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Straight Outta Compton -- Entertaining and accessible enough that this movie could probably make some rap fans--or at least N.W.A. fans--out of people who really aren’t all that into rap music. The only real complaint about this flick is that the story is too big for one movie; there’s no way the whole tale has been covered in full in this treatment. Nevertheless, this movie makes the case that these young guys deserve even more respect than they ultimately got, not just making cool music, but for being brave, sharp, and for seeing the big picture, too. Definitely worth a look, and a listen.

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On Her Majesty’s Secret Service -- Not bad. Given the absence of Connery and the presence of George Lazenby, this film has a negative reputation for a piece of the Bond canon, but it’s actually an enjoyable bit of work. There’s good humor, plenty of well-done action sequences, hot girls, wonderful scenery, and nothing too ridiculous in terms of the plot. The tone is a bit uneven; Lazenby’s Bond gets a little too sensitive now and then, and 007 is really not meant to be that kind of animal. All in all, a better movie than its immediate predecessor, and one that proved the concept that someone else could step into the role--thus ensuring the future of filmdom’s most durable franchise.

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The Big Short -- I don’t think this movie makes a good case that any of the investors depicted is the hero of this story. Perhaps that’s the point: there were no heroes, and couldn’t be, given the nature and scope of the crimes being committed. It’s entertaining, almost to a fault. A few of the scenes--particularly the expository interludes--are a little too clever; they actually undermine the seriousness of the message of the movie (if any). Will anyone learn anything from this tale? Of course not; the same swinishness is already happening again. But, at the very least, next time no one will be able to claim that no one saw it coming.

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Concussion -- Solid, earnest, and convincing in its premise that the NFL knew and didn’t care. Will Smith really does give a tremendous performance; if you remember back to some of his earlier works, it can be hard to reconcile those performances with the portrayal presented here. And that’s a good thing. As for the moral, maybe some of the viewers will have reservations about watching football in the future; I suspect, however, that it won’t change anything, or at least not that much. You should still see this film anyway, just so you know what you’re supporting.

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300 -- The quintessential example of the power of a noble defeat. It would have been nice if a certain two-term president I could name had the resolve of Leonidas and his Spartans in the face of opposition; as this film demonstrates, sometimes getting beaten is what sets up the more lasting and meaningful victory down the road. Worth seeing for its visual inventiveness, its excellent performances, and for all the deep stuff this movie has on its mind. Yes, we are the inheritors of a tradition that has hung in the balance--by a thread--more than once in our history; and yes, if need be, we can beat back the attack once again.

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A Face in the Crowd -- The villainy of Andy Griffith--who would have thought it? Apparently, Elia Kazan, that’s who. This film has become a standard namecheck for explaining our country’s current politics--no, Lonesome Rhodes is not Trump; Glenn Beck remains the modern model, though others are coming up fast behind him--so it’s probably must-see material at this point. Fortunately, it’s entertaining material, so you won’t get bored watching it. The only real problem is, in the end it might be too hopeful; there’s no guarantee that our ending will actually be even this happy.

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The Three Musketeers -- This is the version from the ‘40s with Gene Kelly as D’Artagnan. The film makes good use of Kelly’s dancing talents; his D’Artagnan is athletic and agile and makes his swordplay sequences a lot of fun to watch. The plot seems to careen wildly all over the place, with a few too many climaxes--but I suspect the filmmakers hewed fairly closely to the source material, so it’s hardly their fault for that. There’s almost a bit too much bonhomie between the Musketeers; sometimes the movie comes across as more parody than comedic adventure, but that’s a minor quibble, as is the fact that it runs just a bit too long. But this is one of those classic, old-style Hollywood adventures that you don’t see much of anymore, so it’s definitely worth a look for that alone.

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The Sea Hawk -- An absolutely standard, straightforward Errol Flynn swashbuckler, like many others, almost to the point of being templated. It’s a fortunate thing, then, that Flynn, director Michael Curtiz, and some familiar cast members all had that template down pat. The movie provides exactly what you expect of a old-time pirate flick, and that means high entertainment. It does run a tad long, with a bit of a dull stretch in the middle, but the payoff is worth it, and it’s ultimately a very satisfying experience.

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Where To Invade Next -- A somewhat kinder, gentler Michael Moore. Not that Moore was kicking people in the dick as he built his career as filmdom’s foremost political muckrake--but there was always an angry edge to the geniality in his previous cinematic indictments (as he would probably admit himself). Here, though, Moore seems to have softened a bit; perhaps it’s because he’s looking for solutions rather than just exposing problems. It also probably helps that he’s talking to Europeans about their solutions; Moore usually reserves his harshest scolds for his fellow--but wrongheaded--Americans. There are the usual caveats here: Moore doesn’t ask enough questions, frames some ideas a bit too sunnily, assumes too much in the transferability of solutions from one situation to another; and, as always, be suspicious if he quotes statistics (Moore doesn’t seem to understand numbers very well). But it’s certainly worth everyone’s time to check out the ideas presented herein and contemplate how they might, just might, make a good nation even better.

