Fritz the Cat (1972)
[7] Ralph Bakshi's first animated feature is an X-rated adaptation of Robert Crumb's Fritz the Cat. Fritz is a college student who likes to have a good time by way of weed and women, but manages to cram a lot…
To Please a Lady (1950)
[4] Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck star in this story of a midget car racer (Gable) whose treacherous tactics get exposed by a prying news reporter (Stanwyck). After he's blamed for causing the death of another driver, Gable's racing career…
Ted 2 (2015)
[6] Ted the foul-mouthed teddy bear wants to have a baby with his human wife, but the government doesn't acknowledge Ted as his own person. This sets Ted, his human pal played by Mark Whalberg, and a new lawyer friend…
The Half of It (2020)
[7] Writer/director Alice Wu tells us in the beginning of The Half of It that none of the characters will get what they want, and she's not lying. But that won't stop you from rooting for all three characters in…
The Lady in the Van (2015)
[6] Maggie Smith headlines this true story adapted from a stage play by Alan Bennett, about a homeless woman who parks her van in a single, gay man's driveway and stays for fifteen years. Smith reliably carries the film, but…
We Bought a Zoo (2011)
[7] Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) directs this family drama/comedy about a widower, played by Matt Damon, who buys a rural home that comes with a rundown zoo. Damon and his two young children help the ragtag team of…
The Tempest (2010)
[7] Visionary director Julie Taymor (Titus, Across the Universe) brings Shakespeare's The Tempest to the big screen, with the lead role of Prospero played not by a man, as per tradition, but by Helen Mirren. Mirren's Prospera is raising her…
Fearless Fagan (1952)
[5] If I were a kid in the 1950s, I probably would have loved Fearless Fagan, the story of a circus performer (lanky Carleton Carpenter) drafted into the army with nowhere to leave his pet lion, Fagan. He sneaks Fagan…
The Invisible Woman (1940)
[6] Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore, and John Howard star in this second, decidedly more comic installment of what would become Universal's Invisible Man franchise. Howard plays a rich playboy looking to settle down with the right woman, while Barrymore plays…
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
[6] There's a certain kind of movie that is really hard to review. This is one of those movies. It's a studio movie, formulaic in structure and unremarkable in substance, but entertaining in laughs and thrills and a great vehicle…