Just Cause (1995)

[Movie 225 / Day 238]


Sean Connery is a lawyer that hasn't tried a case in years, now spending his time as a college professor. Until he is coaxed out of retirement by the case of a young black man that is thrown onto death row after confessing (under duress) to brutally murdering a young girl.

It's clear what the twist is going to be two thirds of the way through the movie, but it's very watchable nonetheless.

Ed Harris is brilliant as another death row inmate, Blair Sullivan.

My rating: 6.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.1 / 10
Running time: 102 mins
IMDB link

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

[Movie 148 / Day 159]


Boyz n the Hood tells the story of a young black man that lives in South Central LA in the mid-80s. He moves in with his father when his mother decides she can't teach him to be a man after he gets into one too many fights at school.

At his fathers, he hangs around with the local kids, some of whom are attempting to do the best with what they have and some of which are content to sit back and let life go by, living the gang life.

The movie really gives a sense of what it was like to grow up in those neighbourhoods at that time; with police helicopters flying over at all hours of the day and night, gunshots breaking the silence at regular intervals, drive-by shootings relatively normal. It's really quite grim and not nearly as 'cool' as some rappers would have you believe.

There isn't much violence in the movie, which surprised me (not having seen it for many years) but it tells a story that is both sad moving.

My rating: 7.2 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.8 / 10
Running time: 107 mins
IMDB link

4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

[Movie 127 / Day 110]


Pretty average comic book movie. Jessica Alba is smoking hot, Ioan Gruffudd still seems miscast as her husband-to-be. Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis are both good as the final Fantastic team members, the Human Torch and the Thing respectively.

The story line is pretty much standard comic book fair - alien thing threatens to destroy the earth, only the Fantastic Four have a hope of stopping it. It's nice that the action isn't just confined to America though, with a sizeable set-piece in London and another in Germany.

Watchable - and the kids enjoyed it.

My rating: 6.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 5.9 / 10
Running time: 92 mins
IMDB link