You Should Have Left

You Should Have Left

Blumhouse Productions

June 18, 2020

Drama

DVD
D+

Good advice.  Director David Koepp adapted Daniel Kehlmann's novel, six years after Secret Window, which I also bumped up to a D+ for scenery.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Paramount

November 25, 1987

Comedy

DVD
C

For almost thirty-five years I kind of wanted to see this movie and now I have.  I gave it 25 minutes, but I just didn't like either character, or find the story funny enough to continue.  John Hughes wrote and directed.

Frost/Nixon

Frost/Nixon

Universal 

December 5, 2008

Historical Drama

DVD
C-

The slash fic you never wanted, directed by Ron Howard.

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th

Paramount

May 9, 1980

Horror

DVD
D

Since I watched just the first quarter hour, I didn't find this particularly scary or otherwise upsetting.  Mainly, it felt like a low-budget teen film of the late-Carter era, although gorier than most.  It would've scared the crap out of me at 12 had I actually wanted to, or been allowed to, see it.  Sean S. Cunningham directed.  Note that 21-year-old Kevin Bacon is recognizable as Jack, four years before he'd play a high-schooler in Footloose.

Footloose (1984)

Footloose

Paramount

February 17, 1984

Drama, Musical

DVD
C-

I saw this at the time and maybe once or twice since then.  As the title song played over the cute "foot" credits today, I sort of remembered the lyrics.  But once it got into the story of the two "rebels," I remembered not particularly caring about Ren, and actively disliking Ariel.  (The supporting cast is better of course.)  Anyway, there's not enough nostalgia to carry me through more than a quarter hour.  Herbert Ross directed.

Balto

Balto
Universal
December 22, 1995
Children's, Historical Drama
DVD
D

Combining as this does dogs and sports, I already wasn't interested, but the slapstick humor and cliched characters sank the movie further with me.  Still, the look of the animation is nice.  Simon Wells directed.  This is an American-British production, but Margolyes is doing an American accent.