Jaws 3-D (1983)

Anaglyph 3D was all the rage in the 1950s and had a brief resurgence in the '80s with some memorable titles like Friday the 13th 3D and Amityville 3-D, which always suggested a better time than it was actually able to deliver. 

In a complete departure from the first two films, it focuses on Brody's kids, who now work at a SeaWorld marine park, where a great white makes its way in through the gates and terrorizes the parkgoers. There is approximately one scene in this movie that remains completely memorable (and makes cheesy use of its 3D novelty), but the rest is pretty hokey and can safely be skipped when going through a rewatch of the series.

1 underwater tunnel out of 5

IF (2024)

Bea is a 12-year-old girl going through a rough time in life who begins to see the imaginary friends (IFs) of the kids who have outgrown them and left them behind. I thought this movie was adorable. Made me sad for many reasons, but it was very sweet and had its heart in the right place. Reminded me a bit of Spirited (also with Ryan Reynolds), mixed with Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and of course, Harvey. I feel like Cailey Fleming is going to be a huge fucking star one day. She's been great in everything I've seen her in.

There's a bit of a credit cookie at the very end for Louis Gossett Jr. (RIP), who plays Lewis, the old bear. I kept wondering the whole movie, whose IF was he?

3 invisible IFs (played by Brad Pitt) out of 5

Toy Soldiers (1991)

In what sounds like a preposterous premise when written down, Dir. Daniel Petrie Jr's film has Colombian drug dealers taking control of a boys prep school in a bid to force the US government to meet their demands.
Five friends, troublemakers who're a regular pain in the ass to the firm but (more than) fair Dean, choose to fight back. It's a story in which a group of underachievers show their worth when their backs are against the wall, proving to all and sundry that they can kick it when it counts. Beyond that it's a better than expected 90s late-teens movie with the violence and strong language dial turned to the right a little more than usual. The cast are well-suited to their role, but none more so than Louis Gossett Jr. as the Dean.

3 resolute rejects out of 5

Enemy Mine (1985)

EM is the old story of two warring individuals in a hostile environment being forced to set aside taught hate and instead cooperate in order to survive. It relocated the action to an alien world in the late 21st Century, pitting and pairing a xenophobic human with a spiritual, reptilian alien known as a Drac. The result is a classic, inspirational sci-fi adventure filled with heartfelt and thought-provoking moments that almost every sci-fi TV show has attempted to replicate at least once.
The last act feels like it belongs in a different film, but it doesn't detract from the almost perfect execution of the first two thirds.

4 universal truths out of 5