While You Were Sleeping

While You Were Sleeping

Hollywood Pictures etc.

April 21, 1995

Romcom
DVD
C-

I like Sandra Bullock, including in romcoms, but it's hard to get invested in a story where she "falls in love" with a man she's never actually met.  Jon Turteltaub directed, fifteen years before The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Where the Red Fern Grows, Part Two

Where the Red Fern Grows, Part Two

Red Fern II

1992 (Straight-to-video I think)

Historical Drama

DVD

D+

I can't remember if I read the original book by Wilson Rawls, but it probably doesn't matter.  Jim McCullough, Jr., directed.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing

Columbia etc.

July 15, 2022

Historical Drama, Crime Drama

DVD

D+

At least it had scenery and a cat.  This is based on the novel by Delia Owens, and directed by Olivia Newman.

Where Hope Grows

Where Hope Grows

Godspeed Pictures etc.

April 6, 2014

Drama

DVD
D+

Not as heavy-handed as it could've been.  Chris Dowling wrote and directed.

Where God Left His Shoes

Where God Left His Shoes

Vulcan Productions

April 27, 2007

Drama

DVD
C-

Pretty good acting but the story is too downbeat for me.  Salvatore Stabile wrote and directed.

Where Eagles Dare

Where Eagles Dare

Winkast Film Productions etc.

21 December 1968

War Drama

DVD
D

So dull that I kept checking the time-stamp every minute or so, feeling like I'd zoned out for twenty minutes.  But the snow was kind of pretty.  Brian G. Hutton directed, before Kelly's Heroes and The First Deadly Sin.

When Marnie Was There

When Marnie Was There

Studio Ghibli

19 July 2014

Anime, Drama

DVD
B

A twelve-year-old falls in love with the ghost of her grandmother.  OK, not exactly, but there's an awful lot of blushing and secrets and declarations of love for your standard "kid meets a cool ghost" story.  Either way, this is the first Studio Ghibli anime I haven't rejected.  The scenery is gorgeous, the story is compelling, and the voicework is solid.  Yes, I would've liked a different ending, but the one they offer is still moving.

Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi co-adapted the novel by Joan G. Robinson.

When Harry Met Sally...

When Harry Met Sally...

Castle Rock Entertainment

July 21, 1989
Romcom
DVD
B-

So here's the thing.  I saw this movie once or twice before, not at the time, because at twenty-one I was a little young for it.  I always thought it was over-rated but not terrible, and just seeing the trailers made me mildly dislike Meg Ryan for decades.  So I didn't exactly go into this with high hopes.

But it's actually pretty good, sweet and mildly funny.  I can't relate to it, I don't think I've ever related to it*, but it's definitely interesting in an anthropological sense, very much of its time.  And it's much better than at least 90% of the romcoms out there, especially ones I've attempted for this project.  And, yeah, I'll finally start cutting Meg Ryan some slack.

Nora Ephron wrote (with a lot of input), and Rob Reiner directed.

*I relate to Going the Distance hard, even if I'm not actually like any of the people in it.

Silver Bullet

Silver Bullet

Dino De Laurentiis Company

October 11, 1985

Horror

DVD
D+

I was mildly interested in the main character's story, but I didn't care for the horror part of course.  Stephen King adapted his own novel, and Daniel Attias directed.

Graveyard Shift

Graveyard Shift

Sugar Entertainment, Inc.

October 26, 1990

Horror

DVD
D

Well, at least the rats are kind of cute.  This is on a Stephen-King focused When Animals Strike Back three-pack, but I've already rejected Pet Sematary.  Ralph S. Singleton directed.

When Animals Dream AKA Når dyrene drømmer

When Animals Dream AKA Når dyrene drømmer

AlphaVille Pictures Copenhagen

12 June 2014

Drama

DVD
D+

I tuned out before this turned into horror, when it was still just about a Danish teen whose life sucked.  Jonas Alexander Arnby directed and co-wrote.

What Women Want

What Women Want

Icon Productions etc.

