Death on the Nile (1978)

Unfortunately, we'd seen Branagh's remake earlier, so the mystery of who did it was spoiled for us. But it's still diverting and charming and gave us a small dose of Maggie Smith, who we'd lost the day before this screening.

B-

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

The author responsible for making Hercule Poirot a household name wants to lure him out of retirement to debunk a medium, the intended subject of her next book, if it can be done. Despite his reluctance and skepticism of the spirit world, he agrees to accompany her to a seance and is soon embroiled in the case.

The location is spooky, the mystery is fine, and the suspects are all broody and tortured. But Tina Fey as the author feels out of place and, though this is the Poirot adaptation from Branagh that I've enjoyed the most, I suspect that may be mostly down to it having the shortest run time.

C+

Fever Pitch (1999)

Paul is an easy-going teacher whose one true love is the Arsenal football team. When he starts up an affair with the uptight teacher in the next classroom, her prejudice against football yobs puts his new relationship in conflict with his lifelong fandom. The romance is alright, but it's the flashbacks that really make this something special.

We see the genesis of Paul's obsession: how it made him eager for outings with his father, something that used to be a chore. And Paul's mother, who knew nothing about the game, eventually becomes a fan when she has to take over the ticket-buying once her ex is no longer interested in the role. Not to get too romantic about it, but what relationship -- other than the one you have with a team -- can survive the constant letdowns? We willingly subject ourselves to the rollercoaster highs and lows because we're going through it with our chosen family of fellow sufferers. It's a wonderful, welcoming shortcut to relationships that can last lifetimes.

B

Where's Poppa? (1970)

A bachelor lawyer hires a new, young, in-home carer for his senile mother. Though he and the nurse fall instantaneously in love, the mother's rude shenanigans threaten to drive her away. The jokes have aged poorly: for example, there's an especially cringey one about a man-on-man rape resulting in romance. But the worst thing about the movie is that it's just terribly unfunny.

D-

Mister America (2019)

After representing himself in a mass murder trial which resulted in a hung jury, Tim Heidecker decides to run to unseat the San Bernardino District Attorney who prosecuted him. He's not a resident, he's not a lawyer, he hasn't done his due diligence to even get on the ballot, and he's got no political experience. But he's got a film crew following him around and a woman who believes in him (and, more crucially, foots the bills).

I had no idea what was going on here, so I did a little research. Heidecker has this whole web of shows and media -- including the "On Cinema" podcast mentioned in the movie -- and this character has evolved from that. Maybe if I had been in the know I might've liked this a bit? Based on how unfunny my ignorant self found every bit of what I saw, I doubt it's likely, but I'm willing to consider it a possibility.

D

The Castle (1999)

Darryl Kerrigan and his family are the embodiment of contentedness. They cannot believe their good fortune: they own a home adjacent to the airport, their daughter has a degree in cosmetology and a new husband, two of their three sons aren't in jail, and the son who is in jail simply fell in with the wrong crowd but has turned his life around. They're inspirationally besotted with each other and delight in their daily routines.

There's a bump in their easy road, though: the airport is expanding and the law says they can compulsorily acquire the Kerrigans' neighborhood to do so. Darryl is sure that he will be able to reason with the judge on behalf of his family and neighbors but, for the first time, he finds that his good fortune could be at an end.

Such a wonderful, life-affirming story. We saw this more than 20 years ago and I'm so very happy to discover that it holds up beautifully. What a joy.

A

Rebel Ridge (2024)

Terry is carrying a wad of cash intending to post bail for his cousin when small-town cops pull him over, harass him, and confiscate the cash -- assuring him that he's welcome to fight them in court. Since Terry is a black man, he's not surprised and remains as calm as possible for as long as possible. But when it's clear that no one's operating in good faith, he is forced to rely on his impressive combat skills to take back the power.

Though Aaron Pierre in the lead was compelling and the story makes quick work of getting us on his side, the plot doesn't have much depth to it. Terry's smart and we're handed plenty of opportunities to cheer and boo at his successes and setbacks respectively, but this goes on way longer than I think the police chief would've allowed. I think anyone with two brain cells would come to the quick conclusion that this is the wrong guy to mess with and walked away rather than continuing to posture.

