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2024 Movie Diary, Part 6

16. THE QUIET MAN (1952)

One of my favorite movies, and my favorite female character in any movie, ever. Pure, joyful blarney.
Verdict: Inductee, Laurie’s Cinematic Hall of Fame

17. RISEN (2016)

This has become an Easter tradition at my house. Joseph Fiennes is sensational as a Roman centurion tasked with solving the mystery of the disappearance of Jesus’ body. Starts out as a kind of Biblical police procedural and evolves into something far deeper and more meaningful.
Verdict: Excellent and recommended.

18. LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945)

It’s far from perfect, but when you’ve got the divine Gene Tierney pulling out all the stops as one of cinema’s great sociopaths, Ellen Berent, it’s easy to forgive its flaws. Miraculously, in addition to being a monster, she’s almost unbearably vulnerable. She is sensational, and makes this an absolute must-see.
Verdict: It’s Gene Tierney’s show. The rest is just window dressing.

2024 Movie Diary, Part 5

13. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)

When it’s good, it’s so very good. When it’s not, it’s usually because there’s some stupid romance thing going on. I don’t care, Charlie. Just give me the Little Tramp dealing with the outrageous situations he finds himself in and I’m good. Like his starving roommate trying to kill and eat him for dinner because he thinks he’s a chicken. Classic.
Verdict: Funny is timeless. And a lot of the time, Gold Rush is very funny.

14. PUMAMAN (1980)

One of the greatest of all MST3K outings. There are so many reasons that it soars, but one reason is its immortal flying scenes, the true horribleness of which has yet to be matched. I have linked to the MST3K version of the film, which is just flat-out brilliantly funny.
Verdict: The MST3K version is an inductee in Laurie’s Cinematic Hall of Fame.

15. METEOR (1979)

Mediocre. And dull. But it’s got a great cast, all keeping it professional so it’s got that going for it.
Verdict: A solid meh.