Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road

Paramount etc.

December 15, 2008

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

There must be more interesting movies about a 1950s couple arguing.  This is based on Richard Yates's 1961 novel (so not itself historical fiction), and directed by Sam Mendes, three years after Jarhead.

Reversal of Fortune

Reversal of Fortune

Warner Bros. etc.

November 9, 1990

Crime Drama

DVD
C-

I would've rather watched a documentary about the mansions we see in the opening shots, than this fictionalized version of real-life events, based on Dershowitz's book.  Barbet Schroeder directed.

Revanche

Revanche

Prisma Films etc.

16 May 2008

Drama

DVD
D+

Well, not as bleak as it could be, at least in the first quarter hour.  Götz Spielmann wrote and directed.

Return to Snowy River AKA The Man from Snowy River II AKA Untamed

Return to Snowy River AKA The Man from Snowy River II AKA Untamed

Disney etc.

24 March 1988

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Even the scenery and horses aren't that interesting.  Geoff Burrowes directed and co-wrote.

Retablo

Retablo

DHF etc.

7 August 2017

Drama

DVD
C-

The craft was more interesting than what I saw of the story.  Alvaro Delgado Aparicio directed and co-wrote.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse

Resident Evil: Apocalypse

Screen Gems etc.

September 10, 2004

Sci-Fi, Action
DVD
D-

Another boring, violent video-gamish movie but I didn't hate it.  Alexander Witt directed.

Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs

Miramax etc.

January 21, 1992

Crime Comedy?

DVD
D-

You know the drill by now.  I'm not going to like a Tarentino movie.  This one got bumped up for the brilliant casting of famously deadpan Steven Wright as a radio d.j.

Reservation Road

Reservation Road

Focus Features

October 19, 2007

Drama

DVD
D

Laughably heavy-handed.  John Burnham Schwartz helped adapt his own novel, while Terry George directed, three years after Hotel Rwanda.

The Rescuers

The Rescuers

Disney

June 22, 1977

Children's, Fantasy

DVD

C

I loved this movie at the time and even had the LP.  But today, watching it perhaps for the first time as an adult, it seemed a bit flat, like how they refer to a lion but we don't actually see it.  This is based on the Miss Bianca books by Margery Sharp, with three directors: John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Art Stevens.

Replicas

Replicas

Di Bonaventura Pictures etc.

October 26, 2018

Sci-Fi

DVD
D

Not enjoyable even in a cheesy way.  Jeffrey Nachmanoff directed and should be embarrassed about it.

The Replacement Killers

The Replacement Killers

Columbia etc.

February 6, 1998

Crime Drama?

DVD
D+

I appreciated that this included more nuance than other movies in this genre, but it's still this genre.  Antoine Fuqua directed.

Rent-A-Pal

Rent-A-Pal

IFC

September 11, 2020

Dramedy
DVD
C-

I guess this is actually a thriller, but I'm basing the genre on the first quarter hour.  And I can't top the IMDB review that claims, "The lasagna was the real villain in this movie."  Jon Stevenson wrote and directed.

The Rental

The Rental

Black Bear Pictures etc.

June 18, 2020

Horror

DVD
C+

I actually found myself drawn into this, because for most of the movie it's more of a psychological thriller than horror per se.  I was even leaning towards a B-.  But the hack-'em-up ending, with no explanation or backstory for the killer's motives, annoyed me.  If there had even been a twist reveal, however hokey, I could've lived with that.  Still, considering that this is not my usual genre, I was mostly entertained.  And of course the coastal scenery is both lovely and menacing, sometimes simultaneously.  So, yes, it would be worth a rental, ha ha.

Dave Franco directed and co-wrote.

Rent

Rent

Columbia etc.

November 23, 2005

Musical, Historical Drama

DVD
C

I saw this in the theater and didn't think it was as bad as some people said, but I didn't think it was great either.  More than fifteen years later, on a television, it's less involving, although the opening song of course remains good.  Chris Columbus directed, although this wasn't his usual thing.

Rendel

Rendel

Black Lion Pictures

22 September 2017

Sci-Fi, Action

DVD
D-

Talk about anti-vax!  I would've ranked this higher because of its quirkiness, but then they had to throw in an attempted rape scene.  Jesse Haaja directed and co-wrote.

Remember

Remember

Serendipity Point Films etc.

December 17, 2015

Drama

DVD
C-

Relatively intriguing for a movie I'm not interested in.  I mean it's kind of suspenseful but I didn't care about where it was going.  Atom Egoyan directed.

