Disappearing Streams

When a movie in my Netflix Instant Queue is only going to be available for a few more days, it is tempting to squeeze in an instant viewing to save the use of a future mailing. But if I’m really not in the mood for it, I’ll let it pass and then either put it in the mailing queue or on the “Not Yet” sheet in my computer movie database. If the film is short or marginal enough that I might bail out on it early, I’m more likely to give it a quick try. There are a few of those on this list. Also included is a five disk series 2 of a BBC show which the library had on hand. My Netflix mail queue has shrunk to half the size of my instant queue, so it is time to add more to the mail list, watch more instant or both.

Here is what I have watched on DVD and streaming since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

Twin Sisters – 2002 (3.4). Orphaned in the 1920s at 6, German twin sisters are separated and taken by different relatives to be raised out of touch with each other in this Oscar nominee from Holland. One is exploited as cheap farm labor in Germany and the other is raised in urban luxury in Holland. They reunite briefly as young women just as WWII is starting, with little time to reconnect in any depth, and then fall out of touch during the war. Meeting again after the war, their union has problems, which they finally try to work out as they meet again finally in their twilight years. Touching and thought provoking, this movie presents some different perspectives on the impact of the war on German civilians. The script uses frequent flashbacks, but they are not annoying because they are always moving the story forward.

Duchess of Duke Street - Series 2 – 1976 (3.3). I didn’t want to use up Netflix mailings for the five discs of this series, so when a set became available at the library, I went into enjoyable power watch mode. This second set picks the story up on the brink of WWI and takes it through the war and into the mid 20s, mostly following the story arc of the main characters without so many guest star diversions, and concentrates more on the personal issues of the characters and the impact of the War, and less on the business aspects of running the hotel.

The Last Days – 1998 (3.2). In this documentary, five Hungarian Jews who survived the Holocaust tell the stories of their lives as children in pre-war Hungary and then of the horrors of life in the concentration camps. They tell about their lives since being liberated and how they deal with the past, including visiting the places of their youth and the infamous camps. Also included are interviews with some of the liberating American soldiers and a troubling interview with a German doctor who ran a camp clinic that experimented on prisoners and whose claim that he did harmless experiments in order to save them from extermination was enough to gain him acquittal of war crimes.

Desperate Crossing: the Untold Story of the Mayflower – 2006 (3.1). Produced for the History Channel, using Royal Shakespearean actors and Wampanoag Nation Indians, and based largely on the history written by William Bradford, Mayflower passenger and successor Governor of the Plymouth Colony, this documentary with dramatic re-enactments presents the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians in a more accurate manner than what we learned in school and folklore, and does it in a very watchable manner. The 60 or so survivors of the first year after the 1620 landing of the Mayflower were a prolific lot, with an estimated 30 million current American descendants not quite 500 years later.

Moolaade – 2004 (3.0). The Netflix summary of this movie is quite accurate, so I will quote it and add a little. “Senegalese writer-director Ousmane Sembene makes an impassioned plea against the practice of salinde, or female circumcision, in this moving portrait of a society in transition. In a West African village run by uncompromising Muslim males, fiery Colle (Fatoumata Coulibaly) provides safe harbor for young girls fleeing their ‘cleansing’ rituals. But what one man terms "a minor domestic issue" soon puts the whole town on the verge of bloodshed.” Collee is the middle of three wives and the favorite of her husband. Mindless tradition, religion, superstition and ignorance are all effectively attacked by this film which leaves the viewer with a strong sense of authenticity about the village setting and inhabitants.

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears – 1980 (3.0). This Russian winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, holds it age well and is still fun to watch. It tells the story of three young women who come to Moscow to work in factories and meet potential husbands and of their friendship in 1958 and then 1978. A charming script, appealing cast, pleasant music and restrained direction combine to produce a good movie, though the ending could have been a little more developed.

The People Speak – 2009 (2.9). Actors and entertainers give readings from Howard Zinn’s accurate alternative “People’s History of the United States” and sing related songs as part of a theatrical presentation filmed at two different venues for this documentary. The stage productions and this documentary are aimed at new audiences who may not be familiar with the progressive populist message of Zinn or with his rendering of American history. For those already familiar, there is nothing new, but still interesting to see and hear the performers.

Children of Huang Sui – 2008 (2.9). Filmed mostly on location in China, this movie is based on the true story of George Hogg, a young English journalist who wants to uncover the story of the brutality of the Japanese occupation of China and the civil war between the Nationalists and the communists in the 1930s, but gets sidetracked into taking over an orphanage full of boys of all ages when the home is left without an adult leader. Generally well done, though a little formulaic in parts, with some genuinely emotionally affecting moments. The closing credits include filmed tributes from some of the now elderly orphans.

Blue State – 2007 (2.9) Streamed. A vegetarian 28 year old liberal progressive blogger vows to go to Canada if Bush wins the 2004 election, really doesn’t want to, makes contact with an encouraging Marry a Canadian (to become a Canadian citizen) web site and interviews for a ride sharer, choosing a young girl with blue streaked hair and a nose ring. More of a dramedy, there are a few laughs here and there, but mostly it is a road trip movie that holds our interest because we are not sure why the girl is going and whether and when any chemistry will develop between the pair. The film takes opportunities to comment on war and politics and the comparison of American and Canadian cultures, all fairly low key and mildly humorous. The ending felt too quick and incomplete and I did not understand the final scene until I let it roll to the credits and reminded myself of the name of the blogger.

Late Spring – 1949 (2.9) Streamed. This Japanese movie, made right after WWII by the great film maker Ozu, tells the story of widowed professor and his devoted daughter who lives with him. She is quite happy dealing with his idiosyncrasies and wants to spend her life caring for him, but he thinks the time has come for her to get married, rather than spend her life all on him. Slow but authentic feeling in its portrayal of their life on the outskirts of Tokyo, this well done film is a cultural time capsule.

Only When I Dance – 2007 (2.8) Streamed. From Brazil, this documentary follows two aspiring ballet dancers from lower income households in Rio. Both sets of parents are supportive but financially challenged to raise money to send their child to prestigious competitions. The boy, who is brown skinned, is a wonderful dancer and it is when he dances that this film literally soars. The girl is very talented but has two extra obstacles to becoming a world class ballerina, her black skin and her robust body.

