you find what something is worth when you pay for it

Three hits and a miss. That's a decent batting average.

3 Days to Kill (2014) - "Dying of brain cancer, a dangerous international spy is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he's previously kept at arm's length to keep out of danger; but first, he must complete one last mission - even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunt down the world's most ruthless terrorist and look after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years while his wife is out of town. "
source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: it is a truth universally acknowledged that Kevin Costner movies must be watched
IMDB: 6.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 28% Audience: 43%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "The longer I was gone, it felt like the harder it was to come back."

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: McG

co-written by Luc Besson

my notes: I liked it. Costner's Ethan is beleaguered, bewildered, and gorgeous - and he makes a credible assassin. A. Heard is god-awful (she has one expression, which is a preening obliviousness) and I hated her character as much as I hated the way she played her. Connie Nielsen is an underrated actress, strong and intriguing. Finally, Icelandic actor Tómas Lemarquis was AWESOME as The Albino. This is a good one.

overall: recommended

Sahara (1943) - "After a major battle in June 1942 an American tank crew, one of the few serving with the British 8th Army, is ordered to retreat south into the Sahara desert, the only direction that is open to them. Sgt. Joe Gunn and the two surviving members of crew head off, collecting a motley crew of British and other Allied soldiers on the way. They even have an Italian and a German POW. Their biggest threat is the lack of water but having finally found a well, they have to deal with advancing Nazis who are also in dire need of water. Rather than flee however, they decide to stand their ground and face the battalion strength enemy."

source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: it was mutually agreeable for my companion and me
IMDB: 7.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 92% Audience: 86%
my IMDB: 9/10

notable quote: "'You think she'll pull us out alright?'

    'Oh, well, it all depends on the way we handle her. It's like a dame. But no dame ever said anything as sweet as this motor's going to sound to us when she gets rollin'.'"

MPAA rating: [TV-PG]

directed by: Zoltan Korda

my notes: Wonderful! Bogart is, as one expects, very good. Rex Ingram as Sgt. Maj. Tambul, Richard Ahern as Capt. Jason Halliday, Louis Mercier as Frenchie (Jean Leroux), Guy Kingsford as Peter Stegman... excellent. It's an unlikely story, and I liked the movie so much.

Academy Award nominee:
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role—J. Carrol Naish
• Best Cinematography, Black-and-White—Rudolph Maté

• Best Sound, Recording—John P. Livadary

overall: highly recommended

And So It Goes (2014) - "A self-absorbed realtor enlists the help of his neighbor when he's suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off at his home."
source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: we were looking for something different from our usual (war or action) fare
IMDB: 5.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 18% Audience: 40%
my IMDB: 1/10, only because 0 isn't on the scale

notable quote: "'This is Mario Reyes. He won the Cy Young last year. We just got him as a free agent from the Rangers.'

    'So, he's not a gardener?'"

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Rob Reiner

my notes: I hated this movie. It was billed as a comedy, but the first hour or so (which is all we could stand) was filled with anger, crying, and bitter irony. D. Keaton has only ever played one role (which I did not like), and M. Douglas has not aged well (which I find amusing but not compelling). 

overall: not even remotely recommended. As an alternative: watch grass grow, watch food rotate in the microwave, watch anything but this.

The Devil's Brigade (1968) - "A fictionalized account of the First Special Service Force, the joint Canadian-American World War II commando group under the command of Col. Robert T. Frederick. The Canadians are the best that the Canadian Army has to offer: spit and polish, multiskilled, experienced soldiers. The Americans are the dregs of the U.S. Army: misfits and troublemakers lacking any kind of discipline. Over time, Frederick forges a unified, highly competent fighting force. Initially trained for a commando operation in Norway, Frederick has to move quickly to keep the unit together after the operation was canceled. They are sent to Italy where they distinguish themselves in battle."
source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: after the debacle (above), we reverted to our typical genre
IMDB: 6.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 60% Audience: 68%
my IMDB: 9/10

notable quote: "'Full colonels are not expendable.'

    'Sir, how low in rank does a man have to be before he is expendable?'"

MPAA rating: [approved]

directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen

my notes: I liked it even better than The Dirty Dozen (reviewed here). William Holden (Lt. Col. Frederick) is phenomenal, forceful and smart and handsome. Cliff Robertson (Maj. Alan Crown) is wily and intuitive. Vince Edwards (Maj. Cliff Bricker) is a blustery powerhouse. Richard Jaeckel, Jack Watson, Bill Fletcher, and on and on - the whole cast is brilliant. I loved it.

overall: enthusiastically recommended

[the title quotation is from The Devil's Brigade]