you're a crazy man, but not so stupid

Average rating: 8

Sunset Boulevard (1950) - "An aging silent film queen refuses to accept that her stardom has ended. She hires a young screenwriter to help set up her movie comeback. The screenwriter believes he can manipulate her, but he soon finds out he is wrong. The screenwriters ambivalence about their relationship and her unwillingness to let go leads to a situation of violence, madness, and death."
length: 1 hour, 50 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: it's been too long since I've seen it, and I finally managed to find a copy for myself

    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 8.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 98% Audience: 95%
my IMDB: 10/10

AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Movies (original list 1998) #12

         100 Years ... 100 Movies (10th anniversary edition 2007) #16

MPAA rating: Approved

notable quote: "Nothing, madam. Somebody inquiring about a stray dog."

directed by: Billy Wilder

my notes: this film is highly celebrated, for good reason. William Holden is fantastic. Gloria Swanson is a force of nature. And Erich von Stroheim, as Max... I've never been punched in the face (yet), but his performance comes pretty damned close.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I firmly agree.

Academy Award winner:
• Best Writing, Story and Screenplay—Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman, Jr.

• Best Art Direction—Set Decoration, Black and White

• Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Actor—William Holden (Joe Gilles)

• Best Actress—Swanson

• Best Supporting Actor—Erich von Stroheim (Max Von Mayerling)

• Best Supporting Actress—Nancy Olson (Betty Schaefer)

• Best Director—Billy Wilder

• Best Cinematography, Black and White

• Best Film Editing

• Best Picture

overall: most highly recommended

 

Hard Boiled {Lat sau san taam} (1992) - "Violence as poetry, rendered by a master—brilliant and passionate, John Woo’s Hard Boiled tells the story of jaded detective 'Tequila' Yuen (played with controlled fury by Chow Yun-fat). Woo’s dizzying odyssey through the world of Hong Kong Triads, undercover agents, and frenzied police raids culminates unforgettably in the breathless hospital sequence. More than a cops-and-bad-guys story, Hard Boiled continually startles with its originality and dark humor."
length: 2 hours, 8 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I hadn't seen it, and was very intrigued
IMDB: 7.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 92% Audience: 92%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "You're your own worst enemy! If you can't conquer your own fears, how can you conquer anyone else?!"

directed by: John Woo

my notes: probably the most explicitly violent film I've ever seen, this is such nonstop action that I needed eye drops—I kept neglecting to blink. Absolutely crazy action, in the form of gunfights, fistfights (and some pretty sweet slaps), explosions, a lot of fire, and an insult or two. 

    Of course, I love Tony Leung Chui-wai, and he's really good here, both strong and vulnerable. And gorgeous. I even liked Chow-Yun Fat, who can be a hard sell for me.    

    It's almost impossible to imagine sleeping after seeing this film. SO good.  

    The RogerEbert.com interview with John Woo is here.

overall: highly recommended

Safe (2012) - "Luke Wright is a two-bit cage fighter, until the day he refuses to throw a match. In retaliation, the Russian mob murders his family and destroys his life. Though alone and haunted by grief, Luke springs into action to save a Chinese girl (Catherine Chan) from the same gangsters who killed his family—and lands in the middle of a high-stakes war. The girl is no ordinary child; she's a math prodigy who holds in her head a numerical code for which various factions are ready to kill."
length: 1 hour, 34 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: Jason Statham feels like a member of the family

    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 6.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 59% Audience: 59%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "When I'm done, you won't even be a memory of a memory."

directed by: Boaz Yakin

my notes: maybe the most purely physical Statham movie, he really shines as a cage fighter who is also profoundly deadly with a firearm. The subway scene is terrific. And he can kill a guy with a fork.

    And Statham is drop-dead handsome in a dress shirt and jacket. He also speaks believable Russian. 

    This film has some great villains, easy to hate.  

overall: strongly recommended

Fletch (1985) - "A veritable chameleon, investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) might drive his editor (Richard Libertini) up the wall, but he always produces great pieces for the newspaper. When his next story is about the drug trade taking place on the beach, Fletch goes undercover as a homeless man. Unaware of Fletch's true identity, businessman Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) offers Fletch $50,000 to kill him. Intrigued, Fletch decides to unearth the full story behind the offer."
length: 1 hour, 38 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: it was a favorite in high school, of which a friend reminded me today

    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 6.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: N/A%
my IMDB: 6/10

MPAA rating: PG

notable quote: "Can I borrow your towel for a sec? My car just hit a water buffalo."

directed by: Michael Ritchie

my notes: it's silly, and Chevy's droll delivery is kind of a one-note song. But the story is still funny, and the supporting cast is fun, and I like it well enough.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I would like to agree more. 

overall:  mildly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Safe]