My Boy Jack – 2007 (2.8). Brit actor David Haig is a ringer for Rudyard Kipling and plays him in this Masterpiece Theater version of the Haig written play about Kipling’s son Jack, whose extreme myopia kept him out of the war with Germany, much to the disappointment of his father, who eventually got him a chance with the Irish Guards. Though only 17, Jack wanted to join and fight, as much to become a man in his own right as to please his father. Though well done, the script lacks depth and fails to explain character backgrounds or show much character development other than Kipling questioning whether he should have pushed so hard.

Zelig – 1983 (2.8) Streamed. This Woody Allen mockumentary was short enough to squeeze in before the instant viewing rights expired. I don’t recall ever seeing the whole thing before, though I know I have seen parts of it and knew what to expect. It is like a standup comedy routine presented as narration to quite well done integration of old newsreel footage and new film made to look old. The joke of a man who can morph into character types like the people he is around could wear a little thin, but the show moves at the faster pace of the old newsreels and finishes in 79 minutes counting credits.

Sunshine – 1999 (2.6). The idea to tell a story of one man from successive generations of a Hungarian Jewish family and how they dealt with anti-Semitism under the Emperor, the Nazis and the Communists was a good one, but the resulting movie was a disappointment, mostly because of the script but also because having one actor play all three roles actually distracted from the story. The problem with the script was that it often seemed to ramble without proper pace for three hours, most noticeably in spending disproportionate time covering one man’s skill at fencing and for all three men spending too much time on promiscuous sex scenes without showing any other intimacy or the emotional consequences of lack of other intimacy. Having Ralph Fiennes play all three roles, fencing prodigiously and demonstrating multiple acts of sexual prowess may have been fun for him but constantly called attention to him as an actor rather than as the three separate characters.

Henry V – 1989 (2.2) Streamed. For more than a score this tale of Henry hath laid within my list. In days of tape I shortened once a try. Its stream about to disappear I pulled it from the mist. Then did it play unto my ear and eye. Alas though fear of Bard I do not have, his words passed sadly undiscerned. Though mine eyes beheld the movement on the screen, my heart beat mildly unconcerned. Others about it have made much ado, but I cannot gift it over two point two.

A Forgotten List

I just remembered why I have so few movies in my Netflix mail queue. It is because it had gotten so big a while back, that I removed the majority of them and put them on a new “Not Yet” sheet in my movie database, and maybe even added a few more to the sheet while I still remembered it was there. When rediscovered, the sheet had over 250 movies, twelve of which were promptly moved to the top portion of my mail queue. Some of them, at the top of the list below, were pretty good. Again there is a tie at the top, hence two pictures.

Here is what I have watched on DVD and streaming since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

For My Father – 2008 (3.3) Streamed. Per the Netflix filmographies, the young talent in this Israeli movie is all new. The first impression they have created with this film about a Palestinian suicide bomber who can’t get his bomb to work is very promising. The script has lots of back stories, none of which are developed, but that is OK because the story is really about the bomber, a talented soccer player whose father got caught up in Palestinian politics and the Israeli girl who has made a moral mistake and become a social outcast. Mutual attraction, curiosity, defensiveness and a kind of desperate fatalism mark their attempts to relate, and somehow we sense that is also the case between their nations.

Under the Same Moon – 2007 (3.3). Patricia Riggen does not sound like a Spanish name, but the young director of that name is Mexican and did a good job on this Spanish language movie filmed mostly in her country. She also worked closely with the script writer. The story is about a young Mexican single mother who has illegally entered the US and is doing domestic work in LA and sending money back for her 9 year old son, very well played by Adrian Alonso. They have not seen each other for four years, but she talks with him every Sunday morning from phone booth to phone booth. A change in Mexico starts the boy on an unapproved road trip to reunite with his mother, just when the anguish of separation is prompting her to return to him.

Lemon Tree – 2008 (3.2) Streamed. The Israeli Defense Minister builds a house on the border of Palestinian territory, with an old family lemon grove, now run by a lonely Palestinian widow, on the other side of the border fence. When the security authorities decide the grove must be cut down, the widow fights it in Court, aided by a lonely young Palestinian attorney. Meanwhile the wife of the chauvinistic Minister begins to sympathize with the widow. An Israeli film well done all around, with an especially strong performance by Hiam Abbass as the widow.

Fugitive Pieces – 2007 (3.2) Streamed. His parents killed and sister abducted by the Nazis, a young boy is rescued and raised by a Greek professor and into his adulthood he struggles with his own version of survivor’s guilt in this sensitive and well done drama from Canada.

Thirteen Days – 2000 (3.2). I don’t remember following in detail the Cuban Missile Crisis of October, 1962, probably because I was absorbed in adjusting to my first quarter in law school. This well done movie takes viewers through the crisis with an inside look at it from the point of view of JFK and his top political adviser. Of course Bobby Kennedy is relied on heavily by his brother and there are many experts with divergent opinions, with the joint chiefs expectedly leaning heavily toward aggressive actions. This film realistically reminds us how close we were to nuclear world war and how important it was to have a level headed Commander-in-Chief.

Avatar – 2009 (3.1). Granted I did not see this on the big screen and in 3-D, but we got a pretty good impact viewing it on my home theater set up. Quite a production, well done and with some interesting though not particularly novel allegories, but is just not a favorite genre with me. I did like the concept of transporting the humans into their avatars and back and the way it was central to the script. I would like to see the special features, which apparently are not made available for rental [a new marketing ploy by the film industry to try to regain some sales lost to rentals], so I may have to borrow a collector’s set from a friend.

The Atomic Café – 1982 (3.1) Streamed. With the radiation leakages at the nuclear plants in Japan in the news, concerns over nuclear safety again come forward. Attitudes run the gamut from hysteric fear to ridiculous dismissal of any danger. This 30 year old documentary affords a double opportunity to view the history of the debate. First we can see very interesting archival footage of the first atomic and hydrogen explosions and film of radiation victims from the bombs dropped on Japan and from people exposed during bomb tests, along with government propaganda films telling us how manageable a nuclear attack on America would be. Second, we can see how those early atomic years were viewed 30 years later, during the early years of the Reagan Administration while the Cold War was still running and Reagan wanted to take nukes into outer space. Fast forward another 30 years to now, and see what you think.

