MOVIES OF THE 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

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On this page:
1960   1961   1962   1963   1964   1965   1966   1967   1968   1969
1970   1971   1972   1973   1974   1975   1976   1977   1978   1979
1980   1981   1982   1983   1984   1985   1986   1987   1988   1989

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Movies of 1989

"Batman" - Comic book superhero fantasy movie with Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Palance, Jerry Hall. Directed by Tim Burton.
Plot Intro: A boy sees his parents killed by a serial killer known as the Joker. He grows up to become Batman. Later he finds out who killed his parents.
Review: Excellent film with stylistic photography and a dark atmostpheric feel. Keaton and Nicholson are great. Basinger is very good as the helpless victim and potential love interest of Batman.
Rating:

"Batman" at Amazon.com.

My review of "Batman Returns" (1992)

My review of "Batman Forever" (1995)

My review of "Batman Begins" (2005)

My review of "The Dark Knight" (2008)

"Cinema Paradiso" - Dramedy. Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.
Plot Intro: A boy grows up in a small Italian town whose central point interest for the citizens is the local theatre. The boy's life is followed from the time he is a little boy during World War II to when he is in his forties or fifties. As a boy, he is fascinated by movies. As a teenager, he becomes interested in a new girl in town, but he never loses his interest in movies and the local movie theatre.
Review: One of the best foreign films ever. One of my personal favorites.
Rating:

"Cinema Paradiso" at Amazon.com.

"Driving Miss Daisy" - Drama with Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd.
Plot Intro: As a woman gets older, her son attempts to help her be able to get around town by setting her up with a chauffer. They develop a deep friendship.
Review: Received the Best Film Oscar for 1989. A great film with great performances. The central characters played by Tandy and Freeman are great. Tandy received the Best Actress Oscar. Freeman proves himself to be one of today's best actors. One of the first parts for Aykroyd in a drama, and he is great as well. "I'm trying to drive you to the sto'."
Rating:

"Driving Miss Daisy" at Amazon.com.

"Fletch Lives" - Comedy with Chevy Chase, Hal Holbrook, Julianne Phillips.
Plot Intro: Fletch investigates a minister who is running a big con.
Review: Sequel to the first movie "Fletch". Nearly as good as the first movie.
Rating:

"Fletch Lives" at Amazon.com.

"Glory" - Civil War drama starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher.
Plot Intro: Black men volunteer for a special unit in the Union army. They are trained and sent against a Confederate fort.
Review: Great Civil War film. Tells the story of the black units which fought for the Union during the Civil War — a story which was not generally known at the time of the film's release. Denzel Washington received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Rating:

"Glory" at Amazon.com.

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" - Adventure starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Kate Capshaw, Dan Aykroyd. Story by George Lucas.
Plot Intro: Jones saves his father from the Nazis.
Review: Entertaining fluff. How can you go wrong with Ford and Connery?
Rating:

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" at Amazon.com.

My review of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

My review of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984)

My review of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008)

"Lethal Weapon 2" - With Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Patsy Kensit, Tracy Wolfe, Darlene Love.
Plot Intro: The guys go after a South African official involved in drugs.
Review: Not as good as the first.
Rating:

"Lethal Weapon 2" at Amazon.com.

My review of Lethal Weapon (1987).

"UHF" - Comedy starring "Weird" Al Yankovich, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards ("Kramer" from "Seinfeld").
Plot Intro: "Weird" Al tries to save a UHF TV station.
Review: Richards is very funny. Not "Gone with the Wind," but fun to watch.
Rating:

"UHF" at Amazon.com.

"When Harry Met Sally" - Romantic comedy with Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, and Rob Reiner's mom.
Plot Intro: Two single people meet. She doesn't like him, he doesn't like her. He likes her, she likes him. Same-o, same-o.
Review: Very good romantic comedy. Best known for Meg's "orgasm" in the restaurant, and Rob Reiner's mother's great line.
Rating:

"When Harry Met Sally" at Amazon.com.

