Happy October, everyone! 🍂🍁🍊🥧🎃 The September recap is one day late this month. I simply ran out of time to do a recap yesterday because I was packing for a trip to visit my family in the Northeast. Hence, I’ll be taking a few days’ blogging break until mid next week, though I might still post Vince’s review of VERITY this weekend, so stay tuned!
SEPTEMBER VIEWINGS
I watched an eclectic mix of films last month, some are movies I’ve been curious about for years (EASY A, which is from the same director who did ONE NIGHT ONLY). I’m usually not the biggest fan of high school movies, but it was enjoyable, and Emma Stone is terrific in her breakout role.
I don’t have time to write even a mini review, but I want to highlight this 2025 film, Mr. Burton. It’s not your typical biopic about famous actor Richard Burton. Instead, it focuses on his rise to stardom through his teacher Philip Burton’s guidance and mentorship. Philip later adopted him, which is how Richard got his stage name. Richard was born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr. in a Welsh mining town where his father struggled with alcoholism.
Harry Lawtey does a solid job playing young Richard and looks quite similar to him at times. Toby Jones is wonderful as the caring and generous Philip Burton—it’s one of my favorite performances from this busy English actor. The venerable and prolific Lesley Manville is great as well as Philip’s landlady and housekeeper, who’s supportive of Richard even when he was lost and wayward. I don’t know much about Richard Burton, as I’ve only seen him in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, but it’s clear he was destined to be a star.
The quote at the beginning of the film by Burton’s most famous wife, whom he married twice, Elizabeth Taylor, says it all: Without Philip Burton, There Would Have Been No Richard Burton.’
It’s a fantastic film, especially if you’re a fan of Richard Burton. I highly recommend it! It’s currently streaming on Prime Video.
(New-to-me movies I watched in September—ranked on my rating)
FULL REVIEWS
Indie Double Reviews: Shadow of Beirut and The Scout
Stay tuned for my review of the genre-bending Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
REWATCHES
I’m on a roll with Timothy Dalton movies, ahah. Back in August, I rewatched one of my all-time favorites, The Rocketeer, and last month, my hubby and I rewatched the very campy FLASH GORDON. It’s what one would call a guilty pleasure, though I don’t feel guilty for enjoying it. I remember falling in love with Dalton’s Prince Barin 😍when I saw it decades ago
Both my hubby and I also love THE SAINT… Val Kilmer is so fun to watch here despite the preposterous premise. Elisabeth Shue is totally unconvincing as the brilliant American scientist and electrochemist, but it actually adds to the movie’s, um, charm
ICYMI
Stay tuned for my TCFF coverage and more reviews of Fall movies!
52 Films By Women – 2026 Challenge
I am once again participating in this challenge. Per Women In Film (WIF) organization, the basic rules are simple: watch 52 films directed by women within one year and share what you watched on social media, using the hashtag #52FilmsByWomen to spread the word and get more people talking about the women filmmakers who don’t always get attention.
I added another 6 new movies this month, woot!! So I’ve completed 48 out of 52, so there are only 4 more to go until the end of 2026. I think I will be able to get pretty close to last year’s tally!!
SEPTEMBER MOVIE OF THE MONTH
THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS 💕
Who doesn’t love a good rom-com? It’s been ages since I’ve enjoyed a romantic comedy this much… and it’s not only because I adore Tom Bateman 😉 (though he certainly made the experience a whole lot more enjoyable!). It’s my intro to Lili Reinhart and I can see her taking the reign as the rom-com queen, like Kate Hudson, Kristen Bell, and Rachel McAdams, who are almost 50 now. I definitely wouldn’t mind rewatching this, so if you’re in the mood for a feel-good escapism, head on to Prime Video to stream this one.
“The Saint” is absolutely UNDERRATED. I have a used copy of its soundtrack. It is such a fun film with a great performance from Val Kilmer. My mother LOVES the show that starred Roger Moore. She grew up on the show. I don’t remember if she liked the film.
Timothy Dalton was awesome in “The Rocketeer” as I saw that in the theaters when I was 10. It didn’t get a lot of love back then but I thought it was great but I had to keep it a secret as many thought it was uncool. Now I’m out in the open championing that film. I was watching clips of “Flash Gordon” as Dalton is great in that as well.
I boosted by my film watch last month as I saw 6 films directed/co-directed by women while I am currently watching “East of Eden” on the Netflix as I have watched 3 episodes so far and the last episode devastated me. I was in tears for those babies.