Bloody Sunday – 2002 (3.0). Made 30 years after the event, this Irish production uses documentary style to dramatize the day that a peaceful demonstration in the Catholic part of Derry, Northern Ireland, took a bad turn as a few young rock throwers played into the hands of trigger happy British paratroopers, setting off a small massacre that dashed hopes for peaceful resolution of the political issues and fueling IRA enlistment. Local amateurs were used to good effect in most of the roles.

The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall – 2008 (2.9) Streamed. Based on a true story of the shooting by a Bedouin Israeli sniper of a young English peace activist in Palestine, this British movie chronicles the effort by his parents to have the Israelis properly investigate. It doesn’t get too much into the politics involved beyond the intensity of Israel’s security protocols, while it does an effective job at portraying the tension between the parents and the stress on the younger siblings of the victim.

The Song of Sparrows – 2008 (2.9). Majid Majidi is an Iranian film maker who does good work presenting movies that have an authentic feel about showing us life among the less affluent families in Iran. His actors may in fact be real people, not professionals. In this story a man who works on an ostrich farm loses his job and takes his motor scooter into Tehran on some errands which quickly lead him into making money driving people around in the horrendous traffic. Since he returns home every day to his wife and children, we can compare the city and the country, the rich and the poor, and the honest and dishonest, as we watch the man coping with all this new information and deciding on how to let it play out in his life, as he absorbs it and learns more about his family and friends also.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer – 2002 (2.9). This Indian movie is not a Bollywood musical. It does have good music on the soundtrack and a small amount of incidental singing, but it is a serious drama with an undercurrent of romantic potential. The principals are a young college educated Hindu mother traveling with her toddler and a Muslim man the family asks to look after her on the bus trip. When the bus gets stranded because of post 9/11 violence between Hindis and Muslims, the pair spends a couple days together discussing some of the issues and getting to know each other better. This is not preachy and the on screen chemistry is very good (both leads are quite appealing). The toddler is also entertaining.

Everybody’s Famous – 2000 (2.8). Not that funny for a comedy, this Dutch movie tells a variation of the story about kidnapping a celebrity in order to get a chance to show your talent in performance. This time it is dumb but loving Dad doing it for overweight but supposedly talented daughter. It starts like a dumb comedy, then gets a little more serious and turns into a reverse caper with what is supposed to be a heartwarming finish, but it falls a little flat.

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy – 1946 (2.8) Streamed. I always enjoyed the Andy hardy movie series, but not many of the 15 films have made it to DVD. This was the last of the series, done after WWII, with Mickey Rooney playing Andy as a returning GI, which Mickey actually was, having served 21 months in the Army as an enlisted man entertaining the troops and doing some broadcasting. Still funny, especially Andy dancing with a girl twice his height, the film also had some serious overtones about GIs returning home to their special girl. On the brink of the War, Mickey was number one at the box office, but after the War his career headed down hill, as did his personal life with many financial setbacks and broken marriages. Yet, like Andy, he always makes it through and has been married to his current wife since 1978.

Hula Girls – 2006 (2.7). Based on a true story of a coal mining town in northern Japan in 1965 that was in economic trouble because the mine was closing down, this Japanese movie tells how the mining company decided to try to turn the town into a Hawaiian theme park because it had hot springs. Townspeople were resentful of the plan but a few of the women decided to go along with the plan and train to become Hula dancers, taught by an experienced but troubled young woman professional from Tokyo. Clumsy and a bit amateurish, the broad humor at the beginning does not work well, but then settles into a drama with some sensitive moments but lots of missed opportunities. If you don’t watch it all, skip ahead to the end to see the long shots of the last dances, which apparently were performed by real pros.

Winter’s Bone – 2010 (2.4) It was hard to tell the professional actors from the real local yokels and the settings were real places in Missouri hillbilly country in this movie that had the right look but didn’t tell a story that ever got me as interested as I should have been. Drug cooker Dad put up the home property for bond and is now either a bail jumper or a doomed snitch. To save the place, and take care of her incompetent Mom and younger siblings, the heroine sets out to track him down, but meets only with resistance from her inbred family and neighbors who are also in the same pharmaceutical business. Sorry, but I laughed out loud during what was supposed to be the most horrific scene.

The Windmill Movie – 2008 (2.4). I’m not sure how I got wind of this windmill. Only a few people rated it at Netflix and they all liked it. Maybe they were part of the Hampton set often shown in this posthumously assembled selection of self-indulgent home movies of a documentary film maker, Richard P. Rogers, who despite his privileged upbringing, struggled with self-esteem issues, while at the same time, being stuck on himself. This will be coming to streaming, but then you won’t get to see the two shorts by Rogers that were on the DVD extras, and which weren’t as bad as the main show.

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall – 1980 (2.4) Streamed. I streamed this old TV drama of a Katherine Anne Porter short story because I had an hour to kill and I have seen every other movie at Netflix by the director, Randa Haines, and liked them all. This was well directed and acted and captured the feel of its era, but it also felt like an old TV drama. The material itself had little appeal to me and to be honest I slept through a lot of the show, so maybe this review is unfair.

Two Unexpected Winners

Pictures of two movies are shown this time, because they are both very impressive films and surprises to me. Quite often I have a preconceived idea of what a movie is going to be like, only to find on viewing that it is altogether different. But it is not very often that a movie of which I do not expect much turns out to be an unexpected winner. Two such films are on this list.

Some of the 2010 award contenders are starting come out on DVD, so starting with this list I will be checking some out and giving my two cents worth here.

Here is what I have watched on DVD and streaming since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

Prayers for Bobby – 2009 (3.7). When I saw that a movie about a young gay man having problems with his parents accepting him had made it to the top of my Netflix queue and was in the mail, I was a bit disappointed, as it seemed like I had already seen enough of those. But when I watched it, I found an unexpected winner, based on a powerful true story, well written, directed and acted, especially by Sigourney Weaver as the religious mother intent on healing her son of his homosexual illness. The production took 13 years to bring to the TV screen, where it was shown on Lifetime. Watch the brief special features to hear a little of the background of the production coming together and to meet the real mother.

City Island – 2009 (3.5) Streamed. What a pleasant surprise to expect a decent comedy about a jail guard who discovers a new prisoner is the son he abandoned as an infant, and brings him home to meet the family, and find a movie instead that is a hidden gem about frustrated desires, hidden hopes and the need to get back in touch. This reminds me of one of my favorites, Secrets and Lies. Writer and director Raymond DeFelitta has made three movies, all of which I liked, and a documentary I have not seen. I hope he makes many more films.

