What’s Been Watched This Month – May 2020

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Here’s what square eyed Mikey Wolfman been watching throughout May 2020.

So out of sorts, like everyone, with the lock down shizzle! Been back to work as normal throughout all of May but the routine is so different when I get home. So hardly did any movie reviews this month and struggled to keep up with comments and reading fellow film friends articles. So big apologies for that and hope to get back in the game this month.

On a plus side I set a few challenges. Three classic 10/10 films in row with daughter Nyah and son Kofi. Then Nyah and I did four independent style films over four days. So that was cool.

The TV

Didn’t watch any television this month!! But did spent many, many hours watching the live stream of the Spacex and NASA Crew Demo 2 launch. Loved all the build up, facts and information. Was a joyful experience to watch the rocket launch safety and later dock with the international space station. I’ve been obsessed with space exploration for most my life. I was only 6 months old when Eugene Cernan left the last foot print on the Moon. So I’m eager to see humankind reach that ball of cheese in my life time. It’s penciled in for 2024! Hope so, we will see.

Now the films.

19 films this month and a total of 115 this year
830 since the start of the blog in January 2017.

They Live By Night (1948) – Wolfman Rating 8 – IMDB Rating 7.5
Great film noir love story directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Cathy O’Donnell and Farley Granger. You can read my review if you wish on this LINK HERE.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) – Wolfman Rating 5.5 – IMDB Rating 6.7
My oh my! this is truly awful! But in a sick way kind of went with it. Family roast and a Netflix film. Directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Charlie Hunnam as Arthur. As you can imagine it’s all a bit mockney. Check the pair in a the excellent The Gentlemen (2019) instead.

Stuber (2019) – Wolfman Rating 6.5 – IMDB Rating 6.2
Ok I knew this wasn’t gonna be that good but I like Dave Bautista from Guardians Of The Galaxy. I felt like some nonsense to shut off to. It certainly was and I quite enjoyed it to be fair.

Key Largo (1948) – Wolfman Rating 9 – IMDB Rating 7.8
I’d been sitting on this one for sometime. It was very much worth the wait but I really should of watched it years ago. Humphrey Bogart stuck in a hotel during a storm with Edward G Robinson and his gang of gangsters. Lauren Bacall is great as always with Lionel Barrymore superb as her wheelchair bound Dad. But the scene stealer for me was the alcoholic Claire Trevor. Top film. Yeah I know that everyone knows that already!

The Desert Rats (1953) – Wolfman Rating 7.5 – IMDB Rating 6.8
Ticking off another Robert Wise directed film from the list of his films. You can read my article about the book called Robert Wise The Motion Pictures by Joe Jordan that I reviewed here. I really enjoyed The Desert Rats. Richard Burton as a Scot leading a group of Australians against the Field Marshal Rommel’s German troops in the North Africa Campaign. Also stars James Mason, Robert Newton and Chips Rafferty. Best line in the film? In an Aussie accent “Shut up and push the bloody plunger“

Three classic 10/10 of films I watched with my kids. That fitted a educational theme of Crime, Court Case and Jury.

Rear Window (1954) – Wolfman Rating 10 – IMDB Rating 8.4
My personal favourite Alfred Hitchcock? Quite possibly. Seen it so many times but still again, love it so much. Plus Grace Kelly is to die for.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – Wolfman Rating 10 – IMDB Rating 8.2
You know what I had never seen this! I thought I had! Well I had seen the court scenes, maybe at school? Had no idea half the film was about the two kids. What superb little actors they were too. Amazing film and the black and white print was incredible.

12 Angry Men (1957) – Wolfman Rating 10 – IMDB Rating 8.9
Seen this twice before and each time I love it more. A powder keg film. The heat and the sweat. The intensity. Having three firecrackers like Lee J Cobb, Ed Begley and Jack Warden just adds to the melting pot fusion reactor. How did Sidney Lumet get the camera in the room! The close ups in that small room are spectacular.

The Body Snatcher (1945) – Wolfman Rating 8.5 – IMDB Rating 7.3
Another one ticked off for my review of the book called Robert Wise The Motion Pictures by Joe Jordan. Boris Karloff is the best I ever seen him I think as Cabman John Gray.

Predator 2 (1990) – Wolfman Rating 7.5 – IMDB Rating 6.3
Danny Glover takes on a new Predator in the hot sweaty City. Take a look at my nostalgic look back review here if you wanna.

Here are the four independent style films me and my daughter watched together over four days.

Captain Fantastic (2016) – Wolfman Rating 7.5 – IMDB Rating 7.9
This was really good, we both liked it a lot. Maybe our expectations were a bit high as we both thought it had something lacking from it. Still an excellent film.

Ghost World (2001) – Wolfman Rating 8 – IMDB Rating 7.3
Been looking forward to introducing Nyah to this and the next film for ages. They both connected to the comic book world. Ghost World is based on the comic by Daniel Clowes and stars Steve Buscemi, Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson.

American Splendor (2003) – Wolfman Rating 8.5 – IMDB Rating 7.4
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero every man Harvey Pekar. It’s a very inventive and creatively edited biography on the comic book writer and eternal moaner.

Frances Ha (2012) – Wolfman Rating 8 – IMDB Rating 7.5
A film by Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig. Greta plays the lead of Frances. At first I struggled to get into it. But then after about 20 minutes you fall in love with the innocent, dizzy, Frances.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) – Wolfman Rating 9 – IMDB Rating 7.9
Oh my I loved this so much. Just watching it I knew I will be going back very soon to see it again. Gene Tierney is gorgeous and feisty and Rex Harrison is so funny dropping the B word every few minutes. Blazes, Blasted, Blighter.

Upgrade (2018) – Wolfman Rating 8.5 – IMDB Rating 7.5
My second watch of this as we watched it as a family. The baby of Tom Hardy and Matthew Mcconaughey aka Logan Marshall-Green stars in this absolutely brilliant fast paced action lowish budget sci-fi. Like Universal Soldier meets Ex Machina. It’s hardcore in places, exciting in others and even manages to throw in some big laugh out loud moments. Very recommended. Just heard rumors there might be a series in the making!

Brannigan (1975) – Wolfman Rating 7 – IMDB Rating 6.2
John Wayne comes to London and smashes up the place. You can read my Wolfman Review Here.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) – Wolfman Rating 8 – IMDB Rating 7.5
One of those films I hadn’t re-watched because I had thought I’d seen it LOL I hadn’t!! Doh! Positive I had. A Sam Peckinpah film starring Warren Oates. Also the lovely Isela Vega who’s two lovely charms get more screen time than her? And for this hot blooded man wolf that’s no bad thing. HOOOOWWLLL. This is a crazy depressing, dark and bizarre film.

Sahara (1943) – Wolfman Rating 8.5 – IMDB Rating 7.5
I really enjoyed this Humphrey Bogart WW2 tank movie. So much I watched it twice this year. You can read my review here.

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Any goodies in there you have seen and liked? Thoughts, recommends etc always welcome if you fancy too.

Keep watching the screens. Thanks for having a look to see what’s been watched. All the best……… The howling one, Mikey