December 15, 2000

Comedy

DVD
C-

I saw this movie at the time, when I would go to just about any romcom.  However, I found Gibson's character deeply unpleasant, and I felt insulted by the thoughts that he gets the ability to read.  This time, well, I tuned out before either the romcom or fantasy elements, and it was nice to see the various recognizable faces.  (Although not Helen Hunt, not yet.)  So I can live with a C-. Nancy Meyers directed.

What They Had

What They Had

United Pictures etc.

January 21, 2018

Drama

DVD
D+

Happy Christmas, Everyone!  Elizabeth Chomko wrote and directed.

What Ever [sic] Happened to Baby Jane?

What Ever [sic] Happened to Baby Jane?

Warner Bros.

October 31, 1962

Dramedy?

DVD

C-

I'd of course heard of this for years, and it turns out to be, well, luke-warm camp.  Admittedly, I tuned out after a quarter hour, before it got anywhere near horror.  The movie is based on Henry Farrell's novel and directed by Robert Aldrich, before the other four of his movies I've rejected in this project.

What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come

Interscope Communications

October 2, 1998

Fantasy

DVD
D+

This felt artificial, and not just because of the "after-life" part.  It's based on the novel by Richard Matheson, and directed by Vincent Ward.

What About Bob?

What About Bob?

Touchstone

May 17, 1991

Comedy
DVD
D+

It was hard to take the "Bob" character and I didn't find anything else funny, although I could see the Dreyfuss character working in another movie.  Frank Oz directed.

Whale Rider

Whale Rider

South Pacific Pictures

9 September 2002

Drama

DVD
C+

While the scenery is lovely and there are aspects of the story I like, the grandfather that the protagonist loves and that the audience is supposed to love is so sexist and otherwise awful, I considered stopping the movie a few times.  Director Niki Caro adapted Witi Ihimaera's novel, thirteen years after McFarland, USA, which was much worse.

The Whale

The Whale

Protozoa Pictures

December 21, 2022

Drama

DVD
D+

Kind of depressing.  Darren Aronofsky directed, and this is definitely an improvement over his other three movies I tried, which got D-s and an F+.

Là dove non batte il sole AKA The Stranger and the Gunfighter AKA El kárate, el Colt y el impostor

Là dove non batte il sole AKA The Stranger and the Gunfighter AKA El kárate, el Colt y el impostor

Compagnia Cinematografica

1974

Western, Action, Historical Drama

DVD
D+

A Western and an "Eastern" (complete with martial arts) mashed together.  Antonio Margheriti directed.

Sartana in the Valley of Death AKA Sartana nella valle degli avvoltoi AKA Ballad of Death Valley

Sartana in the Valley of Death AKA Sartana nella valle degli avvoltoi AKA Ballad of Death Valley

Victor Produzione

15 August 1970

Western

DVD
D

Forgettable, if it's the one I think it is.  Roberto Mauri wrote and directed.

Wanted (1967)

Wanted (1967)

Documento

22 March 1967

Western
DVD
D+

These are all starting to blur together for me, but I think this was the one with sort of creative camera angles.  Giorgio Ferroni directed.

Buddy Goes West AKA Occhio alla penna

Buddy Goes West AKA Occhio alla penna

Alex Cinematografica etc.

6 March 1981

Western

DVD
D

Boring and racist.  Michele Lupo directed.

The Bounty Killer AKA The Ugly Ones AKA El precio de un hombre

The Bounty Killer AKA The Ugly Ones AKA El precio de un hombre

Tescia etc.

4 November 1966

Western

DVD
D+

It's the quicker picker-uppper.  Director Eugenio Martín co-adapted Marvin H. Albert's novel.

The Price of Power AKA Il prezzo del potere

The Price of Power AKA Il prezzo del potere

Consorzio Italiano etc.

18 December 1969

Western
DVD
D+

It's not often that you get Van Johnson playing President Garfield and dubbed into English.  Tonino Valerii directed and co-wrote, a couple years after Days of Wrath AKA Days of Anger AKA I giorni dell'ira.

Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid AKA Vivi o, preferibilmente, morti AKA Alive or Preferably Dead

Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid AKA Vivi o, preferibilmente, morti AKA Alive or Preferably Dead

Compagnia Finanziaria etc.

