I'll die my own way, and I'll do it without making the world worse. I leave that to you

Are my movie choices ever like anyone else's movie choices?

Somewhere in Time (1980) - "A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time and meet the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel."
source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I was in the mood for a romantic film, and Christopher Reeve is compelling
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 52% Audience: 88%
my IMDB: 2/10

notable quote: "Excess within control."

MPAA rating: PG

directed by: Jeannot Szwarc

my notes: a terrible movie. Jane Seymour is an awful actress, and the script is revolting.

Academy Award nominee: Best Costume Design—Jean-Pierre Dorléac
overall: not  recommended

The Little Foxes (1941) - "This film adaptation of the Lillian Hellman play depicts a post-Civil War southern community where nothing is more important than money and power to Regina Giddens. In order to join her equally ruthless brothers in a scheme that is sure to gain her wealth and power, she uses her naïve young daughter to fetch her estranged, ailing husband who is living elsewhere. When she cannot convince her husband to give her the money, she sets forward a cunning plan which escalates."

source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: it was well reviewed and received a boatload of Oscar nominations
IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 100% Audience: 87%
my IMDB: 7/10

AFI: 100 Years … 100 Heroes and Villains (2003) Villain #45

MPAA rating: [TV-PG]

notable quote: "'Do you like me?'

    'Not today.'

    'Why, I'll come back tomorrow.'"

directed by: William Wyler

my notes: Bette Davis (Regina Giddens) played a reprehensible bitch so effectively! Herbert Marshall (Horace Giddens) was wonderful, compelling, and nuanced. Richard Carlson (David Hewitt) was a delight.

Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture
• Best Actress in a Leading Role—Bette Davis

• Best Actress in a Supporting Role—Patricia Collinge

• Best Actress in a Supporting Role—Teresa Wright

• Best Director—William Wyler

• Best Writing, Screenplay—Lillian Hellman

• Best Art Direction - Interior Decoration, Black-and-White—Stephen Goosson, Howard Bristol

• Best Film Editing—Daniel Mandell

• Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture—Meredith Willson

overall:  recommended

Fisherman's Friends: One and All (2022) - "Following the unexpected success of the band's debut album 'No Hopers, Jokers and Rogues', we re-join them almost a year later, struggling with the pressures, pitfalls and temptations of their newfound fame, second album syndrome, and performing on the pyramid stage at Glastonbury."
source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I was charmed by the first movie, and this was recommended
IMDB: 6.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 38% Audience: 81%
my IMDB: 4/10

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Meg Leonard, Nick Moorcroft

my notes: predictable, contrived, and almost wincingly sweet. I liked the music (of course), it's hard to say a bad word about James Purefoy, and David Hayman is terrific. The rest of it, though...meh.

overall: marginally recommended

Enchantment (1948) - "The widowed patriarch of the Dane family adopts a young girl named Lark, whose parents have been killed in a train wreck. This upsets his biological children - Selina, the eldest, and two boys, Rollo and Pelham. As the years go by, however, the boys find they like their new 'sister' and, as they grow older, they each find themselves in love with the high-spirited, but somewhat manipulative, girl. But each attention and accolade that Lark receives only inflames the jealousy of Selina, who feels Lark is nothing but a parasite, who has usurped Selina's rightful role of both daughter and sister and eventually, matriarch."
source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: it was on my recommendations list
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 73%
my IMDB: 9/10

notable quote: "'Why does the uniform make one rude?'

    'It doesn't; it makes time precious.'"

MPAA rating: [TV-G]

directed by: Irving Reis

my notes: outstanding! David Niven (General Sir Roland Dane) - in each time period - is one of the best. And Farley Granger (Pilot Officer Pax Masterson) is great!

overall:  recommended

[the title quotation is from The Little Foxes]