Movie Log

As I get older I find myself forgetting if I’d seen a movie or read a book. Since 2005 I have been keeping track of everything I watch, read and sometimes listen too or play. I have also organized this list by title and rating.

2020

Shanghai Fortress

4/10
Alright, time to dig in to some CGI-heavy, big budget, us vs. the blue laser summer blockbuster fare from... more

Machine Gun McCain

8/10
I have owned the soundtrack to Gli Intoccabili for years. The title song is one of the best themes Ennio Morricone ever wrote,... more

Midsommar

7/10
In the post Wicker Man world, I guess creepy European folk culture turned death-cult is now officially a horror sub-genre. I... more

Caliber 9

8/10
Caliber 9 is a highly regarded Eurocrime thriller about an ex-con who is released from prison and everyone suspects he’s... more

The Lighthouse

8/10
A weird, arty film about a pair of lighthouse keepers that is reminiscent of David Lynch. I’m sure there... more

L’assassino

7/10
Marcello Mastroianni is an antiques dealer who is taken in by the police, accused of murdering his lover. It’s... more

Furie

6/10
Vietnamese martial arts picture about a female kung-fu loan collector whose daughter is kidnapped and taken to Shanghai. There... more

Gangs of New York

6/10
I appreciated the 19th Century art direction, especially the hats, but it was way too long for such a... more

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

7/10
While I think it is a reasonably good wire-fu martial arts movie, Sword of Destiny isn’t really a worthy sequel to... more

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

8/10
As with all Tarantino movies, this is entertaining from beginning to end with tons of nostalgic details. I don’t... more

The Fog

8/10
Had not seen this one before. John Carpenter certainly knew his stuff. There’s barely a movie here but it... more

Super Inframan

6/10
If I was 9 years old this would be the greatest movie ever. It’s basically the Shaw Bros. version... more

Frozen II

6/10
This is an animated movie about an ice princess who occasionally sings Broadway numbers. The overall message here is... more

2019

The Rise of Skywalker

5/10
This was an entertaining mess. I thought The Force Awakens was great, but it is so sad that whatever... more

One Cut of the Dead

9/10
Excellent Japanese zombie movie that isn’t quite what it seems. Avoid spoilers and just watch this. The title refers... more

Mister America

7/10
If you haven’t followed “On Cinema” on Adult Swim, I can’t imagine appreciating this movie. If you’re a fan,... more

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock

5/10
This was directed by Riccardo Freda but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bava had some behind the scenes role.... more

Solo

6/10
Well, at least it wasn’t embarrassing. The movie exists as yet another way to try to give backstory to... more

Dolemite Is My Name

6/10
Entertaining but hollow biopic about the early days of Rudy Ray More as played by Eddie Murphy. It’s hard to... more

Millennium Actress

7/10
The follow-up to Perfect Blue is downright whimsical compared to its predecessor. There are still more grown-up themes than your typical... more

Bone Tomahawk

9/10
Western with a twist that shows its hand in the first frame of the movie but you very quickly... more

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

8/10
If you read this Web site with any regularity (in reality that means nobody), you know that I am... more

Voices from Beyond

5/10
Well, you can generally count on Lucio Fulci for at least one fun scene in any movie he creates.... more

Rosemary’s Baby

8/10
This is always getting cited as one of the best horror movies ever made. I was not impressed. Yes,... more

Ip Man

7/10
This is the “true story” of Bruce Lee’s teacher, Ip Man. The WWII setting gives it some gravitas as characters live under... more

C.H.U.D.

7/10
More 80s horror catch-up for me. I wasn’t sure if this movie was so well known merely for it’s... more

Q: The Winged Serpent

7/10
A piece of 80s shlock that’s much better than it should be mostly due to the excellent cast and... more

Boxer from Shantung

8/10
A small-time hood uses his fighting mastery to become the boss of his own gang. Features a fight with... more

John Carter

6/10
A standard, post-LOTR epic movie with clashing armies and English accents. This should be a fun fish out of... more

Twins of Evil

8/10
The late-stage Hammer vampire film tries to keep up with the times be amping up the gore and the... more

Mandy

8/10
I absolutely hated Beyond the Black Rainbow but felt I had to watch it before watching this. Mandy might be a tad over-hyped,... more

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Grudge Song

6/10
The final installment in the Scorpion series is much more straightforward than the previous movies. From what I can... more

