9 to 5 (1980)

Getting even is a full-time job.

Director: Colin Higgins, rated PG

Starring: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman, Elizabeth Wilson, Sterling Hayden, Henry Jones, Marian Mercer

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Well, I say we hire a couple of wranglers to go upstairs and beat the shit out of him." - Doralee Rhodes

Why watch this? This great comedy targets prevalent corporate misogyny, and has a lot of fun doing it.

Plot Summary: Three female coworkers, Judy, Violet, and Doralee, are pushed to their breaking point by their arrogant and misogynistic boss, Franklin Hart Jr. United in their frustrations, they devise a comical plan to get even with him. They take matters into their own hands and assume control of the office, making significant changes to improve the workplace environment.

IPC Films; 20th Century Fox
 

Genres: Animation-Live-Action, Animation-Traditional, Comedy-Buddy, Comedy-Satire, Comedy-Screwball Dad's Genres: Tough-Gals

A place beyond your dreams. A movie beyond your imagination.

Director: Lewis Milestone, rated PG-13

Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Sting, Richard Jordan, Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, Freddie Jones, Jack Nance

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Don't try your powers on me. Try looking into that place where you dare not look. You'll find me there, staring back at you." - Paul Atreides

Why watch this? It's wonderful world-building along with a smart script. Try to keep up!

Plot Summary: In the distant future, warring noble families clash over control of Arrakis, a harsh desert planet and the only source of the universe's most valuable substance: the spice melange. When control of Arrakis is transferred to House Atreides, young Paul Atreides is thrust into a dangerous political landscape where he must confront betrayal and fight for survival in a treacherous environment. As Paul navigates the planet's deadly secrets and its mysterious native inhabitants, the Fremen, he comes to terms with his destiny.

Dino De Laurantiis Corp.; Universal Studios
 

Genres: Adv-Swordplay, Sci-fi-Adv, Sci-fi-Drama, Sci-fi-Extraterrestrial, Sci-fi-Hard, Sci-fi-Space-Opera, Sci-fi-X-Punk, War-Sci-fi

Roberta is desperate to be Susan. Susan is wanted by the mob. The mob finds Roberts instead...

Director: Susan Seidelman, rated PG for language, brief nudity

Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn, Robert Joy, Mark Blum, Laurie Metcalf, Anna Levine, Will Patton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Yeah, well, fortunately, for everybody, I'm here and I'm thinking." - Susan

Why watch this? A great story of mistaken identity... and misplaced adoration.

Plot Summary: Roberta Glass is a bored New Jersey housewife fascinated with a mysterious woman named Susan, whose life she follows through personal ads in the newspaper. This fascination, and a knock on the head, leads Roberta to be mistaken for the free-spirited Susan. Roberta becomes entangled in a wild mix-up involving some dangerous characters. As Roberta navigates Susan's life, she finds herself discovering more about who she truly wants to be.

Sarah Pillsbury, Midge Sanford;
Orion Pictures
 

Genres: Comedy-Screwball, Crime-Comedy, Dramedy, Romance-Comedy

Unmask The Truth

Director: Matt Reeves, rated PG-13 for super-hero violence

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Jayme Lawson, Gil Perez-Abraham, Peter McDonald, Con O'Neill, Alex Ferns 

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Fear is a tool. When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning." - Batman

Why watch this? This new Batman reboot is so gritty, you'll need to wash the sand out of your teeth.

Plot Summary: Bruce Wayne has been Batman for two years. When both the mayor and police commissioner are murdered by a masked serial killer calling himself "Riddler", Wayne and Lieutenant Jim Gordon work together to solve the case. When another death occurs, this time the district attorney, clues lead Batman to The Penguin's night club, where he bumps elbows with Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman). Before this mystery is solved many truths will be called into question including the reputation of Batman's parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne.

DC Films, 6th & Idaho, Dylan Clark Prod.;
Warner Bros. Pictures
 

Genres: Action-Crime, Action-Superhero, Crime-Cops, Crime-Drama, Crime-NeoNoir, Crime-Thriller, Drama-Psychological, Thriller-Mystery Dad's Genres: Lunatic-Fringe

In 1976, a 30-year-old bartender, who played only one year of high school football,
tried to become the NFL's most unlikely rookie.

Director: Ericson Core, rated PG

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Elizabeth Banks, Greg Kinnear, Kevin Conway, Kirk Acevedo, Dov Davidoff, Michael Kelly, Stink Fisher

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"These are the toughest fans there are. They threw snowballs at Santa Claus." - Carol Vermeil, about her husband taking the Philadelphia Eagles head coaching job

Why watch this? It's one of my favorite sports films, and I hate the Eagles.

