Juno and the Paycock

Film Title

Juno and the Paycock

Synopsis

A family earns a big inheritance and forgets their basic values

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Cast

Barry Fitzgerald
Sara Allgood
John Laurie

                                1 hour 34 minutes Fair Value of Juno and the Paycock: $-5.00. 1920s knockoff Bernard Shaw misery porn that lacks in much of the style or timing that Hitchcock would later display. This early Hitchcock film shows why he went to thrillers and suspense- it’s artless and heartless. Summary of the Concept: A poor […]

Secret Agent (1936 Hitchcock film)

Film Title

Secret Agent

Synopsis

During World War One, a newly recruited British spy is dispatched to Switzerland to hunt unknown German agents.

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Cast

John Gielgud
Madeleine Carroll
Peter Lorre
Robert Young
Percy Marmount

  1 hour 26 minutes Fair Value of Secret Agent: $2.00. If it’s streaming, it’s a good old timey punt, with amusing performances by Peter Lorre and John Gielgud Summary of the Concept: During World War I, a newly commissioned British spy is tasked with identifying and catching a German spy moving through Switzerland. What’s […]

The 39 Steps

Film Title

The 39 Steps

Synopsis

Hook up with a spy girl, get wrongfully accused of murder.

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Cast

Robert Donat
Madeleine Caroll
Lucie Mannheim
Godfrey Tearle.

1 hour 26 Minutes The Grandfather of all Spy Films. Without The 39 Steps, no Bond. No Bourne. No The Fugitive, the most obvious modern descendant of this film, which truly established Hitchcock on the map of international cinema. Fair value of The 39 Steps: $20.00. It’s must-see cinema, in the same way as Star […]

Playtime (Jacques Tati’s)

Film Title

Playtime

Synopsis

Modern Life (and the modern cubicle farm) interfere at every point with Monsieur Hulot’s attempt to hold a meeting with an important business executive.

Director

Jacques Tati

Cast

Barbara Dennek
Jacques Tati
Rita Maiden

2 hrs, 36 minutes, suitable for all ages Q’esque que c’est? The last of Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot comedies, a major inspiration for Rowan Atkinson’s Laugh In. Fair value of Antrum: $25.00. I really can’t think of another film like it. In some ways, it evokes Chaplin’s Modern Times, but it has a subtlety and […]

Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made

Film Title

Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made

Synopsis

A supposedly cursed film that kills all who watch it. Which is fine, I wasn’t doing much with my life anyways.

Director

David Amito and Michael Laicini

Cast

Nicole Tompkins
Rowan Smythe
Dan Istrate
Shu Sakimoto

                    1 hr 35 minutes, R for extreme violence, torture, mutilation How deadly is it? Well, so far, I feel OK, but the editors of Ruthless will let you know if I died, so, clock’s ticking. I suppose I’m the ideal guinea pig for watching a cursed film that kills everyone who watches it- I’ve […]

Colossal (2016)

Film Title

Colossal

Synopsis

Gloria travels from New York City to Seoul to battle a giant monster

Director

Nacho Vigalondo

Cast

Anne Hathaway
Jason Sudeikis
Austin Stowell
Tim Blake Nelson
Dan Stevens

                              1 hr 49 minutes, R for profanity Fair Value of Colossal: $1.00. It’s a light, weird and unique comedy that’s watchable due to a talented cast. Toxic Relationships through the lens of Kaiju: Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is a day drinking Manhattan party girl who is abruptly dumped by her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) and […]

The 50 Most Significant Films of the 2010s: Devon Pack with some Team Ruthless comments

50. True Grit– The 2010 Coen Brothers movie is based on a great American novel by the Arkansas writer, Charles Portis. It is a superior remake of the John Wayne original, which looks pretty bad now by comparison. It was nominated for 10 Oscars and starred the great Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn. 49. The […]

Richard Jewell

Film Title

Richard Jewell

Synopsis

Richard Jewell saves lives, but is falsely accused of being a terrorist bomber.

Director

Clint Eastwood

Cast

Paul Walter Hauser
Sam Rockwell
Kathy Bates
Olivia Wilde
Alex Collins

2 hours 11 minutes, Rated R for profanity, minor violence. Fair Value of Richard Jewell: $12.00. I don’t think it’s the best film of the year, but I’d say that it’s a film I’d want as mandatory viewing in a civics course, along with 12 Years a Slave. That’s high praise. Not really, it’s just […]

Ford v. Ferrari

Film Title

Ford v. Ferrari

Synopsis

Another look at how realistic the movie Ford v. Ferrari is

Director

James Mangold

Cast

Matt Damon
Christian Bale
Josh Lucas
Tracy Letts
Caitriona Balfe
Remo Girone
Jon Bernthal

                        Ford v. Ferrari 2 hours 13 minutes, Rated PG-13 Fair Value of Ford vs. Ferrari: $7.00. It’s a mixed bag of a good acting and race car movie cliches. For another view of the film, check out Kevin’s review that was entered earlier. Is this film worth my time? It has exciting scenes of […]

The Irishman: (2019) Netflix

Film Title

The Irishman (2019) Netflix

Synopsis

A 3.5 hour Scorcese movie about a hit man’s reflections on the murder of Jimmy Hoffa.

Director

Martin Scorcese

Cast

Al Pacino
Robert DeNIro
Joe Pesci
Harvey Keitel
Ray Romano
Bobby Cannavale
Anna Paquin
Stephanie Kurtzuba
Jesse Plemons
Patrick Gallo
Kevin O'Rourke

3 hours 29 minutes, Rated R for point-blank executions, Fair Value of The Irishman: $10.00. It’s a middling film for Scorcese, but even his lesser works tend to be better than most other things out right now. Is this film worth my time? Well, it certainly takes a lot of time, that’s for sure. I’d […]