The Elephant Man – 1980 (3.3) Streamed. All these years I have avoided viewing this movie, because I did not want to spend time watching a grotesque looking man. With stream rights at Netflix ending, I went for it and was touched by the portrayal of this young man who maintained his dignity in spite of his gruesome appearance. As individuals learn he is not a freak but a sensitive person, our sense of compassion is invoked. The visit to the doctor’s home and meeting with his wife is particularly strong. The basic story is true, though some of the details have been reported in conflicting ways.

A Cry in the Dark – 1988 (3.2). This true Australian story of a woman who in 1981 claimed her baby was carried off by a dingo and then herself became a suspected murderess became a media circus and captured the interest of the Australian public as much as the O. J. trials did here. Well written, directed and acted (Meryl Streep plays the woman with a convincing accent), the movie does not appear dated and captures the feeling of the country in a convincing way, while showing the terrible burden on the baby’s parents from not only losing their child to certain death, but also not having her body recovered over the ensuing years while it remained a main topic of media interest.

The Social Network – 2010 (3.1). In spite of already knowing something about the founding of Facebook and the litigation over its starting, I was a little confused during the early part of this movie with just where we were in the chronology. The technical details of the computer programing and the litigation were minimal in the screenplay as were the details of character backgrounds and family situations, but the focus on the campus life and principals involved was consistent with the all-consuming nature of being a college whiz kid on “the” campus. An interesting story, well directed and acted, it stayed on point for two hours and held my attention. I did not learn about why people go nuts for Facebook, except that it started as a way for guys to check out, comment and exchange info on campus women. Ironically, the main Facebook developer, Mark Zuckerberg, was inept socially and early in the picture a girl told him his problem was not that he was a nerd, but that he was an a-hole, and then near the end, another woman told him his problem wasn’t really that he was an a-hole, but that he was trying too hard to be one.

[John posted a comment on the last list, saying he found this movie boring and that Citizen Kane covered the same material and he would rather watch that classic ten times than this movie once. This is definitely not in the Kane league, but I don’t think the material is that similar. Zuckerberg is a flash in the pan compared to William Randolph Hearst. Hearst dealt with news spinning and commentary whereas Facebook is just a social linking platform. Wealth is the main thing they have in common, but while Hearst coveted and embraced it, Zuckerberg could care less.]

Beauty in Trouble – 2006 (3.1). This Czech movie about a young woman facing a choice between her young and virile husband, the father of her two children, who turned to crime due to economic loss, and an older wealthy man who is good to her but not that great in the sack has some well nuanced characters, portrayed in good order by the entire cast, and very good direction. The drama of having to make the decision is pervasive without obvious plot structure, and combines with the authenticity of the characters and settings to make a very watchable film. When I was younger and maybe less judgmental and opinionated, I probably would have appreciated the ending more.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger – 2010 (3.0). Woody Allen uses a very good ensemble in London to tell about marriages breaking up and people, none of whom were written to be particularly appealing, moving on with new hopes that don’t quite work out. Too much narration at the beginning, but then settles in and is easy going fun if you don’t take it too seriously.

Holiday – 1938 (3.0) This romantic comedy with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn was from a stage play of the same name, which more accurately could be called Work Sabbatical, about a young man who worked his way through college and early success in business and is ready to marry and take time off for a deep self-inquiry. Problem is he picked inadvertently picked a conventional rich girl, providing ample fodder for some Depression era progressive political spirit. Fast pace, great sets and actual acrobatics by Grant help avoid stage bound feel. The film has been well restored, but the Netflix stream version attempt a while back was out of sync.

Get Low – 2009 (2.9). Preview clips with Robert Duvall and Bill Murray prompted a view of this true story of a mean recluse in 1938 Tennessee who wanted to have his funeral while he was still alive. As expected, contains some good deadpan humor.Well enough done with good acting and ambiance, though the ending may leave some slightly disappointed.

Absence of Malice – 1981 (2.9). Paul Newman and Sally Field as a romantic couple had no screen chemistry, but that was not essential to this story about the ethics of prosecutors using media leaks to put heat on a potential informant. The issues were portrayed well, if not in depth, but the cleverness of the informant in matching wits took away from the coverage of the real issues, and the profane Assistant Attorney General who made the final decisions was a little much. Sally did an excellent job of showing what a young star reporter feels like when her stories hurt innocent people.

An Autumn Afternoon – 1962 (2.9). This last film of Yaujiro Ozu deals with an aging widower who decides it is time for his daughter to get married, so she does not have to spend her life taking care of him. The man meets regularly with old schoolmates and has encounters with a former teacher and a subordinate from his time as a naval officer in WWII. The story also weaves in observations about the loss of the War and the impact of American culture on Japan. The slow paced film holds its age and our attention because it is so grounded in simple truth. Watch the special feature first to learn of the Zen style of Ozu, who always used a fixed position camera at a low to ground level.

The Kids Are All Right – 2010 (2.8). For me this was one of those movies that present characters that are all sort of appealing in a situation that is a little different and you’re not sure where it’s headed but you are interested in finding out, and then when you get there you feel sort of letdown. This is not really a comedy as some call it, but rather a slice of lesbian family life with one bit of drama. I expected the sperm donor dad to be hoot, which he really wasn’t, but I am not quite sure what he was, except maybe part of the letdown.

Waiting for Superman – 2010 (2.8). This documentary about the American public school system left out so much of what is important to discuss, such as the full meaning of an education, the choice of curricula, school boards, voters, government funding, PTAs, the impact of the school principal, student discipline, learning disabilities, ESL, teacher pay, extracurricular activities and probably much more. Why then did I give it a passing grade? Partly for effort and sincerity, but mostly for the emotional impact of watching the filmed subjects at the lottery drawing waiting to see if they would be admitted to the charter school that would change their lives. Villianizing teacher unions and canonizing charter schools is an oversimplified and incomplete answer.

All about Eve – 1950 (2.8) Streamed. This movie about a scheming young woman who seeks acting stardom at the expense of an older star won Oscars for best picture, director and screenplay and is considered a classic, but I never bothered to check it out because I figured it would be stage bound, talkative and theatrical, which I have now confirmed it is. That said, the dialogue is sophisticated and the film does hold interest, even though it runs too long. Imminent expiration of the Netflix instant play rights prompted my viewing.

