Who's That Knocking at My Door?

Who's That Knocking at My Door?

Trimod Films

September 13, 1968

Drama

DVD
D+

I'm not a Scorsese fan (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore aside), but I guess it's interesting that this exists.

Sister Act

Sister Act

Touchstone AKA Disney

May 29, 1992

Comedy, Musical

DVD

D+

I know that there are people who just adore this movie, but I couldn't get into it.  Note, I tuned out before much of the recognizable cast showed up.  Emile Ardolino directed, five years before Dirty Dancing, another beloved movie that didn't gel for me.

Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs

Miramax etc.

January 21, 1992

Crime Comedy?

DVD
D-

You know the drill by now.  I'm not going to like a Tarentino movie.  This one got bumped up for the brilliant casting of famously deadpan Steven Wright as a radio d.j.

The Ministers

The Ministers

Grow Pictures

October 16, 2009

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

Bumped up because I like New York accents.  Franc. Reyes wrote and directed.

Mean Streets

Mean Streets

Warner Bros.

October 14, 1973

Crime Drama

DVD
D+

I didn't care about the characters but I bumped this up for the very '60s soundtrack.  Scorsese directed and co-wrote, a year before he did Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, which I much prefer.

Little Nicky

Little Nicky

New Line Cinema

November 10, 2000

Comedy, Fantasy

DVD
F+

This is one of the most offensive, unfunny comedies I've ever seen, and it makes me greater appreciate the South Park movie of the previous year, which covered some of the same territory but had genuine laughs.  Sandler plays the title character and co-wrote with director Steve Brill and one other person who I am refraining from shaming here in hopes that he wrote the Namath joke that almost single-handedly saved this from an F.

Fingers

Fingers

Brut Productions

March 2, 1978

Drama

DVD
D+

Vaguely creepy, including that title, but the classic rock is nice.  James Toback wrote and directed.

Finding Graceland

Finding Graceland

Largo Entertainment

September 12, 1998

Drama

DVD
D+

A hitchhiker claims he's Elvis Presley, but the young driver is skeptical.  David Winkler directed and co-wrote.

The Congress

The Congress
Drafthouse Films
16 May 2013
Sci-Fi
DVD
D+

Robin Wright plays a version of herself who gets an offer to have her total likeness captured on film, for all eternity.  The thing is, does anyone actually care that much about Robin Wright that they'd want to watch her decades from now?  Based on this movie, I don't.

The film is based on the Stanislaw Lem novel The Futurological Congress, definitely a worse although less misleading title.  (Yes, I would rather have watched Wright become a representative.)  Ari Folman wrote the screenplay and directed. 

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Warner Bros.
December 9, 1974
Dramedy, Romance
DVD
B-

I grew up watching the Alice sitcom and knew that it was inspired by this movie, which I never watched until today.  It's very different from the TV show, and doesn't even get to Mel's (well, Mel & Ruby's) Diner until over halfway through, shortly before we meet the characters played by Kristofferson and Foster.  There's definitely humor but there are moments of sadness, anger, and even violence.  The studio-enforced "happy ending" (the penultimate scene) is a little contrived, but remember that the movie opens with a movie-like scene of Alice's childhood (a bit like a rose-tinted Wizard of Oz, only in Monterey rather than Kansas).  Burstyn plays the many moods of her character quite well, but there are some fun supporting performances, including Tayback and Ladd originating the characters of Mel and Flo.  (Ladd would end up as Belle, the middle waitress on the sitcom.)  Curtin's Vera is one of her typically loopy roles, although I still have soft spot for Beth Howland's take on the character.  Note that Alfred Lutter did play Tommy on the Alice pilot.