Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
Directed by: Peter Weir
Starring: Anne Lambert, Jane Vallis, Rachel Roberts, Helen Morse
Rated: PG
Running Time: 1 h 47 m
TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Ambiguity, Acting, Cinematography, Directing, Writing
WEAKNESSES: Ambiguity Will Leave Some Viewers Unsatisfied
During a Picnic on St. Valentine’s Day, 1900, a few students and a teacher disappear without a trace.
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Split (2016)
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckly
Rated: PG-13 for Disturbing Thematic Content and Behavior, Violence and Some Language
Running Time: 1 h 57 m
TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Acting, Cinematography, Story
WEAKNESSES: Dialogue
A man with 23 different personalities kidnaps three girls and locks them in a basement, where he plans to hold them until his 24th personality arrives.
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L.A. Confidential (1997)
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito
Rated: R
Running Time: 2h 18m
TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Cinematography, Acting, Story
WEAKNESSES: None
In 1950s Hollywood, the Glitz and Glam draws all like a moth to a flame and 3 cops; a boyscout, a bruiser, and a schmoozer, are out to find out who murdered everyone in a coffee shop late one night.
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The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Directed by: Kenji Misumi
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Masayo Banri, Shigeru Amachi
Rated: NR (Suggested PG-13 for Samurai Violence)
Running Time: 1 h 36 m
TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Characters, Charm, Story
WEAKNESSES: Pacing
Zatoichi, a blind, gambling, masseuse who is also a swordsman, gets wrapped up in a squabble with the yakuza and has to find a way to make peace.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena.
Rated: PG13
Running Time: 1h 58m
TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Humor, Enjoyable Action, No Bad Guy That Wants To Take Over The World
WEAKNESSES: One Too Many Plot Lines
With the revelation that people can return from the quantum zone, Hope's eyes turn to Scott to help her rescue her mother. If only Scott wasn't under house arrest.
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Ant-Man (2015)
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 1h 57m
TMM Score: 2 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Some Humorous Moments
WEAKNESSES: Uninteresting, Not Heisty Enough
Ex-Con, Scott Lang can't find work, pay his child support, or get his own apartment. When a rich inventor approaches him with the opportunity to restore his life and family, Scott dons the inventor's advanced battle suit to become Ant-Man and safeguard the world from another guy, bad guy, in another battle suit, bad battle suit.
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Unbreakable (2000)
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright
Rated: Running Time: 1 h 46 m
TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Writing, Cinematography, Subtlety
WEAKNESSES: Moments of Melodrama, Heavy-Handed Directing
After a tragic accident where security guard David Dunn is the only survivor, comic enthusiast Elijah Price seeks him out and tells him he might be extraordinary.
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The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Directed by: Blake Edwards
Starring: Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk
Rated: Running Time: 1 h 43 m
TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Peter Sellers, Humor, Pacing
WEAKNESSES: Farfetched Premise
Charles Dreyfus escapes a mental institution and threatens the world with destruction unless someone can kill Inspector Clouseau.
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Sicario:Day of the Saldado (2018)
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Isabel Moner, Catherine Keener
Rated: R
Running Time: 2 h 2 m
TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Acting, Writing
WEAKNESSES: Cinematography
After it is discovered that one of the cartels is smuggling terrorists into the US, Matt Graver reteams with Alejandro to pit the cartels against each other again.
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The Virgin Spring (1960)
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max Von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Birgitta Pettersson
Rated: Running Time: 1 h 29 m
TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Directing, Acting, Cinematography, Symbolism, Pacing
WEAKNESSES: -
A young virgin and a jealous servant make their way to a church to deliver candles, but along the way they encounter trouble.
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Sicario (2015)
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Daniel Kaluuya
Rated: R for strong violence, grisly images, and language
Running Time: 2 h 1 m
TMM Score: 5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: writing, directing, acting, cinematography, soundtrack, pacing
WEAKNESSES: -
An FBI agent is recruited by a shadowy agency to help fight the cartels.
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Dressed to Kill (1980)
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Starring: Nancy Allen, Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 h 45 m
TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Directing, Cinematography, Acting
WEAKNESSES: Some Pacing
After a call girl witnesses a murder, she becomes the next target of the murderer.
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American Animals (2018)
Directed by: Bart Layton
Starring: Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Ann Dowd
Rated: R for Language Throughout, Some Drug Use and Brief Crude/ Sexual Material
Running Time: 1 h 56 m
TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Writing, Directing, Style, Acting, Innovation
WEAKNESSES: Some Pacing
Four college students plan a heist to steal rare books worth over twelve million dollars from their college library.
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Ocean's 8 (2018)
Directed by: Gary Ross
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 1h 50m
TMM Score: 2 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Star Power?
WEAKNESSES: Boring, Character Development
When Debbie Ocean gets released from the slammer she gathers a gang of thieves to steal a 150 million dollar diamond necklace from round a debutante’s neck at the Met Gala. Maybe she can even get back at an old flame along the way.
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Falling Down (1993)
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey
Rated: R for Violence and Strong Language
Running Time: 1 h 53 m
TMM Score: 4.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Writing, Acting, Concept, Message, Characters
WEAKNESSES: -
A disgruntled man becomes fed up with the world around him and decides to take matters into his own hands.
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Incredibles 2 (2018)
Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener
Rated: PG for Action Sequences and Some Brief Mild Language
Running Time: 1 h 58 m
TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Pacing, Animation, Style, Messages
WEAKNESSES: Similarities to Original
Mr. Incredible is left at home with the kids while Elastigirl gets a new job saving the world.
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Hotel Artemis(2018)
Directed by: Drew Pearce
Starring: Jodi Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Charlie Day, Dave Bautista
Rated: R for Violence and Language Throughout, Some Sexual References, and Brief Drug Use
Running Time: 1 h 33 m
TMM Score: 3.5 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Jodie Foster, Original Concept, Some Writing
WEAKNESSES: Zachary Quinto, Needless Characters, Some Writing & Plotholes
Set in the near future, during a riot in LA, a “members only” hospital caters to criminals and lowlifes. What could go wrong?
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Upgrade (2018)
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Richard Anastasios, Rosco Campbell
Rated: R for Strong Violence, Grisly Images, and Language
Running Time: 1 h 40 m
TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Practical Effects, World Building, Pacing, Some Original Ideas
WEAKNESSES: Acting, Some Writing
A futuristic thriller about a man trying to track down his wife’s killer using the help of an implanted computer upgrade.
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Revenge (2017)
Directed by: Coralie Fargeat
Starring: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Boudeche
Rated: R for Strong Bloody Gruesome Violence, A Rape, Sexuality, Graphic Nudity, Drug Use and Language
Running Time: 1 h 48 m
TMM Score: 4 stars out of 5
STRENGTHS: Directing, Style, Acting, Cinematography, Practical Effects
WEAKNESSES: Gruesomeness Will Turn Away Viewers
A wealthy man brings his young mistress to an exotic isolated location, but things take a turn for the worse when the man’s friends arrive a day earlier than their supposed to.
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Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke
Running Time: 2h 15m
Rated: PG-13
TMM Score: 3 stars out of 5 (I liked it)
STRENGTHS: Set Pieces, Some Characters
WEAKNESSES: Length, Pandering, Some Characters, Uncertain Tone, Cinematography
A young Han Solo goes on a series of adventures that were all set up in the O-G-Tril-O-Gee. How did Han meet Chewie? What EXACT hand in Sabaac won Han the Millennium Falcon? Did Han get his cool gun from some random dude? Get ready for answers to all the questions you assumed wouldn’t be very interesting.
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