Unhinged

Unhinged

Ingenious Media

August 21, 2020

Crime Drama?

DVD

C-

I actually watched more than my standard quarter hour, because my DVD malfunctioned and landed me maybe 20 minutes into the movie, and then I was able to go back and try to piece together how the two threads connected.  So that was something, but not enough to stick with this film.  Derrick Borte directed.

Unforgiven (1992)

Unforgiven (1992)

Malpaso Productions etc.

August 7, 1992

Western

DVD
D

I sort of liked the saloon-girls teaming up, but definitely not enough to keep watching.  Eastwood not only stars but directed.

The Unforgotten (1960)

The Unforgotten (1960)

United Artists

April 6, 1960

Western
DVD
C-

Notable for its casting at least.  (I tagged who I saw in the first quarter hour.)  This is based on Alan Le May's novel and directed by John Huston.

Unfaithful

Unfaithful

Fox etc.

May 10, 2002

Drama

DVD
C-

The first quarter hour was better than I expected, considering it's directed by Adrian Lyne.

Underworld

Underworld

Lakeshore Entertainment etc.

September 19, 2003

Horror, Sci-Fi

DVD
D+

Violent of course, but I liked the sets and a few of the costumes.  Len Wiseman directed and co-wrote.

Under Wraps (2014)

Under Wraps (2014)

Kickstart Productions Canada

October 2014

Children's, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Direct-to-DVD

D+

Pretty forgettable, except for the Canadian pronunciation of "lever."  Gordon Crum directed.

Under the Volcano

Under the Volcano

Universal

June 13, 1984

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Almost interesting.  This is based on the Malcolm Lowry novel and directed by John Huston.

Under the Lighthouse Dancing

Under the Lighthouse Dancing

Village Roadshow

16 October 1997
Drama

DVD
C-

The characters and story didn't draw me in, but the scenery was nice.  Graeme Rattigan directed and co-wrote.

Under Fire

Under Fire

Orion Pictures

October 21, 1983

War Drama

DVD
D+

Bumped up a notch for Joanna Cassidy's lowcut red dress.  Roger Spottiswoode directed, before The Best of Times and Turner & Hooch, although he did go on to A Street Cat Named Bob eventually.

Unconditional (2012)

Unconditional (2012)

Harbinger Media Partners etc.

September 21, 2012

Drama

DVD
B-

This movie was better than I expected, but not as good as I hoped.  I generally don't like "Christian movies," because I'm not a Christian and most of those movies are heavy-handed about their messaging. This one was subtler, with no overt proselytizing until about half an hour before the end.  And even then, I was swept up in the emotion, particularly Sam's thread.  The thing is, I was shipping Sam/Joe, but I suspect she's the made-up part of this "true story," especially because Joe was already married to Denise in real life at the time he became "Papa Joe."  So they show us this connection between the two childhood friends who have rediscovered each other and still need each other, but it's all platonic (and fictional) in the end.  And much of the story is about Sam trying to solve the mystery of her husband's murder and then it seems that "it doesn't matter" who killed him.  At least we do get to see Sam going back to writing children's books.

Brent McCorkle wrote and directed.

Uncommon Valor

Uncommon Valor

Paramount

December 16, 1983

Action

DVD
D

Not my kind of movie.  I tuned out before most of the recognizable actors showed up.  Ted Kotcheff directed, a dozen years before Hidden Assassin.

Unbreakable

Unbreakable

Touchstone etc.

November 22, 2000

Sci-Fi, Action
DVD
D

Yeah, whatever.  M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

The Saul Zaentz Company/ Orion

February 5, 1988

Historical Drama, Romance

DVD
D+

A bit creepy.  Director Philip Kaufman co-adapted the Milan Kundera novel, and he would go on to the creepier Twisted and Quills.

Ugly Dolls

Ugly Dolls

STX Family

May 3, 2019

Children's, Fantasy, Musical

DVD
D+

A little unbearable, but I've certainly seen worse.  Kelly Asbury directed.

