22. Creepers - David Morrell

1st in a series of 3 books about Frank Balenger

2005, Vanguard Press

388 pages, including the first chapter from Scavenger, the next in the series.

Adult Mystery/Thriller

Finished 4/24/2014

Goodreads Rating: 3.60

My Rating: 3/Liked it

Acquired: Mechanicsburg Mystery Books Store, PA

Setting: Contemporary Asbury Park, NJ, in a decrepit, deserted 7-story hotel

1^st sentence/s:  "Creepers.  That's what they called themselves, and that would make a good story, Balenger thought, which explained why he met them in this godforsaken New Jersey motel in a ghost town of 17,000 people.  Months later, he still would not be able to tolerate being in rooms with closed doors."

My comments:  I stumbled into a mystery bookstore in Mechanicsburg, PA last week.  The owner and a friendly gentleman who worked there recommended some new authors to me.  Debbie, the owner, says that David Morrell is one of her favorites.  I found this book not to be a "mystery" in the complete sense of  genre - I would categorize it more as a "thriller."  It was a good story; easy and a very quick read. She also suggested another three-book series by Morrell, beginning with The Brotherhood of the Rose.  I'll read more from this Rambo creator.

Goodreads Review:  On a cold October night, five people gather in a run-down motel on the Jersey shore and begin preparations to break into the Paragon Hotel. Built in the glory days of Asbury Park by a reclusive millionaire, the magnificent structure - which foreshadowed the beauties of art deco architecture - is now boarded up and marked for demolition.

     The five people are "creepers," the slang term for urban explorers: city archeologists with a passion for investigating abandoned buildings and their dying secrets. On this evening, they are joined by a reporter who wants to profile them - anonymously, as this is highly illegal activity - for a New York Times article.
     Frank Balenger, a sandy-haired, broad-shouldered reporter with a decided air of mystery about him, isn't looking for just a story, however. And after the group enters the rat-infested tunnel leading to the hotel, it becomes clear that he will get much more than he bargained for. Danger, terror, and death await the creepers in a place ravaged by time and redolent of evil.

21. Dead Heat - Dick Francis & Felix Francis

(This looks like the first book in the "collaboration" between father and son)

read by Martin Jarvis
9 cds (10.5 hours)

2007, Penguin Audio

352 pgs.

Adult Murder Mystery

Finished 4/8/2014

Goodreads Rating: 3.78

My Rating: 2.5 It was okay and went very quickly

PBS

Setting: Contemporary Newcastle/Cambridge and London, England

My comments:   2.5 - It was definitely okay, one of my three problems with it - and the biggest - was the reader.  I think the protagonist, Max, was supposed to be a young man, not yet thirty.  However, the reader made him sound a great deal older, and sort of stuffy.  I think if I could have "felt" that Max was under 30 I would have enjoyed the book more.  I really enjoyed the beginning and all the nitty-gritties of running a restaurant.  The mystery was compelling, but the reasons behind the hi-jinx were not plausible.  And the fast-and-furious loved story between Max and Caroline made both of them look desperate.  I found it really hard to believe.  Oh well.  On to the next!

Goodreads Review: Max Moreton is a rising culinary star and his Newmarket restaurant, The Hay Net, has brought acclaim. But two disasters fall. Food poisoning fells banquet attendees, and a bomb explodes the private boxes at a race, killing guests and employees.

20. Lake of Tears - Mary Logue

#9 Claire Watkins

2014 Tyrus Books

207 pgs.

Adult Murder Mystery

Finished 4/7/14

GoodreadsRating: 3.38

My Rating: 2/ It was okay

TPPL

Setting: Contemporary rural Wisconsin

1^st sentence/s:  "The tattooed flames on the man's shoulder were illuminated by the fire."

My comments:   I have not read books 1 through 8 in this series, which means I don't have the background information on the main characters I probably needed to better understand some of what was going on.  And I think the mystery was a little weak. Had to force myself to finish, because I didn't care about most of the characters.  

Goodreads Review:  Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins has had an easy summer in Fort St. Antoine, Wisconsin; the only problem is that her daughter Meg is leaving for college soon. When Claire walks down to the park to watch the Burning Boat--a large replica of a Norwegian longboat set on the shores of Lake Pepin, burned at the autumnal equinox--she has no idea that more than just a wooden structure is going up in flames.   

          The next day, the bones of a young woman are found in the ashes. When Claire learns that the new deputy she has hired, a vet returning from Afghanistan, was the young woman's former boyfriend, and that he is now dating her daughter Meg, she is desperate to find out who is responsible for the death.
          In order to get to the heart of this mystery, Claire must understand what happened in an attack in the mountains of Afghanistan, which left one man wounded, one man killed, and one man disturbed. Could one of those two remaining men be the killer?

MOVIE - A Birder's Guide to Everything

PG-13 (1:27)

Limited release 3/21/14

Viewed 4/2/14 at the Loft

RT Critic: 95 Audience: 69

Cag: 3.5 A sweet and funny coming-of-age with a touch of teariness

Directed by Robber Meyer

Screen Media Venture/Focus

Ben Kingsley, James LeGros

My comments:  First reaction:  It was so short! (Lost of long movies lately, I guess.)  Totally enjoyable movie about three 15-year old geeky friends who are bird-watchers, focusing on one who lost his mom a year previously and his discomfort with his dad's remarriage (SPOILER:  to his mom's nurse).  Very cute movie.

