Movies you saw in June 2016

Straight Outta Compton

The Martian (2015) reviewed back in January after viewing on PPV it is FINALLY coming to HBO. is compelling story directed by Ridley Scott about an astronaut stranded on Mars. "tour de force" for Matt Damon as the astronaut with an excellent supporting cast. great CGI and it has good suspense with a heart stopping ending. did get a bit tedious in spots and it looked like Scott kind of "stretched" the story to get it to it's 2 hours and 20 minutes. probably would have been even better "trimmed" by 30 minutes. had a lot of the same elements as the 2013 space themed movie Gravity. won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (to which Ridley Scott replied at the awards ceremony "Musical? Comedy?) although it does have some humor in spots. did have kind of a lame soundtrack, though. maybe the most compelling character other than Damon's is the asttrodynamics "geek" played by Donald Glover. I rate it    of four it was definitely worth springing for a PPV back in January

The Imitation Game (2014) historical drama about the British Bletchley Park crew that solved the German Enigma code in WWII. stars Benedict Cumberbatch as math wiz  Alan Turing leader of the team, Keira Knightley as Joan Clarke a crossword expert with the knack for "thinking outside the box" and Matthew Goode as math wiz Hugh Alexander who is Turing's "number one". has a strong 90% "fresh" from Rotten Tomatoes and had Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Cumberbatch), and Best Supporting Actress (Knightley). It won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. for a "non-action" movie it is pretty fast paced with a lot of "unknown history". did not know that the "Turing Machine" used to solve the Enigma daily settings was the first true mechanical "computer". plays again on Showtime channels Wednesday June 1st. Saturday the 4th, Sunday the 5th and Monday the 6th.  I really enjoyed it and rate it    of four.

as a side note the Smithsonian Channel they had an excellent one hour documentary "The Codebreaker Who Hacked Hitler" about Gordin Welchman who was the other British "cryptoanalyst" mathematician at  Bletchley Park at the time. his ground breaking use of "traffic analysis" of German signals gave the Alan Turing group the "key word" system for breaking the daily Enigma code machine settings. VERY surprised there was NO mention of him in the movie as his work was at least as important as the Turing groups at breaking German codes in WWII. he went on to become a key player in American cryptography during The Cold War

All the Way (2016) made for HBO drama about LBJ working to get the 1964 Civil Rights Act passed  and his concerns about the upcoming election vs Senator Barry Goldwater with empahsis on his relationship for Georgia Senator Richard Russell. VERY well acted by all involved it stars Bryan Cranston as President LBJ, Melissa Leo his wife Lady Bird, Frank Langella as Senator "Uncle D-ick" Russell and Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King. I predict Emmy nominations for the movie, Cranston and Langella it is that compelling a story. it is a "tour de force" for Cranston who shows LBJ "warts and all". plays again on HBO channels Thursday June 2nd, Sunday the 5th and Wednesday the 8th. I would say a "must see" for those interested in the history. I rate it    of four

Good Kill (2014) drama about Las Vegas based Air Force pilots operating "Reaper" drones stars Ethan Hawke as the pilot who used to fly F-16's Falcons, January Jones as his wife, Zoe Kravitz (who is WAY cute) as his sensor operator, Bruce Greenwood as the commanding officer of the drone operation and Peter Coyote as the voice of "Langley" (the CIA "target selectors). the film depicts the pressure the drone operators are under to try and limit "collateral damage" and also their questions about some of the "rifle shots" the are ordered to take. I though it was a compelling story BUT a bit slow compared to some "slam-bang" action movie. still think it is worth a look because it is well acted with a timely and interesting story. it plays on Showtime channels again Thursday June 2nd, and daily Saturday June 4th thru Tuesday the 7th. I rate it of four

Shooter (2007) conspiracy-revenge action thriller about a former Marine sniper, Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger, played by Mark Wahlberg who is "set up to take the fall" for an assassination attempt on the President and his resultant "pay back" on those who tried to screw him. co-stars Michael Pena as the one FBI agent that thinks Swagger is innocent and Kate Mara as the widow of Swagger's Marine "spotter", who is killed off early in the movie, who also helps him. Danny Glover, Ned Beatty and Elias Koteas all excellent "villains". has oodles of ordnance and LOTS of "stuff that goes boom" through out the movie with an excellent chase scene early on. I thought it was VERY entertaining with pretty much non-stop action. plays again on The Movie Channel Saturday June 4th @ 3:50pm in HD and Monday June 6th @ 2:55pm & 5:55pm in standard def. I rate it    of four

Alice returns to the magical world of Underland, only to find the Hatter in a horrible state. With the help of her friends, Alice must travel through time to save the Mad Hatter and Underland's fate from the evil clutches of the Red Queen and a clock like creature, known as Time. 