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable

5/10
A huge drop in quality for this the third Scorpion movie. Much of the visual flair is gone and... more

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41

7/10
The second film in this series has the same visual flair of the first. This entry is a pretty... more

Kwaidan

7/10
Japanese horror anthology from the mid-sixties that features beautiful surreal sets and cinematography but is very light on the... more

9/10
In the middle of the film I kind of forgot that it opens in with crazy dreamy imagery. It... more

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion

8/10
I guess fantastical prison movies have been a thing in Japan since long before Story of Ricky. This one is... more

Under the Silver Lake

7/10
Apparently this is a highly divisive movie. Lots of one-star reviews and lots of five-star reviews. I liked it... more

The Incredibles 2

8/10
Picks up right where the first movie left off with the family battling Cliff Clavin. Every bit as fun... more

Liquid Sky

5/10
I can see why, in this time of everyone and their grandma being a cos-player, that this is a... more

One-armed Swordswoman

8/10
This has all the trappings of a boring, low-rent “guys doing kung-fu in an empty field because the producers... more

Daughters of Darkness

9/10
Daughters of Darkness rivals Argento’s best work from the 70s in terms of style and design. Every frame is a... more

The Shadow Boxing

6/10
A supposed sequel to The Spiritual Boxer which I’ve seen but never posted a review. Both movies are comedies but this... more

The Dragon Missile

7/10
Like The Flying Guillotine, the title here refers to a deadly decapitation weapon. The dragon missile is two boomerang swords that... more

House of Traps

5/10
An average and confusing Shaw Bros. film. I guess this is a continuation of the Deadly Venoms franchise? The titular House of... more

Savage Streets

6/10
Sleazy revenge movie with a heavy dose of mid-eighties fashion cheese. This could be a much higher rated movie... more

Beyond the Black Rainbow

3/10
I really did not like this movie at all. I was really excited to watch it. The still frames... more

The Wind Rises

5/10
This has to be the worst Studio Ghibli film I’ve seen. Of course it’s beautiful, but if it wasn’t... more

John Wick: Chapter 2

6/10
This is about on par with the first John Wick movie. Silly, fantastical world of assassins and gangsters with over-the-top gun... more

Night of the Comet

7/10
A corny, low-budget sci-fi movie that somehow I missed back in the 80s. This is the type of PG-rated... more

Villmark Asylum

6/10
Norwegian horror movie about a group of scientists who go to a soon-to-be demolished hospital in the woods only to... more

Cut-Throats Nine

8/10
This isn’t a spaghetti western. It’s a Spanish western. There has to be a name for that already: tapas... more

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

8/10
Pretty much a direct continuation of he previous film in the series. Lots of stunts, yadda yadda. Good twists... more

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

8/10
In the first ten minutes of Rogue Nation we have Tom Cruise hanging from the fuselage on an airplane on takeoff.... more

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

7/10
Okay, here we go to the un-numbered M:I sequels. This one was directed by The Iron Giant’s Brad Bird. The intro credits are... more

Mission: Impossible III

8/10
Everyone says that these Mission: Impossible movies are some of the best contemporary action movies around (besides Fury Road), so I decided... more

The Monster Project

7/10
Yet another found footage horror film with all the shaky camera clichés you’d expect. Despite this, I rather enjoyed... more

The Mighty Peking Man

6/10
Shaw Brothers attempt at a giant monster movie is pretty corny. Normally I enjoy garbage movie like this, but... more

Snake Eyes

7/10
The story is implausible and Nick Cage is as ridiculous as ever, but the stylish direction makes this an... more

La Dolce Vita

7/10
Wonderfully photographed and filled with memorable moments, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. A little too meandering... more

Suspiria [2018]

7/10
I’m not sure why filmmakers insist on remaking films that were already great. The original Suspiria is one of my favorite... more

Execution Squad

6/10
A roving band of vigilantes are killing criminals left and right while the police try to track down a... more

Blood Orgy of the Leather Girls

6/10
If you’ve seen my Planet Pimp Records site, then you know all about this movie. Planet Pimp regular Michael Lucas directed... more

Flower Drum Song

6/10
A musical with no memorable musical numbers. There are a couple of nice dreamy dance moments. I think the... more

2018

The Man Who Would Be King

8/10
I’ve never used this word ever in my life, but the best description of this Sean Connery/Michael Caine adventure... more

Esther and the King

5/10
Epic Biblical story which was partially directed by Mario Bava. Joan Collins is a bride to be who is... more

