Wild Mountain Thyme

Wild Mountain Thyme

Likely Story etc.

11 December 2020

Romance

DVD
B-

This movie has charm, humor, and lovely scenery, but I'm not sure if the story (adapted by director John Patrick Shanley from his play Outside Mullingar) entirely works.  I wanted to love it but ended up just liking it.  Still, on this project, that's nothing to complain about.

Wayne's World 2

Wayne's World 2

NBC Films etc.

December 10, 1993

Comedy

DVD
C

I gave this half an hour, rooting for it to get better.  But there's too much recycled plot and humor, some of the latter punch-down at that.  My review of the original is here, https://reviewingeverymovieiown.blogspot.com/2015/02/waynes-world.html.  Stephen Surjik directed this one.

America's Sweethearts

America's Sweethearts

Columbia etc.

July 20, 2001

Romcom

DVD
C+

I saw this at the time and thought it was all right.  This time, I was most struck by the following:

• It's so weird to have the Internet a non-factor in publicity
• The "Hector" stuff is pretty racist
• Catherine Zeta-Jones is easily the best part of the movie
• Billy Crystal co-wrote a script where his character is in a lust-hate relationship with a dog, that parallels the title characters'.

Anyway, it's still watchable but yeah, mostly as a period piece.  Joe Roth directed, five years before Freedomland.

This is on a Julia Roberts "Triple" pack, but I've already rejected Mona Lisa Smile.

Suicide Kings

Suicide Kings

Eyes 'n Rice etc.

September 6, 1997

Crime Drama

DVD
D

I like the music.  This is based on Don Stanford's short story "The Hostage," and directed by Peter O'Fallon.

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.

Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray (2007)

New Line

July 20, 2007

Musical, Historical Comedy
DVD
C-

I tried watching this once before but gave up on it because it couldn't hold a candle to the original movie.  This time I tried to just enjoy it as a musical, but the dancing and songs are unmemorable.  Adam Shankman directed, four years after he did Bringing Down the House, also with Queen Latifah.

Dark Horse (2011)

Dark Horse (2011)
Brainstorm Media
June 8, 2012
Dramedy
DVD
D+

One of those movies I'd like better without the main character.  Todd Solondz wrote and directed.

Biloxi Blues

Biloxi Blues
Universal
March 25, 1988
Historical Comedy, Historical Drama
DVD
B

This movie surprised me in that I think I was expecting something more on the sitcom or even cartoony side, but there are serious and even philosophical moments, and even a dark-humored horror feel to the scene where Walken's character threatens Broderick's with a gun.  I'm not sure how well it all hangs together, and despite the tag line that "Daisy gave him basic training," Eugene's first love is dealt with in a cursory manner that makes less impact than the surprisingly sweet and funny scene where he loses his virginity to a hooker (played by Park Overall, who I couldn't place, but it turns out she was Laverne Todd for seven seasons of Empty Nest).  The ensemble cast works well together, and I like that the characters end up having more to them, good and bad, than the stock characters I expected and apparently were all that Roger Ebert could see three decades ago.

I should note that the subject of homosexuality is brought up and handled with tolerance and yet ambiguity, and in the Where Are They Now? voiceover at the end, I did not catch what happened to Hennessy.