The Wiz

The Wiz

Motown Productions/ Universal

October 24, 1978

Musical

DVD
D+

Since the first dozen or so minutes barely resemble the L. Frank Baum book (this is based on the stage musical based on the book), watching the first quarter hour meant that this is the story of a spinster schoolteacher who hallucinates about graffiti.  Sidney Lumet directed.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
THINKFilm
October 26, 2007
Crime Drama
DVD
C-

Three years after Lumet directed Tomei in the Alfie remake, he gives her a sex scene and a nude scene in just the first quarter hour.  So a C- rather than a D+ for this tale of two criminal brothers.  Note that the alphabet has given Ethan Hawke back to back entries for this blog.

12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men
United Artists
April 10, 1957
Drama
DVD
C

I gave this a quarter hour and it felt like it had hardly gotten going.  My guess is that this "classic" (admittedly so far the best movie on this blog) goes in real time, with the jurors reluctantly agreeing to discuss the case another hour, but did they have to include stuff like restroom breaks and the ad-man talking about his latest campaign?  I tagged all the people (well, men, it's an all-male film, down to the extras) I recognized, and it'd probably be a C- without the fun of spotting them.

Sidney Lumet directed.