you can get further with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word

Yes, this is a weird set - from the queen of weird movies.   *shrug*

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) - "The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance."
source: streamed
I watched it because: I've been encouraged to watch more monster movies
IMDB: 6.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 42% Audience: 83%
my IMDB: 6/10

notable quote: "There are some things beyond our understanding. We must accept them and learn from them. Because these moments of crisis are also potential moments of faith. A time ... when we either come together or fall apart. Nature always has a way of balancing itself. The only question is ... what part will we play?"

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Michael Dougherty

my notes: this was my intro to the genre, and I was truly pulled in. It was wild, silly, and enormously overacted (by Vera Farmiga, most notably), and the writing is sketchy (why does every Hollywood movie have to have either a love story or a tear-jerk?) - but it's fun and worth seeing, especially for fans.
overall:  recommended

Sunshine Cleaning (2008) - "A family. Rose and Norah, in Albuquerque, lost their mother when they were young. Rose is 'responsible'—a house cleaner, raising her seven-year-old son Oscar. She's also having an affair with Mac, a married cop, her high-school sweetheart. Norah can't hold a job. Their dad, Joe, is quirky. When Oscar is expelled for odd behavior, Rose wants to earn enough to send him to private school. Mac suggests she clean up after crime scenes, suicides, and deaths that go undiscovered for awhile. Rose enlists Norah, and Sunshine Cleaners is born. Norah bonds with the dead, Rose finds out that it's a regulated business, and complications arise. Can a family marked by tragedy sort things out? "

source: streamed
I watched it because: it's been on my list for a long time—and it was billed as a comedy!!
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 74% Audience: 63% (and my favorite review there reads: "There's close to nothing about this film that isn't contrived, forced and reminiscent of movies that twist themselves into knots to achieve Harold and Maude-like quirky charm. [Jordan Hoffman]")
my IMDB: 4/10

notable quote: "'You get bored a lot?'

    'Yeah.'

    'You look out the window?'

    'All the time.'

    'Well, see that proves how intelligent you are. They should be catering to you. They should be doing something special for you.'"

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Christine Jeffs

my notes: I strongly dislike Emily Blunt. And this is NOT a comedy. Would I have loved it if I'd gone in thinking it would be sad and harrowing? I don't know. Even Amy Adams' extensive lingerie displays couldn't save it.
overall: not  recommended

The Untouchables (1987) - "After building an empire with bootleg alcohol, legendary crime boss Al Capone rules Chicago with an iron fist. Though Prohibition Agent Eliot Ness attempts to take Capone down, even his best efforts fail due to widespread corruption within the Windy City's police force. Recruiting an elite group of lawmen who won't be swayed by bribes or fear, including Irish-American cop Jimmy Malone, Ness renews his determination to bring Capone to justice."
source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: Kevin Costner is a favorite of mine
IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 82% Audience: 89%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "'Do you know what a blood oath is, Mr. Ness?'

    'Yes.'

    'Good, 'cause you just took one.'"

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Brian De Palma

my notes: Sean Connery stole the show. He chewed the scenery here and there, but it's a very dramatic, juicy role, so that makes sense. Costner's Ness is deferential and fades a bit by comparison. Andy Garcia (as FBI agent George Stone) is fantastic. It's his best role ever.

Academy Award winner: Best Supporting Actor—Connery
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Art Direction - Set Decoration

• Best Costume Design

• Best Music, Original Score
overall: recommended

Red River (1948) - "Fourteen years after starting his cattle ranch in Texas, Tom Dunston is finally ready to drive his 10,000 head of cattle to market. Back then Dunston, his sidekick Nadine Groot and a teen-aged boy, Matt Garth -who was the only survivor of an Indian attack on a wagon train - started off with only two head of cattle. The nearest market however is in Missouri, a 1000 miles away. Dunston is a hard task master demanding a great deal from the men who have signed up for the drive. Matt is a grown man now and fought in the Civil War. He has his own mind as well and he soon runs up against the stubborn Dunston who won't listen to advice from anyone. Soon, the men on the drive are taking sides and Matt ends up in charge with Dunston vowing to kill him. "
source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it's been a while since I saw it, and I was in the mood for a Western
IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 100% Audience: 87%
my IMDB: 5/10

AFI:  10 Top 10 (2008) Western #5

notable quote: "There are only two things more beautiful than a good gun: a Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere. Ever had a good... Swiss watch?"

MPAA rating: [passed]

directed by: Howard Hawkes, Arthur Rosson

my notes: I didn't get it. There's no motivation, just a bunch of characters reeling around hurting each other. (Yes, I do realize that it's a western....) Not my favorite by a longshot.
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Writing, Motion Picture Story—Borden Chase

• Best Film Editing

(first reviewed here)
overall:  recommended with reservations

[the title quotation is from The Untouchables]