The Witch

Ted 2

ref: Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) sequel to Alice in Wonderland (2010) once again with Mia Wasikowska as Alice, Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter the Red Queen. have NOT seen the current offering yet BUT remember the first one was "weird but entertaining". looking forward to seeing this version although the critics did "throw rocks" and it has a low 29% "fresh" from Rotten Tomatoes saying "NOT as good as the first one". the original won the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film

Race (2016) biographical sports drama about the great Jesse Owens could be aka "The Black Track Star That Hairlipped Hitler". VERY well acted by all involved it shows the racism of the times and also the intrigue surrounding  America's participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. stars Stephan James as Jesse Owens, Jason Sudeikis as Ohio State track coach Larry Snyder, Shanice Banton as Jesse's wife Ruth Solomon-Owens and Jeremy Irons as Avery Brundage. small but important parts for William Hurt as American Olympic Committee member Jeremiah Mahoney who opposed going to Berlin, Carice van Houten as German film maker Leni Riefenstahl and David Kross as German broad jumper Carl "Luz" Long with Jeremy Ferdman as Marty Glickman and Giacomo Gianniotti as Sam Stoller the two J*ewish sprinters that got screwed over in Berlin. German actor Barnaby Metschurat is a really nasty baztard Joseph Goebbels.

watched it on Dish-TV PPV and it was well worth using a certificate. runs 2 hours 15 minutes BUT had little to no "filler" and I was thoroughly entertained thru out. it is a very inspiring story about how Owens overcame the racism of the times to become a American sports hero and somewhat debunks criticism of Avery Brundage being a "NAZI sympathizer". it is a really well made movie and I rate it    of four. I will probably re-watch again today just to see IF I missed anything it was that good.

Good stuff Rink.  I'll be checking out Race and The Martian this rainy Sunday; or I may see the new Ninja Turtles movie in the theater.  

Race and The Martian BOTH excellent entertaining movies, Slobbasaurus. The Martian (which may be listed as just "Martian" on some TV guides) plays on HBO Saturday June 4th @ 4:00pm pacific time. here is a 30 second preview >>> https://www.hbo.co m/movies/the-martian/video/preview.html?autoplay=true

Oh SH!T. make that The Martian @ 1:35pm pacific time. HBO's web site is a contradictory mess

the two "stupid funny" Bill & Ted movies playing back-to-back on IFC channel all day Monday June 6th starting with Excellent Adventure (1989) @ 3:00am and followed by Bogus Journey (1991) @ 5:00am both paclfic time. stars Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as the two "stoner/metal heads" Bill Preston and Theodore "Ted" Logan with George Carlin as the time traveling Rufus. I put both in the same class as Dude, Where's My Car? (2000). dumb as hell BUT really funny in spots. I find both to be entertaining BUT they could also go on Slobbasaurus's "Topic: Really Bad Movies That You Watch" list. I rate them   of four. you need to record because IFC channels is over-run with commercials

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) classic "western-film noir" about a one armed WWII vet who comes to the town of Black Rock looking for a former Japanese-American "Nisei" solder who saved his life during the war only to find that he is "missing". stars Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan with Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. pretty good mystery-suspense thriller with some good action. Oscar nominations for Spencer Tracy (Best Actor) John Sturges (Best Director) and Millard Kaufman (Best Screenplay). plays again on HD Net movies Wednesday June 8th @ 7:10am and Thursday the 9th @ 4:40am pacific time. I rate it of four

The Seven Five (2014) excellent documentary  looks at police corruption in the 75th precinct of the New York Police Department during the 1980s with the emphasis on corrupt cop Mike Dowd and his  partner Ken Eurell and their work for Brooklyn drug king pin Adam Diaz. found it to be a compelling story. it is mostly Dowd, Eurell and Diaz "telling the tale".  it has an 85% "fresh" rating from  Rotten Tomatoes. it would probably make a good crime-action drama which could happen in the future as Sony Pictures recently purchased the rights to The Seven Five documentary in an auction. plays again on The Movie Channel Thursday June 9th, Frisday the 10th, Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th. I rate it    of four

