Movies I have watched in 2024
A list of movies I have watched in 2024 - will try to do it in 6 Degrees of Separation with a star in the last movie I watch being in the next movie.
List activity
373 views
• 24 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
155 titles
- DirectorUb IwerksWalt DisneyStarsWalt DisneyMickey Mouse is a mischievous deckhand on a riverboat that is under the command of the tyrannical Captain Pete.Watched 1/1/24 - Mickey Mouse
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsBob HoskinsChristopher LloydJoanna CassidyWhen a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.Watched 1/2/24
Mickey Mouse who was in Steamboat Willie - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael DouglasKathleen TurnerDanny DeVitoA mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.Watched 1/3/24
Kathleen Turner who was in Who Framed Roger Rabbit with Mickey Mouse (both films directed by Robert Zemeckis) - DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsMichael DouglasSharon StoneGeorge DzundzaA violent police detective investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist.Watched 1/5/24
Michael Douglas who was in Romancing The Stone with Kathleen Turner - just 3 degrees of Separation connecting Steamboat Willie to Basic Instinct is pretty wild - lol - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsSam NeillLaura DernJeff GoldblumA pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.Watched 1/6/24
Wayne Knight who was in Basic Instinct with Michael Douglas - Wayne Knight parodied his scenes in Basic Instinct and Jurassic Park as Newman in my all time favorite TV show Seinfeld. - DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsTom BerengerGlenn CloseJeff GoldblumA group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends.Watched 1/7/24
Jeff Goldblum who was in Jurassic Park with Wayne Knight - gives new meaning to the 'What were you going to write about last weekend?' question at the end of the film - lol - DirectorCharles CrichtonJohn CleeseStarsJohn CleeseJamie Lee CurtisKevin KlineIn London, four very different people team up on a jewel heist, then try to double-cross one another for the loot, complicated by their efforts to fool a very proper barrister.Watched 1/8/24
Kevin Kline who was in The Big Chill with Jeff Goldblum - the polar opposite characters played by Kevin Kline in these two movies show how much fun it must be being an actor. - DirectorTerry GilliamStarsSean ConneryShelley DuvallJohn CleeseA young boy accidentally joins a band of time travelling dwarves, as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal.1/9/2024
John Cleese who was in A Fish Called Wanda with Kevin Kline - as with A Fish Called Wanda, Time Bandits was a Quasi Monty Python movie that wasn't an Official Python movie (Cleese and Michael Palin in the movie directed by Terry Gilliam) - DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsKevin CostnerSean ConneryRobert De NiroDuring Prohibition, Treasury agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone, and assembles a small, incorruptible team to help him.1/10/24
Sean Connery who was in Time Bandits with John Cleese - Sean Connery is best known for being the first James Bond, but I honestly liked his non Bond movies better and The Untouchables is my favorite Connery film. - DirectorRon SheltonStarsKevin CostnerSusan SarandonTim RobbinsA fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.1/11/24
Kevin Costner who was in The Untouchables with Sean Connery - another movie with a great speech about Baseball although for a bit different than Al Capone's in the Untouchables - lol - DirectorRidley ScottStarsSusan SarandonGeena DavisHarvey KeitelTwo best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two women escape for the crimes they committed.1/12/24
Susan Sarandon who was in Bull Durham with Kevin Costner- one of the all-time best buddy movies, that it was two women rather than to Men still seems to shock people for some reason. - DirectorPenny MarshallStarsTom HanksGeena DavisLori PettyTwo sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amid their own growing rivalry.1/15/24
Geena Davis who was in Thelma & Louise with Susan Sarandon - one of the neat things about watching films in 6 Degrees style is discovering other connection movies have with each other - Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon were both in classic Baseball movies that bookended Thelma & Louise - but Thelma was in the better one. - DirectorRon HowardStarsTom HanksBill PaxtonKevin BaconNASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.1/17/24
Tom Hanks who was in A League of Their Own with Geena Davis - Naturally the 13th movie I watched should be the true life Space classic Apollo 13, nice it worked out that way plus I had to get Kevin Bacon in this, and it only took 13 degrees of separation to connect him to Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie. - DirectorHerbert RossStarsKevin BaconLori SingerJohn LithgowA city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.1/18/24
Kevin Bacon who was in Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks - For the man who was at the center of the Oracle of Kevin Bacon I had to go with his signature movie Footloose, 40 years old this year but just as pertinent and fun as it was in 1984. - DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsJason PatricCorey HaimDianne WiestAfter moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.1/19/24
Dianne Wiest who was in Footloose with Kevin Bacon - My Favorite Vampire movie of all time, perfect blend of Horror and Humor plus a great soundtrack make it a quintessential 80's movie. - DirectorRob ReinerStarsWil WheatonRiver PhoenixCorey FeldmanA writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.1/20/24
Kiefer Sutherland who was in The Lost Boys with Dianna Wiest - Another Classic 80's movie and like The Lost Boys Kiefer was the Villain, I have always suspected that Ace was Jack Bauer's origin story. - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsSean AstinJosh BrolinJeff CohenA group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.1/21/24
Corey Feldman who was in Stand By Me with Kiefer Sutherland - 'Goonies Never Say Die' completing the trilogy of Corey Feldman classic 80's movies, like Stand By Me The Goonies was set in Oregon and it's always movie the first movie people think of when they mention Oregon movies. - DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.1/22/24
Josh Brolin who was in The Goonies with Corey Feldman - still amazed Josh Brolin was in the Goonies, he made a unrecognizable transition from Teen to Adult actor, No Country For Old Men won the best Picture Oscar, but I still think it has one of the most anticlimactic endings to a movie ever. - DirectorBarry SonnenfeldStarsTommy Lee JonesWill SmithLinda FiorentinoJames, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.1/23/24
Tommy Lee Jones who was in No Country For Old Men with Josh Brolin - one of the issues I had with No Country for Old Men was how weak and pathetic the Sheriff played by Tommy Lee Jones was 'Oh, there's nothing I can do so I'll just end the movie whining about everything on some guy's porch' - Agent K would have smacked down Anton in a New York minute. - DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsWill SmithBill PullmanJeff GoldblumThe aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.1/24/24
Will Smith who was in Men In Black with Tommy Lee Jones - Will smith again battling rowdy Aliens in one of my favorite movies of all time - so many great characters, moments and lines and a Top shelf cast to bring it all to life, highly entertaining and it never gets old. - DirectorMel BrooksStarsMel BrooksJohn CandyRick MoranisA star-pilot for hire and his trusty sidekick must come to the rescue of a princess and save Planet Druidia from the clutches of the evil Spaceballs.1/25/24
Bill Pullman who was in Independence Day with Will Smith - just a brilliant, hysterical and timeless parody of Star Wars (with a little Star Trek thrown in) by the legendary National treasure Mel Brooks and it's a little ironic that after playing Lonestar Bill Pullman went on to play the President as did Harrison Ford after playing Han Solo in the Star Wars movies. - DirectorAlan JohnsonStarsMel BrooksAnne BancroftRonny GrahamAt the onset of WW2, a Polish actor's family and the Polish Resistance help the troupe of a theatre escape Poland and the invading Nazis.1/26/24
