged well, especially regarding some racial stereotype characters, but since the movie relies more on wacky absurdity than cultural references, most of still works. Reilly also does a great job of staying within the character enough that you never feel like he's winking at the camera, and that holds it all together nicely. (I can't say the same for his co-star Jenna Fischer, who is not giving her best performance here.) Overall, I liked it much more than I expected!

How it entered my Flickchart:

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story > The Misfits

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story < Key Largo

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story > Talk Radio

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story > Waitress

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story < Manhattan Murder Mystery

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story > Friday the 13th

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story > The Hudsucker Proxy

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story < How to Steal a Million

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story < Gandhi

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story < Children of Men

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story > Thor

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story > Dangerous Liaisons

Final spot: #972 out of 3376, or 71%.

They All Laughed (1981)

IMDb plot summary: A mad cap private-eye caper about a team of detectives who are following, and are being followed by, a group of beautiful women.

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, Patti Hansen, and John Ritter.

What this movie reminds me of most is those ambient Yule log or sidewalk cafe videos, but for surveillance. I feel like fully 60% of the film is just silently watching people walk around the city following each other. The other 40% is borderline nonsensical farcical romantic flings. The character dynamics here are so bizarre that I can't track who wants what - nobody behaves consistently from moment to moment. There are several moments that seem comedic, particularly John Ritter's scenes, but everything surrounding them is so incomprehensible that I'm not even entirely sure they ARE meant to be comedic. About halfway through I think I said out loud to myself, "What am I even watching?" It was especially disappointing considering some of my favorite comedies of all time are also directed by Peter Bogdanovich, so my response isn't angry or boredom so much as just the befuddled thought, "What happened?" A strange, messy, confusing movie that I'd have been just as happy not watching.

How it entered my Flickchart:

They All Laughed < The Misfits

They All Laughed < Deliverance

They All Laughed > Black Rose

They All Laughed < Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging

They All Laughed < Little Witch Academia

They All Laughed < The Passion of Joan of Arc

They All Laughed > The Monuments Men

They All Laughed > 1941

They All Laughed < Anastasia

They All Laughed > A Fistful of Dollars

They All Laughed < Repo! The Genetic Opera

Final spot: #2910 out of 3375, or 14%.

The Mauritanian (2021)

IMDb plot summary: Mohamedou Ould Slahi fights for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years.

Directed by Kevin Macdonald. Starring Tahar Rahim, Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Shailene Woodley.

Remembering that this is something that actually happened - and is still happening for others in Gitmo - makes this a really uncomfortable watch. Not in a bad way, just uncomfortable. Benedict Cumberbatch's incredibly southern accent is also uncomfortable, although to an entirely different degree, and he does a good job of conveying the moral arc of this character, as does Jodie Foster for hers. Tahar Rahim is compelling as well, but, disappointingly, it's not really his story, and I wish it was more. The script does a really good job of pacing the way the story unfolds and holding the audience's interest as they watch to see what actually happened. An interesting and thought-provoking movie handled fairly well, though I wish it centered more on Rahim's character than the lawyers'.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Mauritanian > The Misfits

The Mauritanian < Elf

The Mauritanian > Talk Radio

The Mauritanian < The Artist

The Mauritanian < Men in Black III

The Mauritanian < Pushing Tin

The Mauritanian < Nobody's Fool

The Mauritanian < Joker

The Mauritanian > Glory

The Mauritanian > Hero

The Mauritanian < Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

Final spot: #1255 out of 3374, or 63%.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

IMDb plot summary: A quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope.

Directed by Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe. Starring Abbie Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, and Michael Rianda.

This is a delightful watch, full of creativity and laughs and vivid characters that are still somehow rare in children's films outside of Disney and Pixar. The way the film uses animation is especially creative, leaning more into comic book or anime-style methods of depicting emotion, sound, and tension through visuals, and it works spectacularly. There are so many moments where this movie took me by surprise and made me laugh out loud, which I wasn't expecting, as well as having a tremendous amount of heart to it. There's so much to admire about this movie that it should have been a full-on transcendant film experience, and it wasn't quite, but I can't pinpoint anything that was actually missing. Maybe I just need to give it another rewatch someday, and in the meantime I'm happy to recommend it even if it's more with my head than my heart.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > Arctic

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > Dark Passage

The Mitchells vs. the Machines < Marriage Story

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > Knights of Badassdom

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > Purple Noon

The Mitchells vs. the Machines < Edge of Tomorrow

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > Lawrence of Arabia

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > The Reader

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > Silver Linings Playbook

The Mitchells vs. the Machines > Thor: Ragnarok

The Mitchells vs. the Machines < Ex Machina

Final spot: #476 out of 3373, or 86%.