Relic (2020)

Relic (2020)

Screen Australia etc.

10 July 2020

Drama

DVD

D+

This feels like a sad family drama, but I guess it's actually a horror movie.  Natalie Erika James directed and co-wrote.

Relative Strangers

Relative Strangers

Garlin Pictures etc.

May 1, 2006

Comedy
DVD
C

I gave this 20 minutes because of the cast, but I have to admit that I started to lose interest when DeVito and Bates showed up as the crude bio-parents.  Greg Glienna directed and co-wrote.

Reign Over Me

Reign Over Me

Sony Pictures Rising etc.

March 23, 2007

Drama

DVD
D+

A dentist has poor boundaries.  Mike Binder wrote and directed.

The Ref

The Ref

Touchstone etc.

March 11, 1994

Comedy?!

DVD
F+

A strong contender for the worst comedy I've ever seen, not only is it painfully unfunny but nearly every character, major or minor (the marriage counselor partially excepted), is thoroughly unlikable.  Still, the Christmas decorations (yes, it's a Christmas movie, in March) are pretty.  Ted Demme directed, seven years before Blow, which I enjoyed comparatively (a C-).

Reefer Madness AKA Tell Your Children

Reefer Madness AKA Tell Your Children

G & H Productions

December 1, 1938

Drama?

DVD
C

I used to have this on VHS, but I don't know, maybe it's that I've never been stoned, I never found this all that funny.  It is sort of interesting as a relic of its time though, malt shop, "marihuana," and all.  Louis J. Gasnier directed.

Redwoods (2009)

Redwoods (2009)

Funny Boy Films

June 24, 2009

Romance

DVD
C-

The scenery is pretty of course but David Lewis's writing and direction are kind of flat.

Reds

Reds 

Paramount etc.

December 25, 1981

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

Feels a bit, I don't know, stagy?  Beatty directed, stars, and co-wrote.

The Red Violin

The Red Violin

Channel 4 Films

3 September 1998

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Mostly uninvolving.  François Girard directed and co-wrote.

The Red Turtle

The Red Turtle

Studio Ghibli

29 June 2016

Anime, Drama

DVD
C

I gave this twenty minutes because I liked the look of it, but all that time with no dialogue and little hope wore on me.  Michael Dudok de Wit directed and co-wrote.

Red Road

Red Road

UK Film Council etc.

27 October 2006

Drama

DVD

D+

A little depressing, but it was nice to see Paul Higgins from In the Loop.  Andrea Arnold directed and co-wrote, three years before Fish Tank.

Red Desert AKA Il deserto rosso

Red Desert AKA Il deserto rosso

Film Duemila etc.

29 October 1964

Drama

DVD
D+

Kind of dull.  Michelangelo Antonioni directed and co-wrote.

Red Cliff

Red Cliff

Edko Films etc.

10 July 2008

War Drama, Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Not my thing, but I liked the human elements.  Director John Woo co-adapted the Guanzhong Luo novel

Reckless

Reckless

MGM

February 3, 1984

Drama

DVD
D+

Other than the music and Pac-Man, a reminder of why I don't miss the '80s.  Chris Columbus wrote, and James Foley directed.

Rebel Without a Cause

Rebel Without a Cause

Warner Bros.

October 29, 1955

Drama

DVD
C-

I've watched this once before but I just can't get into it.  The best part is the sympathetic cop played by Edward Platt, and that feels wrong somehow.  Nicholas Ray directed and co-wrote.

Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca (1940)

United Artists

April 12, 1940

Mystery, Romance, Crime Drama, etc.

DVD
B-

I've read the Daphne Du Maurier novel multiple times and gave it a B+ (https://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/05/rebecca.html ).  I've seen this movie once or twice before, and watched the scene about it in Celluloid Closet multiple times.  This time, I was still entertained, but I wasn't wowed, and I couldn't help wishing I was watching a better George Sanders movie (All About Eve of course).  Hitchcock directed, which is why it crosses genres so much.

Rear Window

Rear Window

Paramount

September 1, 1954

Mystery, Romance, Dramedy

DVD
B

I'd seen this once or twice before and, although it's one of my favorite Hitchcock movies, I don't regard it as perfect.  To be honest, it would probably be a B- without that amazing set, since it's hard for me to like or care about any of the characters but the always incredible Thelma Ritter.  That said, I think the movie does get better as it goes on and it sucks the viewer in more.

