Strings (2004)

Strings (2004)

BOB Film Sweden AB

24 October 2004

Fantasy?, Historical Drama?

DVD

D-

Creepier marionettes than in Being John Malkovich, although there it was satirical.  Anders Rønnow Klarlund directed and co-wrote.

Street Smart

Street Smart

Cannon Group

March 20, 1987

Crime Drama

DVD

D

A racist crime drama that keeps thinking it's a wacky comedy about journalism.  Jerry Schatzberg directed.

A Street Cat Named Bob

A Street Cat Named Bob

Stage 6 Films etc.

4 November 2016

Dramedy

DVD
B

Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this honestly would be a C+ or B- without Bob as himself.  Without doing anything un-catlike or anthropomorphized, he offers his viewpoint and is both wise and adorable.  The human acting is pretty good, too, although there are some faults in the writing that might be due to the adaptation of the based-on-real-life book.  Roger Spottiswoode directed, thirty years after The Best of Times.

Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train

Warner Bros.

June 30, 1951

Mystery

DVD
D+

Contrived, and the "evil wife" is the most interesting character in the first quarter hour.  Raymond Chandler, Ben Hecht, and others adapted the Patricia Highsmith novel.  Hitchcock of course directed.

The Strangers (2008)

The Strangers (2008)

Rogue Pictures

May 30, 2008

Drama, Horror

DVD
D-

Both a dreary drama and a cliched horror movie, but could be worse I guess.  Bryan Bertino wrote and directed.

Strangerland

Strangerland

Worldview Entertainment etc.

5 June 2015

Drama

DVD
D

Unappealing family in a new town.  Kim Farrant directed.

Strange Days

Strange Days

Lightstorm Entertainment etc.

October 13, 1995

Sci-Fi, Crime Drama

DVD
F+

Incredibly repellent, but on the bright side it made me appreciate the Y2K New Year's party I went to.  Kathryn Bigelow directed, between Point Break and Detroit, which are better but still not good.

Strange Brew

Strange Brew

MGM

19 August 1983

Comedy
DVD
C-

This is bumped up a notch for quasi-nostalgia, in that I remember the McKenzie Brothers although I wasn't a fan, but it takes me back to that time, mostly pleasantly.  Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis not only co-star but co-wrote and even co-directed.

Storm (2005)

Storm (2005)

Studio Unknown

17 November 2005

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

I didn't really understand what was going on, but I've definitely seen worse in this project.  Måns Mårlind wrote and co-directed with Björn Stein.

Stonewall

Stonewall

Centropolis Entertainment

September 25, 2015

Historical Drama

DVD
D-

Subpar in every category, even costumes, making Milk look even better in comparison.  Roland Emmerich directed, the year before Independence Day: Resurgence.

Homo Erectus AKA National Lampoon's The Stoned Age

Homo Erectus AKA National Lampoon's The Stoned Age

Burnt Orange Productions etc.

January 2007

Historical Comedy
DVD
D+

I can kind of see what they were going for here, but I think Caveman is both funnier and more likable.  Adam Rifkin wrote, directed, and stars.

Stolen (2009)

Stolen (2009)

2 Bridges Productions etc.

October 10, 2009
Crime Drama

DVD

C-

Not my kind of story, but it looks well made.  Anders Anderson directed.

The Sting

The Sting

Universal

December 25, 1973

Crime Drama, Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I've watched this once or twice before, but, other than the very catchy "Entertainer" theme, it never stays with me.  George Roy Hill directed, four years after he directed Newman and Redford as Butch and Sundance.

Stillwater

Stillwater

Participant etc.

July 30, 2021

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

Although I wasn't interested in the story, I thought Damon did a nice job of being submerged in his character.  Tom McCarthy directed and co-wrote, eighteen years after The Station Agent, which, yes, I recently watched and liked.

Still (2018)

Still (2018)

Studio Unknown

April 21, 2018

Mystery?
DVD
D

I assume the total is a pun.  Takashi Doscher wrote and directed.

Stiff Upper Lips

Stiff Upper Lips

Impact Pictures etc.

12 June 1998

Parody, Historical Comedy
DVD
C-

I can see what they were going for, but it just didn't click for me.  Gary Sinyor directed and co-wrote.

Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias

Tri-Star

November 22, 1989
Dramedy
DVD
C-

I've of course heard of this movie since the time but never actually watched any of it before.  Today I was more interested in the houses than the characters.  Herbert Ross directed, after Play It Again, Sam and Footloose.

Steamboy

Steamboy

Sunrise etc.

17 July 2004

Anime, Historical Drama

DVD
D+

So steampunk, the main character's last name is Steam.  Katsuhiro Ôtomo directed and co-wrote.

The Station Agent

The Station Agent

SenArt Films etc.

January 26, 2003

Dramedy

DVD
B-

Tom McCarthy wrote and directed this mostly dry, quiet character study of a group of very different people who connect, and don't.

Stateside

Stateside

Samuel Goldwyn Films

February 27, 2004

Drama

DVD
D

Impressively unappealing.  Reverge Anselmo wrote and directed.

Statement

Statement

BBC Films etc.