Reviews:  David Portnoy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a 15-year-old birding fanatic, thinks that he's made the discovery of a lifetime. So, on the eve of his father's remarriage, he escapes on an epic road trip with his best friends to solidify their place in birding history. 

Alliance - Mark Frost

#2 The Paladin Prophecy

2014, Random House

329 pgs.(read the first 88 and the last 35) DNF

YA Fantasy/SciFi

Abandoned 4/1/14

Goodreads Rating:  4.06

My Rating: 2/It was okay but didn't care about it at all, so abandoned it.

TPPL

1^st sentence/s: "Lyle Ogilvy had trouble staying dead."

My comments  :I read up to page 88, and it didn't interest me at all.  Nada.  So I read the last 30-35 pages and realized I hadn't needed to read much of what was in between to understand what happened.  So I'm not going to rate it.  I just don't care about the characters.  Isn't that funny - I so enjoyed the first book but reading the first quarter of this second book didn't add any dimension to those same characters, it almost seemed to flatten and stereotype them.  One of the two "surprise" revelations at the end were totally foreseeable.  I made the right decision not to read the book. 

Goodreads Review:  After exposing the sinister underground society of students known as the Knights of Charlemagne, Will West stays at the Center over the summer to explore his newly developing physical and mental abilities. Meanwhile, his roommates investigate the Knights' shadowy purpose and discover unsettling information about their own backgrounds. Will and his friends must quickly figure out what's going on and separate friend from foe as they prepare for the coming fight.

Alphabetical Listing of Movies I've Seen and Reviewed Since Mid-2008

I Love My Movies!!

2024 Movie List

2023 Movie List

2022 Movie List

2021 Movie List

2020 Movie List

2019 Movie List
2018 Movie List
2017 Movie List
2016 Movie List
2015 Movie List
2014 Movie List
2013 Movie List
2012 Movie List
2011 Movie List

2 Guns (8-8-13) enjoyable, but nothing special (3)
3 Billboards Oustide Ebbing, Missouri (1/11/18) Talk about great acting, wow! (5.5)
10 Cloverfield Lane  (3-11-16) Not particularly "thriller" or "smart" IMHO (2)
17 Again (7-20-09) Cute and light (78%)
33 Postcards (5-17-13) Liked it despite its badness and goodness...something different! (3)
About Time (12/11/2013) great, feel-good movie! (4)
Accountant, The  (10-17-16) Brilliant, intertwining story with Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick! (5.5)
Adam (9-1-09) Wonderful acting and moving story. (90%)
Adjustment Bureau, The Clever entertainment (2)
Admission
Adventureland (5/15/09) Entertaining, untrivialized comedy-drama (70%)

