do you even remember when you first sold out?

Five good ones here, including two of the best I have seen in a very long time. And not a softie in the bunch. Hint: eat your popcorn one piece at a time so you don't choke!

The Lonely Trail (1936) - "Ex-Union officer John Ashley returns to his hometown in Texas and finds law and order being maintained by northerner Benedict Holden's armed troopers. Initially taken in by Holden's smooth talk, Ashley soon discovers Holden is a carpetbagger who, unbeknownst to the governor, is killing and stealing from the locals under cover of state authority. Hoping to thwart Holden's ongoing attacks against the citizens, Ashley enlists Holden's troops."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it would take a lot for me to refuse a John Wayne film
IMDB: 5.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 40%

story: this is an early film, with some throwbacks to the silent era—overacting and dramatic gestures—and some awkward racial elements
visuals: minimalist
acting: the brother, Dick Terry (Dennis Moore) & the sidekick, Capt. Hays (Bob Kortman) stood out

intangibles: it's odd and dated but not without charm
overall: recommended

The Usual Suspects (1995) - "A sole survivor tells of the twisty events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which began when five criminals met at a seemingly random police lineup."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it's been recommended to me many times
AFI: 10 Top 10 (2008) Mystery #10

    100 Years ... 100 Heroes and Villains (2003) Villain #48

IMDB: 8.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 96%

notable quote: "You give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
visuals: spectacular
costumes, hair & makeup: awesome
acting: loved Gabriel Byrne (Dean Keaton) and especially Kevin Spacey (Roger "Verbal" Kint), who I don't even usually like. He may be personally abhorrent and crazy, but that crazy sometimes translates to a barely-controlled brilliance onscreen.

intangibles: enthralling, intricate, and fun. When it was over, I wanted to immediately see it again.
Academy Award winner:
• Best Supporting Actor—Spacey
• Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
overall: most highly recommended

Elmer Gantry (1960) - "A fast-talking traveling salesman with a charming, loquacious manner convinces a sincere evangelist that he can be an effective preacher for her cause."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it's one of those movies that I'd heard about but never seen, and my experience with Sinclair Lewis is limited
IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 94% Audience: 86%

notable quote: "Mister, I've been converted five times: Billy Sunday, Reverend Biederwolf, Gypsy Smith, and twice by Sister Falconer. I get terrible drunk, and then I get good and saved. Both of them done me a powerful lot of good—gettin' drunk and gettin' saved."
story: when sinner and saint clash, one will be fundamentally changed 
visuals: dramatic effects and terrific lighting
costumes, hair & makeup: surprising, given the time period. Both Jean Simmons' (Sister Sharon Falconer) and Shirley Jones' (Lulu Bains) costuming was perfectly designed for their roles.
acting: Arthur Kennedy (Jim Lefferts), more than any other actor in this film, expressed the time period perfectly. I thought he was phenomenal.

intangibles: an 'important' movie though hard to describe as 'entertaining' or 'enjoyable,' I do believe it is worth watching...with loads of caveats
Academy Award winner: 
• Best Actor—Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry)

• Best Supporting Actress—Jones

• Best Writing, Screenplay based on material from another medium
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Music, Dramatic or Comedy Score
overall: recommended with many reservations

The Rainmaker (1997) - "An underdog lawyer takes on a fraudulent insurance company."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: law movies are often fun
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 82% Audience: 77%

notable quote: "What's the difference between a lawyer and a hooker? A hooker'll stop screwing you when you're dead."
story: baby attorney, far too soft to survive in the real world, gets in way over his head with his first handful of overlapping cases (each of which involves boundary issues, ethical violations, ridiculous scenarios, and egregious behavior that rarely happens outside Louisiana)
visuals: it's Mississippi and a bunch of legal sights - I loved it
costumes, hair & makeup: well done
acting: Mary Kay Place was fantastic as Dot Black, and Matt Damon (though too young for the role in my estimation) covered Rudy Baylor just fine

intangibles: it was my first Grisham in any form, and once I got over my instinctive lip-curling I got into it and ended up liking it a lot
overall: recommended

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) - "The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: Japan's role in the Second World War is fascinating to me
IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 91% Audience: 86%

notable quote: "I thought all Americans were cowards. I was taught they were savages."
story: eye-opening and heartbreaking
visuals: there is no way to appreciate what it might have been like to have been inside those tunnels and fighting in that battle without seeing a film like this
costumes, hair & makeup: oh my gosh, spectacular
acting: Ken Watanabe (General Tadamichi Kuribayashi) and especially Tsuyoshi Ihara (Baron Takeishi Nishi) were utterly outstanding. Watanabe was all conflicted strategist, and Ihara the dashing, complex improviser. 

intangibles: my heart was torn to pieces by this film. I completely loved it.
Academy Award winner: Best Sound Editing
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Director—Clint Eastwood

• Best Writing, Original Screenplay
overall: most highly recommended

[the title quotation is from The Rainmaker]