The secret of life is butter.

A fantastic, two goods, and a reprehensible-that-I-could-not-finish.

Robin Hood (2010) - "Birth of a legend. Following King Richard's death in France, archer Robin Longstride, along with Will Scarlet, Allan A'Dayle, and Little John, returns to England. They encounter the dying Sir Robert Loxley, whose party was ambushed by treacherous Godfrey, who hopes to facilitate a French invasion of England. Robin promises the dying knight he will return his sword to his father Sir Walter Loxley in Nottingham. Here, Sir Walter encourages him to impersonate the dead man to prevent his land being confiscated by the crown, and he finds himself with Marion, a ready-made wife. Hoping to stir baronial opposition to weak Prince John and allow an easy French take-over, Godfrey worms his way into the Prince's service as Earl Marshal of England and brutally invades towns under the pretext of collecting Royal taxes. Can Robin navigate the politics of barons, royals, traitors, and the French?"
source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: I'm firmly in the Russell Crowe mode
IMDB: 6.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 43% Audience: 58%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "We can't repay our good luck with bad grace. It invites darkness."

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Ridley Scott

my notes: not as good as the Kevin Costner version, but definitely worth watching.
overall: recommended

Broken City (2013) - "In New York City, detective Billy Taggart goes to court for the murder of the suspected rapist Mikey Tavarez, but the Mayor Nicholas Hostetler and the Chief of Police Carl Fairbanks make the important evidence vanish and the case against Billy is dismissed by the judge; however, he is forced to leave the police department. Seven years later, Billy is a private detective and lives with his girlfriend Natalie Barrow, who is an aspiring actress and the sister of Mikey's suspected victim.Billy's secretary Katy Bradshaw is trying to collect part of the debts to save their business. In the week of the elections, Hostetler summons Billy and offers $25,000 to investigate his wife, Cathleen Hostetler, whom he believes is having a love affair. Billy discovers that Cathleen is meeting Paul Andrews, who is the coordinator of the campaign for Jack Valliant, the opponent of Hostetler and favorite in the election. When Paul is found dead on the street, Billy thinks that he has been double-crossed by Hostetler and he decides to investigate the truth behind Paul's murder."

source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: ...Russell Crowe
IMDB: 6.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 28% Audience: 40%
my IMDB: 5/10

notable quote: "You know, women call men dogs. That's to suggest we're somehow untrustworthy or disloyal. But a dog is anything but. And if men are dogs, what the goddamn hell does that make women? You've ever seen a bitch in heat? She will grind herself across the grass to try and get her that itch. And she can find a way to sneak out of the backyard, as any dog will do."

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Allen Hughes

my notes: unbelievable, poorly paced, distractingly overacted, and borderline misogynistic - but entertaining.
overall: recommended with reservations

Unhinged (2020) - "A psychological thriller that takes something we've all experienced—road rage—to an unpredictable and terrifying conclusion. Rachel is running late getting to work when she crosses paths with a stranger at a traffic light. Soon, Rachel finds herself, and everyone she loves, the target of a man who feels invisible and is looking to make one last mark upon the world by teaching her a series of deadly lessons. What follows is a dangerous game of cat and mouse that proves you never know who you're driving next to."
source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: the Russell Crowe-ing continues
IMDB: 6.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 48% Audience: 77%
my IMDB: 1/10

notable quote: "You'll fucking learn."

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Derrick Borte

my notes: revolting, gratuitous, and profoundly disturbing. DNF
overall: most strongly not recommended

Last Holiday (2006) - "In morte veritas. Georgia Byrd clerks at a New Orleans department store. She defers pleasure: cooks gourmet meals, eats Lean Cuisine; likes a co-worker in silence; has savings, but hasn't left Louisiana. All that changes when a CT Scan discloses she has three weeks to live. She cashes her savings and heads to Grandhotel Pupp in the Czech Republic, where Chef Didier presides. She checks into the Presidential Suite, orders everything on the menu, snowboards, and comes to the attention of the chef and the hotel's powerful American guests: a Congressman, a Senator, a retail magnate, and his mistress. She has nothing to lose, so she tells them what she thinks. Will the truth set them free?"
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I wanted to watch something happy
IMDB: 6.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 55% Audience: 67%
my IMDB: 8/10

notable quote: "The start is not nearly as important as the finish."

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Wayne Wang

my notes: this got mediocre reviews, but I love it. It's legitimately laugh-out-loud funny, thoughtful, emotionally affecting, and reveals great growth on the part of several characters. This time around, my favorites were Gérard Depardieu as Chef Didier and Alicia Witt (not usually my cup of tea) as Ms. Burns.
overall: super highly recommended

[the title quotation is from Last Holiday]