The Golden Stallion

The Golden Stallion

Republic Pictures

November 15, 1949

Western
DVD
D+

Boosted a bit by Dale's spunk.  William Witney directed this one, too.

Down Dakota Way

Down Dakota Way

Republic Pictures

September 9, 1949

Western
DVD
D+

Things perk up a little in the schoolhouse scene.  William Witney directed again.

Don't Fence Me In

Don't Fence Me In

Republic Pictures

October 20, 1945

Western, Musical, Mystery, Comedy

DVD
C+

This has comparatively sharp writing and direction (the latter by John English) and I was even thinking about a B-, but I didn't like the devolution of Dale's character from witty, sexy, brave career gal (photojournalist) to ineffectual sap who falls for the still pretty bland Roy (as Roy Rogers).

Marc Lawrence would still be playing villains decades later, including in "my" movies Foul Play and Super Fuzz, although it's The Man with the Golden Gun that was his previous flick on this project.

Young Bill Hickok

Young Bill Hickok

Republic Pictures

October 21, 1940

Western
DVD
D

The Civil War leads to an unscrupulous but unspecified country trying to steal gold-rich California, and to a couple breaking up!  Joseph Kane directed again.

Pals of the Golden West

Pals of the Golden West

Republic Pictures

November 15, 1951

Western

DVD
D+

Troubles along the Border Wall, like men in bear costumes.  So far, Roy is always "Roy Rogers" and Trigger is "Trigger," but Dale is never "Dale Evans."  William Witney directed again.

Trigger, Jr.

Trigger, Jr.

Republic Pictures

June 30, 1950

Western

DVD
D+

At least there are a lot of horses, as you might guess from the title.  William Witney directed.

Sons of the Pioneers

Sons of the Pioneers

Republic Pictures

July 2, 1942

Western, Comedy

DVD
D

Irritatingly over-acted.  This is on a 20-movie Roy Rogers collection, oh boy.  Joseph Kane directed.

Rough Night

Rough Night

Columbia Pictures etc.

June 16, 2017

Comedy
DVD
C-

Stereotypical characters but not too painful, at least in the first quarter hour.  Lucia Aniello directed and co-wrote.

Journey to Italy

Journey to Italy

Francinex etc.

8 September 1954

Drama

DVD
C

George Sanders helps, but not enough.  Rossellini directed and co-wrote, but then this and the two preceding movies are on a Rossellini collection.

Stromboli

Stromboli

RKO Radio Pictures

15 February 1950

Drama

DVD
C-

Life in a refugee camp, during World War II, but then they go to Stromboli.  Roberto Rossellini directed and co-wrote.  I again watched the English-language version.

Europe '51

Europe '51

I.F.E Releasing Corporation

12 September 1952

Drama

DVD
D+

A bad mother throws a party and her son hurls himself downstairs.  Roberto Rossellini directed and co-wrote.  I listened to the English-language version.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

Brandenberg etc.

September 10, 1990
Dramedy?

DVD
C-

I didn't exactly understand this, but it wasn't bad.  Tom Stoppard wrote and directed, and this was inspired by Hamlet.

Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby

Paramount

June 12, 1968

Dramedy

DVD

C-

A young couple gets a maybe-too-good-to-be-true apartment in New York City, in what I assume is a rip-off of Barefoot in the Park.  Director Roman Polanski adapted Ira Levin's novel.

Roseland

Roseland

Studio Unknown

October 2, 1977

Drama

DVD
D+

I felt like I was watching one of the duller episodes of Fantasy Island.  James Ivory directed.

Room (2015)

Room (2015)

Film4 etc.

4 September 2015

Drama

DVD
C-

I didn't find the situation plausible, but the main two performances were believable, if that makes sense.  Emma Donoghue adapted her own novel, and Lenny Abrahamson directed, three years before The Little Stranger.

Ronin

Ronin

United Artists etc.

September 25, 1998

Action

DVD
D

Pretty talky for an action movie, and not in a good way.  John Frankenheimer directed.

Romper Stomper

Romper Stomper

Film Victoria

12 November 1992

Crime Drama

DVD
D-

One of those movies where I can't think of a single reason to watch it, but it could be worse.  Geoffrey Wright wrote and directed.

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

20th Century Fox etc.

November 1, 1996

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I've seen at least some of this once before, close to its release, and it remains weird, that is creative but not necessarily enjoyable.  This time I tuned out before Juliet actually showed up, and I didn't even see that much of Romeo in the first quarter hour.  Director Baz Luhrmann helped adapt Shakespeare.

Romance of a Horsethief

Romance of a Horsethief

Allied Artists etc.

11 August 1971

Historical Drama

DVD
D

I DIDN'T!

Marked down a notch for poor sound recording.  This is based on the Joseph Opatoshu novel and directed by Abraham Polonsky.

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Sony Pictures etc.

November 22, 2017

Crime Drama?
DVD
C

I'm generally not big on legal dramas, but I was almost intrigued.  Dan Gilroy wrote and directed.

Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday

Paramount

September 2, 1953

Romcom

DVD
C+

The only other time I saw this was almost 40 years ago in a Latin class, where most of the students were bored but I was already a vintage-film fan.  This time, well, it's a bit creepy, and 37-year-old Gregory Peck seems much too old for 24-year-old Audrey Hepburn, because of their different images.  (There's a similar problem in Sabrina from the following year, although Bogie at 54, and a couple years from death, really was too old for her.)  I watched the whole thing but would've give a C if the "happy ending" was the main couple getting together.  Still, Hepburn remains luminous and Rome is Rome, so yeah, it's watchable.  Plus, Eddie Green Acres Albert as a bearded proto-beatnik photographer named Irving is worth something.

Blacklisted Dalton Trumbo wrote under a pseudonym, while William Wyler directed.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Lucasfilm Ltd.

December 16, 2016

Sci-Fi

DVD
D+

I've never been that into Star Wars, but the sets (or settings I guess since probably all digital) were good.  Gareth Edwards directed.

X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes

X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes

American International Pictures

September 19, 1963

Sci-Fi

DVD
C-

I like that the main characters all seem to be doctors.  Corman directed, and that's it for this collection.

Premature Burial

Premature Burial

American International Pictures

March 7, 1962

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

Kind of boring, but I really liked the sets and costumes.  This is based on Poe and directed by Corman.

A Bucket of Blood

A Bucket of Blood

American International Pictures

October 21, 1959

Comedy, Horror

DVD
D+

Marked down a notch for killing a cat (even if it's done offscreen and unconvincingly), this is definitely not on the level of Corman's Little Shop of Horrors.

Bloody Mama

Bloody Mama

American International Pictures

March 24, 1970
Crime Drama, Historical Drama

DVD
F+

Not only full of "shock value," but the dialogue is poor, including the exchange between Pa and Ma Barker that runs roughly, "Why can't I go?"/ "You gotta stay here"/ "But why can't I go?"/ "You gotta stay here."  Corman directed.

The Wild Angels

The Wild Angels

American International Pictures

July 20, 1966

Action
DVD
C-

I liked the cinematography and the music (by future Lt. Governor Mike Curb), and the first quarter hour was surprisingly nonviolent.  Corman directed.  I didn't see Bogdanovich in an uncredited role, but he also was an uncredited scriptwriter.

The Young Racers

The Young Racers

American International Pictures

January 1963

Sports Drama

DVD
D

Pretty dull and I kept wishing I were watching Beach Party instead.  Roger Corman directed.

The Trip (1967)

The Trip (1967)

American International Pictures

August 23, 1967

Drama?

DVD
D+

I've tried to watch this before, but it's surprisingly dull, except for the set design.  Jack Nicholson wrote and Roger Corman directed.

Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It

Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It

American International Pictures

September 1970
Comedy, Sci-Fi
DVD
C+

More interesting than entertaining I think, including the then shortly to be very recognizable faces who don't get enough to do, the actresses especially.  Roger Corman directed, and this is in a Corman collection alphabetized under "Roger."

Rocky III

Rocky III

MGM/United Artists

May 28, 1982

Sports Drama

DVD
C-

It was better than I expected, but I've never seen the first two movies, although I read two or three of the MAD Magazine parodies.  (I think this was the one that foreshadowed Rhinestone.)  Stallone wrote, directed, and obviously stars.

Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon AKA Those Fantastic Flying Fools

Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon AKA Those Fantastic Flying Fools

Jules Verne Films etc.

13 July 1967

Historical Comedy, Sci-Fi
DVD
C-

Not exactly historically accurate.  Based on Jules Verne obviously, and directed by Don Sharp.

The Rocker

The Rocker

Fox Atomic

August 20, 2008

Comedy, Musical
DVD
C

Bumped up a notch for Emma Stone, this movie is sort of a heavy-metal version of what Pete Best's revenge might look like.  (And apparently Best has a cameo.)  Peter Cattaneo directed.

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages

New Line Cinema etc.

June 15, 2012

Musical, Historical Comedy
DVD
C

This wasn't as bad as I expected, but it didn't draw me in.  Adam Shankman directed, after Bringing Down the House and the Hairspray remake.

Rock 'n' Roll High School

Rock 'n' Roll High School

New World Pictures

August 4, 1979

Musical, Comedy

DVD
C

I had this on VHS but never quite got into it.  I can see why it's a cult movie, but the energy feels off to me or something.  Allan Arkush and Joe Dante co-directed, and co-wrote with others.

Rock Jocks

Rock Jocks

September 1, 2012

Studio Unknown

Comedy
DVD
D+

I could almost see how this could be entertaining, if it was funny and/or the characters were likable.  Paul V. Seetachitt wrote and directed.

The Rock

The Rock 

Buena Vista etc.

June 7, 1996

Action

DVD
D-

A textbook example of most of the elements I don't want in a movie.  Michael Bay directed, surprisingly for the first time on this project.

RoboCop (1987)

RoboCop (1987)

Orion

July 17, 1987
Sci-Fi, Action

DVD

D+

I wasn't sure how to take this, because it has satiric elements, but it's definitely not a comedy.  And it did get pretty bloody in the first quarter hour.  Still I "liked" it more than I expected.  Paul Verhoeven directed.

Robin Hood (2018)

Robin Hood (2018)

Summit Entertainment etc.

November 21, 2018

Action, Historical Drama, Romance

DVD
D-

Somehow even worse than the Russell Crowe version, primarily due to the dialogue and anachronisms.  Otto Bathurst directed.

Robin Hood (2010)

Robin Hood (2010)

Imagine Entertainment etc.

May 14, 2010

Historical Drama, Action

DVD
D

Pretty implausible, including the stuff with Eleanor of Aquitaine.  Ridley Scott directed.

Rob Roy

Rob Roy

United Artists

April 14, 1995

Historical Drama, Action
DVD
D+

I didn't care about the story but the scenery was nice.  Michael Caton-Jones directed, four years after Doc Hollywood.

Roaring Twenties

Roaring Twenties

Warner Bros.

October 28, 1939

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I only made it as far as 1919, but it was interesting seeing Bogie and Cagney together as doughboys.  Raoul Walsh directed, after Band of Angels but before Dark Command and Action in the North Atlantic.

The Road Warrior AKA Mad Max 2

The Road Warrior AKA Mad Max 2

Roadshow Film etc.

24 December 1981

Sci-Fi, Action
DVD
D

Not my kind of movie, but bearable.  George Miller directed and co-wrote.

Road to Bali

Road to Bali

Paramount

December 25, 1952

Comedy
DVD
C

I really liked the Road movies as a kid, but this entry took so long for setup that Lamour barely made it into the first quarter hour.  Hal Walker directed, the year after At War with the Army.

The River (1984)

The River (1984)

Universal

December 19, 1984

Drama

DVD
C-

Bumped up a notch for Tennessee scenery.  Mark Rydell directed.

The Ring (2002)

The Ring (2002)

DreamWorks etc.

October 18, 2002

Horror

DVD
D+

The first quarter hour alone felt full of plotholes, although I could picture someone enjoying this movie in a MST3K kind of way.  This is based on the Japanese version, which in turn is based on the novel by Kôji Suzuki.  Gore Verbinski directed, before Rango and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff

Warner Bros.

October 21, 1983

Historical Drama

DVD
D

Even duller than I expected, and I've been avoiding this movie for almost 40 years.  Director Philip Kaufman adapted Tom Wolfe's book.

Rififi AKA Du rififi chez les hommes

Rififi AKA Du rififi chez les hommes 

Pathé

13 April 1955

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

I didn't care about the story or the characters, but it was mildly interesting to see '50s France.  Director Jules Dassin adapted Auguste Le Breton's novel.

Riders of Justice AKA Retfærdighedens Ryttere

Riders of Justice AKA Retfærdighedens Ryttere

Nordisk Film

19 November 2020

Action

DVD

C-

Oddly enough, I thought this was a crime drama with touches of comedy, but apparently it's an action dramedy.  Anders Thomas Jensen wrote and directed.

Ricki and the Flash

Ricki and the Flash

TriStar etc.

August 7, 2015

Dramedy, Musical

DVD
C+

I saw this in the theater.  Both then and this week, I didn't think it lives up to its potential, but it's interesting enough to watch all the way through.  Streep of course is the star as the very flawed mother and not so flawed musician.  Streep's daughter Mamie Gummer is obviously well-cast as Ricki's daughter.  Jonathan Demme directed and Diablo Cody wrote.