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Cabin Fever (2016) -- A reboot? More like a boot to the head, specifically one that damages the brain. It’s like someone collected every horror movie cliche into a gigantic vat, added an industrial amount of stupid, cooked it down to a thick reduction, and then vomited it onto a screen. This is quite possibly the stupidest, ugliest, worst movie I’ve ever seen. And it’s not even the original, let alone “original” in any sense. Not even so bad it’s good--just insultingly, cynically bad.

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You Only Live Twice -- This is where it started to get silly. You can see how Connery would have wanted to get out after this piece. Every Bond cliche that was lovingly mocked in the Austin Powers movies has its provenance here, and it all suffers accordingly from the viewer’s memories of the parodies. The fact that Roald Dahl is listed as the scriptwriter only adds to the absurdity. Watch it if you’re a Bond fan, or a Powers fan for sure, but don’t have high expectations.

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Thunderball -- This was the point, apparently, when Bond films started to settle into a groove; not necessarily a groove that fulfilled all of the series’ early promise, but more like a track that served as a template for respectably entertaining action movies to come. Few people these days would cite this film as their favorite Bond movie, and with reason, though it’s not awful by any stretch. Just not quite it could--maybe should--have been.

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Goldfinger -- Acknowledged as a classic for decades now, a re-viewing of this film shows a lot of the original fun, but also displays just enough flaws to lead to a certain amount of reassessment. No doubt it’s a cool flick and worth watching, but the reality is that its predecessor (From Russia With Love) is probably the better film. Not really complaining, just calling it like it is.

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From Russia With Love -- More Bond movies in order. Quite the step up from the first flick. Everything in the execution of the story seems more confident and skillfully done. It's all there: the action is almost non-stop, the familiar Cold War setting is firmly in place, the gadgetry plays a key role, and Bond gets a metric ton of tail. No wonder the next film in the series is widely regarded as the best of them all -- they already had the template down cold by the one before it. Sweet.

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Dr. No -- Kicking off a project to rewatch all the Bond movies, in order, we begin at the beginning, as they say. Viewed today, this is a strange mixture of rough draft of a very familiar story yet also featuring fully formed aspects of the genre--considering Bond flicks as their own genre--right there, present and accounted for from the beginning. Either way, it’s a good watch, and no wonder folks decided they’d be up for more (and boy did they ever get it). Works for me.

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Blade Runner: The Final Cut -- I’m pretty sure I’ve seen BR before, in one of its many incarnations, but I never remembered it enough to have much of an opinion on it. Hence this viewing of what it supposedly director Ridley Scott’s preferred version of the movie. The verdict: it’s pretty good; not spectacular, just pretty good. The film certainly scores by the questions it raises; not so much “Is he or isn’t he?” as “What does it mean to be human? To have a life? To be?” Beyond its philosophical implications, this movie holds up rather well for a sci-fi flick; its vision looks less dated and more like just an alternate version of the future. There’s just a little something lacking; hard to say what’s the fault (story? characters? action?). But some crucial element is just not quite there. Ultimately, a decent diversion, but not really a monument in filmmaking history, whatever anyone tells you.

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Harvey -- The proof that this is a fantastic movie? When the moment of crisis comes, the moment when Elwood P. Dowd is in danger of becoming just an ordinary guy--maybe--the viewer will most likely be moved, possibly even heartbroken. That’s quite a bit of work for what is a fairly restrained film, one that gives its comedy a lot of room to breathe and injects just enough pathos to give it all some heft. It’s been remade at least once, but that was a quixotic idea, for without Jimmy Stewart and his essential self, the role of Dowd and the entire story would be either too silly (and not in a good way) or absurd to the point of falling entirely flat. Thankfully, we have this one result of when Stewart and company teamed up to do it right.

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Dumb and Dumber To -- I went in wanting to hate this movie. It seems like such a no-brainer--pun intended--target for the reviewer's venom: a sequel to a movie that didn't need a second act, and a lengthily delayed sequel at that. Plus at least one of its stars, Jim Carrey, seems to be well past his expiration date. And yet...I have to admit, there are enough chuckles and outright belly-laughs in this flick to justify its existence. It's not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but for killing an otherwise empty two hours while watching it on cable? Sure, go for it.

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Ted 2 -- In familiar Family Guy style, Seth MacFarlane is not about to let a joke go without making sure to beat it all the way into the ground. While the original Ted was comedy gold, this one's closer to a bronze medal: a fairly steady steam of good laughs, but with just enough stupidities woven in--and recycled bits from the first--to take the overall quality level down a notch. And of course, in keeping with the flavor of both films, it probably helps immensely if you watch it when you're stoned.

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Trainwreck -- Amy Schumer is definitely having her moment. I'm not sure how long her ride will be, but at least for now, in that given moment, she's making the most of it. This film is a case in point: very funny with a lot of laugh out loud moments, mostly thanks to Schumer's particular outrageous sense of humor, but also coupled with a charming and sweet romance that takes just enough edge off to allow even the most uptight to forgive the crudities. Good work.