Movie #3100 ........................."3 Idiots" (Amazon Prime)

 Movie #3100 "3 Idiots" (Amazon Prime)  A guest at our place showed me a list of 100 best films, which this particular critic on -line decided upon, and he wondered what I thought of the list ---Well, it had "Citizen Kane" so I knew the critic had been schooled, but there were a lot of films that I disagreed with, which I think showed that he hadn't seen a lot of the "good" movies, in my opinion, because he would prefer  a newer version most of the time.  However, on that list was the film "INTOUCHABLES" (not un, but IN) which is a french foreign film that deserves to be right up there as one of the funniest films I have ever seen, and so the worthiness of the list got more credibility.  I put comments next to each film , and noticed I hadn't seen three of the movies on the list, so I wrote those down and decided to see them --- One  was "Snatch" which I just blogged about --- another was "American Psycho" which I'm not sure I will ever see, not because I think it is bad, but because I think it would be upsetting to watch for me (that's one of the reasons I could never be paid for being a critic --- can't watch horror films! My stomach won't let me) and the third was this one --- I had never ever heard of it, so I was very eager to see it.  And I'm glad I did because it was very funny in an "out there" type of way.  First, I need to say it is very Bollywood, so if you don't like people breaking into song and dance once in a while, this isn't for you, but the subject matter is very universal.  It is about three college students who, because of their strict family upbringings, HAVE to become engineers --- it's the only job that is valued in their family, even though one dreams of being  a photographer and the other a writer --- the third one wants to be an engineer, but not for the money but for the pleasure of thinking --- and he is definitely a free thinker, and it is what gets him in a war with one professor in particular --- and that one is terribly important to his advancement in his career.  It is  lots of fun to watch, and I'd give it 4.5 (.5 because it runs kind of long) , and say that I am glad it made this critic's list --- to represent an often under-appreciated genre of films --- bollywood!

"3 IDIOTS"     Amazon    2009   PG-13     2 hours and 50 mins     

Two friends are searching for their long lost companion.  They revisit their college days and recall the memories of their friend who inspired them to think differently, even as the rest of the world called them "idiots".

Director:  Rajkumar Hirani

Writers:  Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Actors:  Aamir Khan , Madhavan, Mona Singh

Movie #3099 ........................."Move Over Darling" (TCM)

 Movie #3099 "Move Over Darling" (TCM)  Now I get to write  a blog on one of my all-time favorite films ---  "Move Over, Darling, with Doris Day and James Garner ---  and with a story  based on an old piece of literature ("Enoch Arden"), a poem by Tennyson, The poem lends its name to a principle in law that after being missing for a certain number of years (typically seven) a person may be declared dead for purposes of remarriage and inheritance of their survivors.          Enoch comes back after 11 years in the poem, and finds his wife has remarried and had a child with his childhood friend; he never tells her he is still alive because of how much he loves her, and he dies a brokenhearted man.  Doesn't seem like a good storyline  for a bunch of comedies, yet it is --- made a number of times, but the most famous is Cary Grant's "My Favorite Wife," and this movie "Move Over Darling" is a remake of that famous one. (one can even say  Tom Hanks' "The Castaway" is loosely based on this poem, as well)  I esp. like this one because it has such a great  cast:  It is reversed with Doris Day playing the missing wife, and James Garner playing the abandoned husband with two little girls, and a very funny mother ,   Thelma Ritter.   Polly Bergen is Garner's fiancé waiting for Doris Day to be pronounced dead after the 7 years, so she can marry him!  When Day returns (seven years and a DAY after she is declared missing, , all hell breaks loose --- esp. when we find out the guy she was on an island with for all those years was the hunky Chuck Connors (and I have to give a shout out to the wonderfully funny Edgar Buchanan, who plays the befuddled judge and has the best lines in he film!).  Garner said that when he worked with Doris Day , all he had to do is sit back and enjoy because she was so much fun to work with --- and you can tell the chemistry here .  This is definitely a 5 out of 5 for me and always a delight to re-watch whenever it is on --- and that's a big deal for me to re-watch anything.   

"MOVE OVER, DARLING"      1963      1 hr and 43 mins

After being lost at sea for several years, a missing wife thought long dead returns just after her husband has remarried.

Director:  Michael Gordon

Writers:  Hal Kanter, Jack Sher, Bella Spewack

Actors:  Doris Day, James Garner, Polly Bergen, Thelma Ritter, Chuck Connors, Edgar Buchanan, Don Knotts

Movie #3098 ........................."Snatch" (Amazon Prime)

Movie #3098 "Snatch" (Amazon Prime)  We love heist films , and we knew this one was one we needed to see because it makes most lists of best heist films, but after seeing "Money Heist" on netflix and all the "Ocean"  films, and the "Italian Job," I'm afraid we didn't like this one as well as the aforementioned ones ... This film is pure Guy Ritchie, with all his fast editing, violent moments, funny, ironic characters and twists in the story.....and it does have a very solid, entertaining ending, but I'm afraid it pales next to the others --- so I'd give it 3.5 out of 5.  We are glad we watched it, but not as good as others we have watched..... P.S. this is the one that Brad Pitt speaks so quickly that it comes out all gibberish -- 

"SNATCH"      R     2000    1 hour and 42 mins            Amazon Prime

Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian Gangster, Incompetent t amateur robbers and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.