After (4/28/19) Sweet teenage flick (4)
All Is True (5/27/19) Could any of it be true? (5)
Alvin & the Chipmunks, the Squeakuel (12-26-09) The kids loved it. (50%)
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (12-29-11) It was okay (cute) (2)
Alvin & the Chipmunks - Road Chip (12-23-15) fun and cute, not bad at all (4)
Amazing Spider Man, The (9-4-12) It dragged on and on and on... (2)
American Hustle (1-2-14) This movie just tickled me! (5.5)
American Ultra 8/20/15 (2.5) Bloody, stupid, but entertaining
Amreeka (6-9-11) Another good one! (4)
Angels & Demons (5/09)- Nonstop action with never a dull moment (70%)
Annihilation (3/1/18) Creepy SciFi (4)
Annie (12/28/14) Hugely disappointing (2)
Anonymous (2-2-12)
Ant Man and the Wasp (8/23/18) Really well cast (4)
Anthropoid (8-21-16)) Learned a bit about Czecholslovakia during Hitler's reign (4)
Argo Wonderful movie, loved it (5)
Arrival, The (11-17-16) A scifi wowzer film (5.5+)
Artist, The (1-26-11) Loved it (5)
Attack, The (8-22-13) nope, the book was SO much better.... (2)
August: Osage County (1-29-14) Dysfunctional family hysteria (5)
Austenland (11/14/2013) cute, and much better than the book (3)
Avatar (1-10-10) Saw it in 3-D..Amazing! (96%)
Avengers, The (6-2-12) (and again 6-26-12 with Brendan) Liked it quite a bit (3.5)
Avengers: Infinity War (8/5/2018) Super fun (4.5)
Baby Driver - (7-3-17)  A total fun ride! (4.5)
Back-up Plan, The, The (4-26-10) - Don't expect any surprises - but gorgeous protagonists (40%)
Bad Moms (10-3-16) funny...could have been funnier (3)
Bad Words (5-14-14) A freakin' riot - going to be a favorite (5)
Beatriz at Dinner (6-30-17) Disappointing, great potential by cop-out ending
Beautifully Broken (9/2/18) Making-a-difference tearjerker (4.5)
Beauty and the Beast (3/21/17) Lovely music (3.5)
Before Midnight (7-21-13) just dialogue (but some really good dialogue!) (2)
Begin Again (7-13-2014) Loved the music and most of the storyline (4.5)
Beginners (12-23-11) Liked it a lot (4)
Belle (5-28-14) A gorgeous, thought-provoking retelling of history (5)
Bernie (6-5-12) Definitely a keeper, Liked it a lot (4)
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (5-22-12) Loved it (5)
Big Sick, The (7-13-17) True story with a lot of heart (5)
Big Wedding, The (5-25-13) It was lots of fun - very predictable but fun (4)
Big Year, The (11-18-11) "Obsessed birders with heart," fun to watch three really good actors (3)
Birder's Guide to Everything, A (4-2-14) A sweet and funny coming-of-age (3.5)
Birdman (12/20/14) well crafted and unforgettable.... (4.5)
Black Mass  (10/1/15) great retelling of a true story (5)
Black Panther (3/11/18) Great set, costumes & sound (4.5)
Black Swan (12-20-10) Intriguing psychological story with too much ballet (85%)
BlackKklansmen (9/12/18) Sickening and brilliant (5)
Blade Runner (10/5/17) Ryan Gosling was awesome! (4.5)
Blended (8-25-14) Stupid, but fun (3)
Blind Side, The (11-26-09) A based-on-real-life feel-good movie (90%)
Blue Jasmine (8-16-13) sad, but brilliantly acted (4.5)
Bohemian Rhapsody (11/13/18) OMG - Amazing!  (5.5)
Book Thief, The (1-28-14) Stunning & sad (4.5)
Bookshop, The (10/25/18) Crappy (1.5)
Boss Baby (3/2017) Mediocre (2.5)
Bottle Shock (10/24/08) Lots of Fun (75%)
Bounty Hunter (7-8-10) Cute but trite (55%)
Bourne Legacy, The  Liked it a whole lot (4.5)
Breaking Dawn Part 1 (11-24-11) Splendid scenery, sets, and makeup (4)
Breakthrough (5/19/19) True & faith-based, but not shoved down throat (4.5)
Bridesmaids (5-11) Rip Roarin' Funny! ! ! (5)
Bridge of Spies (10/15) Wonderful movie (6)
Bridget Jones's Baby (11/1/16) Much better than expected and very funny (4)
Brooklyn (5.5) An almost-perfect movie
Brothers Bloom, The (7-14-09) Great story with really likeable protagonists (91%)
Bumblebee (1/15/19) Not my cuppa/only for T (2)
Burnt (1-28-16)  Bradley Cooper playing a chef.... (4)
Butler, The (9-4-13) a great overview of the civil rights movement (5)

Cabrini (3/28/24) Strong females, ruling white men, immigration...(6)
Cafe Society (10-2-16) Woody Allen set in the 1930s (4)
Call Me by Your Name (2/24/18) Coming-of-age love story between two guys (5)

Capernaum (3/24/19 Amazing visual storytelling (6)
Captain America: Civil War (90) Super Heroes at their best! (4)
Capitalism, A Love Story (11-28-09) Informative, but a little choppy (74%)
Captain Fantastic (8/14/16) Wonderful...thought-provoking AND sad
Captain Marvel (3/10/19) So-so, cute cat (3.5)
Captain Phillips (10/24/2013) Edge-of-your-seat true story (5)
Cedar Rapids (3-19-11) Funnnnneeeee.....and fun (4)
Chef (5-23-11) Totally delightful (4.5)
City Island (5-13-10) A new favorite - quirky with lots of laughs (95%)
Crazy Heart (1-30-10) Jeff Bridges was amazing! (96%)
Columbiana Liked it a lot (4)
Company You Keep, The (5-3-13) I liked it a lot (4)
Country Strong (1-12-11) Love the music (3)
Cowboys and Aliens Liked it (3)
Crazy Rich Asians (9/9/18) So much fun! (4.5)
Crazy, Stupid, Love (8-7-11) Watching what the men will wear next is the best part...really cool outfits! (4)
Criminal (5-13-16) fun-to-watch thriller with a happy ending  (4)
Cyrus (7-22-10) Nowhere as good as expected...disappointing, actually (66%)
Dallas Buyers Club (11/19/2013) almost flawless and unforgettable (6)
Danny Collins 94/30/15) a new favorite (6)

Dark Phoenix (6/9/19) Didn't care about anyone in this one (3)
Dark Shadows (5-14-12) Liked it a lot (4)
Date Night (4-28-10) - Fun and Funnnnnnny (87%)

Dead Don't Die, The (6/30/19) a WTF, fun-to-watch movie (4)
Deadpool (5/10/16) Crass, funny, and violent (4)
Deadpool 2 (5/19/18) Fuuuuuuny... (4)
Debt, The, It was okay (2)
Denial (10-24-16) learned much about the British Judicial system (4)
Descendant, The (12-9-11) Loved it (5)
Despicable Me 3 (7/27/17) mediocre (2)

Despicable Me 4 (7/29/24) More fun that I thought it'd be (4)
Dinner, The  (5-8-17) Bizarre with a cop-out ending (3)
Disobedience (6/21/18) Gay and Orthodox... (5)
Divergent (3-29-14) Equaled expectations and was fun to watch (3)
Doctor Strange (11-15-16) Special effects are AMAZING (5)
Don Jon (10/13)  I keep thinking about this one...(5)