Ready Player One

Ready Player One

Warner Bros. etc.

March 29, 2018

Sci-Fi

DVD
C

Although this is not my genre, I can very much see why people would like it.  (Personally, I was more curious about the "real" world than the online game.)  Ernest Cline adapted his own novel, and Spielberg directed.

Ready or Not

Ready or Not

Fox Searchlight etc.

August 21, 2019

Horror?
DVD
D

Unpleasant people doing unpleasant things, but the sets and costume are nice.  Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett co-directed.

The Reader

The Reader

Mirage Enterprises etc.

December 10, 2008

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Vaguely creepy.  David Hare based this on Bernhard Schlink's novel, and it's directed by Stephen Daldry, who also did The Hours and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, quite the track record.

The Razor's Edge (1946)

The Razor's Edge (1946)

20th Century Fox

December 25, 1946

Historical Drama

DVD
C

Odd but mildly interesting, and I was impressed by the long shots with no cuts or coverage.  This is based on the W. Somerset Maugham novel and he's one of the characters.  Edmund Goulding directed, seven years after Dark Victory.

Ray

Ray

Bristol Bay Productions etc.

October 29, 2004

Historical Drama, Musical

DVD
C-

This felt a little off to me, although I'm not sure why.  Something in the performances I think.  Taylor Hackford directed and co-wrote.

Raw AKA Grave

Raw AKA Grave

Petit Film etc.

14 May 2016

Sci-Fi?

DVD
D+

I guess this is actually horror but I had no idea what was going on and I thought it was a dystopia, not a weird veterinary school.  Julia Ducournau wrote and directed.

Ratchet & Clank

Ratchet & Clank

Focus Features etc.

April 29, 2016

Children's, Sci-Fi, Comedy
DVD
C-

Considering it's based on a video-game, not bad.  Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland co-directed.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Disney/Pixar

June 29, 2007

Animation, Children's, Fantasy, Comedy
DVD
C

I enjoyed this movie at the time and have long thought of it, accurately or not, as "the one Pixar movie I like."  But watching the first quarter-hour today, it seemed kind of bleak and I kept wishing I was watching Flushed Away instead.  Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava co-directed, and co-wrote with a bunch of people.

Rashomon

Rashomon

Daiei Film

26 August 1950

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

I'd of course heard of this movie for years, since I'm a sitcom fan.  The first quarter hour is very slow-moving, although I guess that's for set-up.  Akira Kurosawa directed and co-wrote.

The Rapture (1991)

The Rapture (1991)

New Line Cinema etc.

October 4, 1991

Drama?

DVD
D+

Unfortunately, not inspired by the Blondie song.  Michael Tolkin wrote and directed.

Ransom (1996)

Ransom (1996)

Touchstone (AKA Disney)

November 8, 1996

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

Apparently, this is what a lot of people were looking for at the movies in the mid-'90s.  Ron Howard directed.

Rango

Rango

Paramount etc.

March 4, 2011

Animation, Children's, Comedy, Western?
DVD
C-

This doesn't really fit any genre, and maybe that offness would appeal to some.  Gore Verbinski directed and co-wrote, five years after he directed Depp in PotC: Dead Man's Chest.

Rambo: First Blood II

Rambo: First Blood II

Tri-Star etc.

May 22, 1985

Action

DVD

D+

I don't know if I had tried to watch this before or if it was just that it had once been so much a part of the zeitgeist, but I was able to get a couple chuckles out of familiar dialogue.  Stallone co-wrote and of course stars.  George P. Cosmatos directed.

Rambling Rose

Rambling Rose

New Line Cinema etc.

September 20, 1991

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Well, the scenery was nice.  Calder Willingham adapted his own novel, and Martha Coolidge directed, thirteen years before The Prince and Me.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Disney

November 21, 2018

Children's, Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Action

DVD
C-

I'd never seen this before, although I saw Wreck-It Ralph in the theater and probably would've gone with a C+.  Anyway, this feels like it's made for people who actually care about these characters.  Phil Johnston and Rich Moore co-directed, and co-wrote with a bunch of people.

Raining Stones

Raining Stones

First Independent Films

8 October 1993

Dramedy
DVD

C-

Money troubles lead to mutton.  Ken Loach directed, about seven years before Bread and Roses.

Rain Man

Rain Man

United Artists etc.

December 16, 1988
Dramedy
DVD
D+

I didn't care about the Cruise character and the Hoffman character hadn't shown up yet.  Barry Levinson directed.