Some Streamers Too

Here is what I have watched on DVD since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained previously in this blog.

I am going to start getting a little harder with my ratings of low end movies. Since Netflix won’t allow me to give 2 ½ star ratings, I have been giving those movies a boost to 3 stars, which has resulted in many more Netflix recommendations to me of similar movies I might like (which is clever business on their part). Maybe their newest algorithm is inflating the predictions or maybe I have been too generous with my 3 star awards. I can’t do anything about their algorithm, but I can get stingier with my stars.

Speaking of stingy, I have always tried to stay through a movie for which I bought a ticket and I try to sit through rental DVDs, regardless of how bad the movie is, vainly trying to get my money’s worth. At least with a DVD you can fast forward. Of course when I have to pay, I try to pick movies I really expect to like. Now that I am watching Netflix streaming movies at no additional charge, I may try more marginal movies, so I should be more inclined to bail out on a stinker. I realize there are slow starters that get better, but if it is clear from the start that a movie is poorly done or is not my cup of tea, then it is not really worth the time to tough it out. If I rate it on this blog, I will mention that I did not finish it and give my reasons.

Susan’s young grandkids were part of a family gathering, and while the adults visited, Netflix instant viewing produced some entertainment for the kids, including some old Pink Panther cartoons, which they really liked.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 7) – 2009.  (3.4)  I get a kick out of Larry David for three reasons: I kind of think like him sometimes; sometimes I don’t act on my thoughts; and sometimes I do. I laugh out loud through the whole show, though I do tire of the “f word” usage and emphasis on sexual conduct. Overall, the series is beginning to feel repetitive.

Corrina, Corrina – 1994.  (3.1) A gentle film set in the 1950s, about a young girl whose mother died and who was brought out of her shell by a college educated black housekeeper, well played by Whoopi Goldberg, this movie had good chemistry all around and did not try to tackle social themes in depth. Instead, it concentrated on the relationships between the girl, her father and the housekeeper, and it handled those well. Even the fact the parents were atheists and Whoopi tried to soothe the girl with references to heaven and angels did not feel preachy, though I would like to see a story about a Buddhist housekeeper and a daughter of Christian parents, with the child struggling to understand why God took her mother away and the housekeeper starting the child down the path to truth by teaching her about suffering. Writer/director Jessie Nelson only has one other film direction to her credit, I am Sam, also about a motherless girl, and also a good movie. I wonder why she has not done more work.

Only You – 1994.  (3.0)  Marisa Tomei impulsively rushes off to Italy in pursuit of the unknown man of her destiny in this enjoyable, if unchallenging, romantic comedy directed by veteran Norman Jewison and beautifully photographed by Sven Nykvist. Watched on Netflix streaming.

A Home of Our Own – 1993.  (3.0) Kathy Bates plays an impoverished but stubbornly proud widow who moves her family from LA to small town Idaho where she negotiates a deal to take over an unfinished shack. She means well but is too hard on her kids, especially the oldest, played by Edward Furlong. Not the tightest of scripts, but sincere and well done.

Immediate Family – 1989.  (3.0)  DVDs like this one of wide screen movies that were formatted to fit a 4:3 screen are irritating in this day of  16:9 TVs. I can’t abide seeing black space to the left and right where I know the picture has been lopped off. So, unless the movie has subtitles at the bottom, I use my TV zoom to fill the screen, lopping off some of the top and bottom. Anyway, this movie about the early days of open adoption was well done. A nice, older, professional married couple was unable to conceive and a troubled, young, naïve, low income couple wanted their baby to have a better life. I can’t imagine the turmoil a young mother must endure in making such a decision, but this movie made me feel some of it, as it was well acted by Mary Stuart Masterson. I wanted the older couple to adopt the younger couple and help raise the baby as grandparents

Five Easy Pieces – 1970  (3.0)  Forty years ago Jack Nicholson starred in this picture, playing an acerbic jerk, a role for which he seems especially suited. It is fun to see young Jack and some other young players and the movie was well done and seemed freshly honest, but doesn’t really to have much to say other than that some people just don’t have any idea what to do with their lives. From memory, I had given this a Netflix 4, so I guess it did not hold up that well for me, but it is still worth watching. I streamed it.

The Cove – 2009.  (2.9) I was a little disappointed in this documentary about the capturing of Dolphins in Japan. These wonderful sea mammals are picked over by buyers for use in shows or else are slaughtered for their meat. There are several issues involved, such as the international politics of regulation of use of the seas, mercury poisoning, animal cruelty and censorship of criticism of the industry, and they all were covered in the film, but somehow it did not have sufficient coherence. Part of the problem is that the film is largely a lead up to the actual filming of the slaughter, but that climax is only minimally shown. I know it is hard to watch such cruelty, but if an audience is going to be motivated to help end the horror, then more documentation of that actual horror is needed.  Because of the importance of this lesser known subject, this movie should be viewed. Watch the special features first, to get a better idea how the clandestine filming was handled, because the documentary does not cover that as well.