Dora (8/11/19) Disappointing (2.5)
Double Hour, The (7-30-11) Good movie. Good mystery. Great storytelling. (4)
Doubt (2/25/09) Fantastic acting (80%)
Dough  (5/5/16) Jewish baker in London (4)

Downhill (2/13/2020) Stupid and sad (2)
Dressmaker, The  (10-27-16) Great and Horrible at the same time (3)
Duplicity (5/7/09) Very entertaining (70%)
East, The (8-18-13) just terrific (6)
Easy A (9-22-10)  Delightful.  Fun.  Clever (90%)
Eat, Pray, Love (8-25-10) Gorgeous settings - Rome, India, Bali  70%
Eclipse (7-4-10)  Better than the book! (89%)
Eddie the Eagle (2/28/16) A true event feel-good story   (5)
Eighth Grade (8/6/18) Bleh (2)
Fading Gigolo (5-9-14) Fun to watch (3.5)
Fair Game (12-9-10) Entertaining AND educating. (93%)
Family, The () as much as I wanted to love it, I didn't (2)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (12-4-16) HarryPotterish/Rowling Fantasy (4)
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (12/15/18) A bit confusing and long (2.5)
Father Figures (12/26/18) Great fun, and really funny, too (4)
Fifth Estate, The (10/31/13) interesting and informative (3)
Fifty Shades Darker (2/27/17) Mmmm, Jamie Dornan.... (3.5)
Fifty Shades Freed (2/12/18) OMG, Jamie Dornan (3.5)
Fifty Shades of Grey - 2/13/15 Sinfully delicious (4)
Fighter, The (3-6-11) Great accents...acting....and story! (6)
Finding Dory (8/2016) Saw it twice - and didn't mind.... (3.5)
First Reformed (6/21/18 yup, two in one day...) Bizarro (Unrateable at the moment)
Five Feet Apart (4/6/19) Too many tears, good story (4)
Five Year Engagement, The (5-26-12) Liked it a whole lot (4.5)
Florence Foster Jenkins (10/14/16) A farce, based on a true story.... (4.5)
Footloose (12-15-11) Liked it (3)
Frankie & Alice (5-1-14) Fascinating (4)
Friends with Benefits Liked it a lot (4)
From Paris With Love (3-30-10) A bit boring at first, but redeemed itself with tongue-in-cheek humor (68%)
Frozen (1-1-14) Great music and animation (4.5)
Get Out (3/8/18) Bizarrre, creepy, wonderful fun (5)
Ghost in the Shell, The (4/4/17) Good creepy (4)
Ghost Town (11/7/08)  Imaginative and quite funny (70%)
Ghost Writer, The (3-12-10) Kept me engrossed and thinking (81%)
Gifted (4/24/17) Loved this one (4.5)
Gigantic (6/2/09) Quirky and clever, a new favorite (95%)
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2-13-11) Disappointing, left me wanting something more....(2)
The Girl in the Spider's Web (11/19/18) As improbable as it was enjoyable (3)
Girl Who Played With Fire, The (8-22-10)  Mesmerizing - but not as good as the first one (88%)
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The (English) Loved it even though I didn't want to (5)
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The (Swedish) (6-13-10) Wow.  An incredible movie! (97%)
Giver, The (8-17-14) A great flick based on a favorite book (4.5)
Glass (1/22/19) Great psychological thriller (4)
Glass Castle, The (8/26/17) Terrific Movie based on a memoir (5.5)
Gloria (3-19-14) For all women of a "certain age" (4)
Gnomeo and Juliet (3-1-11) Didn't like it (1)
God's Pocket (5-16-14) Dark and depressing (2)