A Simple Plan

7/10
Sam Raimi directed this serviceable bit of 90s noir in which a trio of Minnesota lads discover a gym... more

Basket Case

8/10
Another cult movie which I’ve known about forever, but never bothered to watch. I didn’t expect this to be... more

The Invincible Fist

8/10
Lo Lieh plays the sword wielding bounty hunter in this Shaw Bros. film from 1969. The story is simple... more

Shoot First, Die Later

6/10
Italian police thriller in which the lead cop is as corrupt as they come and yet we are supposed... more

Shin Godzilla

4/10
Jeez, this one felt like sitting through a two hour school board meeting. 95% of the movie is just... more

The Sentimental Swordsman

7/10
The plot of this one is a bit all over the place. A swordsman with a cough returns home... more

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

9/10
This was a movie that we were told about in art history classes when talking about German expressionist painting.... more

Nosforatu

7/10
What can be said about this movie that hasn’t already been said in the “Under Pressure” video by Queen.... more

Deep Star Six

7/10
The only reason I watched Deep Star Six was because I remembered the excellent box art on the tape and was... more

Human Lanterns

8/10
Not quite a horror film, but this is probably as dark and weird as a kung-fu picture will get.... more

What Have You Done to Solange?

7/10
Don’t get me wrong. I love me some 70s Italian sleaze. But this movie could have really dialed it... more

Chinatown

8/10
I have finally seen this movie and I liked it. Does the Internet need another review of it? Many... more

The Oily Maniac

8/10
Many of the same faces from the Black Magic movies are here for another Shaw horror “classic”. Once again it’s filmed... more

Killer Constable

9/10
This was a surprisingly good martial arts film that’s heavy on dark tone and light on the karate. Films... more

The Cook, Cook The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

8/10
This movie is exactly what late 80s art movies are supposed to be. It’s the very definition of style... more

It Comes at Night

6/10
So, we know there’s been an worldwide pandemic and it involves a nasty rash and some inky vomit. Now... more

Man of Iron

6/10
Set in early 20th Century, so much of this movie’s tension could be solved with a gun. Instead it’s a... more

Shaolin Temple

6/10
The Shaolin formula is a non-monk enters the temple seeking to learn the tools of revenge. He undergoes ridiculous... more

Chopping Mall

5/10
Somewhat self-aware low-budget slasher film about killer robots in a shopping mall. With the exception of one noteworthy moment,... more

The Woman in Black

7/10
Wait, there’s a new(ish) haunted house in the olden days movie from Hammer films? And it stars Harry Potter?... more

Brawl in Cell Block 99

7/10
This was a lot like John Wick in that it depicts a fantastical version of crime movie. But Brawl is a bit more... more

The Last Movie Star

8/10
I was planning on watching this eventually but then Burt Reynolds had to go off die. I bumped it... more

Fearless Fuzz

6/10
This has all the markings of a standard Itallian poliziotteschi, but the first third of the movie plays as... more

Annihilation

7/10
My expectations were high for Annihilation. I thought the director’s previous movie Ex Machinia was one best science fiction films I has... more

Murder on the Orient Express

7/10
This is the 1974 version, not the Kenneth Branagh handlebar mustache version. Unfortunately, I watched this knowing the ending... more

Deadlier Than the Male [1956]

8/10
No this isn’t about bikini-clad assassins, this female predator is a bit more subdued. This is a French black and... more

Pursued

5/10
This is a relatively action-free western that features Robert Mitchum as a turn of the century cowboy with a... more

Watchmen

7/10
This is one superhero movie that I actually wanted to see. I read the comic and thought it was... more

Split

8/10
Well, turns out M. Night is still capable of making an entertaining movie. This was a humble thriller about... more

The Blackcoat’s Daughter

7/10
A small, slow moving horror movie about boarding school girls and the devil. There’s lots of hard to hear... more

Bicycle Thieves

7/10
Apparently this is a very important movie and a touchstone of Italian cinema. All I know it’s severely lacking... more

Black Magic 2

9/10
This is a sequel in name only to the excellent Black Magic. It’s still about an evil voodoo magician, but in... more

House of Bamboo

7/10
This is crime thriller from 1955 that is unique in that it was shot on location in post-war Japan and... more

Turbo Kid

7/10
In recent years there have been several attempts at making fake 80s shows, games or movies. The best of... more