"Die Hard" - Action/thriller starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman.
Plot Intro: A NYC cop, separated from his wife, visits his wife at her office. One thing leads to another.
Review: A classic action/thriller. Great action. Willis is fresh, humorous. The bad guys are great. Still holds up after all these years.
Rating:

My review of "Die Hard 2" (1990)

My review of "Die Harder: Die With a Vengeance" or "Die Hard 3" (1995)

My review of "Live Free or Die Hard" or Die Hard 4 (2007).

"A Fish Called Wanda" - Comedy starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline.
Plot Intro: A team of British and American criminals attempt to rob a diamond exchange. They are at odds after the crime is committed. A British barrister finds himself in the middle.
Review: Kline received Best Supporting Actor Oscar. For some reason, this movie was more humorous when it was first released in the theatre when viewed with a large group of people. It isn't nearly as funny now.
Rating:

"The Great Outdoors" - With John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Annette Bening, Robert Prosky. Written by John Hughes.
Plot Intro: A man takes his family to a remote camping resort, but he is followed by his no-account brother-in-law.
Review: Not one funny moment. Not worth seeing. The film wastes the efforts of all the stars.
Rating:

"The Great Outdoors" at Amazon.com.

"Midnight Run" - Comedy starring Robert DeNiro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Joe Pantoliano.
Plot Intro: A bounty hunter (DeNiro) attempts to bring a "failure to appear" (Grodin) all the way across the country to California. The FTA does everything he can to hinder the trip.
Review: Great buddy picture. Still very funny.
Rating:

"Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad" - Comedy with Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, OJ Simpson, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, Nancy Marchand, Weird Al Yankovic. Written by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. Directed by Jim Abrahams.
Plot Intro: There is a plot to kill the Queen of England when she visits Los Angeles.
Review: A funny movie. The movie is an attempt to bring a failed TV series "Police Squad" to the big screen. Nielsen is excellent in this kind of part.
Rating:

My review of "Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" (1991)

My review of Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)

"Rain Man" - Comedy with Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Galino. Directed by Barry Levinson.
Plot Intro: A young man's father dies and leaves most of his estate to the older of two brothers. The younger brother doesn't understand.
Review: Received Best Film Oscar of 1988. Very good with very good performances. Dustin Hoffman received a Best Actor Oscar. Cruise is OK.
Rating:

"Scrooged" - Comedy with Bill Murray, Alfre Woodard, Bobcat Goldthwait, Karen Allen, Carole Kane.
Plot Intro: A self-centered scrooge is haunted by three ghosts.
Review: This attempt to update the Charles Dickens story is in the end failed. It is an early Bill Murray effort which is pretty much a one-note performance by Murray. Think of his loudest over-the-top scenes in "Ghostbusters", and you can picture how he performed almost every scene in "Scrooged." It is too much. The Scrooge character requires more of a nuanced performance — particularly in this comedy — in order for the film to be funnier. Karen Allen's attempt to be all smiles and sweetness-and-light comes off as a painful performance. There is no real spark between Murray and Allen. The writing could definitely be better. There are more times in the movie where a person will wince or grimace than laugh. The photography is also oddly done. Many times during the viewing of the film I wished that the camera angle could have been different — somehow better.
Rating:

"Things Change" - Comedy with Don Ameche, Joseph Montegna, Robert Prosky.
Plot Intro: A barber is mistaken for a powerful mafioso.
Review: One of Don Ameche's last films. A very good film.
Rating:

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" - Comedy with Bob Hoskins, Joanna Cassidy, Christopher Lloyd. Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Plot Intro: A detective must discover who framed Roger Rabbit and save Toontown. Pu-pu-pu-puhlleease!
Review: Mix of live actors and cartoon characters was advanced for its time. It is getting a little dated now. The best part of the movie is the opening cartoon.
Rating:

"Babette's Feast" - Drama. Foreign.
Plot Intro: Two sisters who live in a religious community take in a French woman.
Review: One of the best foreign films ever.
Rating:

"The Last Emperor" - Drama. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
Plot Intro: The Empress Dowager dies leaving a very young boy as Emperor of China. He is has to survive several political changes.
Review: Best Picture Oscar. Bernardo Bertolucci received Best Director Oscar. A sweeping drama.
Rating:

"Lethal Weapon" - With Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey.
Plot Intro: A policeman gets a new partner who may not be all there mentally.
Review: The first of the series. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are great.
Rating:

"Lethal Weapon" at Amazon.com.

