Ladies Who Do (1963)

Ladies Who Do (1963)

Bombastic but lovable Charwoman Mrs. Cragg (Peggy Mount) inadvertently takes a piece of scrap paper from a trash can at work to Colonel Whitforth (Robert Morley). That paper has information on her boss’s (Harry H. Corbett) and his partner’s (Jon Pertwee) plans to buy a failing company. The Colonel invests and makes a huge profit. When

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

This film is a lot of fun, no question. I enjoyed it when I first saw it and still do. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a disaster, just an enjoyable disaster. The problems really start with the acting. Yes, all the first six films have poor acting but among the original trilogy, it stands out

The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water (2017)

It’s 1962 in America, and mute—though not def—Elisa (Sally Hawkins) works on the cleaning crew of a secret government laboratory with Zelda (Octavia Spencer). Outside of work, her only friend is Giles (Richard Jenkins), an aging gay artist. One day a new team arrives at the base, including scientist Dr. Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) and zealous

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

The destruction of the Klingon moon, Praxis, leads to peace negotiations between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. But the assassination of the Klingon Chancellor, blamed on Captain Kirk, threatens that peace, and Spock and crew must determine the truth while Kirk and McCoy must escape their prison. The Undiscovered Country is a fine final

Battleground (1949)

Battleground (1949)

During the Battle of the Bulge—December 1944—the 101st Airborne Division is moved to Bastogne. We follow a number of soldiers (Van Johnson, James Whitmore, Douglas Fowley, George Murphy, Herbert Anderson, Ricardo Montalban, Don Taylor, John Hodiak, Marshall Thompson) as they fight, suffer, die, and try to survive in the days they are trapped, surrounded by

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999)

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999)

Four years earlier, Ayana Hirasaka’s parents were crushed by Gamera in his fight against the gyoas. Now she lives with her uncaring aunt and uncle in a miserable little town filled with terrible teens. Within a temple, she finds, and binds with, a strange creature that is related to Gamera and the gyoas. It grows,

The Matt Helm Franchise (1966-1968)

The Matt Helm Franchise (1966-1968)

The Silencers (1966) Murderers’ Row (1966) The Ambushers (1967) The Wrecking Crew (1968) Matt Helm was one of the earlier Bond film parodies, and can be consider the earliest American one. The character is loosely—very loosely—based on a series of dark novels by Donald Hamilton. For the films, the grim tone was replaced with one

Pickup on South Street (1953)

Pickup on South Street (1953)

Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark), an amoral three-time-looser, picks the purse of Candy (Jean Peters), a crime that is witnessed by several government agents. They’ve been watching her because, without her knowing it, she’s carrying government secrets for her traitorous ex-boyfriend, Joey (Richard Kiley). Now both the cops and Candy use informant Moe (Thelma Ritter) to

Night of the Werewolf (1981)

Night of the Werewolf (1981)

In the 1600s, witch-vampire Countess Elizabeth Bathory (Julia Saly) is locked away while her enslaved werewolf servant Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy) is executed with a silver cross-dagger. In modern times, gaverobbers pull out the cross, resurrecting Daninsky, who takes up residence in an abandoned castle. Meanwhile, three researchers, Erika (Silvia Aguilar), Mircaya (Beatriz Elorrieta), and

The Ladykillers (1955)

The Ladykillers (1955)

The bizarre and ruthless criminal, going by the name Professor Marcus (Alec Guiness), masterminds a robbery for a gang consisting of conman Major Courtney (Cecil Parker), hit-man Louis (Herbert Lom), spiv Harry (Peter Sellers) and muscle One-Round (Danny Green). The focus of his scheme is an innocent old lady, Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson), They gain

The Misfits (1961)

The Misfits (1961)

Recent divorcée Roslyn Taber (Marilyn Monroe) and her divorce-enabling friend Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter) run into Gay Langland (Clark Gable), an aging and bitterly nostalgic he-man cowboy, and Guido (Eli Wallach), a lost widower. The men immediately start competing for her. Though neither of them exhibit any qualities she’s interested in, she moves in to

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Author Paul Varjak (George Peppard) stumbles into the life of flamboyant escort Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn). Though kept by a wealthy, married woman (Patricia Neal), he falls for Holly and tries to win her affections. But Holly, who is intoxicating to all, is scared of anything that might tie her down, and spends her time