Mel Brooks who was in Spaceballs with Bill Pullman - Mel Brooks is a National Treasure and this remake of Jack Benny's To Be or Not To Be is one of his brightest gems, and also shows that sometimes a remake can surpass the original. just Mel's opening duet of Sweet Georgia Brown in Polish with his wife Anne Bancroft makes this film a classic. - DirectorMike NicholsStarsDustin HoffmanAnne BancroftKatharine RossA disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.1/27/24
Anne Bancroft who was in To Be or Not to Be - Anne Bancroft's signature role as the amorous older Woman Mrs. Robinson out to seduce young Benjamin played by Dustin Hoffman in the role that made him a star - a 60's classic that is shades of grey on who was right or wrong, but I could certainly see Mrs. Robinson's side of it, why did Ben think it was Ok to date her daughter?? - DirectorSydney PollackStarsDustin HoffmanJessica LangeTeri GarrMichael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.1/28/24
Dustin Hoffman who was in The Graduate with Anne Bancroft - Lots of places I could have gone with Dustin Hoffman, I have seen 24 of his films, but I had to go with my favorite Tootsie because it has such a wonderful ensemble cast and also because it is still just as fabulous, fresh and funny today as it was when I first watched it 40 years ago. - DirectorColin HigginsStarsJane FondaLily TomlinDolly PartonThree female employees of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him.1/29/24
Dabney Coleman who was in Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman - Dabney Coleman is one of my Favorite character actors and this movie gave him his start as the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot Mr. Hart in this comedy classic about women in the workplace, very funny and prophetic about how Womens' roles in our society were changing. - DirectorMark RydellStarsKatharine HepburnHenry FondaJane FondaNorman is a curmudgeon with an estranged relationship with his daughter Chelsea. At Golden Pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's new boyfriend, and a most unexpected relationship blooms.1/30/24
Jane Fonda who was in 9 to 5 with Dabney Coleman - one of the fun things of doing this movie trail is noticing connections that had not occurred to me before - it is funny that one year after playing antagonists in 9 to 5, Dabney Coleman and Jane Fonda were playing a soon to be married couple dealing with old poop Norman 'Just don't let Ethel catch you' - lol - a wonderful poignant film for which Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda in his last movie role won Oscars and it should have won the 1981 Best Picture Oscar. - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartKatharine HepburnRobert MorleyIn WWI East Africa, a gin-swilling Canadian riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced English missionary to undertake a trip up a treacherous river and use his boat to attack a German gunship.1/31/24
Katherine Hepburn who was in On Golden Pond with Jane Fonda - Katherine Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses and has been in iconic movies with most of the leading actors in the golden age of Hollywood including this John Houston classic that was actually filmed in Africa - for me though the chemistry between Hepburn and Bogart just seemed a bit off - She was better with Spencer Tracy and Henry Fonda and he was better with Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman. - DirectorFred SchepisiStarsWill SmithStockard ChanningDonald SutherlandAn affluent New York City couple finds their lives touched, intruded upon, and compelled by a mysterious young black man who is never quite who he says he is.First month of my Oracle of Mickey Mouse in the books, it has been fun watching movies in six degrees of separation style, don't know why I didn't do this during the pandemic but I should have, it's an enjoyable way to get back into watching my movies again - I watched 27 movies connecting 25 different Actors and one mouse while also only repeating a director once, will be fun to see how far I can go without getting stuck, eventually I will allow myself to repeat an actors but not repeating movies.
The Oracle of Mickey Mouse - January, 2024
Mickey Mouse
Kathleen Turner
Michael Douglas
Wayne Knight
Jeff Goldblum
Kevin Kline
John Cleese
Sean Connery
Kevin Costner
Susan Sarandon
Geena Davis
Tom Hanks
Kevin Bacon
Dianne Wiest
Kiefer Sutherland
Corey Feldman
Josh Brolin
Tommy Lee Jones
Will Smith
Bill Pullman
Mel Brooks
Anne Bancroft
Dustin Hoffman
Dabney Coleman
Jane Fonda
Katherine Hepburn - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.2/1/24
Humphrey Bogart who was in The African Queen with Katherine Hepburn - 'Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine' - Starting February with one of the best movies ever made, the Oscar winning Casablanca, it was my introduction to Black and White movies and a movie that everyone who watches it will fall in love with, and might be the most quoted movie of all time. - DirectorSidney LumetStarsAlbert FinneyLauren BacallIngrid BergmanIn December 1935, when his transcontinental luxury train is stranded by deep snow, detective Hercule Poirot is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before, with a multitude of suspects.2/2/24
Ingrid Bergman who was in Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart - February is traditionally Oscar month so I am going to try to focus on Oscar winning and nominated movies - and Murder on the Orient Express had a spectacular ensembled cast full of Oscar winning actors including Bergman who won best Supporting Actress for this film - which was a wonderful adaption of my favorite Agatha Christie novel. - DirectorHugh HudsonStarsBen CrossIan CharlesonNicholas FarrellTwo British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, are driven to win in the 1924 Olympics as they wrestle with issues of pride and conscience.2/3/24
John Gielgud who was in Murder on the Orient Express with Ingrid Bergman - The Best Picture winner for 1981 and while I still think Raiders and On Golden Pond were better that year, Chariots of Fire is still a rousing, spiritual uplifting film with an ionic score that will have you cheering at the end, no matter how many times you have watched it. - DirectorRichard AttenboroughStarsBen KingsleyJohn GielgudRohini HattangadiThe life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.2/4/24
Ian Charleson who was in Chariots of Fire with John Gielgud - The Best Picture winner for 1982 so Charleson (and John Gielgud) were in back to back winners - as much as I loved E.T. Gandhi was the deserving winner in 1982, it is the best Bio pic of all time and after 40 years it still isn't close despite how good Oppenheimer was this year (if my movie trail goes well that's the film I will watch Oscar night) just an extraordinary performance by Ben Kingsley in telling the story of one of the greatest figures of the 20th century. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.2/5/24
Ben Kingsley who was in Gandhi with Ian Charleson - the Best Picture winner of 1993 and incredibly still the Only one of Steven Spielberg's 35 wonderful movies to win Best the Picture Oscar but this movie deserved the win and is it emotionally and at times painfully recreates the events of the Holocaust and how Oscar Schindler saved the lives of Hundreds of Jews. (BTW Ben Kingsley was unrecognizable as the actor I watched as Gandhi just last night, actors are amazing) - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsEwan McGregorLiam NeesonNatalie PortmanTwo Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their original glory.2/6/24
Liam Neeson who was in Schindler's List with Ben Kingsley - Had to work Star Wars into this and what better place to begin than the beginning with Episode I - The Phantom Menace is a better movie that its reputation, yes there are silly moments and Jar Jar belongs in the annoying character Hall of Fame, but the film is saved by the gravitas Neeson brought to the film with his performance as Qui-Gon. - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorTen years after initially meeting, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala, while Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.2/7/24
