Reviews by JR1220

Waaaay back in July of 1989, many of us watched the video for Cold Hearted Snake featuring the dancing and vocal talents of Paula Abdul, which was an homage to a famous set piece in All That Jazz. At the time, not having watched this movie, I thought Paula was pushing the boundaries with her routine, but Fosse's (or Roy Scheider playing Fosse) version is 10 times steamier.

I've had a chance to watch Paul Newman in many films over the years - from Butch Cassidy to the wise, but prickly Doc Hudson from Pixar's Cars. However, Hud Bannon is like none of the characters I've seen Newman play. He's rough and tumble, cocksure, and a predator to boot. He's no hero. Still, he's a compelling character, as is his father, Homer (played by Melvyn Douglas), and his nephew, Lonnie (played by Brandon De Wilde). The three men have a tempestuous relationship due in part to traumatic events both past and present. And then there is the glue of the family, their housekeeper Alma, played by Patricia Neal, who gives an Academy Award-winning performance. Overall, Hud is a beautiful film to experience, with stunning views of the Lone Star State in crisp black and white. Of course, the backdrop of the vistas provides context for some desperate situations with the family and shows how fragile life can be in that environment. To be sure, Hud is difficult to watch in some spots, but the performances are top-notch, and while Newman's character is problematic, he is unflinching in the titular role.

I'm sorry, what? An extra 3/4 star for the amazing Karen Allen and some of the wiiiiiiild set design. Choices were made. Like, the computer that is attached to Gus's (Karen Allen) truck has a mouth and is talking like a funky dj from the 1970s.
Mostly, it's a fever dream. If you enjoy fever dreams, by all means, please give this a look.

Another gem of a movie from one of the best years for movies of all time - 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure. I had seen Pee-wee's antics in a few things here and there, so I knew of his character, but this was prior to Pee Wee's Playhouse, so I was going in fairly cold.
From the opening moments, it was made perfectly clear that this was one of those "it's going to be really difficult to categorize" kind of movies and I was totally into it.
Layer upon layer of antics, zany characters, and that Danny Elfman music to keep us guessing from beginning to end.
And yes, the Tequila dance made me a bit of a legend in the family when I performed at my Aunt and Uncle's wedding about a month later and showed my potential as a showman. Or something.

A joy from start to finish. While Jimmy Stewart is pitch perfect in this role, he’s surrounded by a cast of characters that blew me away. I suppose this is one of the joys of discovering movies from the Golden Age, it broadens the horizons. I especially enjoyed the performance of Dick Wessel (Mr Cracker, the bar owner). He welcomes Elwood and Harvey into Charlie’s Bar with open arms. I would certainly watch this again.

one of the greating openings of all time. Groundbreaking! We follow along in a one shot as the movie opens with a BANG!

Could have easily spent another 90 minutes just living in this visual feast of a movie. I went into this one really cold, which made the story a bit of a challenge, but on the whole, I was able to just go with the flow. Cowboy Bebop is another movie where I wish I would have had a chance to see it on the big screen.

Campy, campy, campy.
This is one of those "I bet the behind the scenes drama would be more entertaining than the actual movie" kind of movies.
Yes, there is a killer shark, and yes, Chief Brody is back and still a little bit on edge after the events of the mega-blockbuster original Jaws.
This is a pale imitation of the original, but there is still some fun to be had along the way. Is it "so bad it's good?" Yes, indeed.
Oh, and John Williams whipped up some fine music for this one, so that's cool.

Spectacular visual storytelling. Anya Taylor-Joy is a chameleon and one of the best of her generation. It's just fine if you don't know about chess, as this game simply provides the backdrop to the human drama that unfolds. If you got third place in your junior high chess tournament, you might like it all the more, however.
Along with some outstanding performances throughout, the set design, costumes and music choices add so much to the overall production. I'm reminded of the attention to detail that went into The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as it had the same level of craftsmanship.
All told, this series got me from the first moments and I had a difficult time letting go at the end.