My review of Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

"Manon of the Spring" - Drama with Yves Montand, Emmanuel Béart, Daniel Auteuil. Directed by Claude Berri. AKA "Manon des sources".
Plot Intro: A man falls in love with a beautiful goatherdess, but they both have pasts that lead to heartache.
Review: One of the greatest foreign films of all time. The sequel to "Jean de Florette" (1986). "Manon of the Spring" should not be viewed before seeing "Jean de Florette." Béart is at her most beautiful in the film.
Warning: Brief nudity. Some gross body piercing, but the scene can be quickly forwarded through while getting the basic idea.
Rating:

My review of "Jean de Florette" (1986)

"Princess Bride" - Fantasy comedy with Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Christopher Guest.
Plot Intro: A girl grows up on a farm and becomes betrothed to a prince. A small gang of men kidnaps the princess in order to start a war. "Inconceivable!"
Review: A great film. Highly recommended. Has held up very well through the years.
Rating:

"Roxanne" - Comedy with Steve Martin, Darryl Hannah. Adapted by Steve Martin from a play by Edmond Rostand.
Plot Intro: A guy is too shy because of his large nose to act on his attraction to a beautiful woman who just moved into town. She is attracted to a handsome guy who is somewhat dimwitted.
Review: An adaptation of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. Excellent. A modern day classic.
Rating:

My review of "Cyrano de Bergerac" (1990)

"Stakeout" - Romantic comedy/thriller starring Richard Dreyfuss, Madeleine Stowe, Emilio Estevez, Aidan Quinn.
Plot Intro: A ruthless killer escapes from prison. The police must stakeout his girlfriend. "Oo oo oo, I like my job."
Review: Still very entertaining to watch. Great fun and thrills.
Rating:

"Three Men and a Baby" - Comedy with Tom Selleck, Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg, Margaret Colin, Nancy Travis. Directed by Leonard Nimoy.
Plot Intro: Three men are forced to take care of an infant girl who is abandoned at their apartment by the mother who is a former girlfriend of one of the men.
Review: Based on a French film "Trois hommes et un couffin" (1985). The movie depends on a chemistry between the three main actors. They aren't always believable, but the movie is still worth at least one viewing.
Rating:

My review of "Three Men and a Little Lady" (1990)

"Aliens" - Science fiction thriller starring Sigourney Weaver. AKA "Alien 2"
Plot Intro: The lone survivor of an encounter with an alien is prevailed upon to help rescue colonists on an alien-infested planet. At the end it's mother against mother.
Review: Harrowing, hair-raising. Doesn't have the atmospheric horror of the first "Alien", but the action makes up for it somewhat. The second of the Alien pictures. Followed by "Alien 3" (1992) and "Alien Resurrection" (1997).
Rating:

My review of "Alien" (1979)

"Clockwise" - Comedy with John Cleese.
Plot Intro: An English schoolmaster gets into all kinds of trouble in an attempt to make it to a ceremony where he is to receive a most important award. "Right!"
Review: A nice little film.
Rating:

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" - Comedy with Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey. Directed by John Hughes.
Plot Intro: A smarter-than-the-average high school senior takes a sick day to have a blast in the city of Chicago. "Bueller, Bueller, Bueller."
Review: A classic. Broderick and Hughes at their best.
Rating:

"Hoosiers" - Drama starring Gene Hackman.
Plot Intro: The story of a basketball coach and his team in basketball-crazy Indiana.
Review: Very good film.
Rating:

"Jean de Florette" - Drama with Girard Depardieu. Foreign.
Plot Intro: Two men in a French village covet property that has a spring. A stranger moves onto the property with his family. Trouble follows.
Review: One of the greatest foreign films ever made. Must be viewed with "Manon of the Springs" (1987).
Rating:

"Platoon" - Vietnam War drama with Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker. Directed by Oliver Stone.
Plot Intro: A new recruit tries to survive the action in Viet Nam and the politics within the army.
Review: Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.
Rating:

"Radio Days" - A comedy written and directed by Woody Allen.
Plot Intro: A kid grows up in Depression era New York City. Radio is an important form of entertainment.
Review: A nice little comedy. Allen without Chekhov or Bergman.
Rating:

"Ruthless People" - Comedy starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold. Directed by Jim Abrahams.
Plot Intro: A businessman wants to get rid of his wife. She is kidnapped her for ransom, but he doesn't intend to pay. She was "marked down" and "kidnapped by Kmart."
Review:Humorous. DeVito and Midler at the top of their game.
Warning: Brief nudity.
Rating:

"Stand By Me" - Drama with River Phoenix, Kiefer Sutherland. Directed by Rob Reiner.
Plot Intro: Kids take a walk to see a dead body.
Review: Based on a Stephen King novelette. Very good film.
Rating:

"Fletch" - Comedy with Chevy Chase, Geena Davis, George Wendt, Tim Matheson. Plot Intro: A newspaper reporter stumbles on a murder plot and a drug ring while fending off his ex-wife's divorce attorney and his editor. Review: Based on the first of a series of novels by Gregroy MacDonald. Very good part for Chevy who also does great scene by scene commentary. Great background music.
Rating:

"Ran" - Foreign samurai epic directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Plot Intro: A ruler retires and divides his land between his sons; based on King Lear.
Review: Akira Kurosawa at his best.
Rating:

"Witness" - Harrison Ford, Danny Glover, Kelly McGillis, Alexander Godunov.
Plot Intro: An Amish boy witnesses a murder in a men's restroom in Philadelphia. His family and the policeman (Ford) who attempts to protect them are threatened by those who want to cover it up.
Review: A thriller with some romance. Harrison Ford doing what he does best.
Rating:

"Amadeus" - Historical comedy/drama with Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham. Directed by Milos Forman.
Plot Intro: A court composer plots to destroy Mozart's life.
Review: Excellent. A portrait of what personal jealousy can cost everyone. Received Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.
Rating:

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" - Adventure starring Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw.
Plot Intro: How "Indiana" Jones became what he became.
Review: The second of the Indiana Jones series. A lot of fun.
Rating:

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" at Amazon.com.

My review of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

My review of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989)

My review of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008)

"The Terminator" - Classic futuristic thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn.
Plot Intro: A killer cyborg comes back from the future to kill a woman in order to prevent the birth of the leader of the humans in the human-vs.-machine war in the near future. A human comes back from the future to protect her.
Review: So good it demanded a sequel. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Schwarzenegger looks like he's unstoppable.
Rating:

My review of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)

"The Christmas Story" - Holiday comedy with Peter Billingsley, Darrin McGavin, Melinda Dillon. Plot Intro: A kid's dream gift is the Red Ryder BB gun with the compass in the stock. "You'll shoot your eye out". Review: Great fun. Has become a Christmas classic. It isn't Christmas unless you watch "The Christmas Story." Warning: Some foul language and bullying.
Rating:

"King of Comedy" - Comedy with Jerry Lewis and Robert DeNiro. Plot Intro: A "Johnny Carson" type of late night show host gets kidnapped. Review: Not for everyone. It may be too dark for some. Though if you like Jerry Lewis you might like seeing him get kidnapped, and if you don't like Jerry Lewis you might like seeing him get kidnapped. It's a win - win.
Rating:

"The Return of the Jedi" - Science Fiction by George Lucas. With Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones. Plot Intro: The underdog Rebel Alliance somehow pulls it off. The Emperor is killed, Darth Vader dies, the new Death Star is destroyed, and the New Republic begins. Review: Very good ending to the series.
Rating:

Star Wars Timeline

My review of "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" (1999)

My review of "Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones" (2002)

My review of "Episode 3: The Revenge of the Sith" (2005)

My review of "Episode 4: Star Wars" (1977)

My review of "Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)

"Tootsie" - Cross-dressing comedy with Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Geena Davis, Dabney Coleman. Plot Intro: An out-of-work actor who runs acting workshops takes a part on an afternoon soap opera as a woman character. Things get more complicated for him than just getting in and out of his girdle. Review: Great comedy. Dustin does great as a man dressed as a woman. Lange received Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
Rating:

"The Verdict" - Drama with Paul Newman. Plot Intro: A down and out lawyer in Boston sues a well-respected hospital and its doctors on behalf of a woman who dies during an operation. Review: Newman should have received Oscar for this movie. Everyone realized the mistake and gave him one for "Color of Money." These things happen.
Rating:

"Body Heat" - Drama with William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson. Plot Intro: A local lawyer gets involved with a married woman which leads to murder. Review: Atmospheric. A loose remake of "Double Indemnity" (1944; another great flick). Another man whose brain does not work when other organs are functioning.
Rating:

"Chariots of Fire" - Drama. Plot Intro: Dramatized version of the events leading up to Britain's 1924 Olympic track team competing in Paris. Will they be able to beat those Americans? Review: Received Best Picture Oscar. It seems that this film is one the people either like a lot or don't like at all. I like it. The story and the movie's main theme music are very moving. The beach running scene was filmed on the beach in St. Andrews Scotland.
Rating:

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" - Adventure with Harrison Ford, Nancy Allen. Plot Intro: Indiana Jones attempts to beat the Nazis to the Ark of the Covenant. Review: Great fun. The first of the Indiana Jones films.
Rating:

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" at Amazon.com.

My review of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984)

My review of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989)

My review of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008)

"Airplane!" - Comedy with Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. Plot Intro: Food poisoning affects the flight crew and many of the passengers on a commercial flight. A former pilot must overcome his fears to save everyone. "And stop calling me Shirley." "I guess I picked the wrong time to give up cigarettes." "Does anyone know how to fly a plane?" Review: This may be the funniest movie of all time. It hasn't aged a bit.
Rating:

"Caddyshack" - Comedy with Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight. Plot Intro: A caddy must win a caddy golf tournament and then win another match in order to have enough money to go to college. He also must navigate through all of the normal problems of a teenager. It is basically a coming-of-age story. "It looks good on you though." "Be the ball." "You're lean, you're mean...." Review: Very funny. Dangerfield, Chase, and Murray make the movie what it is. Rodney steals all of his scenes.
Rating:

"The Empire Strikes Back" - Science Fiction by George Lucas. With Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Billy Dee Williams. Plot Intro: The Rebellion is in trouble. Their base is destroyed, and all must flee before the wrath of the emperor and Darth Vader. Review: Excellent follow up to the Star Wars blockbuster.
Rating:

Star Wars Timeline

My review of "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" (1999)

My review of "Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones" (2002)

My review of "Episode 3: The Revenge of the Sith" (2005)

My review of "Episode 4: Star Wars" (1977)

My review of "Episode 6: The Return of the Jedi" (1983)

"Hopscotch" - Comedy with Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, Ned Beatty, Herbert Lom. Plot Intro: Before he can be "put out to pasture", a CIA agent teaches the agency that he still is the best. Review: This is a great film for all of us who are aging and have to deal with people who think they know it all or that we know less than nothing. I find it very entertaining and can watch it multiple times. One piece of trivia: The man from whom Matthau buys the plane has the last name of "Ludlum" which I'm sure is an "in" joke.
Rating:

"Nine to Five" - Comedy with Dabney Coleman, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton. Plot Intro: Women who work 9 to 5 — and have to deal with a male chauvenist (Coleman) every work day — try to teach the chauvenist a lesson. Review: Tries to teach the same lesson as "Fatal Attraction" only in a light, humorous way. People deserve to be treated with respect.
Rating:

"Raging Bull" - Historical Drama with Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Plot Intro: Dramatized version of part of Jake LaMotta's life. Review: DeNiro won an Academy Award. Filmed in black and white. Brutally honest in its portrayal of the violence of boxing. One of DeNiro's and Scorsese's best.
Rating:

"Alien" - Science Fiction thriller with Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright.
Plot Intro: A space ship answers a distress signal. One of the crew gets attacked, and the rest of the crew are threatened.
Review: Very effective thriller. Just hearing the opening music is enough to make your skin crawl if you've seen the movie before. Followed by three sequels: "Aliens" (1986), "Alien 3" (1992), "Alien Resurrection" (1997).
Warning: Extremely violent and scary. Not for the very young or impressionable.
Rating:

My review of "Aliens" (1986)

"Manhattan" - Comedy with Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep; written and directed by Woody Allen in black and white. Plot Intro: A script writer for a TV show has dating problems and ex-wife problems. Review: Manhattan at its finest. The movie opens up with a view of Manhattan timed to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."
Rating:

"Animal House" - Comedy with John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Thomas Hulce, Peter Riegert, Donald Sutherland, Karen Allen. Plot Intro: A fraternity is suspended by their school for bad grades and bad behavior. They get even. Review: Very funny. AKA "National Lampoon's Animal House."
Rating:

"Annie Hall" - Comedy with Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. Plot Intro: A man has dating problems. Review: Considered by many to be one of Woody Allen's best. The film was chosen as Best Picture, and Allen received an Oscar for directing and another for screenplay.
Rating:

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - Drama with Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon. Plot Intro: Strange things are happening in the countryside, and people are being drawn to the Devil's Tower in the Dakotas. Review: Great special effects. Dreyfuss is great as the obsessed man who has one of the close encounters. Dillon is great as the protective mother.
Rating:

"The Spy Who Loved Me" - With Roger Moore, Curd Jurgens, Barbara Bach, Richard Kiel, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Lewis Gilbert.
Plot Intro: Bond must work with a beautiful Soviet agent to find the plans for a means to capture nuclear submarines.
Review: Not as good as other Bond films.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1967) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

"Star Wars" - Science Fiction adventure with Mark Hamill, Alec Guinness, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones. Plot Intro: Long ago and far away there was a struggle between good and evil, between the powerful and the weak. The weak win against all odds. Review: A futuristic swashbuckler. A great film. Getting a little dated now.
Rating:

Star Wars Timeline

My review of "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" (1999)

My review of "Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones" (2002)

My review of "Episode 3: The Revenge of the Sith" (2005)

My review of "Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)

My review of "Episode 6: The Return of the Jedi" (1983)

"All the President's Men" - Historical drama with Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jason Robards, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook. Plot Intro: The amazing story of the investigation into the events where the laws and the Constitution of the United States were twisted beyond recognition. Is this a democracy or isn't it? Review: Still appalling to watch. A great film.
Rating:

"Network" - Drama with Peter Finch, William Holden, Faye Dunaway. Plot Intro: A TV personality becomes the leader of a movement. "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more." Review: Dunaway and Finch received Oscars. Great film.
Rating:

"Rocky" - Drama with Sylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire. Plot Intro: A contender for the championship belt gets his shot. Review: Received Best Film Oscar.
Rating:

"Dog Day Afternoon" - Drama with Al Pacino; "Attica"

"Jaws" - Drama with Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw; directed by Stephen Spielberg. Plot Intro: A shark terrorizes a beach and the nearby ocean during summer tourist season. "I think we're going to need a bigger boat." Review: A great film.
Rating:

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" - Drama with Jack Nicholson; received Best Film Oscar.

"Chinatown" - Faye Dunaway, Jack Nicholson, John Huston. Directed by Roman Polanski. Plot Intro: While investigating for a rich woman in 1930s Los Angeles, a private eye finds out that something is happening to the water. Review: A classic. One of the great films of the 1970s. A little twisted at the end.
Rating:

"The Conversation" - Drama with Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford. Plot Intro: An expert in surveillance discovers a murder plot. What to do, what to do. Review: Thought provoking. Is there really any privacy in today's world?
Rating:

"The Godfather: Part II" - Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall; directed by Francis Ford Coppolla; Best Picture Oscar. Plot Intro: The parallel stories of two young men around the same age - the father and the son. Review: The story alternates between the young Vito (DeNiro) and the young Michael (Pacino). Some feel that this film is better than the first. I think the first is a little better.

My review of "The Godfather" (1972)

My review of "The Godfather: Part III" (1990)

Rating:

"The Man With The Golden Gun" - With Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Maud Adams, Britt Eckland, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Guy Hamilton.
Plot Intro: Bond is led to believe that an assassin is out to get him, so he tries to hunt him down, but it's a trap.
Review: Not as good as other Bond films.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1967) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"The Day of the Jackal" - Drama with Edward Fox. Plot Intro: Former members of the French military are embittered because of the fiasco in Algeria. They plot to kill President DeGaulle. Review: Based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth. Excellent film. Highly recommended.
Rating:

