and they threw fire, even though I said, "please"

A very strange set of films, average rating 7.5. It's a win!

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) - "In this silent comedy, college boy William Canfield Jr. (Buster Keaton) reunites with his boat captain father in a Mississippi River town. Though he's flummoxed by Willie's citified appearance, the elder Canfield seems to have found an ally to help him compete with fellow riverboat owner John James King (Tom McGuire). Willie finds himself falling for King's daughter, Mary (Marion Byron), but he has more pressing concerns when the weather turns bad and his father in arrested."
source: DVD
I watched it because: it came in a set with The General, which I've seen (reviewed here). I'm in early-films mode again.
IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 96% Audience: 91%
my IMDB: 8/10

notable quote: "Take that barnacle off his lip." [keeping in mind that this is a silent film, so "quotes" are from the intertitles - the cards occasionally shown to logically move the action along]

MPAA rating: NR

directed by: Charles Reisner (and Keaton, albeit uncredited)

my notes: a short, clever film with the most extraordinary stunts. Keaton was a brilliant stuntman - his vaults on the steamboat during the storm are incomprehensible, and he made it look simple.

overall: highly recommended (and check out Roger Ebert's brief analysis of Keaton's work)

The Rundown (2003) - "Beck (Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock) is a tight-lipped bounty hunter who doesn't like to use a gun and accepts any job without asking questions. When Beck's employer, Walker (William Lucking), sends him to the Amazon to locate Walker's cocky son, Travis (Seann William Scott), Beck discovers a population controlled by a tyrannical treasure hunter (Christopher Walken). To survive, Beck and Travis must work together, without their affections for a mysterious rebel (Rosario Dawson) getting in the way."

source: DVD
I watched it because: it's a favorite (also reviewed here)
IMDB: 6.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 70% Audience: 66%
my IMDB: 9/10

notable quote: "Don't go worryin' about Hatcher. That monstrosity won't give a flyin' fornication for the pair a' youse no more. He got what he was afta'."

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Peter Berg

my notes: love this one. Drama, action, romance, silliness, terrific fistfights, snappy dialog. Rosario Dawson (Mariana) is awesome, Ewen Bremner (Declan) is a kick, and Ernie Reyes, Jr. (Manito) is phenomenal. Wonderful!
overall:  recommended

Mad Max (1979) - "In a not-too-distant dystopian future, when man's most precious resource—oil—has been depleted and the world plunged into war, famine and financial chaos, the last vestiges of the law in Australia attempt to restrain a vicious biker gang. Max (Mel Gibson), an officer with the Main Force Patrol, launches a personal vendetta against the gang when his wife and son are hunted down and murdered, leaving him with nothing but the instincts for survival and retribution."

source: DVD
I watched it because: it's been ages since I saw it, and I have temporary access to the whole series
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 70%
my IMDB: 6/10

notable quote: "I'm scared, Fif. You know why? It's that rat circus out there. I'm beginning to enjoy it."

MPAA rating: R

directed by: George Miller

my notes: wack. a. doodle. ! Super intense and bewilderingly Australian. I like the story but didn't so much like the movie, which is too ominous and fast-paced for me. Still, it's worth seeing at least once.

overall:  recommended

Chappie (2015) - "In the near future, a mechanized police force patrols the streets and deals with lawbreakers—but now, the people are fighting back. When one police droid is stolen and given new programming, he acquires the ability to feel and think for himself. While the robot, dubbed 'Chappie ' (Sharlto Copley), puzzles out human behavior, the authorities begin to see him as a danger to mankind and order; they will stop at nothing to ensure that Chappie is the last of his kind."

source: borrowed the DVD from Joe the Barber (via Dad)
I watched it because: it looks like one of the weirdest movies ever made
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 32% Audience: 56%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "You've hurt my people!"

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Neill Blomkamp

my notes: shockingly, I liked it. I thought it was compelling, engaging, surprisingly funny, warm, and kind of thrilling. Dev Patel (Deon) is a really good actor, and Yo-Landi Visser (Yo-Landi) blew me away.
overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Chappie]