The Visit (1964)

The Visit (1964)

Darryl F. Zanuck Productions

31 July 1964

Drama

DVD
C-

I hope they put out the good towels.  Bernhard Wicki directed, the year before Morituri.

Visioneers

Visioneers

Fireside Film etc.

June 12, 2008
Comedy, Sci-Fi

DVD
D+

They're definitely trying, but I just didn't find it interesting or funny.  Jared Drake directed.

Virtuosity

Virtuosity

Gary Lucchesi Productions etc.

August 4, 1995

Sci-Fi

DVD
D

A world where virtual reality and real reality are equally unrealistic.  Brett Leonard directed.

Virgin Suicides

Virgin Suicides

Paramount

May 19, 1999

Historical Drama

DVD

C-

I didn't know how to take this.  Director Sofia Coppola adapted the Jeffrey Eugenides novel.

The Virgin Spring AKA Jungfrukällan

The Virgin Spring AKA Jungfrukällan

Janus Films

8 February 1960

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

A bunch of unlikable medieval Swedes, in a Bergman movie.

Vincere AKA To Win

Vincere AKA To Win

01 Distribution

20 May 2009

Historical Drama, Romance

DVD
D

As appealing a movie as Mussolini's mistress deserves.  Marco Bellocchio directed and co-wrote.

The Village in the Woods

The Village in the Woods

Brake3

14 October 2019

Horror?

DVD
C-

Bumped up a notch or two for the scene-stealing performance of Therese Bradley, who seems to think she's in a '60s comedy, possibly a Carry On film.  Raine McCormack directed and co-wrote.

The Village

The Village

Touchstone etc.

July 30, 2004

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

I didn't dislike this as much as I expected, mostly because in the first quarter hour it was verging towards self-parody* that resembled the deliberate comedy Love at Stake (1988).  M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed of course.

*Including another reminder that I think William Hurt is a terrible actor.

A View to a Kill

A View to a Kill

United Artists etc.

24 May 1985

Action

DVD
C-

With Grace Jones and the Duran Duran "title song" (which doesn't mention the movie's title), the '80sness of this makes it more palatable than some James Bond movies, but not enough.  John Glen directed.

Victoria & Abdul

Victoria & Abdul

Focus Features etc.

15 September 2017

Historical Comedy
DVD
C-

This tries to offer both splendour and humour but fails at both.  It's based on Shrabani Basu's book Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant.  Stephen Frears directed.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Mediapro etc.

August 15, 2008

Comedy?
DVD
D

Even though it's latter-day Woody Allen, I was willing to give it a shot.  It soon felt like a C-, but there's too much of a contrived situation, not to mention heavy-handed narration.

A Very Long Engagement AKA Un long dimanche de fiançailles

A Very Long Engagement AKA Un long dimanche de fiançailles

2003 Productions etc.

27 October 2004

War Drama, Historical Drama, Romance, Mystery

DVD
B-

I saw this in the theater at the time because I loved Amelie.  Not as long ago, but when I wasn't as deep into this project as I am now, I gave Amelie a B-, the charm having faded.  This probably was a B in the theater, especially with some of the dazzling shots, but it's a B- at home now.  I definitely enjoyed it more than most war dramas of course.  But even the romance aspect doesn't really work for me, because the missing fiancé is such a cypher, even in flashbacks.  Then and now, I most loved the "at home" scenes, with the cats, uncle, aunt, and postman.

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet co-adapted the Sébastien Japrisot novel.

Very Bad Things

Very Bad Things

Initial Entertainment Group

November 25, 1998

Comedy

DVD
D

Lives up to its title, although apparently it gets much worse after the first quarter hour of pointless bickering, anti-Semitism, and cocaine.  (It did allow me to MST3K Jeremy Piven sucking on Ellen, when his character here asked what he did wrong.)  Peter Berg wrote and directed, before Friday Night Lights, Mile 22, and Patriots Day, which all got D's, so at least he's consistent.

Vertical Limit

Vertical Limit

Columbia etc.