Ewan McGregor who was in The Phantom Menace with Liam Neeson - I usually rank Attack of the Clones last among the original 6 Star Wars movies, but on watching it again for the first time in a while it really has some of the best action scenes in the franchise as Anakin continues his slide to the Dark Side. - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorThree years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.2/8/24
Hayden Christensen who was in Attack of the Clones with Ewan McGregor - as an overall movie this might actually the best of the Star Wars movies but it is certainly ranks with the original trilogy and the perfect bridge between the two trilogies, edge of your seat entertaining from start to finish highlighted by the best light saber duel in the franchise between Anakin and Obi-Wan on the volcano planet Mustafar won by Obi-Wan because he famously had the High Ground. - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJohn TravoltaUma ThurmanSamuel L. JacksonThe lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.2/9/24
Samuel L Jackson who was in Revenge of the Sith with Hayden Christensen - Ironic that Jules discovered road to redemption in Pulp Fiction while Anakin became Darth Vader by killing Mace Windu and began his own road to redemption in revenge of the Sith, amazing all the connections movies have - Jules is one of my favorite movie characters and Pulp Fiction for me is one of the 10 greatest movies of all time. - DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.2/10/24
Bruce Willis who was in Pulp Fiction with Samuel L Jackson - Still one of the best twist endings to a movie ever and it is fun in repeat viewings to catch all the clues and I still debate whether Cole new Malcolm was a ghost the whole time - sad that the movie would not have worked today because people are too anxious to spoil the movies like this one for others on social media - Bruce Willis has never been nominated for an Oscar but he certainly deserved one for the Sixth Sense as did Haley Joel Osment. - DirectorTim McCanliesStarsHaley Joel OsmentMichael CaineRobert DuvallFourteen-year-old Walter Caldwell's irresponsible mother Mae sends him to live with his bachelor uncles, Hub and Garth, so that she can go on yet another husband-hunting trip.2/12/24
Haley Joel Osment who was in The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis - some movies age better than others, gave this film a 10 originally, not sure why now - lol - but it was good with some nice moments from Robert Duvall and Michael Caine in a On Golden Pond esque story of two old curmudgeons with a penchant for adventure finding new meaning in life when a teenager comes to spend the summer with them - I did like that there was an actual Lion in the movie. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.2/14/24
Michael Caine who was in Secondhand Lions with Haley Joel Osment - The film that single handedly made the Academy expand the Best Picture category to 10 after it was snubbed in 2008 (A mistake because limiting it to 5 made getting nominated for Best Picture more special) it did win a posthumously Oscar for Heath Ledger who gave an unforgettable performance as the Joker, the best film of the incredible 2008 movie year and still the best Superhero movie of all time. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsChristian BaleJohn MalkovichMiranda RichardsonA young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation of China during World War II.2/15/24
Christian Bale who was in The Dark Knight with Michael Caine - Christian Bale made an unrecognizable transition from child to adult actor, but seeing Empire of the Sun again right after The Dark Knight I could see it more this time (along with the first time he used an American accent -lol ) and it is really not all that surprising that brave industrious clever Jim grew up to be Batman - this is one of Spielberg's best and most underrated movies. - DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsClint EastwoodJohn MalkovichRene RussoSecret Service agent Frank Horrigan couldn't save Kennedy, but he's determined not to let a clever assassin take out this president.2/16/24
John Malkovich who was in Empire of the Sun with Christian Bale - The FBI uses Silence of the Lambs as a training film, and I am guessing the Secret Service does the same with In the Line of Fire, one of my favorite Thrillers with Malkovich perfection as the uber creepy assassin Mitch Leary, but hey, he was kind to animals so Leary couldn't have been All bad. - DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodGene HackmanMorgan FreemanRetired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."2/17/24
Clint Eastwood who was in In the Line of Fire with John Malkovich - another example of the fun actors have, can't imagine characters as different as Frank Horrigan and Bill Munny, played a year apart by Eastwood, not always a fan of formulaic Westerns that Mel Brooks so brilliantly mocked in Blazing Saddles, but Eastwood is the master and the Oscar winning Unforgiven is his masterpiece. - DirectorTony ScottStarsGene HackmanDenzel WashingtonMatt CravenOn a U.S. nuclear missile sub, a young First Officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger happy Captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.2/18/24
Gene Hackman who was in Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood - another of my favorite 90's movies about a mutiny on a Nuclear Submarine, it almost gets comical as Hackman and Denzel run back and forth across the Submarine try to stop each other and wrestling over the Launch keys, I agree with Jason Robards that they both created a hell of a mess, but it was really the fault of whomever sent the order to launch and then cancelled it 15 minutes later - I mean WTH? - DirectorEdward ZwickStarsMatthew BroderickDenzel WashingtonCary ElwesRobert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.2/19/24
Denzel Washington who was in Crimson Tide with Gene Hackman - Hadn't seen Glory in a while because it was hard to take 'Ferris Bueller' seriously as a Civil War officer, but seeing it again Matthew Broderic was excellent and what a treat to see Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman together, just a crime that Glory was the only movie they were both in and I didn't like the ending much when the Confederates Win, I was like Fred Savage in the Princess Bride - Geez Grandpa, why did you read me this thing to for? - DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.2/20/24
Morgan Freeman who was in Glory with Denzel Wahington - again some movies age better than others, Glory was better than I remembered, while Seven I didn't like as much, despite all the gruesome murders it is a pretty slow build until the final 30 minuets when Kevin Spacey finally comes into it as the Killer then it picks up until the shocking ending. - DirectorNeil JordanStarsBrad PittTom CruiseAntonio BanderasA vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.2/22/24
Brad Pitt who was in Seven with Morgan Freeman - along with the Lost Boys and Dracula one of my favorite Vampire movies, a lot more melodramatic and pretentious than The Lost Boys with definite homoerotic vibes but I agree with Lestat about Louis' whining, he didn't know how good he had it until he ventured to Paris and was taken in by his own Coven of Lost Boys and found out that things could be a whole lot worse. - DirectorRob ReinerStarsTom CruiseJack NicholsonDemi MooreMilitary lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder. They contend they were acting under orders.2/23/24
Tom Cruise who was in Interview With the Vampire with Bradd Pitt - the Fun of being an actor, one moment you are a Vampire sucking the life out of Brad Pitt, the next you are a lawyer screaming I want the Truth at Jack Nicholson, excellent court room drama but I agreed with Sam that Dawson and Downey were Bullies and ultimately responsible for Santiago's death no matter who ordered the code red. - DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsShirley MacLaineDebra WingerJack NicholsonFollows hard-to-please Aurora looking for love and her daughter's family problems.
