What Movies Did You Watch In July 2020?

The Steele Helmet (1951) - One of the few Korean War films. It is a gritty telling of the story of a "retread", a two war veteran having fault in WWII and then in Korea. While set in the Korean War, it is really about racism and, while it makes a statement of the unvarnished realism of war, and is therefor and "anti-war movie", it still manages to honor the heroism of the American infantry soldier. It's low budget is evident and the acting is not top notch but a in all a good war film.

6/8
 
Purplemojo said:
The Steele Helmet (1951) - One of the few Korean War films. It is a gritty telling of the story of a "retread", a two war veteran having fault in WWII and then in Korea. While set in the Korean War, it is really about racism and, while it makes a statement of the unvarnished realism of war, and is therefor and "anti-war movie", it still manages to honor the heroism of the American infantry soldier. It's low budget is evident and the acting is not top notch but a in all a good war film.

6/8
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I agree with you. The acting and dialogue was painful for me. I rated it a 4/8, but realize it is somewhat unique (Korean War) and will pump it up to 5/8.

The Green Mile - 7/8 only because I am reserving 8/8 for a movie that really blows me away. Worth watching multiple times Mr. Jingles. Superb acting. ?
 
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The Hunt (2020) 3.5/8 I thought this movie was kind of silly. I definitely don't think it needed to be banned initially. A group of "Liberal Elites" gather up a a group of "deplorables" and hunt them for sport. The hunters make one fatal mistake that changes the game. Only one big star, Hilary Swank, but a bunch of recognizable faces if you watch many movies. Not the worst movie I saw, but I guess I was expecting it to be a little more serious than it was.

Fatal Affair (2020) 2/8 A new Netflix original starring Nia Long and Omar Epps. This one's been done many times before. Wife has a brief extramarital encounter. The other guy turns out to be a crazy stalker. I'm sure you can play out the rest. Nothing to see here really.

Donnie Brasco (1997) 5/8 True story about an undercover cop (Johnny Depp) getting in deep with the New York mob leading to a windfall of arrest. Great cast. Depp and Pacino are really good, but overall it is a little slow.
 
Hotel Berlin (1945) - Released a couple months before the actual fall of Berlin during WWII. Basically the film is about rats leaving a sinking ship.

Interesting case study on human nature in extreme situations.

6/8
 
The Siren (2019)

Horror: A man who is a mute falls in love with a strange girl who is always swimming in the lake while a neighbor hunts for the creature that killed his husband. This one was just incredibly dull .... 1.5/8
 
Sonyeogoedam (South Korea-2014)

Horror: "Mourning Grave" A teen who can see ghosts return to his old high school where bullies are being hunted by a vengeful spirit... 4.0/8
 
Cheun (Thailand-2009)

Horror: "Slice" ... Tai is in prison for doing a hit but gets a chance for freedom as he claims to know who a serial killer is. Some pretty disturbing things going on in this one. Cheun claims to be one of the top 3 horror movies out of Thailand.... I cannot disagree..... 6.0/8
 
Sum-bakk-og-jil (South Korea-2013)

Horror: "Hide and Seek" ... as my Asian Horror Movie marathon month continues we are back in South Korea for this one. Usually Asian "Hide and Seek" movies deal with ghosts but this one does not. A well off family in Seoul learns that pops had a secret brother that has gone missing and now the family is being stalked by a "biker" figure. Some pretty intense scenes in this one keeps you at the edge of your seat ... 5.5/8
 
Gokiburi-tachi no tasogare (Japan-1987)

Horror: "Twilight of the Cockroaches" .... Naomi lives in a peaceful luxury home with her fellow colony cockroaches as the human that lives there is a lazy messy bachelor who leaves them alone.... but oh boy this changes when his new girlfriend comes over and it is on..... run for your lives!!!!! This one is shot through the perspective of the cockroaches and is mostly animated except for scenes involving humans.... 4.5/8
 
Tommy Boy (1995) 6/8 Outside of SNL, I always thought this was Chris Farley's best work. Great cast, a lot of laughs and few people play the fat, lovable idiot as well as Farley did in this one.
 
A good day for movies (TCM):

Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) - A learning experience. So much so, I researched X's mentor (Wikipedia) and history of the Nation of Islam. Wow! 6/8

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Jimmy Stewart) - The good guy wins and has the land deed! First time seeing this one; we gave it the same score. 6/8

Jeremiah Johnson (Robert Redford) - Skipped this one. Seen it. Supped and mowed the lawn. Back to life, back to reality! TCM rated this 3/4 stars. ✔

2001: A Space Odyssey (HAL 9000) - Fifty years ago, this one had me scratching my head and saying wtf? Appreciate it more this time. Hal bad. 6/8
TCM rates this 4 stars, largely because of the special effects, which are - admittedly - awesome.