C+

Field of Dreams (1989)

I saw this in the theater back when I was in college. My friend (shout-out to Mike Flippo!) and I almost couldn't believe how wonderful it was. We were in awe. Well, I've seen it several times since then -- enough that my husband was kind of getting annoyed that I was quoting along -- and it's lost none of its magic.

Ray Kinsella takes a leap of faith that a mysterious voice should be followed. His wife takes a leap of faith that her husband hasn't lost his mind. And a practical, reclusive author can't help but jump as well. It's absolutely lovely and life-affirming. Magic.

A+

The Abyss (1989)

A civilian diving team is tapped as the most viable option to respond as possible rescuers to a US nuclear submarine sinking. To aid their efforts, a small group of Navy SEALS is dispatched, but they have an agenda to which the civilian team is not privy. To make ratchet up the stakes even more, a dangerous storm rages on the surface, which causes damage to the underwater rig, adding to the natural tensions already being felt by everyone involved. Throw in a little wonder in the form of never-before-seen underwater species and you've got a plot that's stuffed to bursting.

I remember being wowed by this when I first saw it more than 30 years ago. Though effects have come a long way, this still really packs a punch. There's some stiff acting and clunky dialogue, but the action scenes work and the underwater world is breathtaking. 

B

The Cheap Detective (1978)

Basically a comedy mash-up of Casablanca and '40s detective movies (Spade/Marlowe), and it mostly works. It's extremely silly and comically sexist and everyone dives in with gusto. 

That said, the script is about on par with the kinds of parodies we created in high school. It adheres to recognizable plot beats while replacing absolutely anything serious with the ridiculous and -- when in doubt -- leaning hard on the broadest of stereotypes.

B-

Fast Charlie (2023)

After a newbie screws up a hit, fixer Charlie Swift has to figure out how to clean up the mess. Since the mess keeps getting bigger and more involved, you'd think this movie would be at least a little bit thrilling or fun but, instead, it feels like everything is done in slow motion. There's always a feeling of "why run when you can stroll" which makes the title at least a tad ironic. Now I get that Brosnan is no longer at sprint & dodge age, but he's apparently still at love-interest-who's-way-too-young age. Yeesh.

A bore from start to finish.

D+

Wicked Little Letters (2024)

Edith, a prudish spinster still living with her parents, has been receiving crude letters for a while. The prime suspect is neighbor Rose, a joyfully foulmouthed widow and former friend of Edith. A woman police officer and other women of the town work together to uncover the truth when Rose is accused and sent to jail to await trial.

It's a fun story -- based on real events -- but it's pretty easy to guess where things are going. Honestly, I don't know if this would've amounted to much without the brilliant Colman's involvement (though Jessie Buckley more than holds her own as well). 

B

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

A hospice center takes an outing to the city to see a show and get some pizza. However, after the show, aliens attack the city, which kind of derails their dinner plans. As survivors huddle together and then head toward rescue boats en masse, Samira -- one of the hospice patients -- heads in the opposite direction with her service cat, hell-bent on getting that pizza. She's joined by a law student for some reason, and they dodge the sound-seeking aliens together.

It's all chase scenes, quiet hiding, and fear faces. Got monotonous the minute the invasion occurred.

C-

The Fall Guy (2024)

Colt (stunt man) and Jody (crew woman) have a flirty relationship on-set. When he breaks his back during filming, he retreats from movies and completely ghosts her. More than a year later, Jody's directing her first movie and the producer convinces Colt to get back in the game for Jody. Thing is: Jody isn't happy to see him, so why's he there?

This looks great: the action scenes are inventive and well-shot. The story around the action, however, is weak, with the jokes falling flat and the mystery coming across as both high-stakes and silly. I think this really wanted to be Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or The Nice Guys, but it's completely hollow -- as though it was written by AI. I was most baffled by the love story, which appeared to be just a set romance in the pre-accident scenes, but was treated as a soul mates situation later on.

C