2022 was an interesting year for movies here at the Phlipside. I watched and reviewed 46 movies. A couple weeks got lost during the year I did a three week review of my pandemic binge watching, plus the hiatus here are the end of the year. A quick look at the numbers show a single... Continue Reading →
Flawed Magic Is Still Magic
Now You See Me (2013) Four magicians join forces to use their skills to take from the rich and makes folks out of Interpol and the FBI.Directed by Louis LeTerrierStarring Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Michael CaineWhy I Liked It - Action packed flashy funI remember when this... Continue Reading →
The New Guy Stirs Up Trouble
Foreign Correspondent (1940) - A crime reporter gets the chance to go to Europe just before World War II begins. He doesn't know how to "play the game", and finds paid killers on his trail. Is peace possible? Will he live long enough to find out?Directed by Alfred HitchcockStarring - Joel McCrea, Lorraine Day, Herbert... Continue Reading →
All Alone, Except For The Undead
The Last Man On Earth (1964) - A plague of unknown origin has turned humanity into vampires with the exception of one man. He sits huddled inside his fortified home as the undead beat against the door each night, hoping to find a way to surviveDirected by Sidney SalkowStarring Vincent Price (and a bunch of... Continue Reading →
These Numbers Don't Quite Quite Add Up
The Numbers Station (2013) - In disgrace, a CIA black-ops agent gets sent to a secret broadcast station in England as punishment. When the other team assigned to facility is killed, life gets complicated. Directed by Kasper Barfoed Starring John Cusack, Malin Åkerman, Liam Cunningham Why I Liked It - A good cast makes the most they can... Continue Reading →
A Brilliant Bit Of Everything
Jojo Rabbit (2019) - An imaginative member of the Hitler Youth in wartime Germany, fantasizes that the Fuhrer is his friend. He dedicates every waking moment to being his vision of the perfect young Nazi. Reality begins to crowd out the fantasies until he confronts the fact that his mother is sheltering a young Jewish... Continue Reading →
Missing A Couple Pieces
The Jigsaw Man (1983)- The most infamous defector in English history is sent back from the USSR to retrieve an important document. A new face and identity won't help him with a variety of old personal and professional challenges.Directed by Terrence Young Starring Michael Caine, Laurence OlivierWhy I Liked It - A veteran director takes... Continue Reading →
Hunt Them, Kill Them, Win!
10th Victim (1965) - Introducing "reality TV" long before it became the "big thing". In this Italian satire, "The Big Hunt" pitches contestants against one another in a kill or be killed competition. Alternating being the hunter or the prey, the winner has to survive ten rounds to win.Directed by Elio PetriStarring - Marcelo Mastroianni,... Continue Reading →
The Philosophical Hitman
The Mechanic (1972) - A veteran hitman takes on a spoiled apprentice. A question of betrayal makes their lives more complicated.Directed by Michael WinnerStarring - Charles Bronson, Jan Michael Vincent, Jill Ireland, Keenan WynnWhy I Liked It - The perfect Bronson roleWhile there’s plenty to criticize about this movie (see the paragraph below about his... Continue Reading →
Forget The Title, She's The Star
Klute (1971) - A small town detective works with a cynical big city sex worker to solve the mystery of a missing man.Directed by Alan J. PakulaStarring Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Roy ScheiderWhy I Liked It - Fonda is outstanding here, and the connection between her and her co-star is just as good.This movie’s title... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 