"Live and Let Die" - With Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Guy Hamilton.
Plot Intro: A heroin dealer is trying to be more than just Mr. Big.
Review: Roger Moore's first effort as James Bond. Very good. Not quite as gritty or athletic in appearance as Connery, but he was a good follow-up.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1967) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"Serpico" - Drama with Al Pacino. Plot Intro: A police rookie faces corruption in all departments and at all levels of the New York City Police Department. Review: Based on a true story. Excellent film. Highly recommended.
Rating:

"The Sting" - Comedy with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Plot Intro: Con men con the biggest con in town. Review: Very humorous film. Excellent. Newman and Redford at their best. Received Best Picture Oscar. This film forever resurrected the Ragtime music of Scott Joplin and others.
Rating:

"The Godfather" - Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall; directed by Francis Ford Coppola; based on the Mario Puzo novel; screenplay by Coppola and Puzo; Best Picture Oscar. Plot Intro: The story of a Mafia family and of the development of a young man to the most powerful position in the organization. Review: Very influential. Always on the lists of the best films of the 20th century. Excellent. The movie transitions from having Vito (Brando) as the center to having Michael (Pacino) as the center. May be too violent for some.

My review of "The Godfather, Part 2" (1974)

My review of "The Godfather: Part 3" (1990)

Rating:

"Harold and Maude" - Dark comedy with Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon. Plot Intro: A love story of a young man who has suicidal tendencies and an elderly woman. Review: Gordon and Cort really get into their parts. Many may not find the film humorous.
Rating:

"Bananas" - Woody Allen

"Diamonds Are Forever" - With Sean Connery, , Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Guy Hamilton.
Plot Intro: Bond investigates the disappearance of a shipment of diamonds and finds out they are part of a plot.
Review: Connery returns as James Bond. Very good.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1967) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"The French Connection" - Drama starring Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey. Plot Intro: Police are trying to stop the flow of drugs into New York City. Review: Based on a true story. Best Picture Oscar. The film successfully set out to beat the race that occurred in "Bullitt" (1968).
Rating:

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" - Gene Wilder

"MASH" - Comedy with Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Robert Duvall, Gary Burghoff. Directed by Robert Altman. Plot Intro: Surgeons in a mobile hospital try to survive the Korean War with some sanity. Review: Very funny. Excellent. Still holds up to a large extent.
Rating:

"Patton" - Drama with George C. Scott. Plot Intro: A general in the U.S. Army takes part in defeating the Germans in World War II. Review: Best Picture. Quintessential George C. Scott.
Rating:

"Tora Tora Tora" - War drama. Plot Intro: A detailed account of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Review: Based on the book. Much research went into the making of the film in order to ensure that the account was truthful. Some events were left out, because it was thought that the viewer would think that parts of the screenplay were untrue. Still, the film at times is painful to watch. The Japanese were so efficient. The Americans were attempting to face attacks through terrorism and sabotage rather than a bold military attack — even in the face of repeated warnings from different sources. The film is told from both the Japanese and American points of view, making it a better film than the more recent "Pearl Harbor."
Rating:

"Anne of a Thousand Days" - about one of Henry VIII's wives and how she lost her head

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" - Paul Newman and Robert Redford

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - With George Lazenby, Telly Savalas, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Peter R. Hunt.
Plot Intro: Space ships are being hijacked, and Bond must find out who is doing it and why.
Review: Excellent James Bond picture; some consider it to be the best. Lazenby is great. His voice was dubbed for the film's release due to his strong Australian accent.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1967) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"Bullitt" - Steve McQueen racing through San Francisco

"Oliver" - Best Film

"2001: A Space Odyssey" - HAL

"The Dirty Dozen" - Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, James Brown, Telly Savalas, John Casavetes

"The Graduate" - Comedy with Dustin Hoffman, Ann Bancroft, Katherine Ross, William Daniels, Buck Henry; Simon and Garfunkle soundtrack; directed by Mike Nichols. Plot Intro: A young man, fresh out of college, has to endure his parents and their friends before discovering what he really wants out of life. Review: A great comedy once you realize that the story is about a young man on whom everything happens. His desires are virtually ignored. The film launched Dustin Hoffman's film career. Plastics. Look for Norman Fell and a short appearance by Richard Dreyfuss. The DVD has an interview of Dustin on it that I highly recommend.
Rating:

