Matilda (1996)

Matilda (1996)

TriStar etc.

August 2, 1996
Children's, Comedy, Horror?

DVD
C

I enjoyed this when I saw it with an audience, many years after its initial release, but watching about half an hour at home by myself, it was hard to get past the multiple instances of child abuse and neglect, even though done in an exaggerated manner.  Also, Roald Dahl's disgust at television, which was fun in the various versions of Chocolate Factory, feels gratuitous here.  DeVito directed, narrates, and plays Matilda's awful father.

The Matador

The Matador

Miramax etc.

January 2005

Crime Comedy
DVD
D+

I didn't care about either plot thread, but the music isn't bad.  Richard Shepard wrote and directed.

Master of the World

Master of the World

AIP

May 1961

Historical Drama, Sci-Fi

DVD
B-

On the one hand, this is a zany American International Picture, with everything from very obviously recycled footage to a supporting cast that includes silent film comedian Snub Pollard, once ubiquitous Vito Scotti (his first name misspelled in the credits), and random beefcake crew.  And on the other hand, it's an earnest examination of the meaning of war and weaponry, with Vincent Price as the misguided genius.  And, yes, Charles Bronson is the hero who gets the girl, even though she's engaged and never seems to actually end the engagement onscreen.  I haven't read the Jules Verne novels this is based on and I'm sure that a lot was changed for the adaptation, but I was entertained in a different way than by most movies, especially in this project.  William Witney directed.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

20th Century Fox etc.

November 14, 2003

Historical Drama

DVD
D

Boring but pretty innocuous I guess.  This is based on various Patrick O'Brian novels and directed by Peter Weir.

Masked and Anonymous

Masked and Anonymous

BBC Films etc.

22 January 2003

Sci-Fi?, Dramedy?

DVD
C-

Odd but not interesting enough.  Bob Dylan stars as the has-been rock star and he co-wrote the script with director Larry Charles.

The Mask of Zorro (1998)

The Mask of Zorro (1998)

TriStar etc.

July 17, 1998

Historical Drama, Action

DVD
D+

Pretty dull but has some nice shots, like the silhouette of Zorro on his horse.  Martin Campbell directed, about thirteen years before Green Lantern, which is worse.

Mask (1994)

Mask (1994)

New Line

July 29, 1994

Crime Comedy?

DVD
C-

I saw this in the theater and it was one of the movies that made me wary of Carrey, although I stayed to the end then.  This time, the most interesting part of the first quarter hour is of course the introduction of 21-year-old Cameron Diaz.  Chuck Russell directed.

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots

Working Title Films etc.

November 15, 2018

Historical Drama

DVD
C

I know this period of British history fairly well but I'd be willing to overlook anachronisms if the way this story is told were more gripping.  Ronan does a nice job as the title character of course, but Josie Rourke's direction, including the overly bleak cinematography, do the film no favors.  This is based on John Guy's Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart.

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins Returns

Disney

December 19, 2018

Children's, Historical Drama

DVD
C-

Sort of flat sort of sequel.  I tuned out before Mary, or indeed many characters, even appeared, although I appreciate Julie Walters giving her all, as always.  This is based on the "stories" of P.L. Travers, although I doubt she ever wrote Jane as a labour organizer.  Rob Marshall directed.

Martian Child

Martian Child

New Line

November 2, 2007

Dramedy
DVD
D+

I found this cliched and heavy-handed, although I bumped it up a D+ because of Joan Cusack, who as usual acts well against her brother John, although she deserves better material.  This is based on the David Gerrold short story and novella (neither of which I've read, but it appears that the protagonist was gay in one version).  Menno Meyjes directed.

The Martian

The Martian

20th Century Fox

September 27, 2015

Sci-Fi

DVD
D-

I was leaning towards my standard D for Dull, but then Matt Damon started treating his own injury.  This is based on the Andy Weir novel and directed by Ridley Scott.

Marshall

Marshall

Open Road Films etc.

October 13, 2017

Drama

DVD
C

Although this is based on part of the life of Thurgood Marshall, I found it a bit flat, especially compared to Just Mercy.  Reginald Hudlin directed.

Marriage Story

Marriage Story

Heyday & Netflix

August 31, 2019

Drama

DVD
C

A more accurate title would be Separation Story or Divorce Story, and as it is it was too downbeat for me.  Noah Baumbach wrote and directed.

Marley & Me

Marley & Me

Fox etc.