2/24/24
Jack Nicholson who was in A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise - The 1983 Best Picture Oscar winner and for good reason - great cast, great score and all the charm, humor and drama with the interconnecting relationships still hold up after 40 years (has it really been that long) Jack Nicholson won an Oscar probably just for playing a normal person for a change rather than a raving lunatic - lol. - DirectorHerbert RossStarsShirley MacLaineOlympia DukakisSally FieldA young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship, and welcome her into the fold.2/24/24
Shirley McClaine who was in Terms of Endearment with Jack Nicholson - an amazing cast and another melodrama for McClaine but she is more the comic relief this time (with some of the best lines in the movie) and Sally Field and Julia Roberts bring the pathos with the story of a Woman sacrificing her health to have a baby. - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsTom HanksRobin WrightGary SiniseThe history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.2/25/24
Sally Field who was on Steel Magnolias with Shirly McClaine - The 1994 Best picture Winner and still just as sweet, charming, funny and easy to watch as it was 30 years ago, love the walk through the era I grew up in and Forres somehow finding himself at the center of big events, but the story is still the heart of the movie, and it is so wonderful to watch. - DirectorRob ReinerStarsCary ElwesMandy PatinkinRobin WrightA bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.2/26/24
Robin Wright who was in Forrest Gump with Sally Field - there is a shortage of perfect movies in the world, thankfully we have The Princess Bride, An enchanting slightly cracked Fairy tale that I'm sure everybody who ever watched it knows by heart because every line of the movie is just gold and inconceivable it was ignored at the Oscars. - DirectorDanny DeVitoStarsDanny DeVitoBilly CrystalKim GreistA bitter ex-husband wants his former spouse dead. A put-upon momma's boy wants his mother dead. Who will pull it off?2/27/24
Billy Crystal who was in The Princes Bride with Robin Wright - part one of a Danny DeVito double feature today is a very clever and funny comedic remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and it might be heresy but to me this Homage to Hitchcock's crisscross classic surpasses the original with a fast paced story and there is a sweetness to Owen despite his homicidal tendencies and I hadn't put together until this viewing that Larry's ex-wife was played by Captain Janeway of Star Trek Voyager which makes it all even funnier- just a great movie. - DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerDanny DeVitoKelly PrestonA physically perfect but innocent man goes in search of his long-lost twin brother, who is short, a womanizer, and small-time crook.2/27/24
Danny DeVito who was in Throw Momma From the Train with Billy Crystal - Part Two of my DeVito double feature is another great 80's comedy this time paired with Arnold and playing his Twin Brother which seems ridiculous but works mainly because the chemistry is so good between the two actors, seems a little more dated than Throw Momma From the Train and it could've used some editing but the Action and sentimental moments work well. - DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCarl WeathersKevin Peter HallA team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.2/28/24
Arnold Schwarzenegger who was in Twins with Danny DeVito - Closing out the month with a tribute to Carl Weathers who died this month starting with Arnold's 80's sci-fi action thriller - the Predator is one of the most iconic sci-fi monsters but amusing that he ends up being killed by a log falling on his head, I mean the Ewoks could have thought that one up, who needs Arnold? - DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungA small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.2/29/24
Carl Weathers who was in Predator with Arnold Schwarzenegger - closing the Month and Leap Day out with a Rocky double feature in tribute to Carl Weathers who died this month - is it a bit farfetched that in a Month a palooka and part time Loan shark could train well enough to take the Heavy Weight champion of the World the distance? of course, but that is what Cinderella stories are about and Rocky is the Quintessential Philadelphia underdog story. - DirectorSylvester StalloneStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungRocky faces the ultimate challenge from a powerful new contender, and must turn to a former rival to help regain his throne as the undisputed fighting champion.2/29/24
Burgess Meredith who was in Rocky with Carl Weathers - Part two of my Rocky double feature is my favorite of the Rocky Movies Rocky III, it is peak Rocky for me with each character having their best moments of the franchise - Apollo taking over as Rocky's manager after Mickey's death, Mr. 'I pity the fool' T as Clubber Land, Hulk Hogan wrestling Rocky, the Eye of the Tiger montage to open the movie, all of it is just perfection, including the ending which I would have fine with being the close of the Rocky trilogy, Rocky 4 & 5 weren't really necessary. - DirectorFred SchepisiStarsWill SmithStockard ChanningDonald SutherlandAn affluent New York City couple finds their lives touched, intruded upon, and compelled by a mysterious young black man who is never quite who he says he is.Wrapped up Month two of the Oracle of Mickey Mouse as February ends on Leap Day which gave me an extra day so I watch 29 movies in 29 days with 29 different actors and have not repeated an actor in the 56 movies I have watched so far, I used up a lot of Big Names in February watching so many Oscar movies but I hope to keep it going until the end of May when I'll hit the pause button for Summer, I also cleared a path to watching Oppenheimer on Oscar Day so it better win Best Picture.
