Track the Films You Watch (2005) - Page 63

September (2003)

Viewed 11/21/2005 (first viewing)

Solid ensemble film, in the vein of Crash, about the effects of 9/11 on various German citizens: a Lebanese immigrant and his German wife, a troubled music teacher, a gung-ho cop with family problems, etc. Even heavier on the style than Crash, to the point of distraction at times, but ultimately rewarding.

out of


King Kong (1933)

Viewed 11/22/2005

Still the best great ape movie out there! Go Kong!

out of


Safety Last (1923)

Viewed 11/22/2005

Harold Lloyd's classic comedy. A funny, if typical Lloyd vehicle, the hair-raising final sequence puts it over the top.

out of


The Intruder (1961)

Viewed 11/22/2005 (first viewing)

Crackerjack little Roger Corman flick. William Shatner stars as a bigot who stirs up all kinds of trouble in a small, recently desegregated Southern town. This ain't the Kirk you know!

out of


The Music Room (1958)

Viewed 11/22/2005 (first viewing)

Satyajit Ray film about the final days of a once-wealthy landowner and his beloved music room. My fourth Ray film and he's still batting a hundred.

out of


Robocop (1987)

Viewed 11/23/2005

Paul Verhoeven's classic sci-fi/action/satire, still a hoot and as relevant as ever.

out of


Falling Leaves (1966)

Viewed 11/23/2005 (first viewing)

Rambling, New Wavish offering from Otar Iosseliani about two friends, one an idealist and one an opportunist, who get jobs at a winery where the owners aren't above selling a substandard product.

out of


Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Viewed 11/24/2005

Entertaining King Kong variant about a little girl and her pet gorilla. Discussed enough already so...

out of


Until the End of the World: Director's Cut (1991)

Viewed 11/24/2005 (first viewing)

First time seeing the director's cut of Wim Wenders' sci-fi/detective/road movie. This runs about two hours longer than the truncated version, but actually has better flow (it also helps that it's presented in three parts on a recently-released German 3-DVD set).

out of


The Invisible (2002)

Viewed 11/25/2005 (first viewing)

Pretty good supernatural suspenser from Sweden, akin to The Sixth Sense. A high school student has a deadly run-in with a group of toughs and arrives at school the next day to discover that no one can see or hear him! So is he dead or what? Actually manages to one-up The Sixth Sense with its twists.

out of

5x2 (2004) - Francois Ozon's film presents 5 stages of a couple, told in reverse from divorce to their chance meeting. Works as an interesting intellectual excercise theorizing about the nature of love and relationships. It displays the precise technique of his earlier films. Yet it never becomes an emotional experience due to the unsympathetic nature of virtually every character in the film. - B

Bewitched (2005) - For the first hour this offers light entertainment due to the charm and energy of its leads. In the last forty minutes, it resorts to replaying the situations of the first hour twice more in a clumsy effort to pad out the rest of the film to feature length. C+

An Angel at My Table (1990) - Jane Campion's biopic of New Zealand poet Janet Frame is a multi-layered, emotionally powerful journey. The story is told in 3 parts with 3 different actresses portraying Crane (though the casting and performances are so good you'd almost swear it was the same person filmed over 20 years). From hardscrabble beginnings, to 8 years spent in an asylum after being falsely diagnosed as schizophrenic, to a trip to Europe where she overcomes her painful shyness to find first love, Campion's film present's a woman whose inner artist and love for writing creates a refuge from the bitter blows life offers. B+

Happy Endings (2005) - Another complicated multi-character, multi-story film from writer-director Don Roos. Among this film's ensemble is a woman (Lisa Kudrow) haunted by giving up her son for adoption as a teen mother, a young man trying to blackmail Kudrow with info about her son's whereabouts so she'll let him film their reunion, a male homosexual couple (Steve Coogan is one) who becomes convinced their lesbian friends (Laura Dern is one) lied to them about using one of the men's sperm to father a child, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as a singer/hustler who beds the guilt-ridden homosexual son and his wealthy father (an out-of-his-comfort zone Tom Arnold).

While displaying some of the sharp writing and wit of his earlier films (Bounce, The Opposite of Sex), it offers none of those films' energy with each character's near hopeless mess of problems overwhelming the small displays of humanity the film allows for. Roos does his film no favors by interrupting the flow with a stream of title cards commenting on the action, aptly described by one critic as the equivalent of having someone in the seat next to you talking in your ear the whole film. C+

Masculin feminin (1966) - Jean-Luc Godard's incisive portrait of 1966 France beat films like American Beauty and Fight Club to the punch 30 years ago. Its teens are poised on the brink of a sexual revolution that will irrevocably change the male-female dynamic and culturally on the brink of a consumer revolution that will overwhelm political idealism. Godard may portray a bit too much of his own cynicism and wounded viewpoint, what with the boys talking strikes and spraypainting political slogans while the girls are into shopping and pop music, but as with many of his 60's films, it displays a comic touch and sensitive emotional quality that is too rarely recognized today. Jean-Pierre Leaud's rush to the projection booth to explain that the film they are watching is being shown in the wrong aspect ratio would warm the cockle's of any HTF'ers heart. While the pop music sung by the film's female lead lend an airy optimism to scenes not present in the underlying narrative. - A-

The Stationmaster's Wife (1977) - Kurt Raab is the titular stationmaster who's wife cuckholding turns him into a town laughingstock and a wreck of conflicted emotions in Rainer Werner Fassinder's 1977 work. This was 85 minutes longer in it's original TV version and feels like it is missing this material in several places. Michael Ballhaus' usually sweeping camera is more consticted to reflect those TV origins in ways that do not compare favorably with the powerhouse artistry of their previous film, the astonishing Chinese Roulette. A reworking of his themes of love equating to powerlessness tied to a Madame Bovary-like story, the film doesn't rise as high as past works, but still has much to offer as a firey melodrama whose characters are a mass of childish wants and bitter recriminations. Elisabeth Trissenaar continues a long tradition of outstanding female performances in Fassbinder films and Raab brings his usual talent of being both pathetic and endearing. - B+

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - Finally caught up with this Christmas classic and was swept along in its vision of the spirit of Christmas through a child's eyes. With charm and wit, it cleverly balances the world of self-serving adulthood and the boundless optimism of children. A-

Le Samourai (1967) 8/10
Jean-Pierre Melville's distinctively impassive take on familiar crime movie themes has some great scenes, but I think it's a little too-cool-for-school at times, certainly with respect to the ending. The contrast between the brooding, silent hit man and the garrulous cop works very nicely, and a few influences on some later films are pretty apparent, like The French Connection and The Killer.

Strange Impersonation (1946) 6/10
One of Anthony Mann's earlier films was this short little plastic-surgery noir, which has some fun ideas but a super-clunky script. An industrial scientist (Brenda Marshall, from The Sea Hawk) with a devoted fiancee is set up for a face-scarring accident by her jealous assistant, but she returns to plot revenge after leaving town and getting plastic surgery (and, naturally, nobody recognizes her when she comes back). It's a good enough concept for some over-the-top thrills, but a few of the (admittedly silly) plot devices are handled pretty badly, the cast isn't too inspiring, at least one directorial flourish (a montage near the end) stands out as being particularly pointless, and the ending is pretty lame. Still, some of the fast-paced sequences in the middle of the movie are quite good.

King Kong (1933) 9/10
I had somehow never managed to see this one all the way through, just some clips here and there in various documentaries. I largely agree with Mike's point about the slow start, as I was surprised by how long it took them to even get to the island. But there's still some good stuff in those early scenes, like the bit where Denham directs Ann to look up and scream after seeing something shocking, an ominous bit of foreshadowing while the other characters still don't know what they're getting into. The exploits of Kong himself are still pretty stunning, even after all these years and all the advances in special effects techniques. The thrills and scares never stop, once they get started.

Rent (2005) 6/10
I didn't realize going in that the original show was all sung-through, with no regular dialogue, but the movie changes this by adding some regular lines in between songs. But this is an unhappy medium that doesn't work too well, as the movie ends up seeming like it has a very over-stuffed collection of songs. There's some dialogue here and there, and then suddenly they're singing about fairly banal stuff that they were just talking about two seconds before. "I'm going to start a cybercafe, guys...and now I've just gotta SING about it!" They must have figured that a movie wouldn't be accepted by general audiences if it's all singing. But, if they had done it like a decently constructed movie musical, where the songs enhance the story in a way that's different from what the dialogue does, they would have had to cut quite a few of them out, which they didn't want to do either. So the result is only "faithful" to the show in terms of keeping most of the songs, but it falls pretty flat overall. Not that crazy about a lot of the music, either, none of which I had heard before, although I did like the cast. It would have been better just to stick with the all-singing structure of the show, since I don't think any people who might be willing to go see a movie musical are going to stay away just because there's no regular dialogue.

What Michael doesn't mention is that The Lost World takes even longer to get going. IIRC, it's about 45 minutes before you glimpse a dinosaur. It spends twice the amount of time Kong does in setting up the love story and getting the expedition organized.

I find no problem with the pacing of KING KONG, and think the first scenes in the film are all important and lead up to a satisfying payoff by the time we get to the island.

