M - MAN
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M3GAN [2022] Mad God [2021] Mad Max: Fury Road [2015]
Mafia! [1998] Mafia Mamma [2023] Magnum Force [1973]
Major [2022] Major League [1989] Major League II [1994]
Major League III: Back to the Minors [1998] Malicious [2018] A Man and His Trumpet: The Leroy Jones Story [2018]
Man Behind the Sun [1988] A Man Escaped [1956] The Man from Earth [2007]
The Man from Earth 2: Holocene [2017] The Man from Nowhere [2010] The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [2015]
The Man in the Orange Jacket [2014] Man of Steel [2013] Man of Tai Chi [2013]
Man on a Ledge [2012] Man on Fire [1987] Man on Fire [2004]
The Man Who Knew Too Much [1934] The Mandela Effect [2019] Mandy [2018]
Manhunter [1986] Maniac [1980] Maniac [2012]
Mafia Mamma [2023]

            
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A mom, who devotes her entire world to taking care of everyone else, suddenly inherits the role of head boss of a crime family in Italy. I didn't have much hope for this movie in the first half hour but it got better. It's problem is that it's treated as a farcical look at a serious subject but doesn't have the wit or LOL moments to fully pull that off making it sort of awkward. In fact, if it wasn't for the great performances of Toni Collette & Monica Bellucci, it would probably have gone unnoticed. However, it was amusing, fun and enjoyable. We liked it.
The Mandela Effect [2019]

            
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After the tragic accidental death of his daughter, a man begins questioning reality prompting an obsession with terrible consequences. What a fascinating film that not only works as a highly scientific / techie exercise (which may go over some people's heads) but also as an exploration of an unstoppable need to find the truth fully aware that it may destroy everything. Acting, pacing, dialog and story are excellent and, although it may lose some viewers, I found this low budget sci fi gem to be far better than the general ratings it's getting. Good stuff in a 80 min package!
M3GAN [2022]

            

Under deadline to produce a new "toy" and suddenly having to take care of a niece who lost her parents, a robotics engineer brings home M3GAN ...just for testing purposes. This was a film that played out exactly as one would expect and it was good but, for whatever reason, it just didn't hit all the right notes for me. M3GAN never inspired the insidious malevolence that I was expecting - I found Talking Tina in the old Twilight Zone to be more terrifying. I felt the occasional Disney song moments were silly, as well. It was good, just not as good as I had hoped.
Magnum Force [1973]

         

Now that we've gotten to know Harry in the first film, he gets free reign to do his thing in this one involving vigilante cops. Presented loosely as a mystery (which you'll figure out in no time), this is far more an intense cat & mouse thriller with a great story, lots of action - a chase scene on San Francisco's famous Lombard Ave. You gotta love it - shootouts and a good deal of drama all wrapped up in a 2+ hour package that never drags. One of the best films in the franchise that can be easily enjoyed as a stand alone film, if you're just looking for an introduction. Awesome!
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. [2015]

         

During the cold war, a U.S. and Russian agent are forced to work together to find a nuclear physicist. This completely unoriginal spy film left me somewhat perplexed. The characters came off as caricatures that never once felt authentic, devoid of anything beyond canned emotions and reactions. Many of the gags, including a prolonged 'eating in a truck' scene fell completely flat. Music was awful... even if the viewer liked it, it was entirely out-of-place. Action, including a split screen sequence that was incomprehensible, was badly edited. Marginally entertaining.
Major [2022]

            

I don't know what the People of India like in their movies so, for what it's worth, this is an American review. It centers around the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and his heroism in the terrorist attack of Mumbai in 2008. The first hour is a pretty standard romance as we follow his relationship from school friend to marriage. We then get to the Mumbai attacks which were very theatrical and heroic but not very realistic for an actual event. It's an exciting, entertaining film but its need to trigger our emotions interferes with what could have been a more realistic biography.
Man on Fire [2004]

            

An over-the-hill, alcoholic, ex-special forces dude is hired as a bodyguard for a young girl. First, let me say, good story, great writing, and the outstanding acting was heartfelt and genuine. That being said... did someone drop the film into a shredder and then hire a bunch of children to splice it back together with Scotch tape? That's how it looks ...and that's not an exaggeration! I have never encountered more horrendous editing in my life. Clearly 40+% of the film was filled with blurry, jittery, flashing images that only served to nauseate my wife and me.
Man Behind the Sun [1988]
aka Men Behind the Sun / Hei tai yang 731
     

A fictionalized but fairly, historically accurate account of the biological experiments conducted on the local Chinese populace by Japanese Squadron 731 near the end of WWII. An extremely disturbing and unsettling depiction of human torture and misery. An argument could be made between whether this is sensationalistic exploitation or just brutally honest but there's no denying the horrific depravity of what took place. Composition wise, as a film, it's certainly not professional quality but it does make its point ...in spades.
A Man and His Trumpet: The Leroy Jones Story [2018]

         
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Arguably the best trumpet player today, this New Orleans native biography goes from his time with the Fairview Baptist Christian Marching Band to his 17 years playing with Harry Connick, Jr. to his life today. Unfortunately, it's all about him. His body of work is only mentioned as passing comments, there's no footage of him in concert with Harry Connick, Jr. and there's less than 10 minutes of seeing him actually play. He's a genuinely nice man, full of life who's had a wonderful history, making this a supreme feel-good biopic despite not sharing much music.
Man of Steel [2013]

            

If you're familiar with Superman I & II from the 70s, this is pretty much a reboot of that with a few variations ...and done extremely well. In fact, it's the first DC movie I've seen that I feel is comparable to an MCU film. And superbly directed by Zack Snyder, no less ...a person I consider to be one of the most overrated people in Hollywood. Great characters, good story, awesome action sequences and super spec fx. Really could have used some humor, though. Very little comic relief making it all a bit too serious but an exciting ride, anyway.
Mafia! [1998]
aka Jane Austen's Mafia!
            
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Airplane! style humor in this Godfather parody. Although there were a few "laugh-out-loud" moments - especially with Lloyd Bridges in one of the best roles I've seen him in - most of it was just silly ...and more in a groan way.
Major League [1989]

         


Everybody's performance as dysfunctional baseball players in the Cleveland Indians organization is fantastic and side-splitting funny. The tyrannical owner wants them to end the season in last place so it will be easier to transfer the team to another city, but they're going to make every effort to destroy her dreams. An absolute classic that is hilarious and entertaining even if you don't like baseball.
Major League II [1994]

         


I think this film got a bum rap, personally. Not as "laugh-out-loud" funny as the original but did anyone expect to be? You know, there are movies that are simply a real tough act to follow and we should keep that in mind going in. In this case, if you like the original, you'll probably like this one. Not as much but it's a worthy follow up good for a few laughs.
Maniac [2012]

         
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Frodo! Say it ain't so!! Actually, far from being typecast, Elijah Wood has grabbed quite a variety of roles including this one as a totally psychopathic - but likable - manikin maker and does a fantastic job. Unfortunately, that's the only good thing about this dark and very uncomfortably slow remake of the 1980 film. Apparently, someone didn't think the original was depraved enough.
Man on Fire [1987]

            
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A has-been CIA agent gets a job as bodyguard to a young girl who subsequently gets kidnapped. Practically everyone is badly miscast and the film is soooo melodramatic. I didn't entirely dislike it until the girl actually gets kidnapped ...which took half a film to do. I figured it would pick up but then we watched a hero, who is totally incompetent and obviously lacking in military training, stumble around until the end ...which confused the hell out of me. Go see the Denzel Washington or Bollywood versions. Mucho better.
Manhunter [1986]

         
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Many people think of the first film featuring Hannibal Lecter was The Silence of the Lambs. 5 years prior to that film, was this one ...which is an early version of Red Dragon. This Michael Mann version is more stylish and a bit on the surreal side while Red Dragon is more dramatic and organic. Both are excellent and even though Brian Cox is not Anthony Hopkins, his Lecter was quite competent and insidious. Will Peterson, Tom Noonan, excellent. See them both and compare. "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" in the soundtrack? ...gotta love that!!
Maniac [1980]

            
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The sick and depraved cult film about a guy who kills women to dress his manikins with their scalps. There's an incredible shotgun scene orchestrated by make-up genius, Tom Savini, who sets himself up as the victim for the effect. Beware censored copies that cut it out. Joe Spinell (who was also co-writer) was brilliant in his portrayal of the maniac ...he has you totally convinced that he's certifiably psycho. To this day, though, it's still hard to watch.
The Man from Earth [2007]

            
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Boy was I surprised. I heard this movie was pretty much all talk so I didn't expect too much from it. As it turns out, this film is fascinating. It's basically about a guy who decides to tell his colleagues that he's been alive since the dawn of man and the discussions it generates are philosophically, intellectually and spiritually quite intriguing inciting wonder, confusion, anger, and downright hostility in equal doses within the group. Exquisitely well written!
The Man from Nowhere [2010]
aka Ajeossi
            
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A girl befriends the owner of a pawnshop, even though he doesn't seem to pay any attention to her. When the girl and her mother gets kidnapped, we find the pawnshop owner is far more resourceful than we thought and he's going to get the girl back. Remarkably well made Korean thriller, similar to Man on Fire, that is engrossing, exciting, and heart grabbing. Bin Won, as the pawnshop owner, and Sae-ron Kim, as the little girl, were fantastic pulling strong and genuine emotions out of their fully formed characters. Action is fantastic!
Mandy [2018]

            
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The lives of a quiet couple, living in the woods, are disrupted by a psychotic cult and monstrous bikers. This film is like spending 2 hours in someone's LSD-laced nightmare. Between this film and his previous film, Beyond the Black Rainbow, writer / director, Panos Cosmatos, has shown us a unique vision that ignores conventional film making and takes it to intense, surreal, insane places no one has been before. Nicolas Cage is perfect portraying the unraveling disintegration from quiet husband to savage berserker. Violent, bloody, mad and shocking. Yeah!!!
The Man in the Orange Jacket [2014]
aka M.O.Zh.
            
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A delusional man invades a house. The first 10 minutes of this film is sudden, brutal and had me totally hooked. I then greeted the rest of the film with excitement, then anticipation, then interest, then mild curiosity, then frustration and in the end, "What the hell was that all about?" The ending rendered the whole thing rather pointless. If you like artsy, slow-burn films that don't go anywhere, this may be right up your alley. Otherwise, even at only 70 minutes in length, it was way too long and unsettling.
The Man from Earth 2: Holocene [2017]

            
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As Prof. John Oldman (now John Young) is preparing to move on, his efforts are complicated by some of his students who begin to believe that John is indeed 14k years old. Unlike the first film, which is basically all conversation, this one mostly deals with the students trying to find out who John really is and how this eventually develops into a tragic collision of philosophies and faith. ...and John appears to be aging! Doesn't have nearly the impact of the first film but a worthy follow-up just the same.
A Man Escaped [1956]
aka Un condamne a mort s'est echappe ou Le vent souffle ou il veut
            
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A man, incarcerated by the Germans at Lyon in 1943, plans an elaborate escape. This French art film depicting a real story is interesting in how the prisoner works everything out and develops all the material he'll need. That's also the problem. He can easily owe about 70% of his success to the Germans themselves for making it easy to get all the equipment he needed as well as some pretty lax guarding techniques making the whole thing feel very contrived. It's also ponderously slow and about 30 minutes too long. Art film lovers obviously love it, though.
Major League III: Back to the Minors [1998]

            


If you're looking for something as funny and well thought out as the original Major League, this isn't it. In fact, most of the stars from the original and the sequel are not in it. However, if you like light comedy and baseball, this movie will fill the bill. Fun, colorful characters and some good laugh-out-loud moments made this film rather entertaining and pretty much exactly what I expected for a knock-off sequel.
Man on a Ledge [2012]

         
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Clever little story about a complicated plan - hatched by an ex-cop who's escaped from prison - that involves standing on the ledge of a building in downtown Manhattan to prove his innocence. Complex story that kept me on edge (pardon the pun) with a lot of minor twists and turns making it totally unpredictable ...I really had no idea what would happen next. Great performances and very smart writing.
The Man Who Knew Too Much [1934]

         
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A family on vacation in Switzerland, is befriended by a man who is killed but passes along information of an assassination plot before dying. The family's daughter is kidnapped to keep them quiet. Although we're still talking low-tech 1934, this film was well-paced and far more modern in style than many films from that era. I was also surprised by an extended gun battle which was well executed. Nova Pilbeam was terrible as the daughter. However, Peter Lorie was awesome as the bad guy.
Man of Tai Chi [2013]

         

A Tai Chi fighter is hired by an ultra-rich and evil entrepreneur that broadcasts fights to the uber elite. Basically one martial arts fight after another throughout the entire film. However, as director, Keanu Reeves did a superb job of providing fully formed characters and storyline (simple as it may be) in those few quiet moments adding a good deal of depth to the film. The fights are so imaginatively choreographed that I never had the feeling I was watching the same old thing over and over again. Well done!
Malicious [2018]

         
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When a woman opens a fertility box, that was given to her as a house warming present, she lets loose an evil and malicious entity. There really isn't anything new here; the story's simple and there are no surprises. But I felt it was done quite effectively. It entertained me and sent a few shivers down my spine at the same time. If you're just looking for something with a few choice scares without anything special, this will probably fill the bill.
Mad Max: Fury Road [2015]

            
  
Deep in the wasteland, Immorten Joe lords over all. But Imperator Furiosa is tired of it all and attempts to escape with Joe's harem to a land called the Green Place. Max just happens to be along for the ride. There's really no other way to describe this but full tilt bozo, hi-octane, adrenaline fueled, mass chaos done in such a spectacular, original and prolonged fashion that it's amazing they found time to develop characters. But, they did a good job of that, as well. Everyone did a fantastic job and the crew that made the vehicles ...Outstanding!!
Mad God [2021]

            
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This predominantly stop-motion animated film has been a 30-year project by Phil Tippett and every minute of that time shows. Quite literally unlike anything I've ever seen before, it's a world of post-industrial carnage full of mutant beings all earnestly working towards unfathomable goals. Totally immersive, I was fascinated and mesmerized the entire time, despite some imagery being genuinely vile, shocking and disturbing. Over it all, there's this subtle dark sense of humor that says, "I hope you're not taking this seriously." Fantastic experience.
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