The Oracle of Mickey Mouse - February 2024
Humphrey Bogart
Ingrid Bergman
John Gielgud
Ian Charleson
Ben Kingsley
Liam Neeson
Ewan McGregor
Hayden Christensen
Samuel L Jackson
Bruce Willis
Haley Joel Osment
Michael Caine
Christian Bale
John Malkovich
Clint Eastwood
Gene Hackman
Denzel Washington
Morgan Freeman
Brad Pitt
Tom Cruise
Jack Nicholson
Shirley McClaine
Sally Field
Robin Wright
Billy Crystal
Danny DeVito
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Carl Weathers
Burgess Meredith - DirectorTed KotcheffStarsSylvester StalloneBrian DennehyRichard CrennaA veteran Green Beret is forced by a cruel Sheriff and his deputies to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.3/1/24
Sylvester Stallone who was in Rocky III with Burgess Meredith - Kicking off March (Can't believe it's March already, forgot how fast time goes when I'm enjoying my movie) with Stallone's Other iconic character John Rambo, but unlike like Rocky I don't think anybody suspected this was going to become the franchise it became, First Blood is about a Vietnam vet with PTSD and despite all the action and explosions at heart it is a movie about how we should treat each other, a little kindness goes a long way. - DirectorRon HowardStarsDon AmecheWilford BrimleyHume CronynWhen a group of trespassing seniors swim in a pool containing alien cocoons, they find themselves energized with youthful vigor.3/2/24
Brian Dennehy who was in First Blood with Sylvester Stallone - the fun of acting again - go from a vindictive Sheriff who launched Rambo into infamy in one movie to a kindhearted Alien leader with the patience of a Saint showing a group of Seniors the fountain of youth and way to immortality in the next, but Walter was much more magnanimous to the Humans who ruined his mission with their selfishness than I would have been. - DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsRobert RedfordRobert DuvallGlenn CloseA middle-aged unknown comes seemingly out of nowhere to become a legendary baseball player with almost supernatural talent.3/3/24
Wilford Brimley who was in Cocoon with Brian Dennehey - still holds up as one of the best Baseball moves ever made although some parts have aged better than others like Kim Basinger taking a shot at Hobbs for no apparent reason other than making him jump seems a bit misogynistic now (Hobbs never did seem to understand that it was his own ego that got him shot the first time) - and all the gambling talk would have gotten the whole lot of them Banned from Baseball today. - DirectorSydney PollackStarsBarbra StreisandRobert RedfordBradford DillmanDuring post-WWII McCarthyism, a diametrically opposed couple come together only to find out that genuine friendship and physical attraction is not enough to overcome fundamental societal beliefs.3/4/24
Robert Redford who was in The Natural with Wilford Brimley - interesting how my feelings about a film can change after not watching it for a while, it is still one of the best Romantic movies ever made but Geez Hubbell was a doorknob, all he did is whine about Katie's passion the whole move instead of accepting her the way she was and then when she stands up against the Red Scare nonsense instead of supporting Katie the bum cheats on her while she was pregnant and then when the Baby was born he breaks up with her - some catch, right? - DirectorJay RoachStarsBen StillerRobert De NiroBlythe DannerAll hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time.3/5/24
Barbra Streisand who was in The Way We Were with Robert Redford - now this was a much better match for Babs - Streisand and Dustin Hoffman had such naturally comfortable chemistry that they looked like they had really been married all their lives - Don't know how on Earth Ben Stiller talked them into being his hipster parents in the sequels to Meet The Parents but I am glad that he did, just a hysterical and fun movie and one of my favorites of the 2000's. - DirectorShawn LevyStarsBen StillerCarla GuginoRicky GervaisA newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc.3/6/24
Ben Stiller who was in Meet The Fockers with Barbra Streisand - Cute Toy Storyesque idea, the exhibits at the Natural History Museum come to life when the sun goes down (But how did the manager of the Museum not know about this?) some bits work better than others, the best part was Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, and it goes on for a bit too long, but I liked the twist of making usual good guys Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney the villains, and it was an enjoyable film to watch. - DirectorGus Van SantStarsRobin WilliamsMatt DamonBen AffleckWill Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.3/7/24
Robin Williams who was in Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller - I remember being bored the first time I watched this movie this time I was just annoyed - Matt Damon's character was such a self indulgent little prick that it was impossible to feel any sympathy for him, he craped over anybody trying to help him which made me wonder why they kept trying - Sheldon and Leonard could do physics like that in their sleep, he wasn't That special - Will Hunting was one of the most unlikable characters I've ever seen in a movie, but the best part was Robin Williams as the therapist and I'm glad that he won an Oscar for the role. - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioMatt DamonJack NicholsonAn undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.3/8/24
Matt Damon who was in Good Will Hunting with Robin Williams - the 2006 Best Picture winner and got Martin Scorsese his long overdue Oscar for Best Director, the film was pure genius, with all the Rats and double crosses it was hard to keep up and also a brilliant casting move making Jack Nicholson the Mob Boss because he fit right into all the duplicity better then De Niro and Pacino would have with their Mob movie pedigree - just a great movie and one of the best Mob movies of all time. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.3/9/24
Leonardo DiCaprio who was in The Departed with Matt Damon - The only thing worse than an incomprehensible movie is a 2 1/2 hour long incomprehensible movie - there are some movies I like about dreams like Total Recall, The Matrix and Nightmare on Elm street - but those movies made sense, this was just gibberish with a lot of violence just for the sake of having violence and all just to resolve Cillian Murphy's Daddy issues so he'd change his mind on a business Deal - I mean seriously? - ah well at least it got me to Oppenheimer for Oscar day tomorrow. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsCillian MurphyEmily BluntMatt DamonThe story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.3/10/24
Cillian Murphy who was in Inception with Leonardo DeCaprio - Anticipating an Oscar sweep, I have been heading toward watching Oppenheimer for Oscar Night (being on the West Coast plus Day Light Saving time starting made it easier) and it did end up sweeping the Oscars becoming the 2023 Best Picture winner plus winning Christoper Nolan his first Directing Oscar and of course Cillian Murphy winning Best Actor - Excellent movie about the man who became a nation a Hero by ending WWII with the Atom Bomb...and then had his reputation destroyed with the red scare nonsense, it will never not be infuriating when seeing that idiocy in a movie. - DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Gwyneth PaltrowTerrence HowardAfter being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.3/11/24
