Flightplan
Unacknowledgly ripped-off The Lady Vanishes.
United 93
Realtime account of 9/11 attack.
Alive
Stranded victims live in wreckage.*
Next: especially terrible remakes.
*You didn’t say the aircraft had to be flying.
Arthur (2011)
Original was fun. This? Sad.
Fame (2009)
Missing “edginess” of the original.
Red Dawn (2012)
Original Wolverines would be insulted.
Next: Movies about high school life.
Grease
Mature adults play adolescent kids.
Rock & Roll High School
Exploding mice and the Ramones.
Heathers
The student population is decreasing.
Next: Movies about crazy people.
The Dream Team
Patients accidentally stranded in NYC.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Recommended, one of Nicholson’s best.
Crazy People
Moore, Hannah, charming as lunatics.
Next: Films of David Paymer
The Snake Pit
Golden Age movie about Institution.
Psycho
The title says it all.
Dracula (1979)
Main setting is a madhouse.
Next: movies about people who turn out not to be crazy.
Jacob’s Ladder: Guy has died, heaven beckons…
Twilight Zone, the Movie (I): The Wing Thing is real!
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: The Chief is actually sane.
Next: Man vs. nature, with a side dose of vs. himself
Drag Me to Hell
Much better than I expected.
Quiz Show
Quiz show busted for fraud.
Irreconcilable Differences
Young Drew Barrymore divorces parents.
Next: Man vs. nature, with a side dose of vs. himself.
127 Hours
Mountaineer trapped; takes drastic measures.
Into the Wild
Alaska-bound man’s journey. Nature’s difficult!
Cast Away
Update of Robinson Crusoe story.
Next: Movies set partly or entirely in Alaska.
The Gold Rush
Little Tramp; Klondike Gold Rush.
The Thing
I prefer the 1950s version.
Show Dogs
Dentist inherits Iditarod sled team.
Next: movies with a month of the year in the title.
Sweet November (1968)
Normal now; groundbreaking for 1968.
Born on the Fourth of July
Cruise plays troubled Vietnam veteran.
The Hunt for Red October
Compelling, tense, Cold War thriller.
Next: Films about the Vietnam War.
Platoon
War not like sheen expects
Full metal jacket
Fantastic first half with d’onofre
Eastern condors
Sammo hung’s hong kong platoon
Next up
Movies starring chow yun fat
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
He played the Chinese captain.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Much bigger role than above.
Bulletproof Monk
Title role, he’s really good.
Next: Movies based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe
The Gold Bug
1910 French film maybe earliest
The Mask of the Red Death
Set for a 2020 release
House of Usher
First Poe/Corman film of eight
Next: Other Roger Corman movies
A Bucket of Blood
Faustian-themed, and great beatnik movie.
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Another Faustian-themed film from Corman.
Frankenstein Unbound
IMO, best Frankenstein pastiche ever.
**
Next**: William Castle movies.
Coney Island
His first, a 1939 documentary
Macabre
Jim Backus plays police chief
Shanks
Marcel Marceau as… necromantic puppeteer?!?
Next: Other films with head-scratching casting
Airport
Dean Martin: sober airline pilot?
Batman (1989)
Keaton, seriously? Mr. Mom, Beetlejuice?
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
American plays English folk hero?
Next: Yet more films with head-scratching casting.
Casino Royale (1967)
Woody Allen is James Bond?
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Ben Affleck is… not bad.
Thor
Idris Elba’s a Teutonic god.
Next: Movies about little girls.
Poltergeist
Creepy TV into little girls.
Bright Eyes
“Good Ship Lollipop” is airplane.
Alice in Wonderland
Paramount confabulates two Carroll works.
Next: great films that were initially panned.
Home Alone
“Plot is … implausible”: Roger Ebert.
The Wizard of Oz
“I sat cringing…”: Russell Maloney.
The Exorcist
“Elegant occultist claptrap…”: Vincent Canby.
Next: Comedies that take place during the Christmas season.
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