December 25, 2008

Dramedy
DVD
D+

I'm not a dog person and I didn't really like any of the human characters, especially Owen Wilson as an idiot.  This is based on the very popular book by John Grogan (the real-life idiot) and it set a Christmas Day box-office record.  David Frankel directed.

Maria Full of Grace

Maria Full of Grace

HBO Films etc.

January 18, 2004

Drama

DVD
D+

I liked the protagonist but it was hard to watch her suffer, and it sounds like things get much worse after that first quarter hour.  Joshua Marston wrote and directed.

Marathon Man

Marathon Man

Paramount

October 8, 1976

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

Not at all my cup of tea, although it was mildly interesting to see mid-'70s New York.  (I tuned out before Olivier showed up.)  William Goldman adapted his own novel.  John Schlesinger directed.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Disney

March 11, 1977

Children's, Animation, Musical, Crime Comedy
DVD
C

I watched a third of this, carried along somewhat by nostalgia, but Winnie really is not a particularly sympathetic character, and I added a "crime comedy" tag because of him trying to not just mooch but steal and trespass.  (And I tuned out before we got to Piglet and Tigger.)  This is of course based on A.A. Milne.  I'm crediting all three directors, although I don't know who did which sequences: John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Ben Sharpsteen.

Manna from Heaven

Manna from Heaven

Five Sisters Productions

September 14, 2002

Dramedy?

DVD
C-

This has an interesting premise but the execution is lacking.  I tuned out before most of the recognizable faces showed up.  Gabrielle Burton wrote and co-directed, an unusual arrangement.  (And it looks like the production takes its name from her, her co-director Maria, and other sisters.)

Manic

Manic

IFC Films

January 27, 2001

Crime Drama

DVD
D-

Pretty unwatchable but the acting isn't bad.  Jordan Melamed directed.

Manhattan

Manhattan

United Artists

April 25, 1979

Dramedy, Romance

DVD
C-

I think I had this on VHS at some point (taped off of TV), but it always felt like a letdown compared to Annie Hall, and that's putting aside the whole "dating a 17-year-old" aspect.  Anyway, I didn't hate it this time but, unlike Annie, it's not worth revisiting.  Woody wrote, directed, and stars.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

20th Century Fox etc.

September 7, 2013

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I don't know if it's the way this was directed, by Justin Chadwick, but I wasn't drawn in.  This is based on Mandela's autobiography.

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Paramount

July 30, 2004

Drama?

DVD
D

Pretty dull, and no, I've never seen the '60s version or read the Richard Condon novel.  Jonathan Demme directed.

Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea

Amazon Studios etc.

January 23, 2016

Drama

DVD
D+

Boring plumber, pretty snow.  Kenneth Lonergan wrote and directed.

The Man with Two Brains

The Man with Two Brains

Warner Bros.

June 3, 1983

Comedy, Sci-Fi

DVD
C-

I liked this when I saw it maybe ten years ago but today it was more tasteless and less funny than I recalled.  (Or maybe it was Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid that I liked.)  Carl Reiner directed and cowrote.

The Man with the Golden Gun

The Man with the Golden Gun

United Artists

19 December 1974

Action

DVD
C-

I bumped this up from a D+ because of the dated elements, like the wretched proto-disco title song (and I like proto-disco) and of course Mr.Villechaize.  This is based on you know what, and directed by Guy Hamilton, who also did Diamonds Are Forever, which I found much worse.

The Man Who Would Be King

The Man Who Would Be King

Allied Artists

December 19, 1975

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I was leaning towards a D+ but things perked up a bit on the train.  This is based on the Rudyard Kipling novella and directed by John Huston, who cowrote the screenplay.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

The Man Who Fell to Earth

British Lion

18 March 1976

Sci-Fi

DVD
C-

I couldn't get into this but I could sort of see why it's a cult film.  This is based on the novel by Walter Tevis and directed by Nicolas Roeg.

Man on the Moon

Man on the Moon

Universal etc.

December 22, 1999

Historical Drama, Historical Comedy

DVD
C-

I knew this movie wasn't for me, despite my soft spot for Latka on Taxi and even some of Kaufman's SNL appearances, when my favorite parts of the first quarter hour were Andy as a child and the "bad" Siamese twin joke.  Oh, and the stunt-casting of Danny DeVito.  Milos Forman directed.