Goodbye Solo – 2008.  (2.9) A charismatic Senegalese taxi driver in North Carolina tries to befriend a crabby old white man who seems to be planning on suicide in this watchable indie drama. Exactly why the cabbie wants to be a rescuer and the old man wants to cash it in, we never learn, and as the film unrolls it seems clear it cannot have a pat ending, which it doesn’t. If we all have something to teach each other, this film explores how that works between an optimist and a pessimist. Another one I streamed.

Napoleon – 2000.  (2.9) This PBS documentary was effectively made on a limited budget, using historical paintings, telephoto close ups of a few re-enactors, an interesting group of historian commentators and the always appealing narration of David McCullough. Good historical biography, but nothing beyond to explain why Napoleon has remained such a fascinating subject to so many writers (I heard one time that the two subjects on which the New York Public Library had the most books, were the American Civil War and Napoleon).

Bye Bye Love – 1995. (2.9) I guess this movie about how three divorced dads deal differently with their lives is one that you either like or hate. I found a middle ground, not taking the intended serious stuff too much to heart and not being overly bothered by the excessive McDonald’s presence, the lack of any real character development and the annoyingly neurotic character played by Janeane Garafalo.

Vertigo – 1958.  (2.9)  This Hitchcock film was his favorite and has been talked about through the years as his most personal. I watched the special features first on this 1996 DVD, explaining about the million dollar restoration that took over two years to do. The film holds its age and is definitely well done, and it did hold my interest throughout, but there really is not anything special about it that would appeal beyond historical interest.

Good Hair – 2009.  (2.8) Chris Rock entertained and educated us through this look at the huge industry that surrounds the quest by African American women for what they think is better looking hair. I did learn a lot about, but I think Al Sharpton came up with an accurate characterization when he pointed out that the money spent on this quest is overwhelmingly going to Asian and Caucasian manufacturers and the African American women who complain about racial exploitation are enabling it with the way they do their hair.

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars – 2005.  (2.8) Eleven years of brutal war of rebellion in Sierra Leone put many people in refugee camps in Guinea, where documentarians found this musical group whose songs were intended to entertain and inspire their fellow refugees. We do not learn a lot about the reasons for the conflict or the details of the lives of the performers, but we do get to follow them around some and experience their African reggae sounds. This was a stream watch.

Pentagon Wars – 1998.  (2.8) Ike warned us about the dangers on the military-industrial complex and this HBO produced satire, supposedly based on the true story of the Army’s Bradley vehicle, showed why. The honest hero seemed to be in a drama, while the bumbling Army officers were in a farce. This is a marginal production on an important subject that is not often covered.

Whip It – 2009.  (2.7)  Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut was obviously fun for her and all the actresses she employed, but the result is a marginal film, starting with the fact the script really didn’t have a lot to say. Ellen Page showed she is a good actress and her character did experience some growth, as did her mother, played by Marcia Gay Harden. The Roller Derby action scenes did not really deliver. This is not quite bad enough for me to tell Netflix I did not like it, but it bothers me to tell Netflix I did like it. Bottom line is I don’t want to miss out on recommendations of similar films that might be better done.

The Courtship of Eddie’s Father – 1963.  (2.7)  A director (Minelli) at the end of his career, and a quite varied cast, with a predictable plot with a shaky start had me laughing at this movie when humor was not intended, but young Ron Howard, on leave from his Opie role, kept me watching, and then icy Dina Merrill provided a nuanced villain while the squabbles between Glen Ford and Shirley Jones delayed the inevitable long enough for Eddie/Opie/Ronnie to “git ‘er done”.

Alice in Wonderland – 2010.  (2.4) Remember now, the ratings here are intended to produce Netflix recommendations for the types of films I like, so though this Alice may have been well done, the genre itself has little appeal for me. The 2.4 rating, rounded down, produces a 2 star did not like rating at Netflix. Netflix had predicted 2.6 for me. Susan wanted to see this movie, which is why I got it, and she did enjoy it, but it is not my cup of tea.

The Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio – 2006.  (2.4) This Italian documentary about community activists in an immigrant neighborhood in Rome assembling an orchestra composed of diverse immigrant musicians was disappointing. The mix of Indian, African, Latin, Arabic and other people and music had great potential, but the film was disorganized, had excessive narration and wasted too much time on the problems of the organizers, rather than concentrating on the interaction of the musicians and their music.

Men Who Stare at Goats – 2009.  (2.0) With company visiting, we took a flyer on this as a Netflix instant watch. It is supposedly a spoof or parody, but after 24 minutes of trying to let it entertain us or tell a story, none of us could figure what it was supposed to be, other than bad. When adding to the instant queue from the Blu-ray end, Netflix gives the average star rating for all viewers, but not the prediction for me, which turned out to be 2.1. It will work best if I don’t add a movie to the instant queue.