12 December 2003

Drama

DVD
D

I feel like I've seen this before, not this specific movie.  This is based on Brian Moore's novel and directed by Norman Jewison.

State of the Union (1948)

State of the Union (1948)

Liberty Films

April 30, 1948

Comedy
DVD
C-

Not as clever as it thinks it is.  Capra directed.  I tuned out before Katharine Hepburn showed up.

Star Wars: Episode Four - A New Hope

Star Wars: Episode Four - A New Hope

Lucasfilm Ltd./ 20th Century Fox

May 25, 1977

Sci-Fi

DVD
C-

I of course saw this at the time and a few times since, as well as three or four of the later movies.  But I never really got into the franchise.  This time, nostalgia for R2D2 aside, I didn't really find much to entertain me in the first quarter hour.  Lucas wrote and directed.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Paramount

December 8, 1979

Sci-Fi

DVD

D+

I was never into any of the versions of Star Trek, although I probably watched a few episodes of the original series in syndication when I was a kid.  Anyway, I was either bored or thinking What? Why? with this today.  Robert Wise directed, about eleven years after Star!, the last Wise movie I reviewed.

A Star Is Born (2018)

A Star Is Born (2018)

MGM etc.

September 24, 2018

Musical, Drama

DVD

The music is worse than in the Judy version.  (I assume the Barbra version is better.)  Bradley Cooper stars, directed, and co-wrote.

A Star Is Born (1954)

A Star Is Born (1954)

Warner Bros.

October 16, 1954

Musical, Drama

DVD
D+

I've never actually watched any of the SIBs before.  With this one, I'm just going to pretend that Judy marries the Tommy Noonan character and lives happily ever after.  Cukor directed.

Star 80

Star 80

Warner Bros.

Nov. 10, 1983

Crime Drama?

DVD
D+

This seems well-made-- the pseudo-documentary style is arguably much smoother than in Star!-- but it's hard to watch such a despicable main character.  (Stratten seems like a supporting character in the first quarter hour.)  Bob Fosse wrote and directed.

Star! (1968)

Star! (1968)

20th Century Fox

October 22, 1968

Historical Comedy, Musical

DVD
C-

The music isn't that memorable and the structure is choppy, so even Andrews's charisma can go only so far.  Robert Wise directed, in the midst of a busy career, including the superior Sound of Music.

Stand Off AKA Whole Lotta Sole

Stand Off AKA Whole Lotta Sole

Generator Entertainment

April 21, 2012

Crime Comedy

DVD
D+

If this was just a movie about Brendan Fraser living in Belfast, I'd enjoy it more.  Terry George directed and co-wrote, after Hotel Rwanda and Reservation Road.

Stand by Me

Stand by Me

Columbia

August 22, 1986

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

I'd of course heard of this movie since the time but never had much interest in it.  I will say I like the setting, but I didn't care about the story.  This is based on the Stephen King novella The Body, and directed by Rob Reiner.

Stan & Ollie

Stan & Ollie

Entertainment One etc.

November 14, 2018

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I was never a Laurel & Hardy fan, but Coogan and Reilly do a decent job portraying them I guess.  This is inspired by A.J. Marriot's book Laurel and Hardy: The British Tours and directed by Jon S. Baird.

Stalingrad AKA Сталинград

Stalingrad AKA Сталинград

Columbia etc.

10 October 2013

War Drama

DVD
D-

Not just boring but so forgettable I had to replay several minutes of the movie when I went back to it after a few hours, because I couldn't remember what happened, and it's the same dreary lighting throughout.  This is based on the book by Ilya Tilkin, and directed by Fedor Bondarchuk.

Stalag 17

Stalag 17

Paramount

June 6, 1953

War Comedy

DVD

C

Although this is not really my genre, I did appreciate the dark humor, as well as the interesting cast.  Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote.

St. Elmo's Fire

St. Elmo's Fire

Columbia

June 28, 1985

Drama

DVD
D

I was of course aware of this movie at the time (and that the critics hated it), but I was a Gen-Xer who avoided Brat Pack movies.  Turns out...it's about unrealistic and in some cases unpleasant characters.  Joel Schumacher directed and co-wrote, before Phone Booth etc.

The Squid and the Whale

The Squid and the Whale

Sony Pictures etc.

January 24, 2005

Drama

DVD
D+

I'm definitely Team Divorce.  Noah Baumbach wrote and directed, autobiographically, fourteen years before the ironically titled Marriage Story.

The Squad AKA El Páramo

The Squad AKA El Páramo

Studio Unknown

7 October 2011

War Drama? Horror?

DVD
D-

Almost everything I couldn't want.  Jaime Osorio Marquez directed and co-wrote.

Spy Game

Spy Game

Beacon Pictures

November 21, 2001

Action?

DVD
D-

I actually disliked this movie more when Redford started wisecracking.  Tony Scott directed, six years after Crimson Tide.

Sputnik AKA Спутник

Sputnik AKA Спутник

Vodorod Pictures etc.

23 April 2020

Sci-Fi, Horror

DVD
D

I mentally tuned out pretty early on.  Egor Abramenko directed.