The first batch of movies I watched in July:

96. (1155.) Eraserhead (1977)
While I generally do enjoy seeing movies that forsake the norms expected by mainstream audiences, I still need them to have something approaching a narrative plot. This movie has some great visual effects (by which I mean disgusting but incredibly well executed), but the events depicted were painfully illogical, a nightmarish dream that left me incredibly frustrated as I struggled to find some meaning at its core. I did not enjoy.

97. (1156.) The Tall Target (1951)
Now this was more in my wheelhouse. Dick Powell shines in this suspenseful crime mystery where the assassination target is President-elect Lincoln! Very enjoyable.

98. (1157.) General Spanky (1936)
General Spanky is the only feature length "Little Rascals" film, and it was definitely worth the watch. Spanky plays the adopted son of a reluctant Confederate at the dawn of the Civil War. The comedy treats the war like a potentially fatal game played between willing adults, which, when you think about it, is every bit as terrifying a treatment as you're likely to find in Dunkirk.

99. (1158.) Ride Along (2014)
Ice Cube! Kevin Hart! John Leguizamo! Lawrence Fishburne! I didn't find this comedy to be as bad as the reviews, though comedies always get terrible reviews. (Humor is so subjective.) The best part wasn't the banter of the all-star cast, however, but the frequent reference to Atlanta. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing the ATL on the big screen.

100. (1159.) Tea for Two (1950)
I saw the second half of this a few years ago and just now caught up to the beginning. That softened my opinion of some of the characters somewhat, but it's all still super contrived. That's a big problem in some of these Golden Age musicals. The best of them overcome that limitation. Not so much here.

More to come.

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