17 September 1969

Historical Comedy

DVD
C-

This was hard to Google.  Duccio Tessari directed and co-wrote.  And, no, it's not exactly a Western.

Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? AKA La vita a volte è molto dura, vero Provvidenza?

Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? AKA La vita a volte è molto dura, vero Provvidenza?

Oceania Produzioni Internazionali Cinematografiche etc.

26 October 1972

Comedy, Western

DVD
C+

This is wacky, not just in the slapstick but in dubs that reference e.g. Joe Namath and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? At times, I thought I'd give it a B-, but there are too many dangling threads, like the saloongirl who kept swearing vengeance and then missed the last third of the movie.  Giulio Petroni directed, five years after the much darker Death Rides a Horse AKA Da uomo a uomo.

Dead Man

Dead Man

Miramax

May 27, 1995

Western

DVD
D

Sluggish.  Jim Jarmusch wrote and directed.

Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers

Dimension Films etc.

November 30, 2001

Western

DVD
D+

Bumped up a notch for the random cast (not all of whom I necessarily saw in the first quarter hour, but what the heck, I'll tag some of 'em anyway).  This is based on Taming the Nueces Strip: The Story of McNelly's Ranger by George Durham.  Steve Miner directed, after Big Bully and Forever Young.

This is on a "Western Value" collection of sixteen movies, so we'll be here awhile.

West Side Story

West Side Story

Mirish Pictures etc.

October 18, 1961

Musical

DVD
C-

A lot of silly dancing.  This is of course inspired by Romeo and Juliet.  Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise co-directed.

Werewolves Within

Werewolves Within

Ubisoft Film & Television etc.

June 16, 2021

Comedy, Horror

DVD
C-

More comedy than horror in its first quarter hour, and the quirkiness was a nice change, but I still couldn't get into it.  John Ruben directed.

Welcome to Willits

Welcome to Willits

Yale Productions

November 11, 2016

Horror, Comedy

DVD

D+

Willits isn't that redneck or isolated.  Trevor Ryan directed.

Welcome to the Rileys

Welcome to the Rileys

Scott Free Productions

January 23, 2010
Drama

DVD
C-

I thought the title was a typo, but then I realized that it was a welcome to meet the Riley family, not to enter their home.  Jake Scott directed.

The Wedding Guest

The Wedding Guest

Ingenious Media

March 8, 2019

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

Better than some of its ilk because of the mundane details, like shopping.  Michael Winterbottom directed and wrote, about a year before The Trip to Greece.

The Wedding Banquet

The Wedding Banquet

Good Machine etc.

March 5, 1993

Romcom?

DVD
C-

Kind of flat.  Ang Lee directed and co-wrote.

The Weather Man

The Weather Man
Escape Artists

October 28, 2005

Dramedy
DVD
D+

There's only so much enjoyment I can get out of seeing Nic Cage being miserable.  Gore Verbinski directed, the year before Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; he also did Rango and The Ring.

The Weasel's Tale AKA El cuento de las comadrejas

The Weasel's Tale AKA El cuento de las comadrejas

100 Bares etc.

16 May 2019

Comedy

DVD
B+

A sharp and delightful black comedy that plays with movie cliches with aplomb.  The performances in the small cast are great, too, and the house is gorgeous.  Juan José Campanella directed and co-wrote, and I'm stunned that this is the same man whose The Secret in Their Eyes AKA El secreto de sus ojos (2009) I gave an F- to!

We Were Soldiers

We Were Soldiers

Icon Productions

March 1, 2002

War Drama

DVD
D

Of course not.  Director Randall Wallace co-adapted We Were Soldiers Once… and Young by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway.  Wallace would go on to Secretariat and Heaven Is for Real.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Oscilloscope Laboratories

September 4, 2011

Drama

DVD
D

An unappealing story told in an unappealing way, so a D is generous.  (But it was nice to see the main character get punched and cursed at, so there's that.)  Director Lynne Ramsay co-adapted Lionel Shriver's novel.