Goldfinch, The (9/14) wonderful adaptation (5)
Gone Girl (10-8-14) not-so-great book, great movie (5)
Grand Budapest Hotel, The (3-26-14) A freakin' riot! (4)
Grandma  (1/22/16) Lily Tomlin and lots to think about... (4)
Greatest Showman, The (1/20/18) A decent musical, great music (3.5)
Greenberg (4-13-10) Slow-moving, hard to care about the characters (45%)
Grown Ups 2 (11/22/13) stupid...perfect for a Friday night (3)
Grown Ups (7-18-10)  Hilarious! (85%)
Guardians of the Galaxy(11/2014) Fun (3)
Guilt Trip, The (2-15-13) Quite a few chuckles, enjoyable (3.5)
Hamlet 2 (9/28/08) Expecting More (1.5)
Hanna (4-23-11) I expected something more, but I'm not sure what.... (2)
Happy-Go-Lucky (12/12/08) Charming and fun (5)
Harry Potter & the Deathly Harrows (8-8-11) All Harry's movie...not quite enough of everyone else... (2)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows Part 1 (12-2-10) The book dragged, the movie didn't! (92%)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (7-15-09) A blast! (91%)
Hateful Eight, The (4) Bloody and gorry and funny
Heat, The (8-6-13) freakin' hilarious (5)
Hector and the Search for Happiness (10-9-14) Quirkily terrific (5)
Hell or High Water (9-11-16) One of the best in a long time...high cudos for acting and story (6)
Hello, My Name is Doris (2016) Left me incredibly depressed (2.5)
Help, The (8-16-11) Wish I'd read the book first - the movie was a very good period piece. (3)
Help, The (1-15-12) Liked it a lot (4), seen for the 2nd time
Hidden Figures (1-15-17) Eye-opening and masterful true story (6)
Hollars, The (4) Dramady with great actors
Hologram for the King, A (5) another Tom Hanks winner
Home Again (9-7-17) Cuteness abounds (3)
Hope Springs (9-13-12 Hilarious and sweet, Liked it a lot (4)
Horrible Bosses Sheila hated it and left - pretty crass, but funny in places (3)
Hostiles (1/25/28) Violent, sad, and one helluva movie (5.5)
Hot Tub Time Machine (4-2-10) This really stunk (38%)
House Bunny, The (9/14/08) Extremely silly (1)
How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World (2/22/19) Entertaining enough... (3.5)
Hundred Foot Journey (8/31/2014) cute, fun, and a taste of India and France! (4)
Hunger Games, The () Loved it (5)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire (12/6/13) watchable, good in places, but draggy in others... (2)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (11/28/15) bleh (2)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (6/30/16) Delightful - a great family film from New Zealand (5)
Hustle, The (5/15/19) Funny and not stupid! (4)
I Am Love (8-5-10) Some WOW, Some Blech (81% )
I am Number Four (2-22-211) SO kept my attention, but the book was better. (2)
I Feel Pretty (5/3/18) Fun, funny, charming with a message (3.5)
Ida (6/15/14) Overly long, overly dark (literally) and overly depressing (2)
Ides of March (1-27-11) Really loved it (5.5)
I'll See You In My Dreams (8/18/15) Quite depressing with two hilarious scenes (2.5)
The Imitation Game (1/23/15) Great movie, based on a true story (5)
Impossible, The
In Time (12-2-11) Thrilling to watch and interesting to think about (4)
Incendies (5-29-11) Powerful - a masterful piece of storytelling(6)
Inferno (10-31-16) Confusing and disjointed (3)
Instant Family (12/18/18) Perfectly cast, funny and heartwarming (5)
Instructions Not Included (8/30/13) just wonderful and F-U-N-N-Y (5.5)
Interstellar (12/31/14) Long movie, but very entertaining (4.5)
Insurgent (3/20/15) Pretty decent - followed the book quite well, too.... (3.5)
Intern, The  (1/13/16) Delightful, about friendship between different aged people (4.5)
Into the Woods (1/9/15) Weak plot and story line, singing's great (2)
Invention of Lying, The (11-19-09) Some good chuckles, entertaining.... (65%)
Invictus (3-24-10) Wonderful...you don't even need to "get" rugby (86%)
Ironman 3 (5-27-13) Liked it at least three times more than Ironman 2 (3.5)
Iron Man 2 (5-25-10) Can't even compare to Iron Man 1 (42%)
Isn't It Romantic (2/18/19) Cute, not enough singing and dancing (3)
It's Complicated (1-6-10) (84%)
Jack Reacher (12-22-12) Very entertaining (3.5)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (11-9-16) Really well done (4.5)
Jane Eyre (4-28-11)  a lovely film for a classic story (4)
Jane Got a Gun (11-16-16) Good western with great leads (4.5)
Jason Bourne (8/28/16) All car chases and macho (3)
Julie & Julia (11-25-09) Simply wonderful in every way (96%)
Julieta (2/12/17) Mesmerizing story, though very depressing (4.5)
Jumanji (2/2/18) A super fun movie (4)

Jumanji: The Next Level (12/13/2019) Fun and Funny (3.5)
Jupiter Ascending  (2/6/15) Stupid and disappointing (1.5)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (7/5/18) Nothin' Special, but sorta fun (3)
Just Wright (7-2-10)  predictable...but fun (72%)
Karate Kd, The (6-24-10) Fun movie, yucky bullies... (87%)
Keeping Up With the Joneses (11-23-16) Fun and funny, too (3.5)
King's Speech, The 1-5-11 Amazing acting, my favorite movie of 2011 (6)
Knight and Day (6-30-10)  Funny and action-packed (85%)
Knives Out (1/4/2020) a fun whodunit (4)
Labor Day (3-16-14) Tension-filled and slow in places, but very likable (4)
Lady Bird (12/23/17) Superb acting (4.5)
The Lady in the Van (6) Maggie Smith's most marvelous movie!
Laggies (11/2014) Fun! (4)
LA LA Land (1/17/17) Don't get the hype (3.5)
Larry Crowne (7-11-11) Light and entertaining (3)
Last Chance Harvey (1/22/09) Super (60%)
Last Station, The (2-22-10) A fascinating story. Three "amazing" actors in a row - let's add James McAvoy! (88%)
Last Vegas (12/21/2013) hilarious! (4)
Late Quartet, A (1-6-13) As it developed I liked it more and more (4)
Leap Year (1-19-10) Adorable but SO predictable (63%)
Leave No Trace (7/15/18) Wowzer (5.5)
Letters to Juliet (5-15-10) A sweet, feel-good, predictable love story (76%)
Leviathan (3/5/15) Good, but bleak (3.5)
Life of the Party (5/11/18) Laugh-out-loud funny (3.5)
Lincoln Lawyer (4-21-11) Michael Connelly and Matthew McConaughey- a winning combo (3)
Lion (1/12/16) Amazing and brilliant true story (5)
Little Women (12/29/2019) Fabulous! (5.5)
Logan Lucky (9/3/17) Clever, funny comedy (5)
London Has Fallen (3/18/16) Ridiculous and violent...but entertaining (3.5)

