"Katnip Kollege"

"Katnip Kollege" (short), 1938. Cats study swingology by day, swing by night. Directed by Cal Dalton & Cal Howard. Written by Dave Monahan. Starring Johnnie Davis, George MacFarland & Mabel Todd.

Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 0/4 (Terrible)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 3/4 (Good)
Subjective Rating: 5/10 (Indifferent, 2/4). There's nothing to this but the music, which is very good but not enough to carry a cartoon.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.8/4 (Eh)

[update: re-watched 1/23/2014]

Destination Moon

From my 1950s Science Fiction Marathon, part 1 of 12.

Destination Moon, 1950. American industry joins forces to win the space race. Directed by Irving Pichel. Written by Alford Van Ronkel, Robert A. Heinlein & James O'Hanlon, based on Heinlein's novel. Starring John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers & Dick Wesson.

Concept: 3/4 (Good)
Story: 3/4 (Good). Bonus points for not having a villain.
Characters: 0/4 (Terrible)
Dialog: 1/4 (Bad)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 1/4 (Bad)
Special effects/design: 4/4 (Great)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, 2/4). Classic pulp-inspired art direction, and near-perfect scientific accuracy (I mean, seriously - you don't get this level of good science on film outside of a documentary). Who'd have thought you could have both in one movie?
Objective Rating (Average): 2.0/4 (Indifferent)

VSM: 1950s Science Fiction

Okay, enough with the foreign art films. Time for some fun.

Very Slow Marathon #9 – 1950s Science Fiction
[note: You can find this list from the sidebar, under "Very Slow Marathons."]

1. Destination Moon, 1950
2. The Thing from Another World, 1951
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951
4. The War of the Worlds, 1953
5. Them!, 1954
6. Godzilla, 1954
7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956
8. Forbidden Planet, 1956
9. The Incredible Shrinking Man, 1957
10. The Fly, 1958
11. The Blob, 1958
12. On the Beach, 1959

Pandora's Box

From my Second Ebert's Great Movies Marathon, part 15 of 15

Die Büchse der Pandora, 1929. An unflappable flapper is surrounded by melodramatic tragedy. Directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst. Written by Ladislaus Vajda, based on plays by Frank Wedekind. Starring Louise Brooks.

Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 4/4 (Great)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 5/10 (Indifferent, 2/4). It's a perfectly okay movie (which is pretty good for a silent era drama), but unremarkable.  The only thing Ebert's essay has to say about it, apart from a lengthy plot synopsis, is that Louise Brooks is in it. And I guess that's supposed to be enough to make it a great movie. She's cool and all - very ahead of her time - but, man, if this is her best role, that is unfortunate.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.2/4 (Okay)

Spider-Man

Spider-Man, 2002. A teenager gets super powers, and his friend's dad gets killy. Directed by Sam Raimi. Written by David Koepp, based on a comic book by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko. Starring Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe & Kirsten Dunst.

Concept: 3/4 (Good)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent). Lots of horrendous crap, but also a fair amount of greatness. I guess it's too late now to hope for a J. Jonah Jameson spin-off series.
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 3/4 (Good)
Special effects/design: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, 2/4). Shamelessly, gleefully hackneyed.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.2/4 (Okay)

Red River

From my Second Ebert's Great Movies Marathon, part 14 of 15

Red River, 1948. A ruthless rancher heads a cattle drive. Directed by Howard Hawks & Arthur Rosson. Written by Borden Chase & Charles Schnee, based on a story by Chase. Starring John Wayne & Montgomery Clift.

Concept: 3/4 (Good). Mutiny on the Chisholm Trail. (Wayne even looks a little like a naval captain in that silly shirt.)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent). 90% of it is very good. But, oh, that other 10%... yeesh.
Characters: 3/4 (Good)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent). At times, it's absolutely brilliant. At other times, it's horrendously awful.
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 4/4 (Great).
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). Pretty darn exciting. Even when it slows down, there's usually still a lot of interesting stuff going on. (For instance, I wonder if John Wayne realized that all of these cowboys either are or want to be having sex with each other.) There's a heap of big problems with it, though - very uneven writing.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.8/4 (Good)

"Bingo Crosbyana"

"Bingo Crosbyana" (short), 1936. All the lady flies are attracted to a Bing Crosby fly. Directed by Friz Freleng.

Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: n/a
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 4/10 (Eh, 2/4). I don't get it.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.9/4 (Eh)

"Hotel a la Swing"

"Hotel a la Swing" (short), 1937. A singing and dancing theater troupe takes over a hotel. Directed by Roy Mack. Written by Burnet Hershey. Starring Eddie Foy Jr..

Concept: 0/4 (Terrible)
Story: 0/4 (Terrible)
Characters: 0/4 (Terrible)
Dialog: 0/4 (Terrible)
Pacing: 1/4 (Bad)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 1/4 (Bad)
Subjective Rating: 3/10 (Bad, 1/4). Doesn't make any sense. Half the numbers don't fit in with the hotel theme, which makes the awful attempt at a connecting story not only annoying, but pointless. Only one of the dances is even entertaining, and that lasts about one minute (in a 20-some minute film).
Objective Rating (Average): 0.8/4 (Very bad)

Swing Time

From my Second Ebert's Great Movies Marathon, part 13 of 15

Swing Time, 1936. Boy dancer meets girl dancer; dancing ensues. Directed by George Stevens. Written by Howard Lindsay & Allan Scott; story by Erwin S. Gelsey. Starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore & Helen Broderick.

Concept: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent). Although, the actors make them into something much better than what's written - particularly Broderick.
Dialog: 3/4 (Good)
Pacing: 4/4 (Great)
Cinematography: 3/4 (Good). Ebert's essay makes a point of how they never cut away during the dance numbers. Isn't that just common sense, though? I mean, what would be the point of the movie if they didn't show you the dancing? It'd be like making action movies where you can't follow the action OH WAIT. </irrelevant rant>
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 4/4 (Great). We definitely need to see more Ginger Rogers movies.
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 8/10 (Great, 4/4). Amazing levels of delightfulness.  I can't remember the last time that watching something has filled me with anywhere near this much joy.  I can't bring myself to score it higher than an 8/10, though, on account of (1) a stupid plot and (2) holy crap did Fred Astaire just put on blackface? Yes, yes he did.
Objective Rating (Average): 3.0/4 (Good)

Woman in the Dunes

From my Second Ebert's Great Movies Marathon, part 12 of 15

Suna no onna, 1964. Poor villagers trap a man in a pit. Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara. Written by Kôbô Abe, based on his book. Starring Eiji Okada & Kyôko Kishida.

Concept: 3/4 (Good)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 4/4 (Great)
Special effects/design: 4/4 (Great)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 3/4 (Good)
Subjective Rating: 4/10 (Eh, 2/4). Like a Beckett play, minus any of the humor.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.7/4 (Good)

Planet Earth

Planet Earth (TV series), 2006. Unprecedented footage of the natural world. Directed by Alastair Fothergill. Starring David Attenborough.

Concept: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent). They did pretty well to find stories to tell, considering the non-narrative format of the show. A couple parts are even suspenseful.
Characters: n/a
Dialog: 3/4 (Good)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 4/4 (Great)
Special effects/design: 4/4 (Great)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 8/10 (Great, 4/4). The ultimate nature documentary. I don't usually like this sort of show, but this is gripping. You can't look away from the screen for a second on account of the awesome.
Objective Rating (Average): 3.0/4 (Good)

Written on the Wind

From my Second Ebert's Great Movies Marathon, part 11 of 15

Written on the Wind, 1956. A paranoid playboy marries the woman his best friend loves. Directed by Douglas Sirk. Written by George Zuckerman, based on a book by Robert Wilder. Starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack & Dorothy Malone.

Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 0/4 (Terrible)
Pacing: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 1/4 (Bad)
Subjective Rating: 3/10 (Bad, 1/4). Seeping vat of soap opera drivel. B monster movie, minus the monster.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.2/4 (Bad)

A Woman Under the Influence

From my Second Ebert's Great Movies Marathon, part 10 of 15

A Woman Under the Influence, 1974. A working-class housewife is mentally ill. Written & directed by John Cassavetes. Starring Peter Falk & Gena Rowlands.

Concept: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Story: 3/4 (Good)
Characters: 4/4 (Great)
Dialog: 4/4 (Great)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 3/4 (Good)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 4/4 (Great)
Music: 4/4 (Great)
Subjective Rating: 5/10 (Indifferent, 2/4). It's an extremely well-made film, but difficult to watch. Uncomfortable, intense, and exhausting.
Objective Rating (Average): 3.2/4 (Very good)

And Now for Something Completely Different

And Now for Something Completely Different, 1971. Popular sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus, reenacted. Directed by Ian MacNaughton. Written by & starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones & Michael Palin.

Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 3/4 (Good)
Dialog: 4/4 (Great)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). Redundant. There isn't anything here that isn't better in the TV show.  If you can ignore that fact, this is probably the best Monty Python movie.  That's a pretty big "if," though. Minus several points for the wait-didn't-this-used-to-be-a-little-bit-funnier factor.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.3/4 (Okay)

Battle for the Planet of the Apes

Battle for the Planet of the Apes, 1973. Apes and humans battle for the planet of the apes. Directed by J. Lee Thompson. Written by John William Corrington & Joyce Hooper Corrington; story by Paul Dehn, based on characters by Pierre Boulle (but not really). Starring Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Paul Williams & Austin Stoker.

Concept: 3/4 (Good). Post-apocalyptic battle? Okay!
Story: 0/4 (Terrible). The basic plot points could have made a good story, but the execution is at an exceptional level of terrible.
Characters: 1/4 (Bad)
Dialog: 0/4 (Terrible). A contender for the worst dialog ever written.
Pacing: 0/4 (Terrible). It's a 90-minute action movie, and yet it's excruciatingly boring. How did they even do that?
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 1/4 (Bad)
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 3/10 (Bad, 1/4). Unrelentingly awful. But without any of the camp value of the fourth movie. Just awful.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.1/4 (Bad)

(update of a previous post - original is here (and I don't know what I was thinking, giving this a 6/10)

"Hello"

"Hello" (short), 2003. A shy cassette player has trouble asking out his neighbor. Written & directed by Jonathan Nix.

Concept: 3/4 (Good)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 3/4 (Good)
Dialog: 3/4 (Good)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 3/4 (Good)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 3/4 (Good)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). Cute and sweet.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.9/4 (Good)

The Guild: Seasons 1-4

The Guild: Seasons One through Four, 2007-2010. Awkward online gamers meet in person; drama ensues.

Created by, written by & starring Felicia Day. Directed by Sean Becker (seasons 2-4), Jane Selle Morgan (season 1, 5 episodes) & Greg Benson (season 1, 5 episodes).

Concept: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 4/4 (Great)
Dialog: 4/4 (Great)
Pacing: 4/4 (Great)
Cinematography: 1/4 (Bad)
Special effects/design: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, 3/4). The humor is occasionally very funny, but often either absent or incidental. The story lines are dumb - basically soap opera for the socially impaired. But somehow it draws me in. I feel like I know these characters.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.7/4 (Good)

"I Love to Singa"

"I Love to Singa" (short), 1936. An owl doesn't approve of his son's jazz singing. Directed by Tex Avery. Starring Billy Bletcher & Tommy Bond.

Concept: 1/4 (Bad)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 3/4 (Good)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 3/4 (Good)
Acting: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Music: 3/4 (Good)
Subjective Rating: 5/10 (Indifferent, 2/4). I never seem to know what to make of 1930s cartoons. I like the old-timey animation style, but they're rarely funny or stand out in any way.
Objective Rating (Average): 2.1/4 (Okay)

"50 Percent Grey"

"50 Percent Grey" (short), 2001. A dead soldier wakes up in an empty world. Written & directed by Ruairi Robinson.

Concept: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Story: 1/4 (Bad)
Characters: 0/4 (Terrible)
Dialog: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Pacing: 1/4 (Bad)
Cinematography: 3/4 (Good)
Special effects/design: 1/4 (Bad).
Acting: 1/4 (Bad)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 3/10 (Bad, 1/4). A prolonged joke that's not funny, told without skill.
Objective Rating (Average): 1.4/4 (Bad)

"Rocks"

"Das Rad" (short), 2003. Rocks observe the growth of civilization. Written & directed by Chris Stenner, Arvid Uibel & Heidi Wittlinger. Starring Rainer Basedow & Michael Habeck.

Concept: 4/4 (Great)
Story: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Characters: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Dialog: 3/4 (Good)
Pacing: 4/4 (Great)
Cinematography: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Special effects/design: 4/4 (Great)
Acting: 3/4 (Good)
Music: 2/4 (Indifferent)
Subjective Rating: 8/10 (Great, 4/4). Pretty neat-o.
Objective Rating (Average): 3.0/4 (Good)