Victor (1998)

Viewed 11/26/2005 (first viewing)

Academy Award-nominated short film from the directors of The Invisible. A dying young boy dreams of becoming a fireman but can his dreams ever be realized?

out of


The Freshman (1925)

Viewed 11/26/2005 (first viewing)

Genial Harold Lloyd comedy wherein the comedian plays a college-crazy patsy whose eagerness to fit in gets him in all sorts of trouble. Funny, but the finale lacks the headiness of Safety Last.

out of


The Railroad Man (1956)

Viewed 11/27/2005 (first viewing)

Engrossing piece of late Italian neorealism from the director of Divorce - Italian Style. A boisterous railroad engineer finds his life crumbling around him. Can he put the pieces back together before it's too late?

out of


Pastorale (1976)

Viewed 11/28/2005 (first viewing)

Rambling film from Otar Iosseliani about a string quartet on vacation in the Georgian countryside. Suffers from a lack of character association; it might work better if you look at it as a document of contrasting lifestyles (well, I suppose that's the point, but it's never very involving). Still worth a look.

out of


Scandal (1950)

Viewed 11/29/2005 (first viewing)

Mid-tier outing from Akira Kurosawa. Toshiro Mifune stars as an artist who sues a tabloid newspaper after his "affair" with a singer (the yummy Shirley Yamaguchi) is exposed. Takashi Shimura is very good as the troubled lawyer who takes Mifune's case.

out of


The Descent (2005)

Viewed 11/29/2005 (first viewing)

Bloody horror flick from the director of Dog Soldiers. A group of women go caving and end up getting trapped far below ground with a bunch of deviant humanoid predators. Solid genre entry with the neat twist of having an all female cast.

out of


Havoc (2005)

Viewed 11/30/2005 (first viewing)

Okay teen drama about spoiled rich white kids and their wannabe gangsta lifestyles. Not as compelling as it could have been and let's face it: if you're gonna rent this, it's to see Anne Hathaway's boobs.

out of


Murderball (2005)

Viewed 11/30/2005 (first viewing)

Absorbing documentary on wheelchair rugby players is not so much about the sport as it is about their triumph over adversity. Great stuff.

out of


Cronicas (2005)

Viewed 11/30/2005 (first viewing)

Solid suspenser about a television journalist who saves a man from a lynch mob only to discover that he may just be a notorious serial killer. Disturbing look at journalistic ethics (or the lack thereof).

out of

[c]November Recap[/c]

Ratings range from bomb to

Bolded titles are first viewings.

An Eastern Westerner ***
Anna Christie ***
Apres Vous ***
April ***
Batman ***
Berlin Express ***1/2
Bumping Into Broadway ***
Cops ***
Cronicas ***
The Descent ***
Detective Story ***1/2
The Devil's Rejects ***
Falling Leaves ***
Fatty Drives the Bus **1/2
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T ***
The Freshman ***
The General ****
The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner ***
Hammett ***
Havoc **1/2
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer ***1/2
His Royal Slyness ***
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck ***
The Intruder ***
The Invisible ***
King Kong (1933) ****
Land of Plenty ***
Little Ice Age: Big Chill ***
Mighty Joe Young (1949) ***
Murderball ***1/2
The Music Room ***1/2
Napoleon Dynamite ***
Pastorale ***
Pickpocket ***1/2
The Playhouse ***
The Railroad Man ***1/2
The Rains Came ***
Reefer Madness (2005) **1/2
Reign of Fire ***
Revenge of the Sith ***
Robocop ***1/2
Rushmore ***1/2
Safety Last ****
Sanshiro Sugata ***
Scandal (1950) ***
Scarecrow ***
September ***
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers ***
There Once Was a Singing Blackbird ***
Travellers and Magicians ***1/2
Ugetsu ****
Until the End of the World: Director's Cut ***
Victor ***1/2
Wheel of Time ***
The White Diamond ***1/2
Yes ***
Zombie Night **


Total films viewed: 57

First viewings: 48

The Seventh Victim

Surprisingly good film, much better than I'd come to expect from Val Lewton (I did not care for Cat People or I Walked with a Zombie, etc.).

Unfortunately, it does fall flat at the end. It starts out as a really good proto-Rosemary's Baby type film, but then they reveal that they've got a bunch of Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) , and from that point on cracks start showing. For most of this film I was thinking I'd be buying it, but it finished too weak for that. Still, much, much better than I could have hoped for.

Why? I don't see the connection.

I don't either. If they were complaining remakes suck, why would you present them with yet another terrible film?

And The Brown Bunny remains the best American film of 2004 I've seen.

November Recap

Total Films: 27 (I just hit 300 for the year. I may be 100 shy of what I watched last year.)

Best Film: King Kong

Best 1st Time Viewing: Samurai Rebellion

2005 Films
5x2 - B
9 Songs - C
Bewitched - C+
Capote - B+
Good Night, and Good Luck - B+
Happy Endings - C+
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - B-
March of the Penguins - B
Melinda and Melinda - C+
Millions - C+
Mysterious Skin - C+
Rize! - B-
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - B
The Squid and the Whale - B+

2004 Films
Cowards Bend the Knee - B

Pre-2004 Movies Seen for the 1st Time
An Angel at My Table (1990, Jane Campion) (DVD Rent) - B+
Kill! (1968, Kihachi Okamoto) (DVD Rent) - B
Masculin feminin (1966, Jean-Luc Godard) (DVD Rent) - A-
Miracle on 34th Street (1947, George Seaton) (NBC HD) - A-
Murder, My Sweet (1944, Edward Dmytryk) (DVD Own) - B+
The Passenger (1975, Michelangelo Antonioni) (Theater) - B+
Pickpocket (1959, Robert Bresson) (DVD Rent) - B
Samurai Banners (1969, Hiroshi Inagaki) (DVD Rent) - B-
Samurai Rebellion (1967, Masaki Kobayashi) (DVD Rent) - A-
Samurai Spy (1965, Masahiro Shinoda) (DVD Rent) - B-
The Stationmaster's Wife (1977, Rainer Werner Fassbinder) (DVD Own) - B+

Revisits (All DVD's from my collection unless specified)
King Kong (1933, Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Shoedsack) - A

Murder, My Sweet (1944) - Dick Powell stars in this film noir based on a Raymond Chandler novel. He has an interesting take on the Phillip Marlowe character: quicker with a wise-crack than with his fists, he spends a lot of time getting pushed around and beaten up, but his smarts and chutzpah see him through. It falls short in the villain area, Otto Kruger makes little impression. But with a twisty mystery story, solid direction from Edward Dmytryk, and Claire Trevor as the acid-tongued femme fatale, this is a fine example of the genre. - B+

Pickpocket (1959) - I found Robert Bresson's existential tale of a lonely pickpocket quite similar to his prison film A Man Escaped. I appreciate his technical mastery a great deal in both films, but the lead character is so remote that I have a difficult time investing much emotional involvement in the film. Once again I find I appreciate his stylistic uniqueness, while at the same time feeling he'll never be a favorite of mine. - B

The Squid and the Whale (2005) - Jeff Daniels gives one of the best performances of the year as a completely self-absorbed father/husband/writer in this indie about a family going through the throes of a divorce. Laura Linney supplies ample support as the fed up-and-angry mother/wife and their are several good performances from the teenage actors who end up onscreen more than the adults. Bitingly funny, sad, painful, often all in the same seen, writer/director Noah Baumbach's autobiographical film is skillfully executed with each scene providing subtle commentary on human relationships and the selfishness inherent in one's own point of view. If the film suffers a bit from being too pointed in its usage of the title symbol, Daniels' performance grounds the film. Cynically witty, name-dropping, bitter he pittifully begs our sympathy while displaying an almost Hulot-like obliviousness and a decided indifference to the pain and suffering he causes. - B+

Capote (2005) - Phillip Seymour Hoffman's lauded and spot-on imitation of Truman Capote is the chief attraction in this film detailing the writing of Capote's novel In Cold Blood. While the filmmakers play loose with the facts (see Jonathan Rosenbaum's excellent review for the Chicago Reader), the emotions are right on. Hoffman's Capote bends any moral or ethical qualms he might have had to the subservience of what he is certain will be his masterpiece. In the end, the cost to his soul is incalcuable, if, one surmises, perhaps less than what the filmmakers attempt to portray; Truman Capote already being filled to the brim with personal demons. Also of note is Catherine Keener giving a very fine turn as Harper Lee. - B+

King Kong (1933) The Eighth Wonder of the World is in fabulous form again thanks to Warner's new DVD set. I had not seen this in years, and wonder if I'd ever seen it uncensored (I don't seem to remember Kong chomping people), so this set is a revelation. - A

9 Songs (2005) Brit director Michael Winterbottom's latest mixes alt-rock performances (Dandy Warhols, Von Bondies, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, etc) with scenes from a couple's relationship including lots of hardcore sex. Far more boring than it sounds with only the later scenes approaching eroticism and generating some interest in the couple once we finally get to know them. The bands are filmed in a flat, ordinary manner making the music seem the same way. Throw in the usage of Antarctic (the man is some kind of polar scientist) metaphors for the relationship, and even at 75 minutes the film is a chore. C

Mysterious Skin (2005) Joseph Gordon-Levitt starts as a gay hustler in this drama about the effects of child abuse. This film has received much praise both here and critically, but to me it just screamed "Sundance indie". While the fact that Levitt's character is mostly a blank serves the film's theme, it makes for less than compelling viewing. The exectution is obvious and anticlimatic, and the whole film just feels like a tired reitiration of other films. I enjoyed a few of the supporting characters, Michelle Trachtenberg's alt-girl and Jeff Licon as the gay friend brought to mind 'My So-Called Life', but overall the film left me unmoved. - C+

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) Solid teen coming-of-age film with young women finding love, new friends, emerging from shells and coming to terms with painful pasts. Sure some of it is cliche and one of the conflicts terribly manufactured, but the film gets the emotions right and 3 of the 4 performances are very solid, particularly America Ferrera who was also quite good in Real Women Have Curves. An entertaining film that celebrates the value of friendship. - B

March of the Penguins (2005) Solid documentary that is well edited to weave the compelling story of the breeding cycle of penguins. At the same time this is a nature doc about penguins, nothing really earth-shattering (or worth an Oscar nom over the superb Grizzly Man ) - B

If only. It would have been a far better film. Unfortunately it's Dick Powell.

Whoops, Hey I like Dick Powell. William Powell would have been too old and is too cool and suave to be believable as someone the bad guys keep getting the upper hand on. As much liquor as he downs in The Thin Man I can't believe they would have a strong enough drug to keep him down for days.

Scarlet Street (1945) 9/10
Blind buy of the new DVD was a very worthwhile purchase for me. As noted in the commentary track, Lang approached the story with the feel of a Greek tragedy, which comes through particularly strongly in the chilling fate of the main character. A great role for Edward G. Robinson, with excellent character touches all over the place for the supporting roles as well, especially the tormenting sideways glances from the girl as she strings him along.

Kings Row (1942) 9/10
A widely hailed classic, although maybe not quite as frequently seen as many others, that definitely lived up to the hype for me. There's a lot of intense drama packed in to just over two hours, and you can tell that the original novel must have been a lot crazier, but it's terrific. The whole cast is excellent, especially Ann Sheridan, and Robert Cummings is very good as well. It's probably best known today for Ronald Reagan's part, which is pretty much always cited as his best role, and he does do a great job. His famous line from this one, "Where's the rest of me?", is always the one that gets quoted next to "Win one for the Gipper," so I had assumed that it would be similar to the Gipper quote, like an "aw shucks, things are tough for me, but life has to go on" sort of thing. But that's not what happens at all, and what does come across is extremely powerful.