Yes, The Saint deserves more than 31% on Rotten Tomatoes! It’s a fun film that’s highly rewatchable. I never watched the Roger Moore’s series, but you know that Moore provided his voice as the car radio announcer in the movie, right?
I LOVE that you appreciate Dalton in The Rocketeer! He really portrays a fantastic villain, and Neville Sinclair is far more interesting than the hero! He was channeling Errol Flynn there with the swashbuckling role and mustache, and he’s more fun to watch in Flash Gordon than the guy in the title role.
Woo hoo! Glad to hear you watched 6 films by women last month!! I haven’t got around to seeing “East of Eden”… I haven’t seen the original either, so I’m curious to see the miniseries, as I love Florence Pugh.
Ruth, September’s movies at the theater included Coyote Vs. Acme (which actually opened 8/28, but I wanted to give it another shout-out here!), Practical Magic 2, Hope, and Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom. Hope was an amazing ride, and I recommend it for a watch. Once the alien invasion kicks off, the gas pedal is floored and away we go. The very end of the final act is a bit muddled as the film positions itself for a possible sequel, but there are chills, thrills, and even laughs awaiting anyone who sees Hope.
Hi Bruce! I really want to see ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ because I read how much you loved it! I quite like John Cena too, so I’ll definitely rent it once it’s available on streaming. Wow, you’ve seen HOPE, too! I’m visiting family now and my cousin was talking about that movie. The trailer looks bonkers and quite scary. I wasn’t sure if the attackers were aliens or giant zombies, but I’m so curious to check it out!
I didn’t see any new movies in theater last month, just watched a few TV shows. Finished the latest season of Reacher and its spinoff, Neagley. Then I watched a some of my favorites fall season films, The Hunt For Red October, Stone Cold and Last of The Mohicans. I did watch a new movie to me which stars Emma Stone, Bugonia. I liked it.
The Saint is also a film I enjoyed a lot. I wish they released the director’s cut that included a different ending. They cut out a big action sequence that closes out the film. I was shocked how the film ended without any big action scene and I think it’s the main reason why the film didn’t do well at the box office. Hopefully, the long in development reboot will be better.
Hi Ted! I kind of stopped watching Reacher after the first season, somehow just lost interest. I do like that character Neagley though, so not surprised she got a spinoff. Ohhh that’s some excellent rewatches. I’d love to rewatch all the Jack Ryan films in order of release one day!
Oh I didn’t know there’s a director’s cut version of The Saint with a different ending. Yeah, there wasn’t a big action scene in the film, though I find the part where they were hiding under a snowy bridge during a Russian winter is memorable. Have they cast someone for the reboot? Man, they’re rebooting so many films from the 80s and 90s, Dan Stevens is gonna be the new Robocop in the upcoming series!
Apparently, during test screening of The Saint, some audiences liked the original action packed ending and some didn’t. They shot two different endings and according to many people involved in the production (I read about this years ago) Kilmer and the producers went with the less action ending for the final cut. The director, Phillip Noyce, was not happy about that and always wanted to recut the film to include the big action at the end. Heck most of those action sequences were included in the film’s trailer. Lol! But Noyce’s career faded through out the years and the studio didn’t want to spend money on doing the director’s cut.
You can actually see the scene here on YouTube, someone posted it from a VHS version that was released in Russia with the original ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi6UFt6yAI8
The last I heard Regé-Jean Page was attached to play the new Saint and Doug Liman is directing. That was a few years ago and nothing new has been posted about the reboot.
Whew!
That was a fast month.
Thanks all all the fab reviews, Ruth!
So, IMO – if you watch only 1 Burton Taylor movie.. make it “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. WOW!!!!
Good job on the Directed by Women films.
Have a great holiday with your family!
༺ 𝓁ℴ𝑣𝑒 ꧁❦☆❦꧂ 𝓁ℴ𝑣𝑒 ༻
Yeah, September went like a breeze but I’m happy I got to see lots of female-directed films. I only need to watch 4 more to meet goal, so for sure I’ll exceed that! 🌟
I really should see a Burton/Taylor film and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is on the list! It’s gotta be better than the bombastic Cleopatra, mwahaha!
Thanks, Resa, it was a wonderful and blessed family time in New England!! The fall foliage was amazing!!
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊🍁🎃🍊🥧🍂🍁‿︵‧˚₊⊹
4 More!!! Yahoo! You will go over the threshold, I’m sure.
OH… WAY better than Cleopatra!! I think you will be A+ impressed. George Segal and Sandy Dennis are also in it. Brilliant performances all around.
I love the fall!
༺* 🎃 ~ 🍂 ꧁★꧂ 🍂 ~ 🎃 *༻ *