Night Sun – 1990 (2.7). This Italian film about an 18^th century lesser nobleman who decides to become an ascetic monk says it was “liberally” based on a Tolstoy work. The best part of the movie is the stark mountain scenery. There is little drama or character development, as the film almost entirely concentrated on the central character who makes his decision early and then then tries not to give in to temptation by lust and pride, neither of which is portrayed in a particularly memorable way. Netflix calls it cerebral and understated: I would say mildly thoughtful and minimally eventful.

The Princess Bride – 1987 (2.2). I never bothered with this movie before because I figured it would be a little in the vein of the supposed humor of Mel Brooks, that I really don’t care for, but Netflix said I would like it, so I gave it a try. Wrong. Not quite as bad as Mel Brooks, but close.

Film Series and Double Bills

Back in our college days, John and I used to take in the UW film series on campus. Each quarter, weekly movies were shown, usually all from one foreign country. The host was someone knowledgeable about foreign movies and would do a written handout on each film. At the beginning of the quarter, the first films seemed quite strange culturally and in language, but by the end of the quarter they began to feel more familiar, as it is when visiting a foreign country for an extended stay. Since the movies were extracurricular, there was no post movie discussion.

Schools today, from junior high on up, could put a series of movies to good use as discussion stimulators, for instance with a series of movies on racial intolerance, one on conflict resolution and another on peer pressure. The possible topics are numerous and the choice of movies on any theme is even more extensive. What fun it would be to choose the themes and movies and then facilitate and moderate the discussions.

When I was a kid, theaters, usually the cheaper ones I could afford would show double bills, two movies for one admission. In fact, the old Embassy on 3rd Avenue in Seattle offered triple bills for some oddball pittance, either 9 cents or 11 cents. There was seldom any apparent attempt by the theater operators to pick films that would have a common theme, though sometimes that might happen by coincidence.

Now that I am watching movies on DVD, I sometimes watch two movies in sequence and am surprised that they have a lot in common. That happened on two pairs of movies listed below (High Fidelity and Fever Pitch) both about young lovers based on novels by Nick Hornby with stories set in England and then relocated to America for the movies, and Dean Spanley and The Cave of the Yellow Dog, both touching on dogs reincarnated as humans.

Here is what I have watched on DVD and streaming since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

South of the Border – 2009 (3.3) Streamed. Oliver Stone did a good job with this documentary about democratically elected leaders of South American countries who are taking their nations in a more progressive and social minded direction, in opposition to the rich elites, multi-national corporations and pressure from American and European governments and their surrogates. Starting with Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, the chronological leader of the pack, Stone conducts intimate interviews with these leaders, who seem to feel his good will towards them and are thus more open in their dialogue. Brief visits are also made to Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Ecuador, and Raoul Castro also participates. The result is a hopeful sense of significant, worthwhile and long overdue change.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog – 2005 (3.1). The plan for this Mongolian film had included a few ideas to include in the story of following a nomadic Mongolian family, but the realities of the lifestyle and the appeal of the subject family took over the story instead. The result is a fairly slow moving film about a young mom and dad with three little children, the oldest of whom picks up a stray dog, part drama and more documentary about the lifestyle and the honestly simple passing of the wisdom of generations to the youngsters. Watch the 12 minute interview with the young Mongolian filmmaker for a quick bio on her and some fun facts about making the movie. Do not try to watch this on streaming, because that version is English dubbed in the worse possible way, and Netflix should be ashamed for not warning about that.

Cocalero – 2007 (2.9) Streamed. This Spanish language documentary follows Evo Morales as he successfully runs to become the first indigenous Indian leader of Bolivia. A dedicated leader of the coca growers union, Evo has tremendous support among the poor people. The film is a little slow in parts, but does an effective job of showing what a grass roots (or coca leaves) campaign this was.

Fever Pitch – 2005 (2.9). A truly fanatic Red Sox fan (Jimmy Fallon) and a workaholic ad agency up and comer (Drew Barrymore) fall in love, but Fallon is a totally rabid Red Sox fan and Drew is not that interested in baseball. This was filmed by coincidence in the season the Red Sox broke the 86 year curse and won the World Series. Predictable but still enjoyably cute.

Closely Watched Trains – 1966 (2.9) Streamed. This Czech movie about a young man coming of age near the end of WWII has him yearning to end his virginity while the Nazis retreat through the train station where he is newly employed. In a charming way, this film shows the bleakness of then contemporary Czechoslovakia while telling a gently heroic story from 20 years earlier. The Soviet occupiers probably delighted in having a film made about the Nazi occupiers, without realizing it was also about them.

High Fidelity – 2000 (2.8). I like John Cusack and always crack up over Jack Black. Stephen Frears directs good movies (he says proper casting is essential for a good movie). The female roles in this movie were well played. The premise of learning by analyzing past relationship breakups was good. But somehow the whole movie did not turn out to be as good as I hoped. It never seemed to get to any depth and the insider celebration of musical artists largely went over my head, and not entirely because I am just too old.

Airplane! – 1980 (2.8). This spoof of disaster movies had some funny bits in it and holds its age pretty well, but runs out of steam after a while. When Leslie Nielson died in November, a few clips from this movie were shown as part of his tributes, and they were campy enough to make me get it from Netflix. They sent me the Don’t Call Me Shirley Edition.

Big Night – 1996 (2.6) Streamed. This movie had some moments of humor, but was not really a comedy. It had a little drama, but not much plot. The principal players maybe all learned a little something, but there was no particular message. The food feast was lavish but that does not especially impress me. Some good performances and interesting, but slow pacing save it for me, but it is marginal.

Dean Spanley – 2008 (2.5) Streamed. I picked this out thinking I would see some BBC TV type humor bordering on Burlesque, but was surprised to find a quite polished looking New Zealand film about reincarnation, the thoughts of dogs and coping with death. I wish I could say it is as good as some Netflix members have said, but it never quite connected with me. The look and intention are there, and the acting is good, but the script was a weak link for me. Not quite bad enough to dislike, but hard to say yes.

I Capture the Castle – 2003 (2.5) Streamed. Netflix calls this movie quirky and Jane Austen-esque, but I call it marginal. It starts unnecessarily quirky and then tries to become a more serious drama. The script does not seem to achieve any focus until near then end. The acting is all right, but the script does not make any of the characters particularly appealing, except the role played by Romola Garai, who does a good job.