The Most Dangerous Game (1932) 7/10
Some exciting action and chase scenes near the end make this one pretty fun, but I didn't think Leslie Banks was all that good as the villain, since his Russian accent was...not very convincing (although I did think he was good in the '34 Man Who Knew Too Much). It's fun to see the same jungle and island sets that they used in King Kong, as the two films were produced in parallel. Even some of the shots are the same, though they work fine in both movies. A lack of resources worked against this one in the end, as it's only 63 minutes long, and rather lean as a result. I think they could have produced a stronger movie if they'd had more to work with, but it turned out to be fairly interesting anyway.

I also re-watched Captain Blood and bumped it up from an 8 to a 9. Notwithstanding some occasionally excessive silliness, and Basil Rathbone's less than successful French accent, it's a terrifically enjoyable thrill ride.

It's a great relief to have the old format back!

However, we seem to be missing many posts and I hope they can be restored... I tried to update my list from memory!

Trust

It’s not unheard of for me to suspect after only 5 minutes that I’m going to hate a film. And quite a few times, after only 10 minutes I’ve been 99% certain I was going to hate it. But this film sets some kind of record. The film opens with a laughably amateurish camera setup, and after 2 lines of the most insipid dialogue ever uttered outside a junior high boy’s bathroom, I thought I might hate this film. By the time that first scene ends, after a few more even stupider lines of dialogue, and one of the most incredulously stupid things I’ve seen on film (the father’s ‘reaction’ to her slap), I was 99.9999% certain I’d hate it. And I was right. The good news is that the film never got any worse. The bad news is, that it never got any better, and as badly as it started, that’s not good. This is far from the worst film I’ve ever seen, it’s just the quickest I realized I was watching such a bad movie. Now, whether that’s because of this film, or because I’ve seen so many of these kinds of films in the past year or two that I can spot them coming more quickly, I don’t know. I also don’t know whether I should feel proud that I manage to sit through the entirety of these films, so that I’ll be able to speak about them, or feel embarrassed that I waste 2 hours of my life on a film that I’m 99.9999% certain I’ll hate after a few minutes.

Rosemary's Baby

Had some people over last night to watch this, and after it was over we sat there for a half hour talking and debating it. There were lots of different opinions about whether she would do this, or she should do that. Would she stay with Guy? Would she really raise the child? Was she still going to kill anyone, including herself or the child? Etc., etc.

But while there was all kinds of debate, etc., nobody thought that the movie had ended unresolved. And I realized that while the movie had lots of open questions about "what would happen next?", it didn't leave you wondering about "what had already happened?". This is a key difference between films that resolve and those that don't. It's OK to leave future things up in the air, but don't fail to answer questions that the movie raises about things before the film ends. That's why films like Blow Up are so horrible. Rosemary's Baby is a good example of a film with all kinds of open ended possibilities, but that doesn't leave you feeling unsatisfied.

The Iron Giant

This film shows how important trailers are. I remember seeing this trailer over and over in the theater, and it left me, not only with zero interest in the film, but with a stark belief that the film would suck. And so, it never made it's way onto my to watch list. Only after seeing the great Incredibles, was I motivated to give this film a chance. And it turned out to be a really good film. But man, you never would have guessed it from the trailer (or at least I wouldn't have).

Re: Trust

George, is this the Hal Hartley film you are referring to or something else. Your sig says Trust (1995) but I know of no such film from that year

Just wondering as your review doesn't mention a single thing about the film itself (oh, someone gets slapped) and I happen to like Hartley's Trust a lot!

Ugetsu (1953) 9/10
A brilliant multi-thread story about family rifts during a time of societal upheaval. I didn't know there were any supernatural elements to the story going in, but those parts are the best things about it. Nice star entrance for the excellent Machiko Kyo, after she had one as well in Rashomon.

Steve, you posted about this one as well, did you also watch the trailers on the disc? There's a great shot at the end of each of them, a direct shot of the lady and her helper fading back into the darkness, but it's not in the movie.

Ran (1985) 9/10
Kurosawa's epic take on King Lear adds a great dimension of the king/lord being haunted by the injustices he inflicted on others in his past, somewhat in keeping with that theme from Macbeth/Throne of Blood. Lady Kaede is certainly one of the best characters in any Kurosawa film, and as Stephen Prince points out in his commentary track, the explosive nature of Mieko Harada's performance is reminiscent of Mifune in his prime, where he could turn on a dime either emotionally or physically.

Broken Wings (2002) 7/10
Small domestic drama from Israel dealing with a mother and her four kids struggling to get by without their missing father. The story slowly unveils what happened with the father in little bits here and there, which works pretty well, although it doesn't go anywhere particularly great overall. I liked the characters, and any affectionately made Israeli movie will have some nice personal resonance for me, but I don't think there's a whole lot that stands out about this one.

He Walked By Night (1948) 7/10
This mostly police procedural noir about a ruthless killer came highly recommended from several reviews on the web, and it was apparently directed mostly by an uncredited Anthony Mann. I thought most of it was fairly uninteresting, so I didn't find it as good as I'd hoped, but there are some very good parts. One scene where the police bring some witnesses in to piece together a sketch of the killer is really interesting, and then the finale takes place in a familiar late '40s movie setting...the sewers beneath the city! It's a great sequence, just about as good as the one in The Third Man. A strong aspect of this sewer chase is the sound of the gun battle that ensues, with the echoing gunshots creating a sound environment very much like a huge thunderstorm.

Destry Rides Again (1939) 8/10
A mostly fun Western comedy, even a borderline spoof at times. Marlene Dietrich is great, and the opening scenes in the "Last Chance Saloon" are particularly good. Some drama/straightforward Western story elements eventually come into the mix and don't always blend so well with the comedy, but it's still a lot of fun.

Also re-watched The Palm Beach Story from earlier this year. Preston Sturges' familiar foibles-of-the-rich style comedy is mostly great, albeit with some slow parts where a bunch of drunk guys wreak havoc on a train. Mary Astor's supporting role is one of the funniest characters I've seen in any movie.

I've always thought this film was as close to perfect as a film can be, and the ending is very appropriate IMO.

Bill,

The year was a typo. As for specific things about the film, I did mention the horrible cinematography and insipid dialogue, but I guess I should have added horrible acting.

Sorry you liked the film, but I guess someone has to.

Some recent films seen. Will add some comments later.

Assault on Precinct 13 - 3/4
In Good Company - 1/2
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd -
Seconds - (Thanks Joe! )
Friday After Next - 1/4
Good Night, and Good Luck. - (Best film of the year thus far. Munich, Brokeback Mountain, King Kong or Syriana will have to be extremely special to beat this out.)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -
The Interpreter -

First time viewings in Blue

Mary of Scotland (1936)
Above average historical drama about the conflict between Queen Elizabeth & Mary Stuart stars Katherine Hepburn in the title role.

Borderline (1950)
Run of the mill Noir has undercover agents Fred MacMurray & Claire Trevor are on the run from gangster Raymond Burr.

House By the River (1950)
Two brothers cover up a murder in this gothic thriller from Fritz Lang.

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Top notch Noir has rouge cop Dana Andrews accidentally killing a suspect, then covering up the murder. Loses a half point for the conventional Hayes Code ending.

The Hoodlum (1951)
Lawrence Tierney in another one of his bad boy roles, this one is almost a follow-up to his role in Dillinger.

The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)
Powell & Pressburger’s attempt to put an opera on the silver screen. There were a couple visual flairs that kept me from nodding off but overall this was a bit tedious. Not in the same league as their other performing arts film The Red Shoes.

Ocean’s Eleven (1960)
Frank, Sammy, Dino and the gang attempt to rob 5 Vegas Casinos on New Years Eve. Here’s an example of a remake being better than the original, even though I’m not a huge fan of Clooney's film.

Blood and Black Lace (1964)
Italian shocker from Mario Bava about a mysterious killer murdering fashion models.

Tattooed Life (1965)
Fairly straightforward and restrained Yakuza flick especially coming from Seijun Suzuki.

Kiss Me Stupid (1964)
Mildly amusing Billy Wilder sex farce stars down and out piano teacher Ray Walston, Kim Novak as a prostitute and a stranded Dean Martin as himself.

The Fortune Cookie (1966)
Billy Wilder again, this Lemmon/Matthau pairing has Jack scamming a fake injury for his ambulance chasing brother in law Walter. Not many laughs in this one.

Avanti (1972)
Minor Billy Wilder again as an uptight Jack Lemmon falls for a free spirited woman in Italy.

Islands in the Stream (1977)
Picturesque yet stagnant Hemmingway adaptation/character drama stars George C Scott.

Explorers (1985)
Lighthearted, yet severely dated 80’s fantasy as River Phoenix & Ethan Hawke build a spaceship & encounter some goofy aliens.

Dagon (2001)
Stuart Gordon tries to tackle HP Lovecraft again as a boating accident strands some people in a fishing village inhabited by half-human offspring of a Sea God. Craptastic direct to video fare. I’d love to see a worthy big budget Lovecraft adaptation put to screen someday, I think Peter Jackson could pull it off.

The Polar Express (2004)
Dare I say, this could be destined for Holiday Classic status someday. This CGI Christmas tale has a young boy who’s lost his faith in Santa Claus journeying to the North Pole. Similar to George’s experience with The Iron Giant, I really had no interest in this due to the trailers. Luckily my wife really wanted to see it sooo…….

Dominion Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
Paul Schrader’s version of the prequel to the Horror classic is more character driven and is a tad better than the over-the-top Renny Harlin cut.

Fantastic Four (2005)
One of my favorite comic books as a kid gets the silver screen treatment. A bit too many liberties with the source were taken, though some things were spot-on such as the angst of Ben Grimm. I would’ve also liked a more retro-60’s type look, though I doubt that’d please the kiddies. All in all an above average entertainment, though it doesn’t come close to the top comic films such as X2, Spider-man 2, Batman Begins, etc.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Enjoyable action/comedy has Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie star as unknowingly competing assassins who happen to be married to each other.

Cinderella Man (2005)
True story stars Russel Crowe as family man Jim Braddock, a down and out boxer who turns into the hero of the depression era everyman. Outstanding film from Ron Howard deserves a Best Picture nomination at the very least IMO.