"In the Heat of the Night" - With Rod Steiger, Sidney Poitier, Warren Oates, Lee Grant. Directed by Norman Jewison. Based on the book by John Ball.
Plot Intro: A black man is arrested at the train station in Sparta, Mississippi. The town had found a very rich man dead on their street, and they assumed that since the young black man has money in his wallet, he is the murderer. But the man turns out to be a Philadelphia homocide detective. He is assigned by his superior in Philadelphia to help in the investigation.
Review: Excellent combination of two great actors with a very good script. Rod Steiger received an Oscar, and the film was given the Academy Award for Best Film.
Rating:

"You Only Live Twice" - With Sean Connery, Donald Pleasance, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Gilbert Lewis. Screenplay by Roald Dahl.
Plot Intro: Space ships are being hijacked, and Bond must find out who is doing it and why.
Review: Very good. Fun to watch Connery.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"Born Free"

"Closely Watched Trains" - Best Foreign Film Oscar of the year

"The Deadly Affair" - James Mason; based on John LeCarre's "Call For the Dead"

"A Funeral in Berlin" - Michael Caine; based on Len Deighton's novel

"The Longest Day" - John Wayne against Hitler

"A Man for all Seasons" - Paul Scofield; Henry VIII and Sir Thomas More; Best Picture

"The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!" - With Carl Reiner, Alan Arkin, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Keith, Jonathan Winters. Directed by Norman Jewison.
Plot Intro: A Soviet sub runs aground off New England. The crew is desperate to find a way to dislodge their sub. They go into a nearby town. One thing leads to another.
Review: I remember seeing this when I was young. The humor was more subtle than what I liked at the time. I saw the film recently, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Rating:

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming at Amazon.com

"How to Murder Your Wife" - Jack Lemmon

"The Sound of Music" - Julie Andrews; Best Picture

"Thunderball" - With Sean Connery, Adolfo Celi, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Terence Young.
Plot Intro: Two nuclear bombs are stolen, and Bond is sent to find out where they are and prevent disaster.
Review: Very good. Fun to watch Connery.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1967) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"Goldfinger" - With Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Guy Hamilton.
Plot Intro: James Bond investigates gold smuggling.
Review: Very good. Fun to watch Connery.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1965) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"Man's Favorite Sport" - Rock Hudson, Paula Prentiss; much of film based on "Bringing Up Baby", fishing scenes based on "Libeled Lady"

"My Fair Lady" - Audrey Hepburn; Best Picture

"The Pink Panther" - Peter Sellers, David Niven

"The Train" - Paul Scofield, Burt Lancaster; Scofield as a Nazi officer attempting to steal all the art in France

"Dr. Strangelove" - Peter Sellers

"From Russia With Love" - With Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Terence Young.
Plot Intro: Bond is sent to Turkey to track down an electronic device, but it's a trap.
Review: Very good. Fun to watch Connery.
Rating:

Dr. No (1962) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1965) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"The Great Escape" - James Garner, Steve McQueen

"Tom Jones" - Best Picture

"Dr. No" - With Sean Connery, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn. Directed by Guy Hamilton.
Plot Intro: James Bond investigates gold smuggling.
Review: Very good start to the Bond series. Fun to watch Connery.
Rating:

From Russia With Love (1963) - my review.

Goldfinger (1964) - my review.

Thunderball (1965) - my review.

You Only Live Twice (1965) - my review.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - my review.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - my review.

Live and Let Die (1973) - my review.

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - my review.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - my review.

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" - James Stewart, Lee Marvin, John Wayne; one of the great westerns

"Lawrence of Arabia" - Peter O'Toole; widescreen/letterbox recommended; Best Picture Oscar

"The Hustler" - Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason

"West Side Story" - Natalie Wood; Best Picture

"Yojimbo" - Toshiro Mifune; written and directed by Akira Kurosawa

"The Apartment" - Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray; Best Picture

"The Battle of the Sexes"

"The Magnificent Seven" - based on "The Seven Samurai"

"Psycho" - Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh; directed by Alfred Hitchcock

"Spartacus" - Kirk Douglas