Long Shot (5/3/19) Feel good AND funny (4)
Love and Friendship (June, 2016) meh.... (3)
Love and Other Drugs (12-4-10) Nothing like what I expected.  Jake! (85%)
Love is All You Need (7-9-13) sweet film -enjoyed the Italian setting, Danish language, and Reel Pizza (3)
Love the Coopers (11/2015) eye-roller (2.5)
Love, Simon (3/19/18) A bit too picture perfect, but fun to watch (4)
Madagascar 3 (6-23-12) with Brendan & Ashley (and again (7/5/12 with Ella) Not quite my cup-a-tea (2)
Magic Mike (8-24-12) Very entertaining, liked it (3)
Magnificent 7 ,The  (11-6-16)  The old west...lots of gunfights, as expected, but entertaining story (4)
Mamma Mia! (8/14/08) Fun and funny (70%)
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again (7/23/18) Great Music and Scenery! (4)

A Man Called Otto (2/21/23) Tom Hanks was great, as usual (5)
Manchester by-the-Sea  (1/30/17) Powerful and super sad (5.5)

Marlowe (2/20/23) Atmospheric 1930's setting (4)
Marshall (10/17/17) A+ story and acting! (5)
Masterminds (10/30/16) Stupidly hilarious  (3.5)
The Martian, 11/2015) (4.5)
Master, The  Yuck-but terrific acting.....(1)
Maudie (7-21-17)  Incredibly done biopic (5.5)
Maze Runner, The (9/21/14) Entertaining, but that's all (3)
Maze Runner Part 3: The Death Cure (2/11/18) Entertaining, if nothing else (3)
McFarland, USA (3/9/15) A Truly feel-good movie (5)
Me Before You (6/17/`6)) Nicholas-Sparks-like tear jerker (2)
Mechanic:  Resurrection (10-19-16) Very entertaining once you get past the shoot-em-up stuff (3.5)
Menashe (10-26-17) Left me feeling pretty gray (2)
Midnight In Paris (6-18-11) Absolutely charming....and fun!(6)
Midwife, The (4) Good, but not great, drama (8/12/17)
Mighty Macs Liked it a lot (4)
Milk (12/13/08) Super (6)
Million Dollar Arm (7-30-14) Loved it (5)

A Million Ways to Die in the West (8/10/14) Crap
Mirror, Mirror (7-19-12) Lots of fun (3)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (12-2-16) Clever fantasy/time-travel (4.5)

Missing (2/19/23) Almost completely done through computer and telephone screens (4.5)
Mr. Popper's Penguins (8-22-11) A Surprising Delight (4)
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (5/31/09) Wonderful (91%)
Molly's Game (1-6-18) One smart movie (5)
Monsieur Lazhar () Really Loved it (5.5)
Monsters University (6-13) Not bad for an animated movie... (4)
Monsters vs. Aliens (4/22/09) A fun movie (75%)
Monuments Men, The (2-15-14) True story, fun-to-watch actors (3)
Moonlight (11-19-16) "Life" in three parts.... (4.5)
Moonrise Kingdom (7-8-12) Liked it a lot (4)

A Most Wanted Man (8/7/14) Philip Seymour Hoffman's last film (5.5)
Mortal Engines (12/14/18) Excruciatingly long (1.5)
Mortal Instruments, The: City of Bones (11/6/2013) mesmerizing actors (3)
Mother and Child (8-14-10)  A beautifully woven  beautiful story (89%)
Mud (5-29-13) Good movie, though a bit slow and long (3.5)
The Mummy (6-12-17) Stupid but watchable (3)
Muppets, The (12-13-11) Didn't like it (1)
Murder on the Orient Express (11/15/17) Huge casst (4.5)
Mustang (5) In Turkish with subtitles, five incredible actresses playing sisters
My Life in Ruins (6/10/09) A-l waste of time (25%)
My One and Only (9-24-09)  A surprise hit for me. (72%)
Names of Love, The
Nebraska (1-10-14) Second half of the movie was AWESOME (5.5)
New in Town (5/09) Predictable, cute, and charming (75%)
New Moon (12-2-09) Entertaining...though quite long.... (60%)
New York, I Love You (1-26-10) Artsy and different (82%)
Nine Lives  (8-15-16) Great fun, and a family movie to boot (3.5)
Non-Stop (3-21-14) A good mystery (4)
Nora's Will Liked it a lot (4)
Norman (6/1/17) Unsettling (3.5)
No Strings Attached (3-26-11) Delightful! (5)
Nothing Like the Holidays (12/16/08) I liked it a lot (80%)
Oceans 8 (6/9/18) Entertaining! (4)
Olympus Has Fallen
Omar (3/5/14) Whew! Quite a story.... (5)
On the Basis of Sex (1/10/2019) Real, relevant, and right (5)
One for the Money (2-6-12)
One I Love, The (9-18/14) 4
Only the Brave (10/31/17) A wonderful tribute to the Granite Mountain Hotshots (5)
Other Guys, The (8-13-10) Very funny - it's meant to be stupid so you don't mind that it is. (71%)
Oz the Great and Powerful (3-12-13) It grew on me, liked it quite a bit (4)
Paper Towns  (9/21/15) Entertaining - the scenes with the three best friends were the best (3.5)
Paris Can Wait (6/17/17) Nothing much special here (3)
Patience Stone, The (10/1/13) extraordinary story! (4.5)
Paul (3-20-11) A Riot! (3)