Robert Downey Jr. who was in Oppenheimer - Downey won an Oscar for Oppenheimer last night but no matter how many accolades he gets he will always and forever be Iron Man, I had not revisited the Movie that stared the MCU in a while so it was fun to see it again ,the MCU really did rest on the shoulders of Downey's charisma and when Iron Man died in Avengers End Game 11 years later that ended the MCU for me as well Endgame was Endgame, but it was a great ride. - DirectorRichard MarquandStarsJeff BridgesGlenn ClosePeter CoyoteA wealthy woman is murdered in her beach house. The husband is allegedly knocked out first. He inherits all. He has a female ex criminal prosecutor represent him in court.3/12/24
Jeff Bridges who was in Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr.- had forgotten that this movie was directed by Richard Marquand who directed Return of the Jedi, the connections movies have is fun to discover - This film was a very well made whodunnit with a top shelf cast including Glenn Close, Robert Loggia and Keys from E.T. that moves along quickly and keeps you guessing until the end, one of my favorites from the 80's. - DirectorAdrian LyneStarsMichael DouglasGlenn CloseAnne ArcherA married man's one-night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.3/13/24
Glenn Close who was in Jagged Edge with Jeff Bridges - Had planned to see this earlier but it strangely vanished from my DVD collection, but I like the new version I bought with more extras so it's all good - this was a cultural phenomenon movie in the 80's that did more to promote monogamy among men then any movie in history and was how Bunny Boiler became a verb, it is an iconic, unforgettable film that should have won Best Picture for 1987 and Best Actress for Glenn Close. - DirectorPhillip NoyceStarsHarrison FordSean BeanAnne ArcherWhen CIA analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a renegade faction targets him and his family for revenge.3/14/24
Anne Archer who was in Fatal Attraction with Glenn Close - Maybe Archer shouldn't drive cars in movies, as with Soap characters it always leads to trouble - lol - The Jack Ryan Franchise (based on the Tom Clancy Novels) was hurt by Ryan being played by 3 different actors over 4 movies, but Harrison Ford's two were the best, this film had a good story although it got muddled in the middle with the hero & villain on different continents, and the ending boat chase in a thunderstorm was over the top ridiculous. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.3/15/24
Harrison Ford who was in Patriot Games with Anne Archer - Raiders seems appropriate for an Ides of March movie - lol - Raiders was such a rush when I first saw it in the theater, I missed Jaws in the theater so this was my introduction to the wonderful imaginative world of Steven Spielberg and it is still a completely exhilarating Roller Coaster ride from the rolling stone beginning to the melting faces finish. - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsBill MurrayKaren AllenJohn ForsytheA selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.3/16/24
Karen Allen who was in Raiders of the Lost Ark with Harrison Ford - Never would have recognized Karen Allen's shy, demure Claire in this movie as her energetic, drink guys under the table Marion in Raiders, but this is one of my favorite Christmas Carol adaptions with Bill Murray perfection in the Scrooge role and the ending with the cast singing put a little love in your heart would put even the biggest Bah Humbug cynic in the Christmas spirit. - DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsBill MurrayJohn CandyHarold RamisTwo friends who are dissatisfied with their jobs decide to join the army for a bit of fun.3/17/24
Bill Murray who was in Scrooged with Karen Alen - the 2nd of my Murray triple play, is my favorite military comedy of all time with so many memorably moments and Quotable lines and it is funny how it starts off as a satire of the military and end up basically being a recruitment video 'Come join the Army and smack those pussy Russians around.' - DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsBill MurrayDan AykroydSigourney WeaverThree parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.3/18/24
Harold Ramis who was in Stripes with Bill Murray, this was the event movie of 1984, bigger than Barbenheimer - lol - the Ghostbusters song was being played everywhere, everyone had Ghostbusters T-shirts, it was wild and it really was a super fun movie to watch, they have tried to recreate the magic with Sequels and Remakes over the years (including another one opening this week) but nothing will ever be able match the magic of the original Ghostbusters. - DirectorFrank OzStarsRick MoranisEllen GreeneVincent GardeniaA nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.3/19/24
Rick Moranis who was in Ghostbusters with Harold Ramis - actually a double and makes a Quad for Bill Murray thanks to his funny cameo as a masochistic dental patient, was a little surprised this film came out a couple years after Ghostbusters, thought it was before but this is one of my favorite musicals, you wouldn't think of Moranis as the lead in a Musical, but he is wonderful which just goes to show that you don't need great Singers to have a great musical, you just need a great story.- and the extra-terrestrial man eating plant Audrey 2 was a great story. - DirectorCarl ReinerStarsSteve MartinLily TomlinVictoria TennantA dying millionaire has her soul transferred into a younger, willing woman. However, something goes wrong, and she finds herself in her lawyer's body - together with the lawyer.3/20/24
Steve Martin who was in Little Shop of Horrors with Rick Moranis - One of those feel Good movies I could watch again as soon as it is over, It combines the wacky physical comedy of Steve Martin (He should have been nominated for an Oscar) with sentiment and a sweet romance, the ending where Martin dances with Lily Tomlin to the song All of Me is one of my Favorite endings to a move - All of Me is movie about death that ultimately is life affirming. - DirectorMick JacksonStarsSteve MartinVictoria TennantRichard E. GrantWith the help of a talking freeway billboard, a wacky weatherman tries to win the heart of an English newspaper reporter, who is struggling to make sense of the strange world of early 1990s Los Angeles.3/21/24
Victoria Tennant who was in All of Me with Steve Martin - Steve Martin's Love Letter to LA is just a wonderful magical romantic comedy made all the more wonderful because Martin and Tennant were married at the time, This is how I have always imagined the dream factory of Los Angeles to be and to quote a line from the movie - it might not be the truth but it's what we wish were true, I cry at the end every time I watch it. - DirectorDavid CarsonStarsPatrick StewartWilliam ShatnerMalcolm McDowellWith the help of long presumed dead Captain Kirk, Captain Picard must stop a deranged scientist willing to murder on a planetary scale in order to enter a space matrix.3/24/24
Patrick Stewart who was in LA Story with Victoria Tennant - I Loved Stewart's 'You can have the Chicken' Cameo in LA Stroy and that let me move at warp speed into a Star Trek Segment of my movie watching connector game staring with Generations where Captain Picard meets Captain James T Kirk, of course he ends up getting Kirk killed which always annoyed me a little - like solve your own dam problems next time, Picard - but other than that this is one of my favorite Star Trek Movies. - DirectorLeonard NimoyStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyTo save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.3/25/24