This beat watching baseball for twelve hours, something that was not going to happen! My life matters. :)
 
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Midnight Hair (China-2014)

Horror: Obvious attempt at a cash cow.... One who combs their hair in front of a mirror at midnight will evoke a ghost. That was the message but that is not what happened in this film and too bad because that could of been something. Instead we got some "americanized" crap of nonsense..... 1.5/8
 
EagleGuy said:
A good day for movies (TCM):

Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) - A learning experience. So much so, I researched X's mentor (Wikipedia) and history of the Nation of Islam. Wow! 6/8

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Jimmy Stewart) - The good guy wins and has the land deed! First time seeing this one; we gave it the same score. 6/8

Jeremiah Johnson (Robert Redford) - Skipped this one. Seen it. Supped and mowed the lawn. Back to life, back to reality! TCM rated this 3/4 stars. ✔

2001: A Space Odyssey (HAL 9000) - Fifty years ago, this one had me scratching my head and saying wtf? Appreciate it more this time. Hal bad. 6/8
TCM rates this 4 stars, largely because of the special effects, which are - admittedly - awesome.

This beat watching baseball for twelve hours, something that was not going to happen! My life matters. :)
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I watched the end of Jeremiah Johnson and the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey on TCM last night, too. I always loved Jeremiah Johnson and feel about the same as you on 2001: A Space Odyssey...a long, strange trip...boring and interesting at the same time....great special effects...lots of questions.
 
Informer (1935) - This won John Ford a best director Oscar. Set in 1920's Ireland, not too long after the Easter Uprising, it deals with a down on his luck former IRA member who "informs" on an IRA leader.

6/8

Jeremiah Johnson (1972) - Well crafted, well acted and all round good solid film. One of my favorite westerns.

6/8
 
Greyhound 7/8 A lonely at the top type story, how one man deals with it. Very low on manufactured drama points, while still making it real. No dull spots. Just tells its story. I like that. Kept the ending in doubt. Very rewatchable.
 
Spent the day watching two biographies: that of 60-70's actress Jean Seberg, approproately titled "Seberg"; and "Radioactive", the life of Madame Curie. All I can say is I want my day back.
 
The Seventh Cross (1944) - A suspense packed drama set in 1936 when the only German concentration camps held Germans opposed to Nazism. So, they were many intellectuals, community leaders, industrialists, and churchmen who stood in the way of the Third Reich. Seven of them escape and it is mainly about one of their efforts to get out of Germany before he is caught. It stars Spenser Tracy and Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy as a husband and wife. I am not sure but I believe that may have been their first film together.

There is a narration which seems like a guardian angel which is a little clunky but it works.

6/8
 
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Purplemojo said:
The Seventh Cross (1944) - A suspense packet drama set in 1936 when the only German concentration camps held Germans opposed to Nazism. So, they were many intellectuals, community leaders, industrialists, and churchmen who stood in the way of the Third Reich. Seven of them escape and it is mainly about one of their efforts to get out of Germany before he is caught. It stars Spenser Tracy and Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy as a husband and wife. I am not sure but I believe that may have been their first film together.

There is a narration which seems like a guardian angel which is a little clunky but it works.

6/8
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Looking through the cast list I also saw Don't be Hard on the Beaver Ward Cleaver and Baby Baretta. I'm sure I've seen this one before but I can't remember the story anymore. Be a good Sunday movie.
 
Catch Me If You Can (2002): 7/8 Extremely underrated IMO. DiCaprio and Hanks both killed it in this movie. This is my personal favorite Spielberg movie of the 2000s.
 
EagleGuy said:
Saw this a few months ago. A very good true story film.
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The craziest part was that he was only in his teens for a large part of his illegal activities... After reading the book and researching what was real and what wasn’t, I also figured out that he actually did escape from the airplane upon his arrival home on top of breaking out of an Atlanta prison. Boldest dude who ever lived.
 
Zombie Massacre 2: Reich of the Dead (Canada-2015)

Horror: The first one sucked and this one followed suit. Basically we have a couple of soldiers staring across a field at a Nazi camp building just talking to each other.... this lasts for about 30 minutes then we see some Nazi zombies and they fire, of course one of their guns jams and this seems to happen a lot in the movie but other than the 5 minutes of shooting zombies nothing happens in this movie...... 1.0/8
 
The Demon (Cambodia-2016)

Horror: Friends gather at an abandoned house unknowing that a demon lurks in the dwellings..... This was likely my first horror film from Cambodia and it was pretty entertaining for what it was.... 4.5/8
 
Nanatsu made wa kami no uchi (Japan-2011)

Horror: "Vanished Girl in the Woods" ... A girl goes missing in the woods, several years later another one goes missing and the investigating begins as the disappearances are connected. This one was pretty good.... 5.0/8
 
The Room (Japan-2012)

Horror: A girl moves into her boyfriends room but he conveniently takes of to the States for a business meeting. She becomes unsettled as strange things start to happen to her as she becomes suspicious of her boyfriend. This is found footage with one camera shot and the most of it is just the girl talking online to her boyfriend. Not much to see here.... 2.0/8
 
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