Follow That Dream is considered one of Elvis’ finest performances and he indeed is charismatic as ever and the lovely Anne Helm works well with him providing a nice spark. Yeah, the story itself feels out-of-date but still fun to watch.
The Secret of Santa Vittoria is a well made film with gripping drama, with a bit of comedy, which excels thanks to the performances from the venerable Anthony Quinn and Anna Magnani.
Born Yesterday is a wonderful drama-comedy with a great performance from Judy Holliday who was well deserving of her Oscar win.
Brannigan might not be John Wayne in his prime, not even close as he would succumb to cancer four years later, but it’s still a fun little flick with some decent action scenes and even better performances from (nearly) everyone around.
Violent Saturday has a minor following and is much beloved by some, though for me, while entertaining, I didn’t quite find it entirely enthralling, however, the performances are all well done.
Save Your Legs is a good movie and probably even more profound to the fan of cricket, which is not me (I can’t even get into soccer for crying out loud), but it’s still an oft funny flick with an amiable cast.
Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6 are both fun flicks though probably younger kids and those who grew up during that timeframe might get more enjoyment out of it.
Fate is the Hunter is actually a pretty decent film focusing on faith and, obviously, fate, making it something more than merely an overwrought 1960s disaster drama. The performances from Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan and Rod Taylor are all superb and the effects, save for some wonky editing, were impressive for their time.
Rollerball is an interesting vision of the future which, if the NFL is an example, seems to have come to fruition. The acting from James Caan is terrific and Norman Jewison’s direction is swift and although hardly the perfect movie, it’s still well worth checking out.
Two Rode Together might not be the greatest western, and certainly not a memorable one for either director John Ford or James Stewart, yet it’s still an enjoyable movie worth at least one look if anything.
The Firm is a well made crime-drama based on a very popular TV movie that starred Gary Oldman. Paul Anderson and Calum MacNab both give great performances and the story, albeit doesn’t quite resonate as an American, is still engaging enough.
Used Cars is not only a biting and dark satire but it’s also very funny and pretty edgy even by today’s standards to the point I’d doubt a film like this would get widely released. Kurt Russell is fantastic in the lead role and the supporting cast, led by Jack Warden, is wonderful as well.
Wild at Heart is a, well, wild ride featuring bucko performances by Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe while it’s fun seeing Laura Dern in a different role.
Rita, Sue and Bob Too is a well made if not slightly disturbing or off-putting 1980s British drama featuring three great performances.
Crimes and Misdemeanors might very well be one of Woody Allen’s best films and apparently Allen himself liked it so much he more or less remade it as Match Point decades later (for the record, I also loved MP). It’s a film filled with brilliant performances and two storylines on diverging paths and perfect, if not unsatisfactory for some, conclusions for both.