Hickok

Hickok

Cinedigm

July 7, 2017

Western

DVD
D+

A "modern" Western, directed by Timothy Woodward, Jr.

He's Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You

Warner Bros.

February 6, 2009

Romcom, Drama

DVD
B-

A dozen years ago, in a time of flip-phones and MySpace, but still with some interesting insights (some derived from the self-help book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo) about relationships.  Of course, this is a world where everyone, even Yoga instructors, can live like they're upper-middle-class while spending hardly any time thinking about their jobs compared to their love lives.  And the need for some of the characters to have happy endings means that the rules don't apply if someone is "the exception."  Still, worth revisiting.  Ken Kwapis directed.

Bloodworth

Bloodworth

Samuel Goldwyn Films

May 20, 2011

Drama

DVD
D+

About the dysfunctional Bloodworth family, and their mailman, based on William Gay's novel Provinces of Night and directed by Shane Dax Taylor.

Songwriter

Songwriter

TriStar

October 14, 1984

Dramedy, Musical

DVD
C+

This is on a four-movie set called "Gone Country" and I think there's a kernel of a good movie inside it, but I just couldn't get invested in it enough to sort through most of the characters or care as much as I'd like to about the leads.  Still, Nelson and Kristofferson have an easy-going bromantic chemistry and the songs are good, although I'm not a country music fan.  Alan Rudolph 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.