it's a hot day, and that's a leather seat, and I'm wearing a thin skirt

Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Not sure I want to say much more, except to let the reviews speak for themselves.

Tiptoes (2003) - "The story of a peculiar love triangle involving two brothers."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: it's a Gary Oldman/Matthew McConaughey movie that I had not heard about, much less seen
IMDB: 4.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 20% Audience: 22%

story: INSANE. Steven (McConaughey) is the brother of Rolfe (Oldman), who happens to be a little person.... 

Yep, Gary Oldman is playing a little person. ...

visuals, costumes, hair & makeup:  Uhmmmmm. This film is chock full of effects and convenient camera angles, heavy clothing designed to camouflage or enhance, makeup and glasses and hairstyles to bring out aspects of the characters that cannot be acted. Some of it works; much of it fails so miserably. 

acting: McConaughey gives something to the conflicted Steven. Debbie Lee Carrington, as the unfortunately named Kitty Katz, was good as well.

intangibles: it is an awkward, uncomfortable movie to watch. It was almost universally panned, particularly given the title. For masochists only.
overall: not recommended

The Ides of March (2011) - "An idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: it is as close as I want to get to politics this season
IMDB: 7.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 84% Audience: 73%

notable quote: "...from the outside, you make it look easy. People are scared of you. 'Cause they don't understand how you do it, and they love you for it."
story: political staffer is willing to go to great lengths for his candidate. When challenged, he has to decide his tolerance for his own sacrifice - and for collateral damage
visuals: nicely shot. Classy and a little seedy.
acting: Ryan Gosling (Stephen Meyers) is good here. He's been in some dreadful movies; this is a vehicle to showcase his skills.

intangibles: tense, intense, flashy, and a moral conundrum. Definitely worth seeing.

Academy Award nominee: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
overall: recommended

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) - "A married woman and a drifter fall in love, then plot to murder her husband."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it is a classic that I had seen several years ago and wanted to see again
IMDB: 7.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 88% Audience: 79%
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Passions (2002) #49

notable quote: "With my brains and your looks, we could go places."
story: it's a crazy story. I mean, really crazy. But Lana Turner (Cora Smith) is gorgeous - the quintessential femme fatale - and John Garfield (Frank Chambers) is a sort of everyman dupe, so it somehow works.
visuals: exceedingly dramatic, in particular the cat bit
costumes, hair & makeup: really something to see...
acting: it's not a brilliant script, but the result is mesmerizing

intangibles: weird but worth it
overall: recommended

The Buccaneers (1995) - "Four American girls go to England to find husbands."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: Edith Wharton wrote this and I was not familiar with the story
IMDB: 7.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%

notable quote: "It must be less wicked to love the wrong person than not to love anybody at all."
story: four young, brash, wealthy American girls trundle off to England to snare handsome, wealthy, preferably titled English husbands. While they meet with varying degrees of success, they also embody the cliché that one ought to be careful what one wishes for. 
visuals: large, fancy houses with elaborate ballrooms and sumptuous yet cozy bedrooms. Firelit, stately and fascinating.
costumes, hair & makeup: not as high-class as a true English costume drama, these are still some complicated outfits and ornate hairstyles
acting: pretty people in lovely settings behaving in manners appropriate to their stations. Carla Gugino (Nan St. George Folyat, Duchess of Trevennick) and Greg Wise (Guy Thwaite) are the pick of the litter.

intangibles: I was spellbound throughout, though none of the characters was terribly likable. Call it an Victorian era soap opera!
overall: recommended

St. Elmo's Fire (1985) - "A group of friends, just out of college, struggle with adulthood."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I'd never seen it (it came out too early for me to see at the theater, since it was rated R) and 'the brat pack' was cool when I was a child
IMDB: 6.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 44% Audience: 68%

notable quote: "It's not the fat chick."
story: not much of a story. Seven kids get out of college and pretend to grow up.
visuals: a little dark and moody
costumes, hair & makeup: very, very, very stuck in the era
acting: not much in the way of acting here, either. One of them does an OK job but not rising to the level of mentioning by name. Several of them are egregiously bad.

intangibles: right up there with the worst movies I've ever seen. And just how does Demi Moore feature in so many of them? Hmm. 
overall: not even remotely recommended

[the title quotation is from The Postman Always Rings Twice]