December 8, 2000

Sports Drama

DVD
D+

Kind of forgettable, except for the sibling angle.  Martin Campbell directed, between The Mask of Zorro and Green Lantern.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Columbia etc.

October 1, 2021

Sci-Fi, Action

DVD
D-

Creepier than necessary.  Tom Hardy not only stars but co-wrote, while Andy Serkis directed.

Vengeance Valley

Vengeance Valley

MGM

February 6, 1951

Western
DVD
D+

A bit slow-moving, but at least the women had more to do than usual.  This is based on Luke Short's novel and directed by Richard Thorpe.

Varsity Blues

Varsity Blues

MTV Productions

January 15, 1999

Sports Drama, Sports Comedy
DVD
D+

I couldn't tell if the toxic masculinity was being critiqued or celebrated.  Brian Robbins directed.

Vanya on 42nd Street

Vanya on 42nd Street

Sony

October 19, 1994

Dramedy?

DVD
C-

Sort of about a casual but professional performance of a Chekhov play, I think.  David Mamet co-adapted and Louis Malle directed.

Vantage Point

Vantage Point

Columbia etc.

February 22, 2008

Action
DVD
C-

I didn't really care about the story, but the variety of viewpoints was kind of interesting.  Pete Travis directed.

Vanity Fair (2004)

Vanity Fair (2004)

Granada Productions etc.

September 1, 2004

Historical Drama, Historical Comedy, War Drama, Romance

DVD
B-

I have read the long novel many times (reviewed here https://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/01/vanity-fair.html) and when I first saw this movie in the theater, and yesterday when I watched it again, I found it a pretty good adaptation.  A lot gets left out, especially on the Amelia side, but the performances are generally solid and the costumes are sumptuous.  Julian Fellowes co-adapted Thackeray, and directed by Mira Nair.

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

The Vanishing of Sidney Hall

Super Crispy Entertainment etc.

January 25, 2017

Dramedy?
DVD
C-

Unfocused but not terrible.  Shawn Christensen directed and co-wrote.

The Vanishing AKA Spoorloos

The Vanishing AKA Spoorloos

Golden Egg Films

27 October 1988

Mystery, sort of

DVD
B-

Both tense and understated, with very little actual violence but a constant threat.  It's not quite a mystery, or a crime drama either, but more a gradual unwrapping of the story.  The ending didn't entirely work for me, although it does offer closure of a sort, so I can't go with a B or higher.  Director George Sluizer co-adapted Tim Krabbé's novel with Krabbé.

Vanilla Sky

Vanilla Sky

Cruise/Wagner

December 14, 2001

Sci-Fi?

DVD
C-

The music and the performers other than Cruise aren't bad.  (I tagged the ones I recognized.)  Cameron Crowe directed and co-wrote.

Il vangelo secondo Matteo AKA The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Il vangelo secondo Matteo AKA The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Arco Film etc.

4 September 1964

Historical Drama

DVD

D+

A bit dull, but I liked Mary's soulful eyes.  This is the fourth Pier Paolo Pasolini movie I've rejected, although I've certainly seen worse movies than his.

Van Helsing

Van Helsing

Sommers Company etc.

May 7, 2004

Horror

DVD
D-

Of course I wasn't going to like this.  Stephen Sommers wrote and directed, after The Mummy, and before G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Odd Thomas.  This is very loosely based on the books Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man.

Vampire's Kiss

Vampire's Kiss

Hemdale Film Corporation

September 17, 1988
Horror, Comedy
DVD
D+

The real horror is Cage's "intellectual" accent.  Robert Bierman directed.

Vampire Cleanup Department AKA 救僵清道夫

Vampire Cleanup Department AKA 救僵清道夫

Media Asia Films

16 March 2017

Horror, Comedy
DVD
C-

Too gory for me, but I can see the appeal.  Sin-Hang Chiu and Pak-Wing Yan co-directed, and co-wrote with other people.

Valhalla Rising

Valhalla Rising

Nimbus Film Productions

31 March 2010

Historical Drama, Action

DVD
F+

Extremely unwatchable, in "plot" and setting.  Nicolas Winding Refn directed and co-wrote, shortly after Bronson.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

EuropaCorp etc.