Trainspotting – 1996 (2.5). I got this because Susan was interested – she really likes Ewan McGregor. Netflix warned me (2.3), though it was well directed by Danny Boyle and the acting was good, the story about young UK heroin addicts is not my cup of tea. While watching, Susan asked what the purpose of the movie was, and I suppose the answer is to show the evil of drug addiction in a way that still has some humor midst the horror. The characters were not presented in any depth and what drama there was suffered accordingly. We are probably supposed to root for a clean future for the McGregor character, but the odds are against him and nothing in this movie made me feel how terrible that really is. So though this is very marginal for me, I’ll give it the edge at 2.5 and a reluctant 3 stars at Netflix.

The Story of Adele H. – 1975 (2.4). This sad story of the daughter of Victor Hugo, based on her diaries and filmed by Truffaut, is a disappointing French movie. Adele obviously had mental issues that caused her to become a stalker, but all this movie did was show us some of that stalking in a boring way. Isabelle Adjani received an Oscar nomination for her performance and won the French Cesar, but the role was not that demanding and though her performance was all right, her filmography does not show that her career ever blossomed.

Ship of Fools – 1965 (2.4). Stanley Kramer directed this overlong gabfest with an ensemble cast aboard a German ocean liner on the brink of WWII. Based on a novel, the story was trying to appear progressively opposed to intolerance and oppression, but the movie was jumping around between the characters, none of whom we came to understand or care much about, and the message of tolerance seemed oddly heavy handed and ineffective. Honored with at least 8 Oscar nominations, the movie won only in 2 black and white categories, cinematography and art direction, where it likely had little competition. This was the last screen appearance of Vivien Leigh.

Even Fewer Changes

Anna chuckled at my less than extensive blog changes mentioned in my last post. They definitely were minor, and now I am already backing away from a couple of them, having decided there is no reason to rush to stream a movie from Netflix just because instant viewing is about to become unavailable, nor is there a need to get a movie from the library just because only one copy is left, but I can still have Netflix mail me a copy. So that leaves the biggest change dumping the marquee graphic in favor of a DVD box. Admittedly this is not very creative, but on my previous Sense from Seattle blog, I often spent more time searching for the best graphic than I did writing the article.

Probably the biggest change since I started this blog in November 2009 is the morphing from articles on specific aspects of movies to just a listing of what movies and shows I have been watching and how I rate them. Sometimes a movie rating includes a mention of a more general aspect of movies, and often John in his comments does the same. I suppose we could try to do a little more of that.

Here is what I have watched on DVD and streaming since I posted my last list. The ratings I give are on my own number system explained at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

Emma – 2009 (3.5). We watched this Jane Austen story on TV last year and then decided to watch it again on DVD, because we were not sure that we had seen it. This British production is so typically well done that, even though we recognized it as soon as we started the DVD, we were quite happy to watch it again and enjoy it once more. We have seen a couple renditions of this tale and are now quite familiar with the characters and the story lines. It seems we may be ready now to go to the source – and read the novel.

Amreeka – 2009 (3.3) Streamed. Cherien Dabis, a young American woman writer and director of Palestinian heritage, did an impressive job with this, her first movie, about a well-educated, overweight Palestinian divorcee who comes to Illinois with her 16 year old son during the early stages of the American invasion of Iraq. They stay with her sister and her Arab physician husband and daughters, and all of them encounter the prejudice that was rampant at that time. The divorcee, very well played by Nisreen Faour, is the heart of the story, drawing on her inner strength to try to meet the challenges she encounters. The film, is realistic about the persistence of the problems, but still projects a genuine hopefulness.

The Duchess of Duke Street (Season One)– 1976 (3.3). This BBC series is based on a true story of a maid who rose to become an accomplished chef and collateral member of high society, as proprietress of a fashionable London hotel. It covers the same time period (first third or so of the 20th Century) and class differences as Upstairs, Downstairs, but it concentrates heavily on the heroine and her rise to success, especially in the first few episodes,whereas Upstairs, Downstairs covers an ensemble of characters and goes much more deeply into the class structure and how it plays out in the lives of the characters. Later episodes introduce and develop the supporting players better and then include some episodes concentrating on guest characters, which I think detracts from time that could be spent getting to know the lead and supporting characters in greater depth. But still, I found myself hooked and looking forward to seeing the lives of the regular characters play out over the series. Though not wide screen, this colorful series has admirable production values and has held up well over time.

Starting out in the Evening – 2007 (3.2) Streamed. This review by member Frank W. at Netflix is right on the mark, except I did not think the script was that dull, so I am quoting it here. “Excellent performances by Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose and Lili Taylor enliven a rather dull but well-written script about a young graduate student who believes her master's thesis can resurrect the career of an aging author. A bit pretentious and very, very "art-house", but if you can stick with it, it's actually quite rewarding. Character and dialogue driven, so no action but plenty of drama. The subject matter will be better suited for book-hounds, authors and literary types, but lovers of well-crafted drama will certainly find it interesting too.” I would add that the movie covers creativity in fiction writing, the role of the personal life of the writer and how certain fiction books can influence our lives; and all this can also apply to movies and film makers.

Tumbleweeds – 1999 (3.1). British actress Janet McTeer gives an Oscar nominated performance in this movie, playing a flirty marginally employed single mom from North Carolina, whose romances quickly turn sour causing her to flee with her pre-teen daughter. We don’t really learn much about the character, except that she joyfully masks her hurts and really loves her daughter, on whom the peripatetic life has taken a toll. Kimberly J. Brown does a very good job in the daughter role, but her filmography since this picture is so poor, she should look for a better agent. McTeer, who lost the Oscar to Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry, is an excellent actress who also seems underutilized. Check her out in Songcatcher, a sleeper film from 2000.

