My movie intake has gone down in recent months. Football conditioned me out of it, I think, and work and Fallout 4 have conspired to keep me out. I'll see what I can do to pick up the pace. In the meantime, here's the first batch from February.

13. (951.) Ex Machina (2015)
This movie is largely about the damage we do when we lie to each other and, more importantly, ourselves. Oh, man, did this one push all of my anxiety buttons. It's good and suspenseful — and I recommend it — but the story is predicated on three dishonest people trying to manipulate everyone around them. I shouldn't watch movies like this.

14. (952.) Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)
This movie is largely about the damage we do when we lie to each other and, more importantly, ourselves. Heh. I'm on the fence about whether director Robert Altman was truly a cinematic genius. (Except for The Player. I love The Player.) In my opinion, his desperate chase for verisimilitude often results in moves that are just as dull as real life. I liked this one much more, probably because it was presented as if it were a stage play (which it was before being adapted for the screen). When unencumbered by "reality," Altman could make a pretty gripping movie.

15. (953.) R.I.P.D. (2013)
Ugh. Jeff Bridges is the only person having fun with this movie — and I'm counting the audience. Every scene is a cliche, some set pieces go on too long, and the CGI is third-rate at best. No wonder this thing is now considered among the worst flops of all time.

16. (954.) The Heat (2013)
See, now this is how you do a buddy-cop action/comedy picture right. It's also built on a firm foundation of over-used cliches, but it moves along at a snappy pace. It helps that the protagonists have some real chemistry, and their dialogue feels natural. More of this, please.

17. (955.) Our Man in Havanna (1960)
As a kid watching Star Wars, I had no appreciation for just how good an actor Alec Guinness was. In this dark comedy, he plays a reluctant spy with just the right amount of, well, everything. He was way too good an actor to be found slumming in a hokey space opera.

More to come.

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