21 July 21 2017

Sci-Fi

DVD
D+

Thankfully a bit cheesy, especially the dialog.  Luc Besson wrote and directed, three years after Lucy.

Valdez Is Coming

Valdez Is Coming

United Artists

April 9, 1971

Western

DVD
D+

More nuanced than usual for this genre, but then it is based on an Elmore Leonard novel.  Edwin Sherin directed.

Vai

Vai

Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions etc.

4 April 2019

Drama

DVD
C

This has an interesting concept, but it didn't draw me in enough.  Becs Arahanga, Amberley Jo Aumua, Matasila Freshwater, Dianna Fuemana, Miria George, Ofa Guttenbeil, Marina McCartney, Nicole Whippy, and Sharon Whippy wrote and directed the different segments.  (I couldn't tag the Whippys, but I did watch only two segments.)

Vacation

Vacation

New Line etc.

July 29, 2015

Comedy
DVD
D+

I was actually not a fan of the original Chevy Chase series, but I gave this a shot, since the cast sounded interesting. I tuned out before most of them showed up though.  The younger son is so obnoxious, and the overall humor so cringe (and not funny cringe), only Lindsey Buckingham could bump this up from a D.  John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein co-directed and co-wrote, and in 2018 they'd do the far superior Game Night.

The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects

PolyGram etc.

August 16, 1995

Crime Drama

DVD
C-

Not my genre, but I did like that the timing was sharp.  Bryan Singer directed, over twenty years before Bohemian Rhapsody.

Us

Us

Monkeypaw Productions

March 22, 2019

Horror

DVD
C-

Not on a level with Peele's Get Out.

Urban Cowboy

Urban Cowboy

Paramount

June 6, 1980

Romance

DVD
D+

I would've gone with a C-, mostly for the music, but the sloppy way the shots were arranged was very distracting.  (Not documentary-style and not filmic.  Just like no one knew where to stand or sit, and I had no idea who I was supposed to be looking at.)  James Bridges directed and co-wrote.

The Upside of Anger

The Upside of Anger

Media 8 Entertainment

April 1, 2005

Dramedy?

DVD
D

Contains no likable or interesting characters.  Mike Binder wrote and directed, a couple years before Reign Over Me.

Up Periscope

Up Periscope

Warner Bros.

March 4, 1959

War Drama, Romance?

DVD
D+

The "romance" in this was both tedious and cringey, so I was actually waiting for them to get back to the war.  Then there was a twist, so D+ rather than D or D-.  This is based on Robb White's novel and directed by Gordon Douglas.

Up

Up

Disney/Pixar

May 29, 2009

Children's, Animation, Dramedy?

DVD
D+

I think more than any Pixar movie, this made me loathe the company, especially as I found the whole "marriage in a minute" montage incredibly manipulative.  Watching the first quarter hour today, I just found the movie, well, bland, especially the character design.  But, yes, I didn't detest it, so I've mellowed.  Peter Docter and Bob Peterson co-directed, and co-wrote with somebody else.

(Untitled)

(Untitled)

Parker Film Company

January 9, 2009

Dramedy?

DVD

D+

This is obviously meant to be satirical, but honestly Margaret Atwood (among others) was making these points about the art world thirty or forty years earlier.  Jonathan Parker directed and co-wrote.

The United States of Leland

The United States of Leland

Thousand Words etc.

January 18, 2003

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

At least the music isn't bad.  Matthew Ryan Hoge wrote and directed.

The Uninvited (1944)

The Uninvited (1944)

Paramount

February 10, 1944

Horror (technically)

DVD
B

I honestly had no expectations about this movie, which turned out to be both charming and genuinely spooky.  It has elements of witty comedy, sweet romance, and soap opera, including illegitimacy and lesbianism!  Plus a cute dog, cat, and even squirrel.  Oh, and this may have the most stunning haunted house ever on film.

This is based on Dorothy Macardle's novel Uneasy Freehold, and was Lewis Allen's first feature-length film.  (I didn't care for Suddenly, from a decade later.)