Plot Summary: This is the true story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old substitute teacher and bartender in 1970s Philadelphia, who faces a series of personal setbacks including losing his job and a separation from his wife. A lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan, Vince decides to try out for his favorite team when the newly hired coach announces open tryouts. Despite never having played college football, Vince's determination leads to him being offered a spot at training camp.

Walt Disney Pictures, Mayhem Pictures;
Buena Vista Pictures Dist.
 

Genres: Drama-Sports, Historical Biopic Dad's Genres: Game-Day

The Sort-of Sequel to 'Knocked Up'

Director: Judd Apatow, Rated R for language, crude humor, drug use

Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Jason Segel, Annie Mumolo, Robert Smigel, Graham Parker, Charlyne Yi, Melissa McCarthy

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Stop eating cupcakes!!" - Debbie

Why watch this? A great slice of life film where aging, and parenting, get hilariously real.

Plot Summary: This film focuses on the lives of Pete and Debbie as they navigate the challenges of turning 40, including career struggles and raising children. The film explores the ups and downs of a long-term marriage and the complexities of parenthood in modern society. Ultimately, the couple strives to overcome their midlife crises and find ways to appreciate their lives.

Apatow Productions; Universal Pictures
 

Genres: Comedy-Dark, Dramedy-Family, Drama-SliceOfLife, Romance-Comedy

The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe has been answered.

Director: Roland Emmerich, rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence

Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Margaret Colin, James Rebhorn, Harvey Fierstein

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from annihilation." - President Whitmore

Why watch this? The best alien invasion/action thriller ever!

Plot Summary: Large, mysterious alien spacecraft arrive on Earth and position themselves over major cities, initially causing wonder which swiftly turns to terror as they unleash destructive attacks. Humanity's attempts to counter the invaders' superior technology initially fail, forcing a desperate fight for survival and unity among a diverse group of individuals, including the President, a scientist, and a fighter pilot. This unlikely group must devise a plan to overcome the seemingly unstoppable alien threat.
 

Dad's Preview: All reservations I had about Will Smith quickly evaporated watching this exciting action flick. He's the perfect fighter pilot with lots of sass and determination. One by one we are introduced to the characters as the invasion's tension ramps up. When it finally occurs, it's a cinema spectacle right up there with War of the Worlds (1953). Earth's governments and armed forces scramble together, searching for a plan to find a way to defeat the alien attacking force. Can they find a way to stop ships and weapons that out-match humanities best?

Centropolis Ent.; 20th Century Fox
 

Genres: Action-Disaster, Action-Sci-fi, Animation-CGI, Sci-fi-Adv, Sci-fi-Extraterrestrial, War-Sci-fi

If you come in five minutes after this picture begins, you won't know what it's all about!
When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it!

Director: John Frankenheimer, rated PG-13 some disturbing scenes

Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, James Gregory, Henry Silva, Leslie Parrish, John McGiver, Khigh Dheigh, James Edwards, Douglas Henderson, Albert Paulsen, Barry Kelley, Lloyd Corrigan, Madame Spivy, Reggie Nalder

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I told them to build me an assassin. I wanted a killer from a world filled with killers and they chose you because they thought it would bind me closer to them." – Mrs. Iselin

Why watch this? This Frankenheimer thriller was certainly ahead of its time. I genuinely left me disturbed.

Plot Summary: The film opens in the Korean War with the capture of U.S. soldiers by Soviet/Chinese forces. Three days later the men return and are eventually sent back home. For their service, Sergeant Raymond Shaw receives the Medal of Honor, thanks to Captain Ben Marco's recommendation. Marco, and many of the men involved, however, are having horrible nightmares. In Marco's fever dreams he witnesses Shaw murder two fellow soldiers in front of communist military leaders. He convinces his superior office that something happened in Korea akin to brainwashing, and he feels that Shaw may be compromised.

M. C. Productions; United Artists
 

Genres: Crime-NeoNoir, Crime-Thriller, Drama-Political, Drama-Psychological, Historical-Mystery-Thriller, Horror-Psychological, Thriller-Conspiracy, Thriller-Political, Thriller-Psychological, War-ColdWar, War-Korea-Vietnam Dad's Genres: Disturbia

Not everyone who drinks is a poet, some of us drink because we're not.

Director: Steve Gordon, rated PG for language, alcohol use

Starring: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Stephen Elliott, Jill Eikenberry, Ted Ross

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"It's a very tiny country... Rhode Island could beat the crap out of it in a war." - Arthur

Why watch this? You will love this unorthodox, and very funny, love story.

Plot Summary: Arthur is a kind, yet sometimes insufferably spoiled, drunk, living lavishly on his family's wealth. He is quite miserable because he does not love the woman he's obliged to marry. By complete chance, he encounters a spunky Queens waitress who steals his heart.

Orion Pictures; Warner Bros.
 

Genres: Comedy-Screwball, Dramedy-Family, Romance-Comedy Dad's Genres: Likable-Irreverence,

They fought back to back... No quarter given... No quarter asked... No way in... No way out... of Rio Bravo

Director: Howard Hawks, rated Approved

Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, John Russell, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Well, they call it the "Degüello"... the cutthroat song. The Mexicans played it for those Texas boys when they had 'em bottled up in the Alamo." - Colorado

Why watch this? This is one of Wayne's best films.

Plot Summary: In the small town of Rio Bravo, Texas, Sheriff John T. Chance arrests Joe Burdette, the brother of a powerful rancher, for murder. The rancher, Nathan Burdette, then uses his resources to try and break his brother out of jail. Chance, with the help of a diverse and sometimes unlikely group of allies, must hold the jail against Burdette's forces until a U.S. Marshal can arrive.

Armada Productions; Warner Bros.
 

Genres: West-Classic, West-Drama, West-Marshal, West-Outlaw

Mightiest of All Romantic Adventures! ...Storming it's way to the screen with unbelievable excitement!

Director: George Sidney, rated Approved

Starring: Gene Kelly, Van Heflin, June Allyson, Vincent Price, Lana Turner, Angela Lansbury, Frank Morgan, Keenan Wynn

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"To die among friends. Can a man ask more? Can the world offer less? Who wants to live 'till the last bottle is empty? It's all-for one, d'Artagnan, and one for all." - Athos

Why watch this? Gene Kelly's skills are unmatched when it comes to choreographed spectacle.

Plot Summary: Young d'Artagnan travels to Paris seeking to join the King's Musketeers, but his impulsiveness quickly leads him into challenging three of the elite swordsmen to a duel. However, instead of fighting each other, they unite against Cardinal Richelieu's guards and become inseparable friends. D'Artagnan and his new companions become entangled in courtly intrigue and political maneuvers orchestrated by Richelieu, working to protect the honor of the Queen of France.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Loew's Inc.
 

Genres: Action-Adv, Adv-Swordplay, Drama-Political, Historical-Adv, Historical Drama, Romance-Comedy

Protecting the earth from the scum of the universe

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld, rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Carel Struycken, Siobhan Fallon Hogan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"This definitely rates about a 9.0 on my weird-shit-o-meter." - Jay

Why watch this? Will Smith - man, can he carry a film when he's hot.

Plot Summary: James Edwards, an NYC cop, joins a secret organization known as Men in Black, which regulates the activity of aliens living disguised among humans. Alongside his new partner, the veteran Agent K, James (now Agent J) must investigate a series of strange incidents and stop a destructive plot by an intergalactic villain. They embark on a mission to recover a powerful energy source before the antagonist can use it to destroy the Earth.
 

Dad's Preview: I'm a sci-fi guy. I crave well-done science fiction on screen. Here we meet two agents, Jay and Kay (their real identities have been permanently removed), who work for a secret agency that tracks aliens who live on Earth, undetected. Most of these aliens are benevolent, but not all. This film is packed with slimy space beings of all shapes/sizes, lots of action, a count-down to Earth's destruction, and the sexy Linda Fiorentino. Additionally, Vincent D'Onofrio's performance is unforgettable as Edgar/The Bug. This sci-fi goldmine is creative as heck, with lots of laughs and creatures from outer space.

Columbia Pictures, Amblin Ent., Parkes/MacDonald
 Prod.; Sony Pictures Releasing
 

Genres: Action-Comedy, Action-Sci-fi, Animation-CGI, Comedy-Adv, Comedy-Buddy, Comedy-Satire, Sci-fi-Comedy, Sci-fi-Extraterrestrial, Dad's Genres: Slime-Time

To achieve the incredible you have to attempt the impossible.

Director: Penny Marshall, rated PG

Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, Bitty Schram, Anne Ramsay

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Are you crying?! There's no crying! There's no crying in baseball!" - Jimmy Dugan

Why watch this? The complicated sister relationship between Davis and Petty is priceless!

Plot Summary: During World War II, with many men fighting overseas, the future of Major League Baseball was uncertain. To keep professional baseball alive, a league of female players was formed, and scouts traversed the country to find talented women, including sisters Dottie and Kit, from a small farming town in Oregon. We follow their journey as they navigate the challenges of being professional athletes in the 1940s, grapple with a gruff, alcoholic manager, and struggle to keep the league and their team, the Rockford Peaches.

Parkway Productions; Columbia Pictures
 

Genres: Comedy-Sports, Dramedy, Drama-Sports Dad's Genres: Game-Day, Tough-Gals

Blame it on the moon.

Director: Norman Jewison, rated PG for mild language

Starring: Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, Olympia Dukakis, Danny Aiello, Julie Bovasso, John Mahoney

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"When you love them they drive you crazy because they know they can." - Rose

Why watch this? There is genius in stories about the most unlikeliest of romances.

Plot Summary: Loretta Castorini, a widowed Italian-American bookkeeper, accepts a marriage proposal from her well-meaning but unremarkable boyfriend. However, before the wedding, her fiancé asks her to reconcile with his estranged younger brother. This task leads Loretta to a passionate and unexpected encounter that challenges her ideas about love and commitment, while also revealing the tangled romances within her family.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Star Partners II Ltd.;
MGM/UA Communications Co.
 

Genres: Crime-Drama, Dramedy-Family, Romance-Comedy Dad's Genres: Tough-Gals,

The strangest trio ever to track a killer.

Director: Henry Hathaway, rated PG for Western violence

Starring: John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glenn Campbell, Robert Duvall, Jeremy Slate, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin, Jeff Corey, John Fieldler

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #41 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of True Grit

"They say he has grit. I wanted a man with grit." - Mattie Ross

Why watch this? For his role as Rooster Cogburn, the Academy finally delivered Best Actor to John Wayne.

Plot Summary: A determined teenager, Mattie Ross, hires a gruff, one-eyed U.S. Marshal named Rooster Cogburn to track down Tom Chaney, the outlaw responsible for her father's murder. They are joined by a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf, also pursuing Chaney for a separate crime. Despite the Marshal's initial reluctance to allow Mattie on their dangerous journey into Indian Territory, her tenacity and courage earn her a place alongside the two lawmen.

Hal B. Wallis; Paramount Pictures
 

Genres: Action-Adv-West, West-Classic, West-Drama, West-Epic, West-Marshal, West-Outlaw Dad's Genres: Old-Farts, Sweet-Revenge

Once in a generation...a motion picture explodes into greatness!

Director: Stanley Kramer, rated Approved

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Those people, those millions of people...I never knew it would come to that. YOU must believe it, you MUST believe it." – Ernst Janning

"Herr Janning, it came to that the first time you sentenced a man to death you knew to be innocent." - Judge Dan Haywood, responding to Janning

Why watch this? Its historical significance. War criminals must face judgment.

Plot Summary: An American military tribunal convenes in post-WWII Nuremberg, Germany, to try four German judges accused of crimes against humanity under the Nazi regime. The proceedings delve into the extent of individual and collective responsibility for Nazi atrocities, examining whether the judges were simply following orders or willingly participating in a corrupt legal system. Presiding Judge Dan Haywood faces moral and political pressure as he navigates the complex issues of justice, truth, and the value of a single human life amidst a tense international backdrop including the onset of the Cold War.
 

Dad's Preview: This historical drama covers the trial of the key German scientists and officers who oversaw the prison camps and atrocities that would become known as The Holocaust. It is certainly important to see and absorb. This is a film about historical record. It happened. Don't let anyone tell you different, because some people are trying. This all-star cast, and Stanley Kramer's stern direction, puts forth an amazing, yet understandably disturbing film. While Tracy, Widmark and Lancaster deliver memorable performances, its Maximilian Schell, as the German defense attorney, who captivates us - he's relentless as a man defending the indefensible.

Roxlom Films, Amber Entertainment;
United Artists
 

Genres: Crime-Courtroom, Drama-Legal, Drama-Political, Historical Epic, War-Drama, War-WWII

John Sayles invites you to return to the scene of the crime.

Director: John Sayles, rated R for violence, language

Starring: Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Ron Canada, Elizabeth Peña, Joe Morton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I remember Charlie Wade came to my father's hardware store once... The man winked at me. I peed my pants." – Ben Wetzel

Why watch this? This Texas mystery centers on a cold-case murder and secret relationships.

Plot Summary: Sheriff Sam Deeds is notified to investigate the discovery of skeletal remains in a Texas border town. The bones belong to a notoriously corrupt sheriff who mysteriously disappeared decades earlier. As Sam delves into the past, he uncovers long-buried secrets involving his own legendary father, the town's former sheriff, Buddy Deeds.

