For some reason, I wasn't able to get out to the movies as much as I like to this year. So I only saw six new movies. The good news is that they had a very high average quality.
These movies are rated on a scale from [zero stars] to ****, with a four star rating as the highest rating.
Onward ****
1917 (2019) ***1/2
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga ***1/2
Desperados ***
Godmothered 1/2
I still haven't had a chance to see Tenant, Soul, and Wonder Woman 1984. So when I eventually get around to seeing them, they will go on my list for next year.
Although I was lacking in new movies, I made up for it in the volume of old movies I got to see. Some of the movies on this list were a real surprise. For instance, Return to Oz (1985) is a famous flop, with a reputation for being free of the magic of the original 1939 film adaptation. However, I found it to be a really impressive movie. It was scary in a way that gave it a sense of mortal stakes. This, along with the incredible production design and amazing special effects, completely blew away my expectations for the film. And I think I like it better than the more famous original.
As always, the specific order of the films on the list is not as relavent as the more general placement. So although on some days I like Singin' in the Rain more than His Girl Friday, I always like it more than Hocus Pocus. And any movie with at least three stars would get a recommendation from me.
Older Movies
His Girl Friday (1940) ****
Singin' In the Rain (1951) ****
Citizen Kane (1941) ****
The Great Muppet Caper (1981) ****
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) ****
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) ****
Roman Holiday (1953) ****
Double Indemnity (1944) ****
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) ****
Fury (1936) ****
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) ****
Some Like It Hot (1959) ****
My Favorite Year (1982) ****
The Night Before (2015) ****
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) ****
Return to Oz (1985) ****
Footlight Parade (1933) ****
Guys and Dolls (1955) ****
The Lady from Shanghai (1947) ****
Sullivan's Travels (1942) ***1/2
In a Lonely Place (1950) ***1/2
A Face in the Crowd (1957) ***1/2
Cabaret (1972) ***1/2
Treasure Island (1950) ***1/2
Splash (1984) ***1/2
The More the Merrier (1943) ***1/2
Brewster McCloud (1970) ***1/2
Phantom of the Paradise (1974) ***1/2
Kiss Me Kate (1953) ***1/2
Safety Last! (1923) ***1/2
Victor/Victoria (1982) ***1/2
The Martian (2015) ***1/2
Brewster's Millions (1985) ***1/2
That Touch of Mink (1962) ***1/2
Sabotage (1936) ***1/2
Pop Star Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) ***1/2
Mission: Impossible III (2006) ***1/2
Ship Ahoy (1942) ***1/2
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) ***1/2
Annie Hall (1977) ***1/2
The Money Pit (1986) ***1/2
Wings (1927) ***1/2
The Firm (1993) ***1/2
The General (1926) ***1/2
Suddenly (1954) ***1/2
To Catch a Thief (1955) ***1/2
Casino Royale (1967) ***1/2
The Sweatbox (2002) ***1/2
Casper (1995) ***1/2
The Great McGinty (1940) ***
Porco Rosso (1992) ***
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) ***
They Drive By Night (1940) ***
Doctor Zhivago (1965) ***
The Front Page (1931) ***
Adam's Rib (1949) ***
The 39 Steps (1935) ***
The Thing from Another World (1951) ***
The Three Caballeros (1945) ***
Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935) ***
Elevator to the Gallows (Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud) (1958) ***
The Great Escape (1963) ***
The Thrill of It All (1963) ***
His Kind of Woman (1951) ***
Blackbeard's Ghost (1968) ***
42nd Street (1933) ***
Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) ***
Noelle (2019) ***
The Philadelphia Story (1940) ***
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) ***
Howard the Duck (1986) ***
Sex and the Single Girl (1964) ***
The Key (1934) ***
Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009) ***
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) ***
San Francisco (1936) ***
Whistling in the Dark (1941) ***
Whistling in Dixie (1942) ***
Mr. And Mrs. Smith (1941) ***
The Great Race (1965) ***
Treasure of Matecumbe (1976) ***
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) ***
My Bloody Valentine (2009) ***
Shall We Dance (1937) ***
Lady Be Good (1941) ***
The Princess and the Frog (2009) ***
Annie Get Your Gun (1950) ***
Movie Crazy (1932) ***
Baywatch (2017) ***
The Circus (1928) ***
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) ***
Tokyo Joe (1949) **1/2
Land of the Lost (2009) **1/2
The Grinch (2018) **1/2
For Richer or Poorer (1997) **1/2
Mission: Impossible II (2000) **1/2
The Great Dictator (1940) **1/2
Topper (1937) **1/2
The Girl Most Likely (1958) **1/2
Calamity Jane (1953) **1/2
Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) **
Ski Party (1965) **
Fashions of 1934 (1934) **
Whistling In Brooklyn (1943) **
Ziegfeld Follies (1946) **
Batman Returns (1992) **
Tron (1982) **
Woman in the Moon (Frau im Mond) (1929) **
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) **
Third Finger, Left Hand (1940) **
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) **
The Big Sky (1952) **
I Confess (1953) *1/2
Meatballs (1979) *1/2
Three Smart Girls (1936) *1/2
Head over Heels (2001) *1/2
Malificent Mistress of Evil (2019) *1/2
Jules Verne's Mysterious Island (1961) *1/2
Can of Worms (1999) *
Gymkata (1985) *
Hocus Pocus (1993) *
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) 1/2
Valentine (2001) 1/2
The Great Morgan (1946) [zero stars]
Did my placement of Hocus Pocus below Gymkata cause your blood to boil? I stand by it. The only thing about Hocus Pocus that I enjoyed was its consistent strangeness. But it was never actually good, or even partially entertaining.
Anyway, I look forward to hearing how I am wrong!
Let's hope we all can get back to the movie theaters soon. It's definitely nowhere near as good as home.