Peanut Butter Falcon (8/29/19) clever and different (5)
People Like Us (8-13-12) Liked it a great deal (4.5)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (4-27-20) Enjoyed the book AND the movie (77%)
Peter Rabbit (3/22/18) Surprisingly entertaining (3)

Pets II (6/21/19) Not bad at all (4)
Phantom Thread (2/22/18) A little TOO quirky and odd...(2...3...4?)
Philomena (12/10/2013) bittersweet story, wonderful actors (4.5)
Pitch Perfect Loved it (5)
Pitch Perfect 2 Funny (3)
Pitch Perfect 3 (12/31/17) So much better than #2! (4)

Postcard Killings, The (12/20/20) Grizzly but interesting (4)

Power of the Dog (1/2/22) Slow, dark, depressing, sad, and oddly enough, wonderful (5)
Precious (1-5-10)  Powerful. Great Acting. Tough to watch. (94%)
Pride and Glory (10/28/08) A good murder mystery on film (90%)
Proposal, The (7-6-09) Charming and really, really funny (90%)
Public Enemies - (8-6-09) Really good movie (88%)
Pulling Strings (10/13) This was a blast (4)
Puzzle (10/16/18) Gettysburg Majestic Quirky (4.5)
Queen of Katwe (10-10-16) True story of a chess prodigy in contemporary Uganda  (4,5)
Queen to Play (Joueuse) (7-16-11) Lovely setting, a little too much chess (3)
Rachel Getting Married (12/2/08)  Unsettling (Story 25%/Acting 85%)4
Railway Man, The (6/10/14) Colin Firth as a POW of the Japanese during WWII
Ready Player One (4/5/18) Endless action near the end (3.5)
Reds 2 (8/23/13) Left in the middle - BLECH!
Red Sparrow (3/5/18) Great Espionage piece (5)
Reluctant Fundamentalist, The (5-26-13) - It bowled me over (6)
Rider, The (6/19/18) Amazing movie (6)
Risen (4) Great historical fiction set in 33AD
Robot & Frank (9-20-12) Okay, great cast, flat ending. (2.5)
Rock the Kasbah  (10/15) Unfortunately, a waste of time (2)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Movie (1-8-17) Great characters with good actor picks (4)
Ruby Sparks (9-17-12) A charming movie that sparkles.  Loved it. (5)
Rules Don't Apply (12-9-16) Unsettling Hollywood Biopic (4)
Run and Jump (2-10-14)  Great storytelling and beautiful Irish scenery(5)
Sabah, A Love Story (1-2-10) My kind of movie (88%)
St. Vincent (10-31-14) Bill Murray at his best (4.5)
Safe House () It was decent (2.5)
Safety Not Guaranteed (9-1-12) Loved it a lot (5.5)
Same Kind of Different as Me  (10/21/17) A little too religious for me (3.5)
Searching for Sugarman (4) It was really good, I liked it a lot
Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  (3) Disappointing
Secret in Their Eyes (9-23-10)  Great movie - an Argentinian murder mystery (97%)
Secret Life of Bees (11/18/08) Wonderful (5)
Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1-15-2014) Loved it - hilarious and clever! (5)
Secret Life of Pets (8/30/16) Somewhat watchable...but the kids liked it (3)
Secret Life of Words (12-18-09) Indie, off-beat, and interesting (83%)
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World- Yuck (1)
Selma - 1/12/15 Beautifully crafted, and mesmerizing (5)
Sense of an Ending, The (3/25/17) great British CRF flashback movie (4.5)
Separation, A (4-30-12) It was awesome (6)
Serious Man, A (10-29-09) Adored this Coen Brothers black comedy (93%)
Shape of Water, The (1/22/18) An unforgettable story (6)
Sherlock Gnomes (3/29/18) Super Yuck (1)
She's Out of My League (5-5-10) - Haha funny and quite sweet (84%)
Silver Linings Playbook (1-7-13) Fantastic movie- WOW! (6)

A Simple Favor (9/18) Bizarrely fun (4.5)
Single Man, A (2-21-10) This time is was Colin Furth that was amazing! (90%)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 8/10/08  Just plain fun
Skyfall: Dragged on and on (2)
Slumdog Millionaire (2/4/09) Outstanding (75%)
Smallfoot (10/1/18) Actually fell asleep.... (2)
Snowden (9/20/16) Very Good Biopic (5)
Social Network, The (2-14-11) Intriguing! (6)

Sonic the Hedgehog (2/27/2020) Surprisingly fun! (3.5)
Source Code (6-8-11) Super! (5)
Spectacular Now, The (9-6-13) a particularly good movie (5)