Castle Rock Ent., Columbia Pics, Rio Dulce;
Sony Pictures Classics
 

Genres: Crime-Cops, Crime-Drama, Crime-NeoNoir, Drama-SliceOfLife, Romance-Drama, Thriller-Mystery, West-Marshal, West-Neo Dad's Genres: Black&White, Texas-Tales

HOPE COMES ALIVE

Director: Peter Berg, rated R for language, football violence

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw, Ivory Jackson, Connie Britton, Connie Cooper

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #46 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Friday Night Lights

"Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders." - Coach Gaines

Why watch this? High school football is one of America's great, unique experiences.

Plot Summary: The Permian Panthers, a high school football team in the football-obsessed town of Odessa, Texas, faces the pressures of the community's intense expectations to win a state championship. After a significant setback in their opening game, the team and their coach must navigate a challenging season, confronting their own aspirations, personal struggles, and the intense scrutiny of the townspeople.
 

Dad's Preview: The Glory Days. Fresh cut grass. The band playing. Cheerleaders. The crack of contact. This film follows an elite high school Texas football team's season. We see the glory, but also the price it exacts. Injuries. Toxic masculinity. Demanding school boards. Obsessed Coaches. Pressure to win. As a former player, I've seen it all. Still, Texas football also saved a fat little kid, taught him the value of hard work, and put him on the path to becoming a good and decent man and father. This gritty film captures all that and a lot more.

Imagine Entertainment; Universal Pictures
 

Genres: Drama-SliceOfLife, Drama-Sports, Historical Biopic Dad's Genres: Game-Day, Texas-Tales

ONE LAST TIME.

Director: James Mangold, rated R for language, super-hero violence

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long." - Logan

Why watch this? ...it is a poignant finale for one of film's great super-hero personas.

Plot Summary: In 2029, a worn-down Logan, aka Wolverine, cares for an ailing Professor Charles Xavier in a secluded hideout near the Mexican border. Their quiet existence is upended when a young mutant girl, Laura, with powers akin to Logan's, seeks his protection from pursuing dark forces. Reluctantly, Logan and Xavier embark on a dangerous journey to escort Laura to a rumored safe haven.

Marvel Ent., Kinberg Genre, Hutch Parker Prod.,
The Donners' Co., TSG Ent.; 20th Century Fox
 

Genres: Action-Sci-fi, Action-Superhero, Sci-fi-Drama, Thriller-Psychological, West-Neo Dad's Genres: Road-Trip

A Simple Man... A Difficult Choice.

Director: Billy Bob Thornton, rated R  for language, violence

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, Natalie Canerday, James Hampton, Robert Duvall, Brent Briscoe

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #30 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Sling Blade

"Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade." - Karl Childers

Why watch this? Thornton's first film is tender, simple, and brilliant on every level.

Plot Summary: Karl Childers is a man with an intellectual disability who is released from a psychiatric hospital after spending decades institutionalized for a childhood murder. He returns to his childhood town in Arkansas and befriends a young boy named Frank, forming an unexpected bond as Karl works as a mechanic. However, Frank's home life is troubled by his mother's abusive boyfriend, Doyle.
 

Dad's Preview: This film rings so true that the audience has no choice but to believe it's based on real people. Sling Blade was Billy Bob Thornton's personal creation: he wrote the story, directed the film and stars as Karl. Thornton's immersion into the simpleton character is legendary (and oft impersonated by me and way too many TikTokers). There are some intense moments, but at its heart, this movie has a sweetness to it. It's an achievement within its own simplicity. John Ritter and Dwight Yoakam deliver incredible supporting performances, as well.

The Shooting Gallery; Miramax Films
 

Genres: Comedy-Dark, Crime-Drama, Drama-Family, Drama-Psychological, Drama-SliceOfLife Dad's Genres: Queer-Tier, Slow-Burn

The man. The music. The movie.

Director: Albert Magnoli, rated R for nudity, sexuality, language

Starring: Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos, Clarence Williams III, Jerome Benton, Billy Sparks, Jill Jones, Wendy Melvion, Lisa Coleman, The Revolution, The Time, Appolonia 6

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 100 #99 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Purple Rain

"I can make you happy. If you just believed in me." - Francis L.

Why watch this? One of the best movies ever about an artist and his band.

Plot Summary: A talented but troubled musician, known as The Kid, struggles with a difficult home life and intense rivalries with other performers in the Minneapolis club scene. He attempts to forge a career with his band, The Revolution, while navigating a complex romance with an aspiring singer named Apollonia. The story explores The Kid's artistic journey as he confronts his personal demons, deals with a rival band, and learns to collaborate with his own band members.

Purple Films; Warner Bros.