William Shatner who was in Generations with Patrick Stewart - The most light hearted of the Star Trek movies in which the crew of the Enterprise literally save the whales but it is one of my favorites, so many great moments including the fish out of water comedy as the Gang tries to adjust to 1980's San Francisco, as Bones said 'It's a miracle these people ever got out of the 20th Century' I also liked a confused Chekov asking people which way to the 'Nuclear Wessels' and being mistaken for a Russian spy. - DirectorNicholas MeyerStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyWith the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.3/26/24
Leonard Nimoy who was in The Voyage Home with William Shatner - I have always felt that after the disappointing first Star Trek movie Ricardo Montalban saved the Star Trek franchise with his amazing performance as the psychotically vengeful Khan - one of the best Villains in movie history in my book, it also had one of the most iconic death scenes in a movie with Spock's (thankfully temporary) death and it is ironic that today happened to be Leonard Nimoy's birthday - Kirks memorable touching words 'Of all the souls I have known in my travels his was the most...Human' - made me cry and is perfect for Spock as well as Leonard Nimoy himself. - DirectorDavid ZuckerStarsLeslie NielsenPriscilla PresleyO.J. SimpsonIncompetent police Detective Frank Drebin must foil an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.3/27/24
Ricardo Montalban who was in Wrath of Khan with Leonard Nimoy - Montalban plays the villain again but this time for laughs in Leslie Nielson's hysterical follow up to the Hysterical Airplane and Naked Gun was equally Hysterical with nonstop laughs from beginning to end highlighted by what was probably the best ever parody of a Baseball in a movie - Just priceless. - DirectorGeorge SeatonHenry HathawayStarsBurt LancasterDean MartinGeorge KennedyA bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.3/28/24
George Kennedy who was in The Naked Gun with Ricardo Montalban - Airport started the Disaster movie trend in the 70's and after 3 sequels the Franchise was skuttled by Hysterical parody of it Airplane, fun to pick out those Airplane moments watching the movie again, but Airport really does stand on its own as a great movie and it is funny how open Airports were portrayed back in 1970 - people, even the pilot, smoking on the plane, a little old lady easily stowing away and a guy just waltzing onto the plane with a bomb in his briefcase - Airports are like prisons now, so none of those shenanigans would fly today. - DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsBurt LancasterMontgomery CliftDeborah KerrAt a U.S. Army base in 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his commanding officer's wife and top aide begin a tentative affair.3/29/24
Burt Lancaster who was in Airport with George Kennedy - a movie ostensibly about the buildup to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, but the attack itself is kind of added on to the last 10 minutes of the movie, and if you didn't know the History (and 80 years later I'm sure there are people who don't) you would have no idea what the attack was about since there was no buildup to it, instead the characters spent the whole film fighting and drinking and having sex on the Beach, all clueless about what was coming (which I guess was the point) no wonder they were caught by surprise. - DirectorCharles WaltersStarsBing CrosbyGrace KellyFrank SinatraWith socialite Tracy Lord about to remarry, her ex-husband - with the help of a sympathetic reporter - has 48 hours to convince her that she really still loves him.3/30/24
Frank Sinatra who was in From Here to Eternity with Burt Lancaster - Ironic that High Society was set in New England and Grace Kelly was from Philadelphia, while The Philadelphia Story is set in Philadelphia and Katherine Hepburn was from New England - The film is a musical remake of the Hepburn classic romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story with Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart - the songs are kind of bland and forgettable but Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby have good chemistry and are fun to watch and Louis Armstrong's musical narration was a plus, I'm sure if Twitter existed in the 50's there would be tweets about Frank Sinatra ruining their childhood but High Society is proof that remakes can be creative and done well. - DirectorDavid ButlerStarsBing CrosbyBob HopeDorothy LamourTwo carefree castaways on a desert shore find an Arabian Nights city, where they compete for the luscious Princess Shalmar.3/30/24
Bing Crosby who was in High Society with Frank Sinatra - generally regarded as the best of the Hope & Crosby Road movies, which I agree with as it least it has as some semblance of a plot and a kinda dark one for a goofball comedy as the two 'friends' take turns double crossing each other not caring if the other dies - and I am still mazed Anthony Quinn was the villain, and really got his big break in the Road movies, that is like Jimmie Hendrix opening for The Monkeys - lol - the movie is dated and a bit racist in parts (also strange a movie set in Morocco in 1942 made no mention of WWII going on at the time) but it is always fun watching Hope and Crosby doing their schtick. - DirectorHal WalkerStarsBing CrosbyBob HopeDorothy LamourTwo vaudeville flops pose as bad guys and join the Klondike gold rush with a saloon singer.3/30/24
Bob Hope who was in Road to Morocco with Bing Crosby - added this one in to include Bob Hope since Crosby and Hope apparently have a cameo in Greatest Show on Earth plus it is set in Alaska so I was hoping there would be a Bear in the movie which there was - lol - always wanted to snuggle with one of the Brooks Falls Bears like Hope did with a Bear (thinking it was Dorothy Lamour in a fur coat) my favorite scene in the movie and bumps it up a couple starts for me. - DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsJames StewartCharlton HestonBetty HuttonThe dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are told against a background of circus spectacle.3/31/24
Dorothy Lamour who was in Road to Utopia with Bob Hope - Closing our March with the movie that inspired Steven Spielberg to become a movie Director, I had not known that tidbit until I watched The Fabelmans and didn't realized I had not watched it before that I remember, so I'm glad it worked out I could close out the month with the movie that inspired him like his E.T. inspired my love for movies - I enjoy the Circus but it played like Ringley Brothers infomercial for the first two hours and then the last half hour with the train wreck I saw what had inspired Spielberg, it also has a clown wanted for murder (Clowns are scary even when Jimmy Stewart plays them) and a wonderful cameo of Road Buddies Bing Crosby and Bob Hope watching their partner Dorothy Lamour perform - a great movie to end the month. - DirectorFred SchepisiStarsWill SmithStockard ChanningDonald SutherlandAn affluent New York City couple finds their lives touched, intruded upon, and compelled by a mysterious young black man who is never quite who he says he is.Month three of The Oracle of Mickey Mouse comes to a close, I got a little behind during Easter Week but thanks to the Road Movies I ended up watching 31 movies this month in 31 days with 31 different actors and have now watched 87 movies this year without repeating an actor, This has been a lot of fun and I have a trail mapped out now for the next two months so I'll see how well I can stick to it without needing to audible -
The Oracle of Mickey Mouse - March, 2024
Sylvester Stallone
Brian Dennehey
Wilford Brimley
Robert Redford
Barbra Streisand
Ben Stiller
Robin Williams
Matt Damon
Leonardo DiCaprio
Cillian Murphy
Robert Downey Jr.