Director:  Guy Ritchie

Writer:  Guy Ritchie

Actors:  Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro

 

Movie #3097 ........................."Mystery 101" (Hallmark) 7 episodes, 1 hr and 24 mins each

 Movie #3097 "Mystery 101" (Hallmark) 7 episodes, 1 hr, 24 mins each --Well, here's another series, but this one I could see continuing to watch because I really like the chemistry between these two people, And she is playing a writing teacher of murder mysteries and he is  a cop she uses as a consultant (kind of like my beloved Castle, but without the repartee of the two, and the outstanding secondary players that Castle had)  And that writing job  piqued my interest.  But just after I watched the first one entitled  "The Pilot, "  I found out that Hallmark cancelled the series recently, but watchers are up in arms because I guess the last episode left things hanging.  And of course that is unheard of in Hallmarking  World.  So we'll have to wait and see what is done about it.  Anyway, I will keep my eyes open for the rest of the series (or when they do a marathon of the series), and if you are interested -- here is the order you should watch them in, evidently: The Pilot, Playing Dead, Words Can Kill, Dead Talk, An Education in Murder, Killer Timing, Deadly History.  I give this one a 4.5 because it worked really well.  

"MYSTERY 101 - THE PILOT "    HALLMARK            2019     7 EPISODES    , 2019-2021

This is where we meet Amy (Jill Wagner) and Travis (KRISTOFFER POLAHA,  amid a dark mystery rocking the campus. Sparks fly right off the bat, and things only get better between the dynamic pair. Since it is the very first “Mystery 101” movie, it does not have a title. It simply goes by “Pilot.” The titles will only get more creative from here 

Movie #3096 ........................."Chronicle Mysteries" (Hallmark) 5 episodes, 1 hour and 24 mins each

 Movie #3096 "The Chronicle Mysteries" (Hallmark) 5 episodes, 1 hr, 24 mins each --- There are several mystery series on Hallmark these days, but this one I tuned into because I like the two leads, and her job in the series  was doing a podcast, which I found an interesting topic --- I really  can't believe it went 5 episodes, though, and I'm not sure I will follow and watch them all because I can't see them working together a lot past this one --- but we'll see.  Evidently, it is working for some people because the episodes are listed below so far for this series -- I'd give this first one, entitled "Recovered" a 4 because the case was interesting.

• Chronicle Mysteries: Recovered (2019)
• Chronicle Mysteries: The Wrong Man (2019)
• Chronicle Mysteries: Vines That Bind (2019)
• Chronicle Mysteries: The Deep End (2019)
• Chronicle Mysteries: Helped to Death (2021)

"THE CHRONIClE MYSTERIES"  (Hallmark)  5 episodes, 1 hr, 24 mins each - 2019-2021

Alex is managing editor at the Chronicle.  She investigates and solves cold murder cases for her podcast.  

Actors:  Alison Sweeney, Benjamin Ayres

Movie #3095 ........................."Jury Duty" (Amazon freevee or Prime) series, 8 episodes

 Movie #3095 "Jury Duty" (Amazon freevee or prime) series, 8 episodes --- well, when I first heard about this, it was recommended to me, but we didn't get the concept and just sat through the first episode and felt nothing --- except that it seemed to be a reality show on a screwed up jury deliberating on some case.  But there's more to it --- once we knew (and this is NOT giving anything away - it is needed information) that everyone but one juror is an actor (and one is even famous) and the judge and all the lawyers, etc associated with the made up case were actors, and that the last episode goes through and shows you behind the scenes on how this one juror reacts to the above information, it made watching this somewhat worthwhile.  I have to admit that I watched all the episodes, but Dave watched just two episodes  and the last one, and he still got the humor and the behind the scenes reveal just fine......so it's really up to you.  Some of the bits they set up to con this guy  are very funny (like the woman  juror who can't keep awake so she ends up taking some drugs to help keep her awake)  and some just plain silly (the guy with the attached chair and some other stage business he is given to do! poor guy!)  The last show of the series is worth seeing and enjoying, so I give this a 4 out of 5. (I also liked the theme of the series --- and how nice one person can be to others --- we can use that in our world today!) 

"JURY DUTY"      series 2023         29 minutes each episode, 8 episodes

It follows the workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of Ronald Gladden, a juror who is unaware the entire case is fake.  Everyone except him is an actor, and everything that happens is carefully planned  (and choreographed).

Creators:  Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky

Actors:  James Marsden, Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger

Movie #3094 ........................."Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1" (Movie theater)

 Movie #3094 "Mission Impossible:  Dead Reckoning Part 1 " (Movie Theater)  Why aren't more people talking about this film this summer, which I enjoyed more than the other ones I have see? --- to me, this movie is a major reason to get out of our chairs and off our couches and actually go to a movie theater and  see a movie on a big screen again.  And we didn't even see it in Imax.  But I must say the stunts were wondrous anyway!  It is so great to once in a while escape into the thrills and chills of a mission impossible movie.  Contrary to the long and tedious car chases in the Indiana Jones one, this was long, but constantly changing from one car to the next, one stunt to the next -- filmed beautifully and built to crescendo.  Contrary to a muddled storyline that a lot of films this summer had to offer, this one is crisp, to the point, and makes sense --- it follows a plot line!  wow!  And it was funny in the right places.  I really liked this one, and would give it 4.5 out of 5.  Only complain?   The sound was a tad too uneven for me...........because there's some whispering and "low talking" , the sound is cranked up to ear splitting level at times with the music, but hey!  I love to hear the many ways they change the theme song that plays behind all the chase scenes!  If you are looking for pure escape and tons of astounding stunts all on a BIG screen , see this one before it's too late! 

"MISSION IMPOSSIBLE;  DEAD RECKONING, PART 1      PG-13    2 hrs, 43 mins

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.

Director:  Christopher McQuarrie

Writers:  Bruce Gelle, Erik Jendresen, Christopher McQuarrie

Actors:  Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson