NathanBates

nathanbates
Cinema Addict - 2409 Film Ratings
Member Since: 09 Jul 2017
Location: Virginia, USA
TCI: not enough ratings
Films in Common: 0
Not in Your Top 1000 TCIs
Bio: My personal web site is at
https://sites.google.com/site/nathanbatesfilms/index
(I keep a "Greatest Films" list there, as I'm trying to watch most -- if not all -- of the 1001+ Movies You Must See Before You Die and the Criterion Collection)



I generally rate movies 1-5, so I just multiply that out on the 100 scale:
5/100: Excellent, well worth watching again and again
4/80: Pretty good
3/60: Average [general rating]
2/40: Pretty bad, but with some redeeming characteristics
1/20: Terrible; not worth watching ever again


Top 10 Movies:
1. Citizen Kane
2. Throne of Blood
3. Star Wars: A New Hope
4. Le Samourai
5. The Magicians
6. Stagecoach
7. Los Olvidados
8. Rear Window
9. The Third Man
10. North by Northwest


Comfort Movies:
1. Camp Nowhere
2. Midnight Madness
3. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
4. Tremors
5. Rat Race


Worst Movies I've Seen:
1. The Five (2010)
2. Percy Jackson II: Sea of Monsters
3. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief
4. Radioland Murders
5. Into the Storm

more Recent Ratings

40 5% Barb Wire (1996) - Rated 18 Mar 2024
"When the director said, "You know, this dystopian update of Casablanca has some promise; let's take this a bit more seriously," it was doomed to failure. It's far too cartoony to be taken seriously; it has too many long boring parts to be a decent spoof of the whole superhero or Mad Max genre. But give props to ol' Barb for being able in the midst of a devastated country to get a personalized license plate for her tricked-out motorcycle."
40 5% Gigli (2003) - Rated 17 Mar 2024
"There's just not much good you can say about this bizarre mish-mash of a movie. It's not particularly funny (not even accidentally), and there's no mystery to the romantic storyline partially due to the real-life coupling. The casting doesn't work, nor does the weird combination of symphonic orchestra and rap for the soundtrack. Props to JLo for managing to keep a straight face during filming as Affleck spews out whatever it is he's saying."
60 35% Bergman Island (2021) - Rated 15 Mar 2024
"Since I'm not a big fan of slice-of-life films, I felt my attention start drifting away, much like the marriage of Chris and Tony. Then when it switched, I thought the second story might be more riveting. But when the two stories started to intertwine - well, that was a bit too much. The acting was fine and the setting was amazing, but it just didn't keep me interested. (I wondered if Chris' third ending would be the one she herself chose; thankfully it didn't end that way in front of the kid.)"
60 35% Jiu shi liu liu de ta (1980) - Rated 14 Mar 2024
"A cute enough city-country romance that often feels like it's just one big music video. It has a few moments where you'll chuckle; otherwise, there's nothing particularly memorable about it. And there are quite a few "set-up" moments that don't ever amount to anything (like our hero's work on the roadway that starts the whole confrontation-into-romance)."
80 78% Dreadnaught (1981) - Rated 14 Mar 2024
"The first few sequences feel like this will be a mess -- there seems to be a dozen different storylines, and then action almost stops as we watch a lion dance for quite a while (*I* liked it but it feels out of place). Somehow, though, through some very good fight sequences (the demon tailor being notable), some moments bordering on horror, and a little overdone slapstick, all of the story starts to come together to a strong, if predictable, finish."
40 5% Xanadu (1980) - Rated 12 Mar 2024
"Your enjoyment of this sci-fi musical probably depends on how much you like roller disco. With its Tron-like graphics and music sequences that appear to be from the Village People, it's too bad the producers didn't spend some of the money they obviously spent on costumes to buy a little more integration between the set pieces and the plot. One hit song does not make for a hit movie."
80 78% I'm Not There (2007) - Rated 10 Mar 2024
"A peculiar biopic more about Dylan's personas than the real character. Some of the shots (especially with Blanchett, who makes a spooky doppelganger) appear to be pulled straight out of Dont Look Back, even though they aren't. And then there are others that put the masters of surrealism to shame. It probably bears a second watch; the music should pull you in even if the warped storyline makes you wonder if it's worth it. Fav scene: the funeral march (of the animals)."
60 35% The Master (2012) - Rated 09 Mar 2024
"This has some outstanding performances, but I'm not sure there was enough story to hold it all together. It felt a little like stew: a lot of stuff thrown in (some humor, some drama, the faintest of romance) that combined can taste good, although the recipe can change greatly with different flavors accented. (I'm not sure I'd buy the tie-in cookbook with those drink recipes, either.)"
40 5% Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - Rated 07 Mar 2024
"When I don't like a film, I try to think of somebody that might have liked it. I can't think of anyone I know who would enjoy this, which I think makes me happy. If I'm being charitable, a "making of" feature might be funnier than the film itself (which, IMO, wouldn't be hard; I didn't laugh once) but I'd rather gouge out my eyeballs before getting anywhere close to this ever again. Fav moment: the sign at the airport that asked when the movie would be over."
60 35% Ishtar (1987) - Rated 06 Mar 2024
"It's not quite as self-indulgent as you may have been led to believe, but it's not all that great a movie, either. The politics now feel very dated, and the cultural appropriation (like conversing with Berbers by saying "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar") doesn't do it any favors. The "two poor lounge singers" shtick do elicit a few chuckles with their bizarre songwriting abilities. But it's more like hearing a hilarious joke when you're drunk, but finding it not as funny when sober."