Jeff Bridges
Glenn Close
Anne Archer
Harrison Ford
Karen Allen
Bill Murray
Harold Ramis
Rick Moranis
Steve Martin
Victoria Tennant
Patrick Stewart
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
Ricardo Montalban
George Kennedy
Burt Lancaster
Frank Sinatra
Bing Crosby
Bob Hope
Dorothy Lamour - DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsCharlton HestonYul BrynnerAnne BaxterMoses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.4/1/24
Charlton Heston who was on The Greatest Show on Earth with Dorothy Lamour - closed out March with a Cecil B DeMille Oscar Winning epic and kicking off April with the grandest of all his Epics the Ten Commandments (never will understand how it did not win a best Picture Oscar, it has been an beloved iconic movie in Cinematic history for Decades while Around the World in 80 Days, not so much) the film has a stellar top shelf cast headed once again by Charlton Heston in the role of Moses, a part he was born to play, could it have done with a little tighter editing in spots, perhaps but it is majestic and grand in scope from beginning to end, also the first time in a while I watched it without commercial interruption which was nice, the film is shown On TV every year at Easter/Passover time so I never thought to just buy the DVD, glad that I finally did. - DirectorJohn SturgesStarsYul BrynnerSteve McQueenCharles BronsonSeven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.4/2/24
Yul Brynner who was in The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston - An iconic cast at the star of the careers including Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson, but there was little character development so outside of the actors there was little reason to care about them, the first half of the movie is slow but then picks up when the 7 must save the village from the banditos, as a remake of the Japanese classic Seven Samuri it is done well but I hated the ending, after the bad guys out smart them (thanks to the villagers betraying them) - that bandits spare their lives march them out of town and for some unfathomable reason give them their guns back, and instead of taking their defeat and being grateful for not being killed, the 7 launch a sneak attack on the town and kill all the bandits - our heroes right? - more like the Duplicitous Seven. - DirectorJohn SturgesStarsSteve McQueenJames GarnerRichard AttenboroughAllied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.4/3/24
Steve McQueen who was in The Magnificent Seven with Yul Brynner - A triple as McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn were part of the Magnificent Seven - The Great Escape is my Favorite WWII movie and one of my favorite movies of all time and it also has the most iconic score ever written for a movie, All the parts were casted and portrayed perfectly and I like that they were not portrayed super heroes but fallible Humans who made mistakes but were a true testament to their perseverance and the human spirit in wanting to be free. - DirectorSergio LeoneStarsHenry FondaCharles BronsonClaudia CardinaleA mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.4/4/24 - Charles Bronson who was in The Great Escape with Steve McQueen - every actor dreams of playing a great villain and Henry Fonda got his chance playing Frank in a very much against type role - well made western but full of the cliches that are the reason westerns are not my favorite genre, Frank had multiple chances to kill Bronson's Mr. Harmonica when Harmonica was obviously hunting him and didn't plus the plot didn't make much sense - all the fighting over a well on a patch of sagebrush when the town was only a few miles away which already had water so what were they fighting about?
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.4/5/24
Henry Fonda who was in Once Upon a Time in The West with Charles Bronson - From the most evil character Fonda played to one of the most noble - the story of one lone Juror swaying the verdict and saving a teenager from the Chair is a classic but I don't know what it says about our system of justice when 11 jurors could flip their votes that easily in 90 minutes - I'd think it would be 2 or 3 days and maybe a hung Jury - and there was Jack warden who flipped back and forth from guilty to not guilty because he had a baseball game to get to, I think a mistrial would be declared if there really was a juror like that. - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.4/6/24
Martin Balsam who was in 12 Angry Men with Henry Fonda - 'we all go a little mad sometimes' The movie that did for taking a shower what Jaws did for going in the ocean, don't think anybody felt totally comfortable taking a shower again and watching Hitchcock's horror classic, the twists in the movie are so well done starting out like it was a simple film about embezzlement and then you find out the reason the film is titled Psycho. - DirectorRichard FranklinStarsAnthony PerkinsVera MilesMeg TillyAfter twenty-two years of psychiatric care, Norman Bates attempts to return to a life of solitude, but the specters of his crimes - and his mother - continue to haunt him.4/7/24
Anthony Perkins who was in Psycho with Martin Balsam - Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the shower - lol - it might be heresy but I really did enjoy the sequel to the Hitchcock's iconic Pycho more than the original, the whole tone of the movie is so much different , instead of fear their is charm which is exemplified by the soothing rather than manic score this time, Norman is actually the protagonist this time trying to do what's right while those are around him are tormenting him and trying to drive him crazy again - as the Sheriff said Norman was crazy back then, what was their excuse for being so cruel? - there is moral to the story in there somewhere about right and wrong and being kind to people - in Psycho III they turned Norman into Michael Myers which is something he never was in the first move and certainly was not in this film, so the Psycho movies stopped here for me. - DirectorPenny MarshallStarsTom HanksElizabeth PerkinsRobert LoggiaAfter wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult.4/8/34
Robert Loggia who was in Psycho II with Anthony Perkins - there was a run of body switch movies in the 80's and this one was the best, Tom Hanks was excellent as the 12 year old who suddenly finds himself in a 30 year old's body after making a wish, and the floor piano duet of Heart and Soul with Loggia (one of my favorite character actors) is one of my favorite movie scenes of all time, unanswered questions abound though - how did Josh explain where he had been for 6 weeks, how did Ellizabeth Perkins explain where Josh went to the toy company, when Josh grew up to be big for real did he look like Tom Hanks and if he did, did he give Elizabeth Perkins a call? - Big is one movie that needed a sequel. - DirectorChris ColumbusStarsMacaulay CulkinJoe PesciDaniel SternAn eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.4/9/24
John Heard who was in Big with Robert Loggia - Not Christmastime but I guess anytime is a good time to watch Home Alone - It is Die Hard for kids - but watching it again I noticed the finale with all the booby traps bonking the bumbling burglars is just 20 minutes at the end - and it is kinda ridiculous that a 9 year old could plan out all that out rather than ya know call the police as he did eventually anyway or maybe just ask the nearest grownup for help contacting his parents but then there wouldn't be a movie and like Die Hard, Home Alone has become a Christmas Classic. - DirectorRon UnderwoodStarsBilly CrystalJack PalanceDaniel SternOn the verge of turning 40, an unhappy Manhattan yuppie is roped into joining his two friends on a cattle drive in the southwest.4/10/24
Daniel Stern who was in Home Alone with John Heard - One thing, just one thing, You stick to that and the rest don't mean shit - probably the best life advise every given in a movie was delivered by Jack Palance in his Oscar winning role as the tough as nails Trailboss in this movie, it's one of my all-time favorite feel good movies as it is impossible not to feel good after watching it, Daniel Stern, Billy Crystal Bruno Kirby as well as Palance are wonderful and embody their charters with so much depth, humor and heart - there's nothing like bringing in a herd.