Sid and Nancy (1986) British biopic about the life and times of Sid Vicious played by Gary Oldman, bassist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, and his relationship with girlfriend Nancy Spungen played by Chloe Webb and their self destructive drug use. it is an early career "tour dr force" for Oldman and also stars Andrew Schofield as Pistols front man Johnny Rotten, Tony London as lead guitarist Steve Jones and Perry Benson drummer Paul Cook. entertaining movie with oodles of Pistols songs along with tracks from other "punkers" like  Joe Strummer, The Pogues and The Circle Jerks.  Strummer's "Love Kills" is the exit music. I think it is very entertaining every time I watch it. that b!tch Spungen really screwed up Sid. plays again on EPIX-Hits Wednesday June 8th @ 12:50pm pacific time. I rate it    of four esp for Pistols and punk rock fans

Spy (2015) reviewed back in April this "action comedy" stars Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham and Jude Law. VERY funny with excellent fast paced action. was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy and Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy (McCarthy). also has a strong 94% "fresh" from Rotten Tomatoes. I though it was VERY entertaining and McCarthy being able to pull off "cute fat chick doing action" and Statham doing comedy was a real surprise. runs 2 hours but does NOT have a lot of "filler". plays again on various HBO channels Wednesday June 8th, Friday the 10th, Saturday the 11th, Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th. definitely worth a look for comedy OR action fans I rate it    of four

Rampart (2011) police drama about a long time LA patrol officer played by Woody Harrelson who's career and home life are spiraling out of control. critics raved about Harrelson's portrayal and it has a 74% "fresh" from Rotten tomatoes BUT I found it to be a convoluted mess of a plot with little to no action. I can NOT believe I actually watched the whole 1 hour 20 minutes waiting for SOMETHING interesting to happen. plays again on Showtime channels Thursday June 9th, Saturday the 11th and Monday the 13th for those that want to fool with it. for me it was completely disappointing

Boiler Room (2000) R.  Airing on Encore and Starz Channels this month

Boiler Room (2000) an excellent movie. VERY different roll for Vin Diesel from his later "action" movies. a rate it of four

On a side note, even as a teenager when I saw it the first time, I never understood how people would invest money with someone they never met on a cold call

I was a retail broker with a Houston, Texas local regional firm Rotan Mosle which specialized in "Oil Patch" stocks back in the early 1980's. because we were the "Hambrick and Quist of Oil" (they were a San Francisco firm that specialized in tech and internet startups back then) we didn't have to do too much "cold calling" because people were calling us wanting to do business because of our "hot" oil and oil service stock offerings. probably 70% of the people I did business with I had never met face to face with most of those in Texas outside the Houston area and in Louisiana esp around Lafayette which was a hot bed for oil exploration and production companies. was "easy money" until the oil market crashed in the mid 1980's then it all went to hell


Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013) HBO television drama about the Supreme Court case Clay v. United States in 1971 where Ali's conviction for draft evasion was overturned. has an all-star cast of Christopher Plummer as Justice John Marshall Harlan, Frank Langella as Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, Fritz Weaver as Justice Hugo Black, Danny Glover as Justice Thurgood Marshall and Ed Begley, Jr. as Justice Harry Blackmun . Benjamin Walker is excellent as Harlan law clerk Kevin Connolly who was instrumental in getting Harlan to switch his decision in favor of Ali and working out the wording of the decision so that it didn't "set precedent"

VERY well acted  drama by all involved and I was wondering IF it would play again considering Ali's passing. plays again on HBO Friday June 10th @ 5:00pm & 8:00pm pacific time. worth watching for the history AND the acting it shows the "horse trading" that can go on between "liberal" and "conservative" court members in many decisions. I say a "must see" for history and legal movie fans and I rate it     of four

13 Hours (2016) aka 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi watched on Dish-TV PPV and it was well worth the certificate I used. based on Mitchell Zuckoff's 2014 book 13 Hours it is the story of the six members of the security team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya after waves of terrorist attacks on September 11, 2012. it is VERY fast paced with pretty much non-stop action. also doesn't "pull any punches" about how CIA, US Military and State Department "dithering" and complete unpreparedness probably caused the death of Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens in Benghazi. runs a long 2 hours 25 minutes BUT it is constant action with NO "filler". I think it is under-rated by Rotten Tomatoes with only a 51% "fresh" rating. as I said, well worth a PPV. I rate it    of four

