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Dr. Daniel's Rating Bar

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In for ObservationLa Bamba
[ Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Elizabeth Pena ] Like The Buddy Holly Story with hot sauce. Muy bueno bio pic features super period look and style and superb Richie Valens redux from Los Lobos. 1987.

In For ObservationLa Femme Nikita
[ Anne Parillaud, Jean-Hughes Anglade, Jeanne Moreau ] A French film with subtitles? Settle in with a bottle of bordeaux, a little candle-light, and then...KABAM! 1991.

In For ObservationL. A. Story
[ Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant, Sarah Jessica Parker ] Stalwart script entertains on multiple levels (heard that one from Gene Siskel.) Rex Reed called it "frothy." 1991.

Critical ConditionLabyrinth
[ David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly ] Weary fantasy tale takes young Jennifer Connelly through an idiotic maze run by draggy David Bowie. Directed by Jim Henson during his "anti-muppet" period. 1986.

In for ObservationLady and the Tramp
[ Animated ] Straightforward Disney winner talks of dogs and spaghetti noodles. What a combination! Highlights include Peggy Lee singing "The Siamese Cat Song." 1955.

Dead on ArrivalLadybugs
[ Rodney Dangerfield, Jonathan Brandis, Jackee ] A teenager in drag. TV's Jackee. And Rodney Dangerfield above the title. We're having some fun now. 1992.

Under the KnifeLadyhawke
[ Rutger Hauer, Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer ] Okay there's this lady and she's a hawk. And then there's this guy who's a panther. And they're in love. Ow. My brain stem caught a cramp. 1985.

Critical ConditionThe Land Before Time
[ Voices - Helen Shaver, Pat Hingle ] I was just getting down to the middle of my large Coke when this animated contrivance ended! At a syrupy 67 minutes, it barely constitutes a feature film. 1988.

Under the KnifeThe Last Boy Scout
[ Bruce Willis, Daman Wayans ] Wayans is an ex-football star aiding and abetting grungy private eye Willis to crack a drug ring. Inventive opening sequence is the film's best five minutes. (That oughta tellya something.) 1991.

In for ObservationThe Last Detail
[ Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, Otis Young ] Director Hal Ashby gives us a magnetic dramedy about shore patrol escorts taking a young buck to prison. 1974.

In For ObservationThe Last Emperor
[ John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole ] 1987's Best Picture winner is the kind of film the Academy loves: period extravagance, overly long, with grand epic feel. Dull in places, but a must-see for Bertolucci fans (you know who you are.) 1987.

In For ObservationThe Last of the Mohicans
[ Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means ] James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel gets the do-over from "Miami Vice" man Michael Mann. See the buff Day-Lewis emote in an action flick. 1992.

Medical MiracleThe Last Picture Show
[ Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Cybill Shepherd, Cloris Leachman ] Winning feature from Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from Larry McMurtry's legendary novel. Much of the young cast went on to bigger (but not necessarily better) things. 1971.

In For ObservationThe Lawnmower Man
[ Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright ] Break-through 3-D effects take Stephen King story beyond the basics. Fahey is oddly rangey as the titular grasscutter, and Brosnan scores points as the PC programming Dr. Frankenstein. 1992.

Medical MiracleLawrence of Arabia
[ Peter O'Toole, Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn ] British epic of the life of T. E. Lawrence is visually astonishing with O'Toole and director David Lean at their peak. Cleaned up at the Oscars and still entrances. 1962.

Under the KnifeLegends of the Fall
[ Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn ] Oscar-begging epic has Brad Pitt emoting and preening like the coverboy of a Fabio romance novel. The castmembers grunt out their lines like constipated clerks at a Hickory Farms shop. Beautiful scenery and top-flight cinematography make this one bearable. 1994.

Dead on ArrivalLeonard Part 6
[ Bill Cosby, Joe Don Baker ] I'd rather run naked through a hedge of flaming holly bushes than watch this again. At times Cos seems to be looking offscreen for an exit. 1987.

In for ObservationLethal Weapon
[ Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey ] Director Richard Donner's action opus can be hailed as the definitive buddy-cop flick. Entertaining mix of comedy and action takes dead aim at your entertainment zone. 1987.

In for ObservationLethal Weapon 2
[ Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci ] Donner turns up the comedy dial in this LW entry, adding Joe Pesci to the mix. Solid followup that defies the 'sequels suck' paradigm. 1989.

Under the KnifeLethal Weapon 3
[ Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo, Joe Pesci ] Groaning under the weight of too many characters, what this chapter in the LW series lacks in story is repaired by stellar action sequences and explosion effects. 1992.

In for ObservationLethal Weapon 4
[ Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo ] See Doc's full-length examination. 1998.

Critical ConditionLeviathan
[ Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Hector Elizondo, Meg Foster, Michael Carmine, Lisa Eilbacher, Eugene Lipinski ] I decided to list the entire cast, so we can add them all to the Great Hall of Sell-Outs, for acting in this Alien ripoff. 1989.

In for ObservationThe Loved One
[ Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Milton Berle, John Gielgud ] Sickness and death and mental disturbance...and it's a comedy! Winters kicks the doors in on this amusing but strange black-and-white flick. 1965.


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