hasn't it occurred to you that I'm having a tough time keeping my hands off you?

Five thumbs up! War, suspense, action, mystery, and sports. Put these on your list.

Glory (1989) - "Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army and the Confederates."

Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: war movies are almost always worth seeing
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Cheers (2006) #31

IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 93% Audience: 93%

notable quote: "'The boy is a friend of yours, is he?'

'Yes, we grew up together.'

'Let him grow up some more.'"
story: based on the true story of Shaw's 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. 
visuals: stunning cinematography
costumes, hair & makeup: terrific costumes and makeup. Very realistic.
acting: John Finn (Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy) and Cary Elwes (Maj. Cabot Forbes) were my favorites

intangibles: a fantastic film. Well worth seeing.
Academy Award winner:
• Best Supporting Actor—Denzel Washington (Pvt. Trip)

• Best Cinematography

• Best Sound
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Art Direction—Set Decoration

• Best Film Editing
overall: recommended

Dead Calm (1989) - "After a tragedy, John Ingram and his wife Rae are spending some time isolated at sea, when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: I haven't seen it since release, and I'd liked it so much then that I really wanted to see it again
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 83% Audience: 63%

notable quote: "You know, I was watching you when you were sleeping. And I gotta tell you that your face fascinates me. Yeah. Even when you're 80...you'll still be a beautiful woman. I, ah, studied art for...uhm, for a time... and something I found is that painters, when they approach their subjects... they always look at the face from, like, behind, you know? From the back, like, to see what's holding it up. And... you've got magnificent bone structure. God. 'Magnificent.'"
story: it's pretty wacky. John and Rae, going through family problems, run away to the ocean on their yacht. Literally out in the middle of the ocean, they come across what appears to be a sinking ship. John insists upon offering assistance, which sets in motion a crazed string of events that risks their lives.
visuals: disturbingly, viscerally realistic
acting: Billy Zane (Hughie Warriner) is mindblowing

intangibles: this movie feels like a rite of passage for me. I loved it when I was an impressionable kid, and I loved seeing it, however old I am now.
overall: recommended

The Hunt for Red October (1990) - "In November 1984, the Soviet Union's best submarine Captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the U.S. Is he trying to defect, or to start a war?"
Source: I own the Jack Ryan DVD box set
I watched it because: it was selected by my guest, who had not seen it since it was released in theaters.
IMDB: 7.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 88%

notable quote: "I will live in Montana. And I will marry a round American woman and raise rabbits, and she will cook them for me."
story: this is the least outlandish of the Jack Ryan stories, and it's pretty far out there. Submarine genius (who speaks a little Russian) figures out a bunch of stuff and is in the right places at the right time, convinces a bunch of people the right stuff at the right time, and manages to haul his injured body all over creation in the right way at the right time to save the Western world.
visuals: fantastic
costumes, hair & makeup: gorgeous
acting: Sean Connery (Capt. Marko Ramius) is a pleasure to watch here, as is Alec Baldwin (Ryan) - who does a spot-on Ramius/Connery impersonation.

intangibles: it's not fancy cinema, but it certainly is a fun movie.

Academy Award winner: Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Sound

• Best Film Editing
overall: recommended     (Last reviewed here.)

Charade (1963) - "Romance and suspense ensue in Paris as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered husband had stolen. Whom can she trust?"
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it has been called the best Hitchcock film not directed by Hitchcock
IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 94% Audience: 92%

notable quote: "Of course, you won't be able to lie on your back for a while—but then you can lie from any position, can't you?"
story: very intricate and convoluted. Look away for five minutes and you'll be hopelessly lost!
visuals: filmed on location in France. The outdoor shots, and the sets, are lovely.
costumes, hair & makeup: very nice
acting: I'm no huge fan of either lead actor, but they were both pretty good here. Grant works against the playboy persona, and Hepburn is repeatedly rejected by her man of choice. It is an interesting mix-up.

intangibles: a reasonably amusing way to spend an evening
Academy Award nominee: Best Music, Original Song
overall: recommended

Coach Carter (2005) - "Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: Sam Jackson could do pretty much anything and I would watch it
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 64% Audience: 85%

notable quote: "What's your deepest fear?"
story: based on a true story. A crap basketball team with a terrible record gets a new coach in the form of a winning alum who kicks them into shape.
visuals: well-done sports visuals intermixed with some street stuff
costumes, hair & makeup: dichotomy between how a gentleman dresses and cares for himself and how a rough urban youth does so is carefully and expressively shown
acting: Jackson's Coach Ken Carter is tough and inspirational. The boys are a relatively generic mix of middling actors. 

intangibles: it's a nice enough story, not an outstanding film but a fine way to spend an afternoon
overall: recommended

[the title quotation is from Charade]