The Real Buddy Holly Story – 1987. (3.1). Buddy Holly and the Crickets were a great part of the rock and roll scene during my high school years and I loved all their songs. Buddy was killed in a plane crash in 1959, the year I graduated from high school. He was just 22, only five years older than me. This documentary was produced as a reaction to the inaccuracies in the 1979 Gary Busey biopic. It benefits by some archival footage and by interviews with Buddy’s two brothers and with the three other members of the band and some of the record producers who were involved in Buddy’s short career. The interviews of admiration expression by a few other artists of the time, including Paul McCartney, do not add much. Netflix does not have this, but my public library had one DVD.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers – 2007 (3.0) Streamed. Chinese retiree comes to Spokane to get to know his divorced daughter with whom he had never bonded, and he has to deal with the culture shock of America and the coldness of his daughter to him as he tries so belatedly to converse with her. Director Wayne Wang’s movie holds our interest throughout as we watch the painful family process develop, relieved by humor in the old man’s lonely encounters with other people. We never get the full story but we do come to better understand the characters.

Down in the Delta – 1998 (2.7). First timer Maya Angelou did a good job directing this earnest story about an alcoholic single mother (well played as usual by Alfre Woodard) from Chicago who reluctantly takes her two kids to Mississippi to spend the summer with her uncle. The Chicago ghetto scenes were passable and the small town Mississippi scenes seemed authentic, but the behavioral turnaround of Alfre, as written, did not feel quite real, and her son, about 12, always seemed too wholesome for the story. The uncle (Al Freeman Jr.) was well written and played, as was his wife with serious Alzheimer’s, played by Esther Rolle. The autistic young daughter role was basically just annoying. If you try this film, stay with it to the end to get the full story on the family roots.

Z – 1969 (2.7). This French movie about the 1963 assassination of a popular opposition party Greek legislator by the repressively anti-communist government of Greece was such a politically dangerous subject at the time that the film had to be made in Algeria. The low budget of the film shows and this true story is probably not of much current interest outside of Greece.

The Usual Suspects – 1995 (2.4). Movies about cocky professional criminals killing lots of less clever criminals, all overshadowed by a mysterious bogey man who preys on such characters are not high on my list. For a supposedly intricately plotted Oscar winning script, the story was actually pretty uninspired – and Kevin Spacey seemed to be sleepwalking through his part.

Despicable Me – 2010 (2.2). For almost the first half of this animated movie little kids would not have gotten the jokes and probably would be bored and restless. I got the jokes but did not find them funny, and I was bored and restless. The movie improved a little after the hero (villain) got matched up with the little orphan girls, and any little kids still watching would probably stay to the end. I stayed, but did not find enough to recommend this film or say I liked it.

Heavens Fall – 2006 (2.0) Streamed. It’s hard to believe someone could write and direct a dud movie based on a case as sensational as the Scottsboro Nine rape trials, but Terry Green has managed to do it with this low budget film. Neither the period of the Great Depression nor the locale in Alabama seem to have any authenticity as portrayed, the script is muddled, all the characters are lifeless and the trial portrayal is a technical disgrace. I squeezed this viewing in because it was the last day of availability at Netflix. I’ll be more careful next time. To really appreciate this case, get the excellent documentary, Scottsboro: An American Tragedy.

A Few Changes

With the new year, and without planning, I have done a few new things regarding my movie watching. When I see that the availability of a movie in my Netflix instant queue is about to expire, that prompts a quick viewing. If a movie is save only at Netflix, but the King County Library still has a DVD, I’ll get it from the library. If a movie is mail only from Flix and the library is down to only one copy, I may get it from the library. And finally, I am starting to grade marginal movies a little harder; sliding a 2.7 down to a 2.4 changes it from a Flix 3 star “liked” to a Flix 2 star “didn’t like”.

Another change is dropping the movie marquee at the top of blog articles and replacing it with a picture of the top rated DVD, to add a little graphic variety to this blog.

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 at the link on the sidebar. Those watched via Netflix instant view, include “Streamed” after the numeric rating.

Scenes from a Marriage – 1973 (Theatrical version) (3.5). Ingmar Bergman filmed a six night 1973 TV miniseries about the breakup of the marriage of a couple and it caused such a sensation in Scaninavia that he was persuaded to make a shorter version for showing in movie theaters elsewhere in the world. The movie focuses intently on the couple, marvelously played by Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson, as they dialogue through six scenes spread over about ten years. The TV version supposedly gives the leads more nuance and contributes some input from supporting players. After watching the theatrical version, I am so interested in the characters, I think I would like to watch them again in the full TV version, but since it is fairly legthy, maybe I’ll wait a while.

Stand by Me – 1986 (3.5). I have never seen this movie before and was pleased to discover that it is indeed a very well made film about what it is like to be a 12 year old boy and to bond with your small troop of oddly matched buddies seeking adventure in the midst of the confusion of coming of age. The DVD has a good special feature with director Reiner and the three surviving young men who played the leads. The early death of the fourth, River Phoenix, adds poignancy as we are reminded again what a great young actor he was.

American Violet – 2008 (3.2) Streamed. Money making drug task forces targeting poor black communities on bogus charges spearheaded by prejudiced district attorneys has been covered by documentary film makers, but this movie gives the story a dramatic turn. Well written, acted and directed, the film, based on a true story from Texas that began in 2000, stays pretty much on target without rubbing our noses in the problem. The open and violent prejudice of the Jim Crow and early civil rights years is replaced with a more subtle and economics based model.

Bomber – 2009 (3.0) Streamed. Film Movement presents some “four i” movies – interesting, intelligent, independent and international. Unfortunately they are not always good. This story of an aging Brit who dropped bombs on an unsuspecting German village in WWII and wanted to go there and apologize is well done. His wife and forty something son accompany him on a road trip and the story concentrates on their relationships. It’s not really a comedy, though it does have some funny moments. But it has a reality that makes us laugh in recognition, even as we may sympathize with the characters.

The Secret in Their Eyes – 2010 (2.9). A criminal investigator has always had the hots for his boss, but they never hooked up. One case in particular has haunted him throughout his career and now that he has retired, he uses it as the basis for writing a novel, which prompts him to revisit the case and his boss. Good Hollywood type plot [2010 Oscar winner as Best Foreign Film]and appealing leads and some lighter fun in office demeanor at the beginning make this Argentine film worth watching.

Dersu Uzala – 1975 (2.9). The title character is an old Japanese mountain man in Siberia in the first decade of the 20th Century who befriends a Russian officer who is in the wilds surveying the area in this Kurasawa movie filmed in Russian as one of his last films. The shooting is almost entirely in the wilds, where we see the wisdom of the old man in action as he teaches the officer about surviving in the wilds, but also about the differences between nature and civilization. A little long and slow, but very well done.

