Movies, Mom & Me

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  Commentary:  Yes, this is, without a doubt, the worst of the Denzel Washington Equalizer franchise. It may even be one of the worst of this overall genre. You'll notice that the review for this movie from the Roger Ebert website does not spare the criticism (although, curiously, Wikipedia quite likes it) but I have to say, I agree with the Roger Ebert review linked in the title of this post. It's worth it to me to watch it, though, and to collect it as part of this series, even though it's, well, pretty bad. I don't know. There's just something about Denzel Washington as Robert McCall that I find compelling, even when the character is placed in a bad, tired story line. I determined its lack of quality, by the way, long before I bought it. I watched it on streaming. But, I went ahead and added it to my collection, anyway, in part because, if this franchise isn't finished (or, wasn't finished by this episode, and, somehow, I think it wasn't, in part because Fuqua may harbor some guilt about the possibility of ending the series on such a degraded note), I certainly want to collect all the entries, no matter their quality. I'll just consider this movie a description of Robert McCall on a very bad, close to forgettable day.
    If you're going to collect it (probably for much the same reasons I have), either wait until the price drops on the "usual suspect" sellers or find it at a much cheaper alternative source, as I did, upon which I immediately returned my "usual suspects" purchase. I might add, I found it new and cellophane wrapped, so, likely someone saw it on streaming after they'd ordered a hard copy but before the copy they bought arrived. I'm surprised that buyer didn't return it.
    This article, by the way, talks about the issue of the end or the continuation of the Fuqua series and leaves the subject open. It's interesting to read.
    Finally, I'd love to watch Queen Latifa as the The Equalizer in her series based on this character. I don't, unfortunately, have access to her series through any of my [two] streaming sites (sorry, guys, if it's a choice between streaming and physical media, for me, physical media wins hands down) and, being how it is an ongoing series, the seasons are way too pricey for me to buy, right now, and likely will remain so for some time to come.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Denzel Washington	Robert McCall	Dakota Fanning	Emma Collins	Eugenio Mastrandrea	Gio Bonucci	David Denman	Frank Conroy
  Gaia Scodellaro	Aminah	Remo Girone	Enzo Arisio	Andrea Scarduzio	Vincent Quaranta	Andrea Dodero	Marco Quaranta

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2023
    Directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Labels: action4, adventure4, antoine-fuqua, dakota-fanning, denzel-washington, revenge2, super-hero3, thriller4, violence5

# posted by gail @ 10:58    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    I initially saw this movie not long after it was released for TV viewing [Remember the days when it wasn't called "streaming" and didn't require you to pay any more for it than you already paid for your cable or ISP subscription?] I saw it only once, but remember liking it so much, as did my mother (she was still alive when it was released for viewing by the plebes). I don't remember a lot about the movie, now, except for this: there were more than a few times that my mother audibly gasped in reaction to some of the action vignettes featured in the film. As I find myself looking to beef up my Denzel Washington assortment, that is enough for me to add this movie to my collection.
    More later.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Denzel Washington	John W. Creasy	Dakota Fanning	Guadalupe Ramos	Radha Mitchell	Lisa Ramos	Christopher Walken	Paul Rayburn
  Marc Anthony	Samuel Ramos	Giancarlo Giannini	Miguel Manzano	Mickey Rourke	Jordan Kalfus	Rachel Ticotin	Mariana Garcia Guerrero
  Roberto Sosa	Daniel Sanchez	Rosa María Hernández	Maria Rosas Sanchez	Gero Camilo	Aurelio Sanchez	Jesús Ochoa	Victor Fuentes

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2004
    Directed by Tony Scott.

Labels: christopher-walken, dakota-fanning, denzel-washington, tony-scott

# posted by gail @ 17:18    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • 
    Diablo
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Scott Eastwood	Jackson	Walton Goggins	Ezra	Camilla Belle	Alexsandra	José Zúñiga	Guillermo
    Danny Glover	Benjamin Carver	Nesta Cooper	Rebecca Carver	Adam Beach	Nakoma	Samuel Marty	Ishani

    
    → danny-glover
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2015
      Directed by Lawrence Roeck.
  