King Kong Escapes (1967)
An extra cheesy Kaiju fest has the evil Dr Who’s MechaKong facing off against the real Kong, um…….well Toho’s version of Kong.

From the new Kong set………….

King Kong (1933)
The Granddaddy of giant monster movies is always a treat to watch.

Son of Kong (1933)
Quickie sequel has Carl Denham returning to Skull island to find an albino junior Kong.

Mighty Joe Young (1949)
Update of the Kong story has a young girl & her pet gorilla Joe brought to America to star in a nightclub act.

And a trio of Disney classics I haven’t seen in a few decades……………

Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Sleeping princess, a heroic prince, an evil sorceress, you get the picture. Top notch Disney fairy tale.

Cinderella (1950)
Wicked stepmothers, Fairy godmothers, glass slippers, you know the tale. A bit more cat & mouse action then I remember & the animation quality isn’t as good as most of their other classic’s from this era.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Alice journeys into the magical rabbit hole is a bit too weird & abstract for my liking. Though I’m open to giving it another go round someday.

Better late than never, from my list at HTT:

So far this year: 136

I'll have three ratings. Movie/Video/Audio. A /-/- in the video/audio ratings means that we watched it on our TV in the master bedroom. I have no way of telling if the picture and sound is very good in there.

To be added:

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

After the Sunset (2004) - 5.0/8.0/8.0 - Started off promising, I thought, but lost steam after about the first hour. I was falling asleep by then and didn't care to finish it then or later. I just didn't even care how the two were going to pull off the big one, in the end. Watched: 04-02-05 Not Recommended
Alfie (2004) - 5.0/8.0/8.0 - Not my cup of tea. Did not finish it. You get to a point in your movie watching career when you know when to quit just 25 minutes (or so) in. Cut your losses and pop in another disc. I have not seen the original. This one just bored me. Is Jude Law star material? Not sure if I like him much as the star of a movie that is totally geared for him to star in it. He is great as a supporting actor in most movies. Don't get me wrong. Watched: 03-25-05 Not Recommended
Alien VS. Predator (2004) - 2.5/8.0/8.0 - Ok action flick, awful sci-fi flick. The premise of the 'where did they both come from' story is stupid. Weak screenwriting as far as that goes. For an action flick, it was just decent. Watched: 01-28-05/01-30-05 Not Recommended
American Psycho(2000) - 7.0/-/- - If it weren't for the outstanding performance by the always interesting, if not downright intense, Bale, this movie would not have made as much impact back in 2000, and it wouldn't be nearly as funny, in that VERY dark comedy sort of way, as it is today. This is one of those movies that will probably ring true more and more as time goes by. Not for the squeamish, unless you are able to take it for what it was intended as: A very dark comedy about the perils of, well, pschosis, really. Watched: 10-15-05 Recommended
American Splendor (2003) - 8.0/7.5/8.0 - I really enjoyed this one. I like the way they mixed the real Harvey Pekar with the fictional Harvey Pekar, played by the always funny Giomatti. Watched: 07-8-05 Recommended
The Amityville Horror (2005) - 6.5/8.0/8.5 Showtime - Pretty good horror flick remake. Scarier than the first, IMO. Definitely worth a rental for some spine chilling scenes. Video looked very good and audio is even better. Watched: 10-08-05 Recommended
Antichrist(1974-Italy) - 7.0/8.0/7.5 - This could have been lumped in with the many Exorcist cones/ripoffs that came out after that great movie, but it stands apart due to a good performance by Carla Gravina and some rather disturbing images and general creepiness. It is a little dated to be sure, and not even close to The Exorcist in terms of, well, everything, but for you horror fans and for anyone who wants to see how the Italians were making horror 30 plus years ago, check this one out. Good possession movie at the very least. Watched: 10-11-05 Recommended
The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - 9.0/8.5/6.0 - Stylish Film Noir starring Sterling Hayden and directed by John Huston is one of the better Film Noir films and is now one of favorites, too. I found the characters to a little more animated than some I have seen in other Film Noir movies, though my viewing of these movies is not yet very extensive. This is also one of the better looking B & W DVD's of an older movie. This is another good Noir film, folks, and would be a fine starting point for those interested in this intriguing genre. Watched: 11-26-05 Highly Recommended
The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) - 7.0/8.5/8.0 - A train wreck in slow motion. Taxi Driver Lite. Sean Penn almost reaches over the top for this one, IMO. Still, it held my interest. Watched: 04-29-05 Recommended
Assult On Precinct 13 (2005) - 6.0/8.0/8.5 - Somewhat by the numbers action movie, but enternaining nonetheless. I do not remember much of the original from when I saw it decades ago, so I can't compare. Just a decent action flick with nothing to write home about. Watched: 06-18-05 Recommended
The Aviator (2004) - 8.0/7.5/8.5 - Good addition to Scorsese's work. Leo was good. Video was not what I hoped it would be. But then again, when was the last time a Scorsese DVD looked good upon inital release? Watched: 06-08-05 Recommended
Batman Begins (2005) - 9.5/Theater - This is easily the best of all the Batman movies to date. It may just be the best comic book adaptation for the big screen to date. And it ranks WAY up there in my book among the best action/adventure movies, to date. It ranks high, period. But it is more than just a good action movie, for sure. It's about noble ideas, never lets you forget it, and it's done very intellegently. Almost in a straight forward fashion, though I hesitate to use that word, because you might think I mean boring. It is anything but boring. I found Bale to be very, very good, as is the rest of the cast. Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman. I thought that Katie Holmes was well cast, and did a fine job. I think that for this movie it was important that she did not stand out very much, as it is Batman and his beginnings that is the real show here, not so much the love interest or their relationship. At the theater that I saw this at, they had the volume up way too loud. But I could tell that the mix was a good one and it looked really good. Excellent set design, editing, special effects, cinematography, and a score that was absolutely perfect. I was actually very moved by certain parts of this movie, and I know that the score very much was a factor.? Watched: 06-18-05 Highly Recommended
Be Cool (2005) - 6.5/7.5/8.0 - I enjoyed this. It didn't try too hard, which was probably it's greatest strong point. One of the last shots was an edited loop of Vince Vaughn dancing around in flames. It's always a good thing when I'm laughing hard at the end of a movie. Watched: 06-11-05 Recommended
Beyond The Sea (2004) - 7.5/7.5/8.0 - Spacey's second directorial effort. I like his style. It's different. Good musical numbers and I cared about the main character. Watched: 06-18-05 Recommended
The Big Tease(2005) - 4.0/6.0/6.0 - I didn't find this very funny at all. I tried to like it, because I thought it had a promising premise, but when it tried to inject that mockumentary humor that Rob Reiner and then Christopher Guess seem able to do so effortlessly, it usually just fell flat. In a word: Boring. Watched: 10-11-05 Not Recommended
Birth (2004) - 4.5/8.5/8.5 - This is one of those movies that, by the end, you sit there asking yourself, "and the point of that was?..." I liked the movie quite a bit, up until the last 25 minutes or so. I liked the look of the movie, and I really liked the soundtrack. The acting was good. It held my interest until the protracted ending. Watched: 04-21-05 Not Recommended
Blackadder Part I - episodes 1-3 (1983) - 9.0/5.0/5.0 - I love this stuff. Haven't seen it in 15 years or so. Going to finish out the series soon, I hope. British humor at it's funniest. Watch out for all the bastartized Shakespeare lines. Watched: 09-18-05 Recommended
Blade Trinity (2004) - 6.5/9.0/9.5 - A fun rollercoaster of a movie. I liked the action sequences, I liked the ham acting by Parker Posie and a few others, and I thought Ryan Reynolds (who I don't believe I've ever seen before) was pretty damn funny. Excellent popcorn movie. Oh, and a abso f' inglutely stellar audio track. Watched: 10-01-05 Recommended
The Boogeyman (2005) - 7.0/8.0/8.5 - Solid entry into the horror genre. Relied a little too much on the 'GOTCHA' trick, with music and sound effects blaring at those moments, but I really enjoyed it. Watched: 06/05/05 Recommended
The Bourne Supremacy (2004) - 8.0/8./8.5 - Very worthy and solid sequel to the original. Easily as good, and maybe better. The jittery camera work that so many have talked about did not bother me. The camera work actually reminded me of some TV shows, such as CSI, and the crazy camera work reminded me of SW: ROTS. Get used to it, cause I think we'll see a lot more of that type of camera work for now on. In a way, it's cost effective for the studios, because they don't have to be as detailed as to what is actually in the shot. It goes by that fast. Watched: 06/05/05 Recommended
Cellular (2004) - 2.0/who cares. - Blah blah blah. Don't waste your time or money. Don't bother. Didn't quite finish this one, but close enough. Really lame. Watched: 01-23-05 Not Recommended.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - 7.5/8.0/8.5 - Enjoyed this quite a bit. Eye candy, to be sure. The movie is a feast to look at. I personally thought Johnny Depp was absolutely hilarious in this. Not able to compare it to the first one. Two totally different movies. Watched: 11-09-05 Recommended
Chronicles of Riddick: The Directors Cut (2004) - 8.0/9.0/9.5 - I don't know anymore. Maybe it's the new projector, as I've been enjoying almost every movie that I've watched on it (save Birth). I thought this was a fine addition to the SciFi genre. It was very different, though. Not your typical SciFi, though parts of it reminded me of Dune for some reason. The novel, that is. Not the movies. Don't know how to explain that one. This is definitely worth a rental and I'll probably be purchasing it, too. Watched: 04-21-05 Recommended