The Last Station – 2009 (2.8). Excellent acting in a generally well made film about the last year in the life of Tolstoy is not enough to overcome a somewhat weak script, which never gives a true feel for the heart of the conflict between Tolstoy and his wife. The time spent trying to make the roles of the other characters seem significant might have been better applied to explaining more about the dynamics between the two leads.

The Maid – 2009 (2.8) Streamed. A maid has been in service to a middle class family for 23 years in this Spanish film, and she is burned out, bitter and very protective of her turf. The family loves her and tries to be sensitive, finally insisting on bringing in help when the maid collapses, but the maid resists. The movie is a little tedious at first, just like her job, and the behavior of the maid makes you wonder, and hopefully keep watching, to see whether the lady of the house will just get rid of her and whether there is any hope for the maid to snap out of her ennui.

Irina Palm – 2007 (2.8) Streamed. This film about an older widow who needs to earn some money starts out a little kinky and then settles in to become a fairly good drama with some social commentary, though a little slow paced and not solidly ended.

The Prince & Me – 2004 (2.8). A fairy tale with modern day realistic overtones, this movie is fun, in the romantic comedy vein, without much drama. The ending actually includes some of the “and then what happened” after the “and they lived happily ever after”. An interesting point from a special feature tells of conflict about how to end the story, and resolving it based on how the chemistry between the leads came across on the screen after filming.

Buddy – 2003 (2.8) Streamed. A Norwegian romantic comedy with three male roommate buddies, one neurotic and the other two irreverent but sensitive, and with some overlapping love triangles and other minor subplots, all of which blend well enough into a pleasant, though not deep, whole.

Lion’s Den – 2008 (2.7). If you want to see what life is like for a pregnant female prisoner in an Argentine prison, then this film from that country will show you. The mothers can keep their children in prison with then until the age of four, and the prison block they share does not seem as bad as the legal system that delays the farce of a trial. The characters and story are so undeveloped here, that I never made much connection, even though the performances seemed good.

Mother and Child – 2009 (2.4). Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia spent ten years developing this script of three motherhood related story lines that connect at the end. It is well directed and acted, but the ten years of overworking damaged the plot like over beating damages muffins. Did nobody catch that one pregnancy lasted about 15 months? Plot holes aside, none of the characters ever seemed effectively developed and the connection at the end seemed forced. It would have been better to make each story separately, but Garcia may have felt the need to offer three in one as an incentive to get this independent venture financed.

Penelope – 2006 (2.4) Streamed. This somewhat farcical romantic comedy was predicted too low for my queue but we streamed it on a whim and found the story of a girl born with a family curse pig nose sensitively acted by Christina Ricci to be tolerable, but not enough to say “I liked it”.

Cyrano de Bergerac – 1950 (2.4) Streamed. Jose Ferrer won the Academy Award for his histrionic performance in this stage bound gabfest. The print being streamed is in terrible shape. This is the first time I have seen this movie and I now understand why it has never been restored.

Fort Apache – 1948 (2.4) Streamed. I never cared for John Wayne, but this movie was about to drop from instant view, so I gave it a whirl. This was supposed to be a more politically correct John Ford western, in that the Indians were treated with more respect. All the Ford hallmarks (or clichés?) are present. The action scenes involve superb stunt people, but the editing is a little choppy. The Monument Valley scenery is classic and the cast takes me to the Film Encyclopedia for some personal stories. Twenty year old Shirley Temple was awkward in her ingénue role and wooden John Agar, the young officer matched with her, was in fact her husband at the time – they divorced the following year. Uptight Colonel Henry Fonda gets deservedly “Custered” , but wiser John Wayne, instead of saying “I told you so” ends up celebrating him. Not enough appeal here for me, so 2 stars will protect me from similar Flix recommendations.

Frankie Starlight – 1995 (2.1) Streamed. Netflix was way off on its prediction for me on this dud. It sounded promising, based on a novel about a dwarf and his mother, but the script did not deliver anything or anyone with appeal. No drama, no emotion, nothing.

My Movie Ratings - Updated January 2011

Through the end of 2010, I have rated 1,860 movies and TV shows I have watched on DVD in the last few years. I rated them, to help me remember what I have watched and how I liked it. My rating system is built around the Netflix five star system, but starting a couple years ago, I began adding decimals to make it more accurate. It essentially has evolved into a four star system. A 2.7 or lower movie is one I would not recommend. Ratings of 2.8 and 2.9 are marginal.  From 3 to 3.2 are all right for those interested. From 3.3 on up are recommended. Several of the older ratings were done before I started using decimals and they are identified as "no decimal" and should be taken with a grain of salt, since a 2.7 and 3.3 movie would both have been rated three stars.

References to seasons or disk numbers are not meaningful unless more than one rating is made for that title. Some of the movies include the year of release. Numbers following some titles are Netflix or other predictions of how I would rate the movie, as of the time of viewing. 

The Netflix star system is designed to make three of the five stars positive ratings (and thus encourage rentals). My reaction to that tactic was to hold my ratings down to mostly three stars (liked it), with a few four stars (really liked it) and a rare 5 star (loved it).

By memory of viewings from many years ago, I have rated about 850 other films at Netflix, mainly for the purpose of helping the Netflix predictions of what I will like. They are not included in the ratings lists on this blog. I could make a list here of those which I top rated, but it might be best for me to first watch them again to see how they stand the test of time and then rate them on the decimal system.

Remember, these ratings are my current opinions of what I want Netflix to recommend to me, based on my most recent viewing of the movie, and also on my mood of that day. In years past I may have rated a movie higher, but recent viewing reduced my opinion. I am not rating based on the historical merit of the movie as of the time it was released. I picked movies to watch that I did not remember seeing and that I thought would at least be marginally acceptable (2.8). Of the movies listed through 2010, I rated 85% at 2.8 or above. I think the toning down of my ratings at Netflix has enabled the Netflix prediction algorithm, which is calculated to one decimal, to more accurately guide my choice of what to watch.

My movie ratings lists are now dated December 31, 2010, and are linked to in the blog side bar, both alphabetically and from high to low rated. The lists may be updated in the future. Some of the movies do not have a year listed, because the year was not included in all my lists I used in compiling this list. In the case of a TV series, sometimes the series is rated as a whole and sometimes the individual seasons are rated. Direct any requests for clarification to me, Tom Blake.