From Rocky to Creed (2105) 1 hour documentary about the Rocky series of movies and their effect on American culture and film making with emphasis on the latest movle Creed (2015). interviews with Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Dolph Lundgren, Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler and Creed actors Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson along with Director Ryan Coogler. VERY interesting doc esp how "Sly" Stallone was able to convince producers Chartoff and Winkler to take a chance on his original Rocky script with him playing the roll of Rocky and the cinematic technique and fight  "choreography" used to produce the movies. I am definitely looking forward to viewing Creed after seeing this doc. plays on EPIX-Hits channels again Wednesday June 15th @ 4:35am pacific time I rate it    of four. it is also available on https://vimeo.com/151824117 online

Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) kind of "cookie cutter" action-suspense movie that does have oodles of fist fights, gun fights and chase scenes. has a rather convoluted plot with a LOT for "twists" like WHO is really the "good guy" and "bad guy" early on? overall it was an entertaining 95 minutes pretty much non-stop action BUT I'm glad I didn't use a PPV certificate on it a month ago. plays again almost daily on Cinemax channels all next week starting Tuesday June 14 thru Sunday the 19th. I rate it   of four

The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) biographical film directed by Billy Wilder and starring James Stewart as Charles Lindbergh played again on Turner Classic Movies the other night. I personally think it is one of the BEST aviation themed movies ever made. it tells the story of the historic  New York to Paris flight in 1927 with "flash back" vignettes to Lindbergh's early life as an air mail pilot, flight instructor, "barnstormer" and Army Air Corps cadet. is a  definite "tour de force" for Stewart and is actually quite hilarious in spots. the great Paul Mantz did the flying scenes which are excellent and the movie got a best special effects Oscar nomination. runs 2 hours and 15 minutes BUT had to be that long to "tell the tale". it plays every so often on TCM and hopefully will repeat soon. as one of my all time favorite aviation movies I obviously rate it     of four

Alexander Hamilton (1931) early "talkie" biographical film staring the great George Arliss playing Washington administration Treasury Secretary Hamilton and his efforts to pass the "Assumption Bill", which required the federal government to assume the debts incurred by the 13 states during the American Revolutionary War, and his agreement to a compromise by passage of the Residence Bill establishing the national capital at the new city of Washington. runs a short 70 minutes it is interesting because of Arliss who acting students still study. NOT as good however as his Oscar winning roll in Disraeli (1929) or later movies like House of Rothschild (1934) (my personal favorite) or Cardinal Richelieu (1935). played on Turner Classic Movies. it is "OK" BUT the BEST Arliss in my opinion are obviously Disraeli and my favorite Rothschild. IS worth a look for those interested in early Hollywood films. I rate it of four

The Intern (2015)

as I stated back in May, I would rather have a root channel than to EVER sit thru The Intern, Trainwreck OR Fifty Shades of Grey EVER AGAIN, Slobbasaurus. all three were a TOTAL waste of time in my opinion

watched The Great Santini (1979) the other night. well acted drama about a "hard charger" U.S. Marine Corps  F-4 Phantom fighter pilot who runs his family like a Marine Boot Camp. stars Robert Duvall as Lt. Col."Bull" Meechum, Blythe Danner as his wife and Michael O'Keefe as his oldest son Ben who Meechum is always "pushing to the limit". excellent supporting parts by Stan Shaw as Ben's black friend Toomer and a very different roll for David Keith as a redneck racist that is always picking on Toomer's stuttering. overall it is an entertaining movie and worth viewing if for any reason just for the "mushroom soup" scene early on (a gag I have actually seen pulled off in the NAS Rota, Spain Officers Club). hopefully will play again soon. I rate it of four

Trainwreck was actually THE worst of the three, Slobbasaurus. I don't know IF you could even call it a "chick fick". it was just stupid. The Intern at least had Robert De Niro in a very different roll for him.

btw, forgot to mention that The Great Santini had two Oscar nominations. Robert Duvall for Best Actor and Michael O'Keefe for Best Supporting Actor. O'Keefe has pretty much been a "journeyman" actor throughout his career. Ben Meechum was pretty much his "tour de force"

Saw a German Import- Goodnight Mommy.This is a thriller that won awards in Europe 2015.A modern day thriller in German with subtitles.The setting is innocent,a retreat in Germany,with a mother and her twin sons about 7years old.The subtitles don't bother because there isn't great streaches of conversation.