Closer (2004) - 7.5/7.5/7.0 - Good movie. Straightforward drama, intense at times. Not for everybody. Watched: 04-02-05 Recommended
Constantine (2005) - 7.5/MovieTheater - This took me by surprise as it was much better than expected. I was prepared to give it a 8.0 until about the last 15 minutes. Not only did it take a few strange turns, but my stupid cell phone went off five times during the crucial climax, and I was trying to decide if I should leave the theater and go answer it in case it was about my kids, but the numbers were telling me it wasn't. Still, I was worrying and not paying close attention to the movie. I THINK I need to drop it down to a 7.5 due to the ending. Maybe you'll see what I mean, maybe you'll love it. I have no clue what the comic book is like, so maybe the ending fits perfectly with the sense of...well, I don't want to spoil anything at all for you, so I'll quit now. Watched: 02-18-05 Recommended
Control (2004) - 7.0/-/- Showtime - Pretty decent B movie with Ray Liotta and Willem Dafoe. Straight to video I believe, but worth a rental or a watch on cable. Ray Liotta is a hardened convict with a shitty childhood, who's killed on death row. Only problem is, he was duped into thinking he was killed, only to be part of a drug experiement to try to cure 'aggressive' behavior. He was not just a criminal, he was also a cold blooded killer. Very interesting subject matter, with a few mistakes here and there, but well worth checking out if you have a couple hours to burn, and possilby not be blown away. How's that for a raving review. Watched: 09-27-05 Recommended
Crash (2005) - 5.0/-/- -
It is a very bold movie, as it should try to be, considering the important content and situations throughout. That said, I thought that it failed. Some of my reasoning is summed up in two seperate posts in the above link. In the end, I found the characters to be annoying, possibly because we never get to 'know' hardly any of the characters except for Matt Dillon's, and even his was not detailed enough for me. So in the end you get an Altmanesque/P.T. Anderson(ish) style of 'intertwined ensemble cast' film that does not reach the heights that it tries for. Not a very glowing review, I know, but I do think you should rent this one at least, and decide for yourself. Maybe it will be a gateway to better movies of this style (Short Cuts, Nashville, Magnolia), even though those movies do not cover the same content. Watched: 09-11-05 Recommended
Cursed (2005) - 6.5/7.0/8.0 - I enjoyed this fun and sometimes gory horror flick from Wes Craven. Had some fun humor to it and some campy scares. Worth a rental for sure and a nice edition to the horror genre, and especially to the limited collection of Werewolf movies, to date. Watched: 07-17-05 Recommended
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing - 8.5/7.5/6.5 - I just finished this and I have to say, although I already understood the importance of good editing, I am now actually sold on what these editors and filmmakers in this excellent documentary have to say about the process of film editing: editing IS filmmaking. Of course, it takes teamwork from all involved to create a movie, so I know that the editor is not the only artist creating a movie, but I think anyone who gives this movie a chance will discover one of the major unsung heroes of filmmaking. In film there is 24 frames per second. That's 24 'pics' per second. It is remarkable what the difference between a quick shot of a famous actor at 20 frames compared to 18 frames may make on the actors perceived acting job of any given movie. It's funny that some actors even do not understand the importance of editing, and how it can make or break their overall performance in a scene or in a movie. Definitely great for anyone wanting a further education on film. Actually, this would make for an excellent starting point, too. Watched: 12-11-2005Recommended
Darkness (2002) - 5.0/8.0/8.0 - Boring Watched: 04-29-05 Not Recommended
Demons (1985) - 5.0/6.0/6.0 - We had so much fun making fun of this movie that I will recommend it for that reason alone. Classic Italian Zombie gore CHEESE Watched: 10-01-05 Recommended
The Devil's Rejects - 7.0/7.5/7.5 - I was expecting a bit more dark humor than what I got. For that reason alone I need to watch this again. This is quite a nasty, brutal, visceral experience. I found it hard to watch. Will probably become a horror classic if it already hasn't. At times I felt like I was watching a documentary. That's scary. Watched: 11-12-05 Recommended
Diamond Men (2000) - 7.5/5.5/5.0 - Well it took awhile, but I finally got this one from the Netflix Queue. I liked this film very much. I sure would like to see Robert Forster giving an excellent performance in more good films like this one. When I saw him in Jackie Brown he seemed vaguely familiar to me. Probably from a movie or maybe a few movies that I saw growing up. He is perfect for the role here in Diamond Men as he was perfect for his role in Jackie Brown. Also, the more I see of Donnie Wahlberg, the more I like his work, too. When he first showed up on the screen in this one, I thought I was watching the beginning of a bad performance, to tell you truth. Actually, he was simply in the same character that he was in by the end of the movie, and it worked perfectly along with Forster. I was surprised by the plot twist. I sure would like to see more by writer/director Dan M. Cohen. This is his only movie to date. It's been 5 years. What's up, Dan? You all should put this in your queue or rent it from your local video store. You will not be dissapointed. Don't expect to be wowed by the quality of the DVD. Watched: 09-17-05 Recommended
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist - 6.0/8.0/8.5.0 - Well I finally got around to seeing this one. Hands down MUCH better than the failed attempt of Exorcist: The Beginning, with Renny Harlin at the helm. This one does not rely on the shock shots that Renny Harlin threw into his movie here and there, almost because he felt he had to, sense he was making a horror movie (after all). This one relies on it's story first. It is not a great movie, and it's not a 4 or 5 star horror movie, but it was definitely worth a rental, I can say that much. There is some rather fake CGI throughout this movie, and I felt that the actress in the nurse role was not very convincing over all. The movie does have that overall sense of dread and evil atmosphere that 'The Beginning' definitely does not. I was bored and restless in the first 20 minutes of that movie. I was very much interested til the end with "Dominion", though. Not a bad entry to The Exorcist franchise, but by no means great and once again does not touch the original, as do none of the sequels, either. I know that's not a ringing endorsement, but I do think it is worth a rental. Watched: 12-12-05 Recommended
The Door In The Floor (2004 - 7.5/8.5/8.0 - I'm still thinking about this one even after sleeping on it. I was debating between a 7.5 rating and an 8. Jeff Bridges never ceases to amaze me with his acting and screen presence. Kim Bassinger is in really good form here ( Smile ). Seriously, this is one of her best roles in many years, IMO. A must rent. Watched: 04-19-05 Recommended
Downfall (2004) - 8.5/8.5/8.5 - Very good film. Extremely depressing to watch Goebel's kids get killed by their own mother, with the coward father standing outside the door. Did he order his wife to do it or did she do it thinking it was the right thing for her to do. The way that she walked past him after leaving the room and didn't even want to look at him makes me think that he could not and would not do it, so told her to do it. Also, extremely depressing to watch so many people blindly end their lives under the control of Hitler. It is quite scary how one man had so much mental power over so many people, based soley on fear. This movie expresses this in a big way. Bruno Ganz absolutely amazed me. I have seen him before in a few Wem Wender movies and also in Herzog's Nosferatu. I don't think I've ever seen him exhibit such great acting ability before this movie, though. With what WWII knowledge that I do have, which of course covers the Germans and Hitler, I think he did a very good job in trying to recreate this most infamous leader. Possibly the most infamous of all time. I watched about ten minutes about the making of, which seemed quite good, but I could not stay awake any longer. Got a late start. I did watch the entire 6 minutes worth of interviews (seen throughout the documentary) with Bruno Ganz, and found it very interesting to hear his words on preparation for such a part, and how it challenged him mentally.
I do not know why, but I was surprised at how high the production values were. I was expecting it to look great, don't get me wrong. But it had a Hollywood feel to it, only as far as the production values of the film. The video and audio of this disc were QUITE good. LFE was getting a workout through the entire film. It is not an action film by any means, even though it feels like one. Even so, the audio and video were a very nice surprise, and helped to add to the experience. With or without the good production values and disc transfer, I would have been enthralled the whole way through. It does not quite reach the height of being a GREAT movie, but it is oh so close. Highly recommended.. Watched: 07-30-05 Highly Recommended
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1985) - 7.0/8.0/7.5 - Decent spoof, mainly on Bram Stoker's Dracula, with a surprisingly decent video transfer. Watched: 07-23-05 Recommended
Dust to Glory (2004) - 7.0/8.0/7.0 - I enjoyed this one. I am not sure who, if anyone, turned me on to this movie. I think it was someone here. Anyway, I had no idea what the Baja 1000 was about until I saw this movie. It is directed by Dana Brown, son of Bruce Brown, who brought us the great surfing movie(s) Endless Summer. Dana uses the same off the wall style of narration as his father did, and almost pulls it off as well as his father did. Not quite, though. Still, Dust to Glory is an enjoyable and informative documentary about an event that possible few people know very much about. It concerns what the event title, Baja 1000, conveys: A 1000 mile race through the deserts of Baja, by different vehicle types. The most insane part of the movie is the fact that these drivers 'fly' through the small villages/towns and a very high speed, on slippery sand, and through corner after corner, on a road that is MAYBE 12 feet wide, lined with townfolk of all ages, fearlessly. I found that to be the scariest part of the movie to watch, and it's not a horror film. Check it out if you have even a passing interest in any kind of racing. Watched: 09-10-05 Recommended
Equilibrium (2002) - 8.5/8.0/8.5 - Damn. How did this one miss my radar? Excellent sci-fi all around. Thanks to those here that turned me on to this movie. Yes, it was reminiscent of The Matrix, but not a rip off, IMO. Plus, Bale is clearly a stronger actor than Reeves, so it was nice to see a more 'serious' actor in a more serious sci-fi movie. I would compare the movie more the Brave New Wolrd and 1984 than I would The Matrix. Excellent stuff. Going to purchase this one for sure. Watched: 07-8-05 Highly Recommended
The Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) - 3.5/7.5/8.0 - Really, really lame. Considering what the screenwriters had to work with, i.e., the original movie's storyline about Father Merrin, it just really sucks that they screwed this up so badly. I saw this as a great opportunity to make a really good movie when I first heard that it was in production. Very big disappoinment. Watched: 03-04-05 Not Recommended
Exorcist 3 (1990) - 7.0/7.0/7.0 - After reading the conversations between Peter Apruze and Scott Aruti (sorry for any spelling errors, guys) about this movie, I just had to see it. Glad that I did. Easily the next best installment after the original Exorcist, but no where near as good. Still, it was a good movie, and a fine installment into the horror genre. I really liked seeing Jason Miller again, even if it wasn't a very large role, and Brad Dourif is just one weird mother, hands down. Definitely the scariest role I've ever seen him play (Besides Chucky Smile ). Worth the rental alone. Watched: 09-10-05 Recommended
Fever Pitch (2005) - 7.5/-/- - This was a damn funny, good movie. I was really taken by surprise. Partly because I've never understood why Jimmy Fallon was so popular from Saturday Night Live, and partly because I've been feeling lately that 'baseball movies' may be losing their zing. This one was good. Fallon was right on for his character, Barrymore was very good, and the way in which baseball was worked in throughout the movie, with Fallon being a complete Red Sox NUT, and with the history of that team being very interesting to me, I had a very good time watching this. Definitely check it out. Watched: 09-15-05Recommended
The Final Cut (2004) - 7.0/7.5/8.0 - Interesting movie. Just barely makes the cut. Williams plays a "Cutter" who edits peoples life memories for a final cut at their funeral. Watched: 03-24-05 Recommended
Finding Neverland (2004) - 9.5/9.0/8.5 - Got to me in a big way. Excellent. Watched: 03-22-05
Highly Recommended.
Flight of the Phoenix (2004) - 7.5/8.5/9.0 - I really enjoyed this. I have not seen the original yet. You should give this a try. Watched: 03-05-05 Recommended
The Forgotten (2004) - 8.0/8.5/9.0 - I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I was not really expecting to, either, which I guess made it more enjoyable. One of Moore's best performances. She fit the role very well. A strong Thriller. Watched: 01-22-05 Recommended
The Grudge (2004) - 6.5/8.0/8.5 - All I can say is that the scary/creepy parts really delivered. Plenty of spine tingling moments for me. On the flip side, somehow there wasn't much to this movie. It's weird. It's a simple 'pissed off ghost in a house' movie, which is ok. Sometimes simple works. It's just that, by the end of the film, it really didn't leave much of a mark. Watched: 02-02-05 Recommended
Guess Who (2005) - 6.0/7.5/7.0 - I had some good laughs. Worth a rental. Bernie Mac is very funny in this, and what's his name wasn't bad, either. Watched: 008-07-05 Recommended
Hide and Seek (2005) - 6.0/8.0/9.0 - I am not sure why this movie got such absolutely horrible reviews. While it wasn't great, it certainly wasn't a dog. The hardest thing for me to watch was Dakota Fanning and her character, and what it must be like for a little girl to go through what she did. Then again, Danny didn't fair much better in The Shining, and look how well that movie was received. Too tough for critics these days?. Watched: 07-10-05 Recommended
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003) - 6.5/8.0/7.5. - I started this movie not knowing much about it, other than it had to do with gambling, and it was based on a true story. May not have been much without Michael Imperioli at the helm. I'm fascinated with gamblers, so I might be biased. Worth a rental, to be sure. Watched: 03-21-05 Recommended.
High Tension (2003) - 8.0/7.0/7.5 - I really did not know that any French filmmakers were into this kind or thriller/horror/gore. Goodness. This is a well made and damn gory and creepy movie. I watched the unrated director's cut, in French with English subtitles. Dubbed never captures the real essence of a movie for me. It has some exceptionally gory scenes, even a few that were difficult for me to watch, which is rare. If you want a well made, gory and scary movie, check this one out. If you are really into horror movies, DEFINITELY check this one out. I guess techically it may be more of a thriller, but the gore borders on horrific. Reminded me of Dario Argento a bit. Some of the gore, that is. Don't let the gore talk scare you off. It has more going for it than that, and is worth a rental, to be sure. Acceptance of a certain plot twist will very with taste. Watched: 11-04-05Recommended
Hitari! (1962)[/color] - [b]8.0/5.5/5.0 - I've never been a very big John Wayne fan for one reason: I never gave him that much of a chance. Consider me hooked! I enjoyed the hell out of this rather long, funny, adventurous movie. I got the feeling they all had a great time making it. It sure was fun to watch. Watched: 08-06-05 Highly Recommended
Hitch (2005) - 7.0/7.5/7.5 - Formulaic but with laughs. Worth a rental? Watched: 06-17-05 Recommended
The Hole (2001) - 5.0/8.0/6.0 - This movie sort of pissed me off. It started off with such promise. In fact, it kept up that promise for a long time. SPOILERS: It had a real problem deciding what type of horror/thriller/mystery movie it wanted to be. Was it going to trick us by making us think the villian could be one of two people? Both? Was it going to throw in a huge plot twist at the end? It didn't know what to do, IMO. By the time the ending came around, I no longer cared. And that's saying a lot, considering what all went on from the beginning. My emotional involvement level was low throughout, though, which is not a good sign for a movie like this. By the time it was over, I was like, "OK. That could have been a masterpiece, but it sure as hell wasn't". Watched: 02-20-05 Not Recommended.
Hostage (2005) - 6.0/8.0/8.5 - An ok thriller. Fairly vicious at times. Watched: 06-25-05 Recommended
I Heart Huckabees (2004) - 6.0/8.0/8.0 - I did not finish this, to be honest. Not because I hated it or anything. I was just tired. I'll probably not make the attempt to finish it. It had it's moments, but in the end I thought it was a one trick pony. Once you 'get it', it gets old, sorta. It is worth a shot, though. Watched: 03-24-05 Recommended
Hitchhicker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005) - 7.0/8.0/7.5 - A fun ride all around, but probably not worth a purchase. Although, the funny parts were extremely funny to me, so I may just buy the HD version of it, if we ever make it there. Watched: 09-23-05 Recommended
Imaginary Heroes (2004) - 7.0/-/- - A lifeless family attempts to revive itself after the eldest son commits suicide. Good acting all around. Considering what is going on with this family, there is a lack of emotion throughout the movie, somehow. The emotion begins to surface near the very end of the movie. Watched: 06-19-05 Recommended
The Interpreter (2005) - 7.5/8.0/8.5 - Not the most solid plot to ever hit the big screen, and may be a little confusing at times if you don't hit pause to grab some popcorn, but overall a good thriller with very good performances by Penn and Kidman. Watched: 10-07-05 Recommended
King Arthur - Unrated Director's Cut (2004)- 8.0/7.0/7.0 - I really enjoyed this movie. I was surprised to see that Bruckheimer produced this one when the credits finally rolled. It had more class and substance than most of his other movies. Don't miss this one. Don't listen to the bad reviews. Watch the UR Director's cut. Watched: 01-08-05 Recommended.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) - 7.0/8.0/8.0 - Well, I enjoyed this one and rank it above popcorn fare and below epic status. Well below, but that's not to say it wasn't a well made movie. It does have great action scenes, and a few good acting jobs, but it lacks that certain grandiose display that Ridley Scott attempted with Gladiator. He succeeds better in Gladiator than he does here. Much better, actually, though Gladiator should probably not be lumped in with other 'epics'. Still, I think you wil enjoy this movie for what it is. A dedent attempt to show you a bit of history mixed in with a bit of Hollywood action and glory. Watched: 11-21-05 Recommended
Kinsey (2004) - 8.0/-/- - I did not know anything about Kinsey the man, going into this movie. I came out really liking his character in the movie. Well done movie with some very good acting, especially the always great Liam Neeson. Watched: 06-21-05 Recommended
Ladder 49 (2004) - 7.5/9.0/9.0 - Good story. Un-Hollywood like ending. Good movie overall. Stellar video transfer, stellar audio. Watched: 03-11-05 Recommended
Land of the Dead (2005) - 7.5/8.0/8.0 - George Romero long awaited followup to Day of the Dead was worth the wait in my eyes. Not a classis in the Romero zombie sense, but still a fun ride. Watched: 10-21-05 Recommended

Layer Cake (2004) - 8.0/7.0/7.5 - Entertaining and well made movie about a drug dealer trying to get out of the business, whether others want him to or not. Starring the future James Bond. Good supporting role by Colm Meaney and a fight scene that you won't soon forget. Watched: 11-19-05 Recommended
Legend of Hell House (1973) - 6.0/-/- - I'd like to hear from any horror fans what they think of this movie. It came out in 1973, which I believe was after The Exorcist. With that in mind, this movie was incredibly tame by the new standards set by The Exorcist, much less today's scare standards. Hell House did not scare me. Not even once. But, it was interesting enough to finish it, and I actually enjoyed it. Was this a British movie, and if so, is that why it was so tame? I don't know. Would love to hear from someone who does know the story on this one. Max? Watched: 07-15-05 Recommended
Lemmity Snickets And A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004) - 5.0/8.5/8.0 - Highly stylized. Fairly boring. Watched: 04-29-05 Not Recommended
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) - 9.0/8.5/8.5 - Absolutely loved it. Wes Anderson's best movie, by far. Watched: 05-31-05 Highly Recommended
The Longest Yard (2005) - 6.0/7.5/8.0 - An ok ride, but didn't mean nearly as much to as the original. The original had a much harder edge to it, and while it was funny it parts, the 'avenger' aspect of it hit home much harder, and worked much better than this remake. Still, worth a rental at least. Watched: 09-24-05 Recommended
Looks Like Another Brown Trouser Job - 6.5/3.0/3.0 - Two college speaking engagements woven together to give the same stories. There's some pretty funny stuff here as he talks about his past. Very poor video and audio, shot on videotape sometime in the 80's I'm guessing. Possibly the late 70's. Watched: 06-08-05 Recommended
The Machinist (2003) - 8.0/8.5/8.0 - Intense movie and very intense performance by Bale. As I was an hour into the movie, I started thinking that if this movie ends as darkly as it's been so far, I can't imagine I'm going to end up liking it. Suffice it to say, I did like it. Watched: 06-10-05 Recommended
Manhunter: The Restored Director's Cut (1986;2003) - 9.0/8.0/8.0 - I hadn't seen this director's cut yet, even though I've had the DVD for some time now. I saw the theatrical version sometime in the late 80's I think. Needless to say, I think it's a great movie. One of the best, if not best, movies about serial killers ever made. I really love the pacing of this movie and the 'relationship' between detective and killer. Very interesting to see this sort of detective work on such a cerebral level. If you're looking for action only, don't bother. You'll only get that once during the whole movie. Trust me. You don't need it. Watched: 03-25-05 Highly Recommended
McLintock - 7.0/2.0/3.0 - I enjoyed this John Wayne movie. Not quite as good as Hatari but it was a good movie. Watched: 08-26-05 Recommended
Meet the Fockers (2004) - 6.0/8.0/8.0 - I liked it. It is not as good as the original, but funny nonetheless. More jokes fail than they did in the first. Worth a rental for sure, possibly a purchase. Watched: 05-23-05 Recommended
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2003) - 9.0/7.5/8.5 - Riveted to the screen. Very good documentary on a band on the verge of collapsing. Lars Ulrich reminded me of Giovoni Ribisi for some reason. Started to bug me after awhile. lol. Watched: 06-12-05 Highly Recommended
Million Dollar Baby (2004) - 9.0/8.0/8.0 - Another excellent movie by Clint Eastwood, with very good performances by him, Freeman, and Swank. This movie had a lot of power left by the time the credits rolled, and in a weird way I was hoping for a little more. Still, a very good movie, worthy of it's awards. Watched: 09-11-05 Highly Recommended
Mindhunters (2005) - 5.5/7.5/7.0 - Very much reminded of the movie "Identity", but didn't work quite as well. A good roller coaster ride of a movie, though. Check it out for some grisly violence, wild swings of momentum, and few cliches here and there for good measure. Can't really recommend it, because if you want to see a movie similar to this one, just rent "Identity". My 2 cents. Watched: 09-25-05 Not Recommended
Mr. and Mrs. Smith - 6.0/8.0/8.5.0 - I think the barometer for this film just may be: if you think the banter between the two leads is funny, you will probably like/tolerate/enjoy this movie. You might love it. If you don't think the banter is funny, you just might not like it. Of course, if you are just a pure action junkie, the banter won't matter. So, I guess there is no barometer. Never mind. Good popcorn flick. I had some laugh out loud moments, that's for sure. Probably from being married and relating a little bit. Pretty good action. Video and audio looked pretty good. I think the audio track stood out more. Watched: 12-03-05 Recommended
Murder, My Sweet - 8.0/8.0/6.0 - Another good Film Noir starring Dick Powell. There is some astonishingly good camerawork in this movie. One of Marlow's rather surrealistic nightmares while under narcotic influence is worthy of mention. Once again a rather complicated plot, as seems to be the case with Noir in general. I remember seeing the remake on the shelves of the video store I worked at, but it was the remake with Robert Mitchum, and it is called Farewell, My Lovely. Powell is no Bogart but he brings a certain curt cynicism that I liked. Watched: 12-03-05 Recommended
National Treasure (2004) - 6.5/8.0/8.5 - Just finished the movie and really enjoyed it. Really fun popcorn movie. Even more interesting since I just finished the audiobooks of Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. Watched: 05-07-05 Recommended
Not Another Teen Movie (2001) - 5.0/7.0/7.0 - There are a few laugh out load moments in this one, but in the end it ranks low for a spoof movie. Can't really recommend it, even though I love the genre. Watched: 09-29-05 Not Recommended
The Notebook (2004) - 8.5/-/- - Very much enjoyed this movie. I would put the story above anything else, though the acting was very good. If I had a beef with the acting, it is that the two main characters, in their elderly years (Garner and Rowland), did not remind me very much of their younger characters. But, I easily suspended my disbelief and chalked it up to people changing over the years, and sometimes not being recognizable when they are older. And I'm not talking looks, at all. I'm talking about their character. Still, it really didn't bother me much at all as it is a strong movie, and very sad, yet in a great way. Check it out. I also found it interesting that Nick Cassevetes directed this. He is the son of early indie pioneer (if not THE pioneer) John Cassavettes, and Gena Rowlands, who plays the elderly Allie in this movie. Watched: 07-08-05 Recommended
Oceans 12 (2004) - 6.0/8.0/8.5 - Fun Watched: 06-26-05 Recommended
The Pacifier (2005) - 6.0/-/- - Pretty funny and cute comedy by Disney. Vin Deisel is actually pretty good here in a fish out of water comedy role. Watched: 07-18-05 Recommended
Paparazzi (2004) - 5.0/6.5/7.5 - Not much of a movie, but I gotta hand it to the bad guys: I really hated them. It's a revenge flick in case you didn't know, involving a newly famous action star in Hollywood (in the story), played by Cole Hauser. I noticed that Mel Gibson is one of the producers. He is notorious for hating the paparazzi. There are a few cameos, each of whom have had run-ins with the paparazzi in real life, and must have been pleading to be in this film for a minute or so, just to make a point. Well the point was made. It moved a long quickly (coming in at under 90 minutes) and was entertaining with the brain turned off. Question is, would members of the real life paparazzi ever go THIS far? Oh yeah, and I'm not sure if the low video score is due to the DVD or the actual film. It just wasn't up to snuff. Watched: 01-14-05 Not Recommended.
The Passion of the Christ - 8.0/8.0/8.0 - Well crafted movie by Mel Gibson. Difficult to watch as it is not for the squeamish. One of the most violent and gory movies I've seen. Watched: 11-25-05 Recommended
The Phantom of the Opera (2004) - 8.5/9.0/9.0 - Very good movie. Definitely check this one out. I remember when it came out, it had some very mixed reviews. I remember more poor reviews than good ones. It's all BS. Watch this one. Watched: 05-06-05 Recommended
Phone (2002) - 5.0/8.0/8.5 -I can't really recommend this, but just barely not. It's a good addition to the many Japanese horror movies that are thankfully making it to our shores, but not great. Watched: 03-12-05 Not Recommended
The Polar Express - 7.5/8.5/9.0 - Good Christmas movie. The animated humans did not bother me as it does some. Love the train. Watched: 11-25-05 Recommended
Ray (2004) - 8.5/8.5/8.5 - I was pretty much glued to the screen for the entire 2 1/2 hours. Not bad for a bio pic. Foxx was outstanding and I'll bet he gets that academy award. He deserves it here much more than he does for his supporting role in Collateral, which he wasn't bad in by any means, but it's no Oscar winner, IMO. This role, though, was something else. It was an exciting movie overall, and good to watch 'Ray' triumph over his demons, and keep on succeeding in the crazy muisc biz. Watched: 02-05-05 Highly Recommended
The Ring 2 (2005) - 2.0/6.0/7.5 - I had a blast watching this movie! I laughed the whole way through, at one point with tears trying to form at the corners of my eyes. Watch out for the killer deer!!! Oh, here they come again, en masse! It's ashame to have a movie like this stain the horror genre. But don't take my word for it. Smile Watched: 08-26-05 Not Recommended
Sahara (2005) - 6.0/8.5/8.5 - Just barely passable popcorn summer movie. Just barely. I was most interested in the thing we saw the least: The Ironclad Battleship. Steve Zahn was pretty damn funny as McConaughey's sidekick, and Penelope Cruz bugged the shit out of me, as she always does. Action was ok. Story was not. I just barely finished it. I'll just barely recommend it, too. Rent at your own risk. Watched: 09-09-05 Barely Recommended
Scared Straight! (1978) - 10/5.5/5.0 - I'd put this in the 'rewatch' section if it weren't for the great '20 years later' section added on to the original. The whole package is so worth it it's not even funny. You've got to see this. Watched: 09-26-05 Very Highly Recommended
Seed of Chucky (2004) - 5.0/7.5/8.5 - Why? Because I can, that's why. Camp horror that never takes itself seriously. Not even once. Watched: 06-07-05 Recommended (if you can laugh at purposely bad horror. If not, stay the hell away) Smile
Session 9 (2001) - 7.5/8.0/- - Thanks to Mike Kelley for this recommendation. It's hard to talk about the movie much without giving things away. It is by the director who brought us The Machinist with Christian Bale, and yes there are some basic similarities between the stories. I can say that much about it. So if you enjoyed a movie like The Machinist, definitely check this one out. Even if you didn't enjoy The Machinist, you should still check this one out. I would say the strongest points are the acting, atmosphere, pacing, and cinematography. I don't know how to explain what I consider the low point without giving too much away. Plus, you may not see it as a low point any way. Rent it. Watched: 09-28-05 Recommended
Sex At 24 Frames Per Second (2003) - 6.0/-/- - want to see quick snippets of your favorite explicit nudity and sex scenes all on one disc? Rent this! The documentary simply retells the history of sex on the big screen since day one, going over key movies that helped pave the way for more, or less, depending on the year, sex on the screen. Watched: 10-16-05 Recommended (barely)
Sideways (2004) - 8.5/7.5/7.0 - - I'm actually still mulling over this one, the way one might a fine wine. Still taking it in. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I'm sort of wondering if it is THAT good. This was one of the most highly praised movies of last year. Still, a fine movie. Watched: 04-12-05 Recommended
Sin City (2005) - 8.0/9.0/8.5 - Five days later and I am still digesting this one. To be honest, this is one of those few movies that I really need to see again to feel confident that the '8' that I give it, as a movie, is the proper rating. I was not really prepared for this movie. It was SO much like a comic, that it really took me by surprise, and I found myself having to forget many of the 'rules' that I go by, when it comes to creating and watching a movie. It really was as if I were watching a comic book coming to life. In that regard, this is a FANTASTIC comic book. I HIGHLY enjoyed watching this movie/comic, and I will be buying it and watching it again and again, more than likely. The reason for the '8' is, it is still pretty much a blur, and I need to see it again and let it sink in for good. Watched: 08-26-05 Highly Recommended
Sky Captain and the Wolrd of Tomorrow (2004) - 8.0/8.5/9.0 - Really enjoyed this one. Just a great ride. It wasn't reaching for much more. OK by me. Watched: 02-25-05 Recommended.
The Source (1999) - 4.5/6.0/6.0 - This is a documentary about the beat generation. Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, etc. The story has been told before, and better. Might make the cut for a cable channel late at night. Watched: 01-08-05 Not Recommended.
Spiderman 2 (2004) - 9.5/9.0/9.0 - Wow. What a movie. More than just an comic book action movie. Watched: 06-11-05 Highly Recommended
Spirited Away (2001) - 9.5/8.5/8.0 - Simply stunning animated movie by a man who I am now a big fan of and will be seeing more of his work very shortly. Watched: 10-21-05 Highly Recommended
Star Wars: ROTS (2005) - 9.0/theater - Great. Watched: 05-23-05 Highly Recommended
Stealth (2005) - 5.5/8.0/8.5 - Good popcorn movie. Warning: DO NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY. They are so many military/navy mistakes in this one alone, that it could keep me entertained for that alone. The acting is what it needs to be. There are a few CGI fakey scenes. The plot is stupid. Unbelievable. Just what you expect from Hollywood today. Watched: 11-20-05 Recommended
Steve Martin - The Best of Saturday Night Live (1999) - 7.0/7.0/7.5 - Some of these can be real duds, but this one isn't. Watched: 01-06-05 Recommended.
Team America: World Police (2004) - 7.0/8.0/8.0 - Had me laughing pretty damn hard through most of it. Not for the squeamish, though. Very low brow humor with plenty of pop culture references and puppet sex. Disgusting puppet sex. "America...Fuck yeah!" Laughing Watched: 05-31-05 Recommended
Tell Them Who You Are (2004) - 7.0/7.5/7.0 - This is a documentary film about the cinematographer Haskell Wexler, directed by his son< Mark Wexler. It is a very interesting film, even if you never heard the name Haskell Wexler before. But, if you do know who he is and are a fan of movies he has shot and also directed, you may be a little dissapointed if you wanted to learn a lot about his career and the movies that he made or helped make. All in all, this is a film about a son trying to fairly show his famous father for who he really is and was as a person, and at the same time try to understand his father a little better. Watch it through to the end. I don't think you will be dissapointed. Watched: 10-30-05 Recommended
They (2002) - 5.0/8.0/5.5 - I got halfway through this lackluster thriller and then gave up. Pity, as I read a few good things about it in the past. I was bored, plain and simple. Watched: 02-21-05 Not Recommended.
Troy (2004) - 7.0/8.0/8.5 - I had low expectation for this one, so I was surprised that it was pretty good. Had no problem keeping my attention for this long movie and there were some pretty good performances. I didn't think Brad Pitt was bad, but they could have done better with the casting of Achilles. It was a little beyond him I thought. He is great for the smartass roles and the somewhat crazy/over the top roles, like Fight Club. He has some real strong points as an actor, but he wasn't showing many of them here. He was adequate. With a stronger actor in this role, with just as many physical abilities as Pitt has, this movie may have been a lot more. Watched: 01-07-05 Recommended.
Undead (2005) - Australia - 6.0/7.0/7.0 - Peter Jackson should have taken a queue from these guys if they had been around back when he made Bad Taste, another alien/zombie low budget cult classic from down under. The difference here is, Undead is actually quite entertaining, with a very wacky 'twist' that explains everything at the end. Not for the squeamish, as it is quite gory, though there's been much worse. If you like zombie horror, and even more so, zombie horror humor, you're in for a treat. Watched: 10-16-05 Recommended
The Upside of Anger (2004) - 7.0/-/- Good drama that really 'makes you think' about our emotions and how we handle them (or don't), with an ending that puts things into better perspective (sorta?).[/size] Watched: 08-14-05 Recommended
Vampyr (1931) - 5.0/1.0/1.0 - The video and audio quality of this DVD is one of the worst I've seen. What bothered me more was the movie. Here is a line from a review at the All Movie Guide: "Vampyr ranks in many circles as one of the greatest horror films of all time." I really can't imagine how that could be. The movie is almost unwatchable. Yes, it is extremely old, but so is Nosferatu, just to choose a similar themed movie from an even earlier time period. Vampyr not only doesn't hold a candle to Nosferatu, it is quite simply in an opposite league. It is very hard to watch, as it is very boring. I did not get any sense of eeriness, as the above AMG review went on to say. Honestly, I have a hard time seeing how it would have been eerie even in 1931. Oh well. To each his own. Watched: 10-05-05 Not Recommended
Vanity Fair (2004) - 6.0/7.5/7.0 - I guess the hype for this movie centers around Witherspoon's performance, which was pretty funny. The rest of the movie I can take or leave. It stayed somewhat funny but it wasn't bowling me over, to say the least. Watched: 02-04-05 Not recommended (but just barely)
The Virgin Suicides (1999) - 8.5/8.0/7.0 - Sofia Coppola is a very unique filmmaker.
War of the Worlds - 7.0/8.5/9.0 - [size=9]Great Popcorn movie. Good sci fi movie from Speilberg. Pop it in and enjoy. Watched: 11-24-05 Recommended