Spiderman: No Way Home (1/10/22) Lots of fun surprises, but too long (4)
Spotlight  (12/10/15) (6) retelling the story of The Boston Globe's investigations into the Catholic priest child molestation scandal
Spy Who Dumped Me, The (8/12/18) So disappointing, funny in places (2.5)
Star Trek Beyond (9-16-16) 80% boring 20% fun (2)
Star Wars Episode 7:  The Force Awakens (4.5) Great story, wonderful actors
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode 8) (12/21/17) Fun to watch, a bit too many explosions....(4)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (1/23) Love Adam Driver! (3.5)
State of Play (5/12/09) Very Good with suspense and a twist (75%)

Stillwater (8/8/2021) Matt Damon was wonderful (5)
Suffragette (11/2015) Entertaining and educational (and intense)  (4.5)
Sully (9/12/16) Tribute to an "everyday hero" (5.5)
Sunshine Cleaning (4/27/09) I just loved this one (6)
Super 8 (8-26-11) It was okay, a modern day Goonies (2)
Table 19 (3/2017) Not one bit funny...Yuck! (1.5)
Tag (6/16/18) Lighthearted fun (3.5)
Tammy (9/2014) Didn't think I'd like it but I did! (4)
Terri Liked it (3)
Thanks for Sharing (9-20-2013) a splendid movie with fantastic acting (5.5)
Their Finest (6/7/17) Could've been wonderful (3.5)
This is the End (9/24/2013) silly, nutty, funny....(2)
This is Where I Leave You (10/15/14) hysterically funny and poignant at the same time (4)
This Means War (2-18-12) It was okay (2)
Thor:  The Dark World (11/11/13)  good one with lots of chuckles (4.5)
Thor Just Plain Fun (2)
Three Identical Strangers (8/17/18) Got darker and darker (3.5)
Three Musketeers, The  (10-30-11) Didn't like it (1)
Time Traveler's Wife, The (8-19-09) Better than expected...a tear jerker, though. (89%)
Tiny Furniture (2-4-11) pathetic protagonist, did NOTHING for me. (1)
Tower Heist (12-5-11) Liked it (3)
Town, The, (10-7-10) Great setting (Boston) and great accents! (87%)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (7-21-11)  Brendan really enjoyed it.  I didn't (1)
Transsiberian (10/16/08) Hey, this was good (80%)
Tomb Raider (3/16/18) Attention grabbing, for sure! (3)
To Rome With Love (8/10/12) Liked most of it a lot (3.5)
Trainwreck (8/3/15) Raunchy and real and wonderful (5)
Triple 9 (3-1-16) Gritty, bloody, and mesmerizing (4)
Trolls (7-10-17) cute but not so bad! (3)
True Grit (2-5-11) So good! (5)
Tully (5/8/18)  Unsettling (3)
Twilight (11/27/08) Pretty much what I expected (60%)
Twilight Saga  (11-20-12) Worth the wait (4.5)
Two Days, One Night (2/9/15) Slow, good acting, though (3.5)
Two Lovers (5/5/09) Like it a lot (80%)
Ugly Truth, The - (7-30-09) Cute but silly (55%)
Unknown, The (2-21-11) A wonderful mind-tickler(4)
Up in the Air (12-25-09) Completely enjoyable. (90%)
Upside, The (1/14/19) Paraplegic buddy movie done right (5)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (8-9-17) A SciFi Star Wars-y flick (4)
Venom (10/8/18) My introduction to Tom Hardy (4)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (8/27/08) Still mulling it over (2.5)
Victoria & Abdul (10/14/17) It appears to be based on a true story, at least somewhat...(4)
War Dogs (9/13/16) "troubling" real-world stuff (4.5)
Way, Way Back, The (8-5-13) fabulous movie (6)
Wedding Ringer, The (1/19/15) fun and funny (4)
We're the Millers (10/26/13) a freaking funny movie! (4+)
What If... (8-14) a favorite! LOVE Daniel Radcliffe! (5)
What Just Happened (11/21/08) Mostly boring, much emotional sadness, some funny parts (1)

Where'd You Go Bernadette (8/17/19) somewhat different from the book (4)
Whip It (10-31-09) Thoroughly enjoyable entertainment (93%)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot  3/5/16 really interesting and fun to watch (5)
Why Him?  (12/24/16) Crass and a real hoot  (4.5)
Wind River (9/3/17) My favorite of 2017 (6)
Winter's Bone (9-11-10) Bleak, sad, depressing, but wonderfully put togetha favoriteer (86% )
Winter's Tale (2-16-14) Stupid film.  Enough said. (1)
Win Win (4-17-11) A super movie! (4)
Wonder (12/1/17) Ultimate Feel-Good Movie (5)

Wonder Park (3/19/19) Umm, no.... (2.5)
Wonder Woman (7-11-2017) Lots of WWI History included (4.5)
World War Z (7-13) will watch for the sequel (3)

A Wrinkle in Time (3/25/18) Not my vision at all (2.5)
Yesterday (7/9/19) Just plain fun (5)
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (10-31-10) I liked it a lot, despite not-so-great reviews (86%)
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (10/31/08) Fun, Funny, Sweet -- and Tasteless & Raunchy (67%)
Zero Dark Thirty (1-28-13) A bit of hugely important contemporary history (4.5)