  
  • 
    Forsaken
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Kiefer Sutherland	John Henry Clayton	Donald Sutherland	Rev. Samuel Clayton	Brian Cox	James McCurdy	Michael Wincott	Gentleman Dave Turner
    Aaron Poole	Frank Tillman	Demi Moore	Mary Alice Watson	Greg Ellis	Tom Watson	Siobhan Williams	Emily Chadwick

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2015
      Directed by Jon Cassar.
  
  
  • 
    Brimstone
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      Yet another conflicted, entertaining review of this movie.
      And, yet another fascinated-while-being-repelled review.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Guy Pearce	The Reverend	Dakota Fanning	Liz	Emilia Jones	Joanna	Carice van Houten	Anna
    Kit Harington	Samuel	Paul Anderson	Frank	William Houston	Eli	Charlotte Croft	Abigail

    
    → dakota-fanning
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2016
      Directed by Martin Koolhoven.
  
  
  • 
    Disturbing the Peace
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Guy Pearce	Jim Dillon	Devon Sawa	Diablo	Kelly Greyson	Catie Reynolds	Michael Sirow	Matt
    Jacob Grodnik	Jarhead	Dan Southworth	Steve	Michael Bellisario	Pyro	Barbie Blank	Amanda

    
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2020
      Directed by York Shackleton.
  
  
  • 
    Wild Horses
    Commentary:  Under construction.
      

    Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
    Robert Duvall	Scott Briggs	James Franco	Ben Briggs	Joaquin Jackson	Ranger Jackson	Josh Hartnett	KC Briggs
    Adriana Barraza	Mrs. Davis	Jim Parrack	Deputy Rogers	Luciana Duvall	TX Rngr Samantha Payne	Angie Cepeda	Maria Gonzales

    
    → robert-duvall
      Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this film.
      Release Date: 2015
      Directed by Robert Duvall.
  
    Wikipedia doesn't have a write-up of this film series. I've included the Wikipedia links for the individual movies in their write-ups, above. Otherwise, Amazon buyers were fairly vocal about this set of mostly B (or lower) grade revisionist westerns. Here is a link to the first of Amazon's comment pages on this collection. You'll notice that the opinions are wildly divergent. As far as I can tell, no one has reviewed the entire collection of a piece. Although I've watched none of them, yet, I'm looking forward to it. This is a collection of your every day, second feature revisionist Western movie -- not Brokeback Mountain (which isn't in my collection, but I wish it was), not Unforgiven, not No Country for Old Men. I'm very curious about the middling films of this genre. I have to admit, I went back and forth about adding these "mid-rangers" to my collection, but two things seduced me: a price that couldn't be beat and, you know, if you don't know what's middling and bad, and why, how do you figure out what's good? And, I'm curious. I mean, if I run across a Hallmark Rom-Dram-Com (which doesn't happen very often, since I have only a bare-bones cable hook-up) I'll watch it. Why not check out mid-range revisionist Westerns?
    Release Date: Various
    Directed by Various.

Labels: dakota-fanning, danny-glover, donald-sutherland, guy-pearce, jodie-foster, revisionist-western, robert-duvall

# posted by gail @ 18:16    0 comments    email......this post

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  We're both enchanted by this film, more for the relationship between the sisters, the portrayal of the neighbor boy (which is delightfully right on) and the wonderful father, who straddles both his own and his children's worlds with extraordinary dexterity. Some of Miyazaki's films are more spectacular, but this movie, quietly and deftly, vindicates and celebrates everyone's childhood, and, in particular, everyone's childhood imagination and its creations.
    And, yes, Roger Ebert christened it one of his Great Movies.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Dakota Fanning	Satsuki Kusakabe	Elle Fanning	Mei Kusakabe	Tim Daly	Tatsuo Kusakabe	Lea Salonga	Yasuko Kusakabe
  Frank Welker	Totoro	Paul Butcher	Kanta Ōgaki	Pat Carroll	Granny	Frank Welker	Catbus

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1988
    Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Labels: anime, dakota-fanning, elle-fanning, fantasy3, kids

# posted by gail @ 09:01    0 comments    email......this post