Rewatch List:

Aliens (1986) - 8.5/7.5/7.5 - I watched the Special Edition of Aliens from the Alien Quadrilogy box set and once again thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I watched this Special Edition version, at 154 minutes (17 minutes longer than the Theaterical Version) quite a few times on VHS after a friend of mine was so kind to tape it from his Laserdisc version. I don't do the copying thing anymore, but I sure did enjoy it back then. Sigourney Weaver was born for this role, although she has proved herself elsewhere over time, too. She is the female warrior personified, which is exactly what James Cameron was going for in this movie, though it was simply a continuation of her role in Alien, directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O'Bannon. The only thing really dated on this DVD is the sound effects. The video quality is good and the score is very good. Some of the sound effects and a few spots of dialogue exhibited some distortion, but other than that this is a very good DVD to own. The whole set is worth it, in my opinion. Watched: 11-26-05 Recommended
Bad Taste (1987 - New Zealand) - 2.0/6.0/6.0 - A cult classic but not for this humble reviewer. Not sure what I was smoking way back when, when I first saw this and etched it in memory as being funny. Don't bother. Watched: 10-22-05 Not Recommended
Batman Begins (2005) - 9.5/9.0/9.0 - just as good the second time around. This is a very watchable and listenable (word?) DVD, too. A great time all around. Watched: 10-22-05 Highly Recommended
The Big Sleep (1946) - 9.0/8.5/5.0 - I read so many concise, interesting reviews from Mike Kelly covering these older movies that it was only a matter of time before I started delving back into the old classics, not to mention discovering some new ones. Bogey is very good here. A tight, witty script that is leagues above most everything you see in movies today. The audience of 1946 was much more challenged as far as keeping up with a plot that can whip by so quickly it's easy to miss. Instead of going through the motions of showing you every single plot point that happens in a story, such as with today's movies, a movie like The Big Sleep and many more of it's era will simply throw out name after name and actions to those names that you must remember as actually happening within the story, without ever seeing it happen. It can be dizzying at times for anyone not used to it, and it was for me, too, as I am out of the habit of watching these old classics. Not anymore. It's serving to teach me all over again about the power of the story, over the power of how the story is portrayed. Not that this one isn't portrayed well. It is. Watched: 11-19-05 Highly Recommended
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - 8.5/8.0/8.5 - Nice to revisit this one. It's been awhile. I remember again why I like it so much. Never takes itself too seriously but still delivers on some chills, with plenty of style to boot. Watched: 07/03/05 Highly Recommended
Casablanca(1942) - 10.0/9.0/8.0 - I bought this DVD when it came out and only now watched it. I've seen the movie before but it has probably been 15 years. I as very glad I decided to spin this one up. It is one of those rare life affirming movies, as well as a film that reminds me of the potential power of film. So very rare to see anymore. If you haven't seen this movie, what are you waiting for?. Watched: 10-110-05 Very Highly Recommended
A Clockwork Orange (1971) - 10.0/9.0/8.5 - Great movie. Great disc, for the movie's age especially. This is pure Kubrick brilliance, with a lot of help from an already outstanding novel. Still, his vision of this movie is what makes the movie. That, and the performances of all involved, but especially McDowell. Having just revisited Full Metal Jacket the other night, watching this movie affirms to me just how 'on' Kubrick' was when he made A Clockwork Orange. I think it matches up against Dr. Strangelove and 2001 with ease. Great filmmaking. Watched: 07-30-05
Very Highly Recommended
Constantine (2005) - 7.5/8.5/8.5 - Still good. Very nice video and audio. Not perfect, but pretty damn good. Watched: 07-23-05 Recommended
Drugstore Cowboy (1989) - 9.0/7.5/7.0 - I hadn't seen this movie in probably 10 years. If you've never seen this movie, you ought to. It is about a man and his 'crew' robbing local pharmacies in order to get high. There are some very funny moments in this movie, though they are not meant to be outright funny. You'd have to see it to know what I mean. By the end of the movie, it's clear that this is more than just a story about drug bandits and how horrible they are. It's a story about people and their frailties. Watched: 01-16-05 Highly Recommended.
Full Metal Jacket (1987) - 8.5/6.5/6.5 - I hope there is going to be a DVD of this movie in HD, and I hope it does it better justice than this disc does. It is not horrible, but I think there is MUCH room for improvement. The movie still stands up against the test of time, for me, but I do not think it will live on in cinema history the way that Apocalypse Now, or maybe even Platoon will. Not Kubrick's greatest achievement by any means, but still a very, very good movie. Watched: 07-27-05 Highly Recommended
The Gift (2000) - 7.5/-/- - Interesting to see this one again. It didn't have quite the same impact the second time around, but it is still a well made movie, with a very interesting story, too. Excellent acting by all involved. Yes, even Keanu Reeves. Cate Blanchett is such a good actress. There is a scene in a car where she is listening to Giovanni Ribisi talk about his 'bad thoughts', and while the camera stays on her, she runs the gammut of emotions. Top rate. Reminded me of Nicole Kidman in a scene in "Birth". If you haven't seen "The Gift", it is very much worth a rental. Directed by Sam Raimi. Watched: 10-03-05 Recommended
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) - 9.0/8.5/8.5 - Just as good the second time around, and even more poigniant. Watched: 09-27-05 Highly Recommended
O Brother Where Art Thou - 8.0/7.0/7.0 - Enjoyed this one more the second time around. Watched: 11-01-05 Recommended
Out of the Past (1947) - 9.0/8.0/5.0 - One of the most well known, and some would say, best Film Noir movie, has Robert Mitchum returning to his past to set some things straight. Involved plot takes some attention but it'll be worth it by the end. Good to see this one again. Kirk Douglas is in this one, too. Watched: 11-19-05 Recommended
Primal Fear (1996) - 8.0/7.0/7.0- Possible spoiler. You ought to see this if you haven't, before you read this. I saw this one when it came out on video around '97 or so. It was a really powerful movie the first time I saw it. There had not been many movies up to that point (unless you go back decades) that I was exposed to that had the major twist point near the end. I can't remember if I was fooled or not. I do remember thinking, "who the f%#k is THIS guy?". I'm talking about Edward Norton and his debut film performance. He is great in this movie, and he's probably the key to its success. For once, IMO, Gere does a really good job, too. I usually don't care for his acting all that much. Here, whether it's just good casting and writing for his character, I don't know, but he does a gerat job. Check this one out. Watched: 01-16-05 Recommended
Saving Private Ryan (1998) - 9.5/9.5/10.0 - One of the greatest war movies ever made. Watched: 04-30-05 Highly Recommended
The Toxic Avenger - 2.0/6.0/6.0 - Don't bother. Watched: 10-22-05 Not Recommended
Vampire Hunter D - 6.0/6.0/6.0 - Anime that is not quite as good as I remember it when I first saw it. Not bad, though. Watched: 10-23-05 Recommended