I’ve decided to tall this stunt “Movies Like Malkoff” since I’m just sortakinda doing what he’s doing.

Today I was able to watch:

• The second-half of Bonnie and Clyde
• Shutter Island (in place of  A Clockwork Orange)
• Paper Moon

Bonnie and Clyde was a letdown. I’m sure in it’s day it was hot stuff but the movie just doesn’t hold up today. The storytelling is seemingly random and disjointed. I couldn’t tell if they were trying to be historically accurate or not. It wasn’t a drama or action or a love story.  I really wanted it to be one of those… but I couldn’t pin it down. Every character other than Warren Beatty annoyed me to death. I remember seeing a different version back in High School that had a long, drawn-out and more emotionally stirring finale where Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down in their car. This one just riddled them with bullets and done.

Shutter Island is a lot darker than I remember. I had seen it before on Netflix but I wasn’t half paying attention. It’s got a great twist that makes all of the weirdness make sense. So darker… but so much better than I recall. Like a good novel that pays off in the last few pages. Not a movie I would suggest to just anyone… or any one at all for that matter. Again, pretty dark subject matter. Children are dead in it.

Paper Moon is in black and white… but filmed in 1973. I wonder how many films were done in black and white around the year I was born? It’s pretty hilarious. A little girl’s mom dies and a man who may be her father is tasked with bringing her to family in Missouri. The man is a swindler, the girl is street-wise so the comedy is natural and constant. Couldn’t help but think of “Better Off Dead” with the paperboy asking for his 2 dollars during the scene in the diner. “I want my 200 dollars!!!” Awesome. I found myself laughing out loud several times… and that doesn’t happen except when I’m watching Community. The little girl is amazing. They don’t make child actors like that anymore… and she actually turned into a very attractive woman. Even if you hate this movie… at least watch till you hear “Hurry up Doctor. This little baby’s gotta go winkie-tinkie”. I loved seeing Higgins (John Hillerman) from Magnum P.I. and a young Randy Quaid.

As with all of these old movies… I have a hard time finding any sort of plot. Wonder why that is.

So on day two I’m 5 movies in. Mark Malkoff had already watched 17 movies by the end of two days. I’m 12 films behind right now. Hilarious.