when the beasts like you will devour each other, then the world will belong to the little people

Average rating: 7.5

The Eagle has Landed (1976) - "During World War II, Nazi officer Max Radl (Robert Duvall) devises a plan to kidnap or kill the British prime minister. Approved by German Cmdr. Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasence), the scheme moves forward with Col. Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine) leading the mission, aided by Liam Devlin (Donald Sutherland), an Irishman with a deep hatred of England. As the plan unfolds, it seems to be going well—until certain events threaten the group's shot at success."
length: 2 hours, 3 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD

I watched it because: I read the book in junior high and other than knowing I liked it (and got in trouble for the book report because my teacher thought a parent had written it) it's faded from memory
IMDB: 6.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 71% Audience: 68%
my IMDB: 6/10

MPAA rating: PG

notable quote: "A wink from a pretty girl results rarely in climax, Karl. But a man is a fool not to push a suggestion as far as it will go."

directed by: John Sturges

my notes: some good performances by excellent actors, alas in service of a film that oughtn't to have been made. Sturges, notoriously, made the movie for cash and didn't give a crap about it. It shows. 

    Robert Duvall is terrific as Colonel Radl, one of the best roles for an unassuming actor who can disappear into a character. Michael Caine makes an excellent action hero (of a sort), imbued with a confidence just short of arrogance. Donald Sutherland steals the show, though, as the twinkling, swaggering, sexy Devlin. 

    I like the story and the acting, but not the movie itself. In the hands of a director who cared about it, this could have been a solid WWII classic.

overall:  recommended with reservations

 

The Blue Gardenia (1953) - "Deeply distraught that her GI ex-boyfriend plans to marry another woman, Norah Larkin (Anne Baxter) agrees to go out on a date with lothario Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr). Norah's drunken night out with Prebble ends in a hazily remembered confrontation and the next day a startling discovery: Harry has been murdered, and the police have found Norah's personal effects at the scene. Tipped off to the breaking news, reporter Casey Mayo (Richard Conte) invites Norah to tell her side of the story."
length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I was at my parents' for Easter and we do like a

wacky movie now and then...

    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 84% Audience: 62%
my IMDB: 9/10

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "Honey, if a girl killed every man who got fresh with her, how much of the male population you think there'd be left?"

directed by: Fritz Lang

my notes: fresh, clever, and unexpected. The female cast is outstanding. (The guys are fine, too, but the ladies have it.

overall: highly recommended

The Thieves {Dodookdeul} (2012) - "In order to let things cool down from their latest heist, Popeye and his group of thieves go to Macau on a job. But the mastermind behind this job is none other than Popeye's old partner Macau Park, who escaped with 68kg of gold several years ago on their last job together. Macau Park brought Chinese thieves as well—but little did they know what Macau Park planned for each one of them. His plan takes an unexpected turn when Popeye brings Pepsi, a genius safe-cracker and old flame of Macau Park, to settle the old score. The thieves' target is a $20 million diamond known as 'Tear of the Sun', kept safely away in a casino, brought there to be sold by a notorious Chinese fence. While working together to steal this fabled diamond, they all have their own agenda to keep the diamond for themselves. Who will succeed, and live to see another day? "

length: 2 hours, 5 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I haven't seen it in several years, knew I liked it, but couldn't remotely recall the plot
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 71% Audience: 70%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: NR

directed by: Dong-hoon Choi

my notes: it's the Oceans films (2001-2007) plus Leverage (2008-2012) meets The Departed (2006) and maybe Scarface (1983) multiplied by the language barrier (in case it's not obvious, the film is [mostly] in Korean), a huge cast, and a frenetic pace. Completely insane, confusing, funny, scary, violent (daaaaamned violent), and ultimately satisfying in a sort of Crazy Rich Asians (2018) fashion.

overall:  recommended

Foreign Correspondent (1940) - "Crime reporter John Jones (Joel McCrea) is turning in nothing but dull copy. His editor, unhappy with his work, hopes a change of scenery will be the thing Jones needs to get back on track. Re-assigned to Europe as a foreign correspondent, Jones is very much out of his element. When he stumbles on a spy ring, he feels ill-equipped to unravel the truth alone and he seeks help from a beautiful politician's daughter (Laraine Day) and an urbane English journalist (George Sanders)."
length: 2 hours

source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: I love Joel McCrea
IMDB: 7.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 95% Audience: 81%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "'You'd mean much more to me with your clothes on.'

    'Ah, you like the intellectual type, do you?'"

directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

my notes: this could be my favorite Hitchcock film! Smart, very suspenseful, and twisty with crosses. McCrea is wonderful and surprisingly funny (the hats!) and athletic. Also like George Sanders as Scott ffolliott (with the uncapitalized fuhs). The lighting, the fantastic shots (oh my good God, the Tower of London), and the music. And the thunder. And the costumes. ...
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Supporting Actor—Albert Bassermann

• Best Writing, Original screenplay—Charles Bennett, Joan Harrison

• Best Cinematography, Black and white—Rudolph Maté

• Best Art Direction, Black and white—Alexander Golitzen

• Best Effects, Special Effects—Paul Eagler (photographic), Thomas T. Moulton (sound)
overall: strongly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Foreign Correspondence]