Man of the Century

Man of  the Century

Fine Line Features

January 24, 1999

Comedy
DVD
C+

I really thought I was going to like this much more than I ended up liking it.  It's a winning premise, not unlike The Brady Bunch Movie, where the main character(s) are stuck in a stylized version of a particular era, while all around them is the contemporary world, which is somewhat won over to the past.  But this movie felt unfocused and as it went on, I was less enchanted.  Still points for effort, and it's always nice to see Chasing Amy's Dwight Ewell, playing another too-smart-for-the-room gay Black man.

The Man from Colorado

The Man from Colorado

Columbia

December 1948

Western
DVD
D+

Well, I liked the costumes.  Henry Levin directed.

A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons

Columbia

12 December 1966

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

A fascinating period of British history made stiff and flat.  Fred Zinnemann directed seven years before The Day of the Jackal, which is a little bit worse.

A Man Called Ove AKA En man som heter Ove

A Man Called Ove AKA En man som heter Ove

Nordisk Film

25 December 2015

Dramedy
DVD
D+

I failed to get very far into the book, although I made it through a couple other Fredrik Backman novels with unsympathetic main characters.  The movie isn't any better, although it did show a cat, which is always nice.  Hannes Holm directed and wrote the screenplay.

The Man (2005)

The Man (2005)

New Line

September 9, 2005

Crime Comedy
DVD
D-

Simultaneously boring, stupid, unfunny, and racist, but not too violent.  Les Mayfield directed about six years after Blue Streak, which at least had better music.

Mama

Mama

Universal etc.

January 18, 2013

Horror

DVD
D

I appreciate that the first quarter hour wasn't as violent or as creepy as I expected.  Andy Muschietti directed and co-wrote, six years before It: Chapter Two, which I gave a D-.

Maleficent

Maleficent

Disney

May 30, 2014

Fantasy

DVD
C

I liked the prologue but then the girl fairy grew up to be a shouty Angelina Jolie and the film literally and figuratively darkened.  I guess this is based on a book, in the sense that it's loosely from the Perrault fairytale.  Robert Stromberg directed.

Makala

Makala

Studio Unknown

23 May 2017

Documentary

DVD
D+

Wood-chopping, thorn-removal, and rat-grilling.  Emmanuel Gras directed.

Major Dundee

Major Dundee

Columbia

March 16, 1965

Western
DVD
D

I appreciate that this was less violent and racist than I expected for a Peckinpah Western.

The Majestic

The Majestic

Warner Bros.

December 21, 2001

Historical Drama

DVD
B-

This movie is long and more complicated than it seems capable of resolving, but I generally enjoyed it, including the contrast between Lawson and the more hostile world outside.  The cameo voicework by various directors adds some humor.  Also, I always prefer the more serious, less manic Jim Carrey, as in The Truman Show (which had a different relationship to the safe little world and the big scary world of course).  Frank Darabont directed a couple years after The Green Mile, which was much less my kind of movie.

Magnolia

Magnolia

New Line

January 7, 2000

Drama?

DVD
D+

Deliberately unfocused, although I did like the extended cover version of "One Is the Loneliest Number."  Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed.

Magic Mike

Magic Mike

Warner Bros, etc.

June 24, 2012

Drama?

DVD
D

Unappealing.

Magic in the Moonlight

Magic in the Moonlight

Sony etc.

July 25, 2014

Historical Comedy
DVD
C

I tried to keep an open mind about this, since after all I still own and sometimes watch a few of Woody Allen's '70s movies.  And the premise is promising, the cast likable.  (I tuned out before Emma Stone actually showed up.)  However, I found the exposition bloated, with details being explained multiple times in the first quarter hour.

Mademoiselle Paradis AKA Licht

Mademoiselle Paradis AKA Licht

Studio unknown

9 November 2017

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Depressing, although I was mildly intrigued by the social commentary about the late eighteenth century.  Director Barbara Albert adapted the novel by Alissa Walser.

Madeline's Madeline

Madeline's Madeline

Oscilloscope Laboratories etc.

August 10, 2018

Drama?
DVD
D

Creepy.  Josephine Decker directed and co-wrote.

Made in Italy

Made in Italy

Lionsgate etc.

7 August 2020

Dramedy
DVD
C+

I feel like there's a better movie trapped inside this one, but even the Italian scenery didn't wow me.  Still, worth a watch I think.  James D'Arcy wrote and directed.

The Mackintosh Man

The Mackintosh Man

Warner Bros.

July 25, 1973

Action?
DVD
D+

Newman is Australian, because why not?  John Huston directed.

The Machinist

The Machinist

Paramount etc.

January 18, 2004

Drama?
DVD
D-

Unpleasant in multiple ways.  Brad Anderson directed.