Uccellacci e uccellini

Uccellacci e uccellini AKA The Hawks and the Sparrows

Arco Film etc.

4 May 1966

Dramedy
DVD
C

I watched this to the mid-point because I really did like the part before the fable of the monks.  Pier Paolo Pasolini wrote and directed, between Accatone and Porcile.

Tyrel

Tyrel

Magnolia Pictures

December 5, 2018

Dramedy

DVD
C-

Pretty well acted but uncomfortable to watch.  Sebastián Silva wrote and directed.

Two Lovers

Two Lovers

2929 Productions

October 16, 2008

Romance

DVD
D+

Not very romantic, but it's almost always nice to see Brooklyn on film.  James Gray directed and co-wrote, before The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z.

2 Guns

2 Guns

Marc Platt Productions

August 2, 2013

Crime Comedy
DVD
C-

Not really my thing, but the banter wasn't bad.  Baltasar Kormákur directed, between 101 Reykjavík and Adrift.

The Two Faces of January

The Two Faces of January

StudioCanal etc.

April 24, 2014

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

I kind of felt like I'd seen this before, but it's always nice to see Kirsten Dunst.  Director Hossein Amini adapted the Patricia Highsmith novel.

Two Brothers & a Bride AKA A Foreign Affair

Two Brothers & a Bride AKA A Foreign Affair

B&W Films Inc.

January 21, 2003

Dramedy
DVD

C-

Has potential I guess.  Helmut Schleppi directed.

Two Brothers AKA Deux frères

Two Brothers AKA Deux frères

Pathé

7 April 2004

Children's, Historical Drama

DVD
C-

Not many children's movies switch from tiger sex to a Victorian auction.  Jean-Jacques Annaud directed and co-wrote, 

Twister

Twister

Warner Bros. etc.

May 10, 1996

Action?

DVD
C-

Right foot blew.  Jan de Bont directed, a couple years after Speed.

Twisted

Twisted

Kopelson Entertainment

February 27, 2004

Crime Drama

DVD

D-

Lives up to the title.  Philip Kaufman directed, long after The Right Stuff and four years after Quills.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

Disney

December 23, 1954

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

Even with Peter Lorre and a bit of sea life, I wasn't intrigued.  I'm going with "historical drama" as the genre, since I tuned out before anything sci-fi, but this is an adaptation of Jules Verne.  Richard Fleischer directed, so this is his sixth movie I've rejected in this project.

21 Bridges

21 Bridges
MWM Studios

Nov. 22, 2019

Crime Drama

DVD
D

Typical.  Brian Kirk directed.

2046

2046

Jet Tone Productions etc.

20 May 2004

Sci-Fi, Romance

DVD
C-

Stylish but it didn't draw me in.  Kar-Wai Wong wrote and directed.

25th Hour

25th Hour

Touchstone etc.

December 16, 2002

Crime Drama

DVD
D

Pretty forgettable, except for the poor dog.  David Benioff adapted his own novel, and Spike Lee directed.

28 Weeks Later

28 Weeks Later

Fox etc.

11 May 2007

Horror, Sci-Fi

DVD
D

I didn't know this was a sequel to 28 Days Later, and I wondered why it started right in the middle of the action.  (And then there's a flashback.)  Juan Carlos Fresnadillo directed and co-wrote.

12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave

Plan B Entertainment

November 8, 2013

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

Hard to watch because of the subject matter.  This is based on Solomon Northup's memoir, and directed by Steve McQueen (not that Steve McQueen).

12 Strong

12 Strong

Alcon Entertainment

January 19, 2018

War Drama

DVD
D+

I disliked this less than I expected, mostly because it had some homefront stuff.  This is based on Doug Stanton's book Horse Soldiers and directed by Nicolai Fuglsig.

12 Mighty Orphans

12 Mighty Orphans

Greenbelt Films etc.

June 11, 2021

Historical Drama, Sports Drama

DVD

D-

Depressing Depression era tale, with football!  Director Ty Roberts co-adapted Jim Dent's Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football, which would've been an unwieldy movie title.

12 Hour Shift

12 Hour Shift

Magnet Releasing

April 15, 2020

Comedy, Horror

DVD
C-

The quirkiness helps, but not enough.  Brea Grant wrote and directed.

Turtle Tale

Turtle Tale

Totem Films

November 7, 2015

Children's, Sports Comedy

DVD
D+

Three or four forgettable plot lines.  Luc Campeau directed.

Turning Red

Turning Red

Disney/Pixar

March 1, 2022

Animation, Children's, Comedy [I tuned out before the "fantasy" element]

DVD

D+

I didn't like the main character or her mother.  Domee Shi directed and co-wrote.

The Turning

The Turning

DreamWorks etc.

January 24, 2020

Horror

DVD
D+

For horror, this wasn't terrible (the first quarter hour anyway), but it is based on Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, which I've never read.  Floria Sigismondi directed.

Turner & Hooch

Turner & Hooch

Touchstone etc.

July 28, 1989

Crime Comedy
DVD
D+

Unlikable title characters but a bit of nice coastal scenery.  Roger Spottiswoode directed, about three years after The Best of Times, and over twenty years before A Street Cat Named Bob.

Turbo

Turbo

DreamWorks etc.

July 17, 2013

Animation, Fantasy, Children's, Sports Comedy

DVD
D

CGI snail wants to be a racecar driver, as his friends catcall a tomato.  David Soren directed and co-wrote, four year before Captain Underpants.

Tully

Tully

Bron Studios

May 4, 2018

Dramedy
DVD
D+

A bit painful to watch.  Jason Reitman directed, around the time of Front Runner, so therefore about a dozen years after Thank You for Smoking.

Tulip Fever

Tulip Fever

Worldview Entertainment etc.

1 September 2017

Historical Drama, Romance

DVD
B-

Deborah Moggach's adaptation, with Tom Stoppard, of her own novel is implausible but held my attention throughout.  Justin Chadwick directed, and I rejected two of his other movies, but I did give The First Grader a B- as well.

Tucked

Tucked

Belstone Pictures etc.

21 July 2018

Dramedy
DVD
C-

Both different and cliched.  Jamie Patterson wrote and directed.

Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting

Disney etc.

October 11, 2002

Historical Drama, Fantasy

DVD
C-

I liked this movie at the time, although not as much as the Natalie Babbitt book (reviewed here https://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/search?q=tuck).  This time, the changes from the book all served to weaken the story (and I only watched the first quarter hour).  Jay Russell directed.

Trumbo

Trumbo

ShivHans Pictures

November 27, 2015

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

Too bad the acting, writing (based on Bruce Alexander Cook's biography Dalton Trumbo), and direction by Jay Roach aren't stronger.

True to the Game

True to the Game

Imani etc.

September 8, 2017

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

Bumped up a notch or two for the female characters.  This is based on the novel by Teri Woods and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II.

True Romance

True Romance

Morgan Creek Productions etc.

September 10, 1993

Well, I guess Romance

DVD
C-

The lack of violence in the first quarter hour is refreshing, especially with a Tarantino script.  Tony Scott directed, before Crimson Tide, etc.

Troy

Troy

Warner Bros. etc.

May 14, 2004

Historical Drama, War Drama, Romance

DVD
D+

The cheesiness helps, but not enough.  Wolfgang Petersen directed, long after Das Boot and The Neverending Story.

Troubled Water AKA De usynlige

Troubled Water AKA De usynlige

Paradox Spillefilm

26 September 2008

Drama

DVD
D+

Not my kind of film, but the organ music was nice.  Erik Poppe directed.

The Trouble with Angels

The Trouble with Angels

Columbia

March 30, 1966

Comedy

DVD
C+

I'm not surprised this is based on a book, in fact Jane Trahey's memoir Life with Mother Superior, because it feels like one of those books that could make a great movie, but doesn't.  It also feels like a stageplay, with so much action happening offscreen.  Still, it's probably something I watched as a kid and it passed the time mostly pleasantly this week.  Ida Lupino directed.