March Screenings

Hancock - ** 1/2
A different take on the (anti) superhero film, but lacks any distinct vision that sets it apart from any other wanna-be summer blockbuster (but it does have Jason Bateman, which counts for an extra 1/2 star). It's loud with lots of effects and very little story. If you like either of the Fantastic Four films, you'll be okay with this.

A Star Is Born (1954) - ** 1/2

The Invincible Iron Man - ** 1/2

Close Encounters of the Third Kind - ***1/2
Always in contention for 2nd place in the list of my favorite Spielberg films (Raiders will forever be #1). It has those great Spielberg moments, which somehow got lost after he did "The Color Purple."

Rain Man - ***1/2
After his underappreciated role as Vincent in "The Color of Money", Tom Cruise really started to bridge the gap between 'Hollywood's "It" Kid' and serious film actor with his portrayal of Charlie in this film. Hoffman's performance stole all the attention but Cruise's ability to hold each and every scene with the veteran actor showed real promise which he followed up with an Oscar nominated role in "Born on the Fourth of July" the following year. It's this Jerry Maguire/Collateral/Magnolia Tom Cruise I love to watch.

The Last Picture Show - ***1/2

The Mummy: Curse of the Emperor's Tomb - *

The Goodbye Girl - ***

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - **

Kissing A Fool - **1/2+
The dreaded decision to go for the "average" 2 1/2 stars or "quite good" three stars. Is this film as good as the three stars "The Goodbye Girl?" No. Is it as disappointing as the big budget "Hancock?" No. So where does a film like this fit in. It's a charming romantic comedy with a great cast. The script has a few contrived twists that don't really fit but it's a very identifiable story for anyone who's been in a whirlwind relationship. Basically, a poor man's (yet more 'glossy') CHASING AMY.

The Lady Eve - ***
This is an enjoyable Preston Surges comedy with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.

My Favorite Blonde - **1/2
A 'road' picture with Bob Hope without Bing Crosby (well, almost). Hope's comedic timing is still ahead of its time and I doubt his audience will ever really catch up to him. He is a true legend in an enjoyable film for all ages.

Nothing Sacred - **
I've been cinematically spoiled since college. Seeing every film in (mostly) pristine 16mm projection, with several prints coming from private vaults across the country, I've seen rare films in conditions that met or exceeded any expectations I had about seeing "old" movies. I know I'm spoiled because I found myself very nearly unable to enjoy this Carol Lombard comedy satire because the DVD transfer was abhorrent. Seriously, it's the worst I've ever seen and that's counting any of those found in the dollar bins at the grocery store. This film deserves better treatment than this. Granted, this was a non-anamorphic transfer blown up on a 100-inch screen. If you watched this on any "standard" TV set, it may not appear as bad but I found it nearly unwatchable. Nearly, because Carol Lombard is worth watching in a film no matter its condition. I just hope this film find a proper release someday.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone - ***
This is a great beginning to what’s become, to nobody’s surprise, a lucrative franchise for WB. The cast is perfect.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - **1/2
When watched consecutively after the first film, it seems to repeat itself a bit too much. Still, a lot of fun.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - ***1/2
I'm giving this an extra 1/2 star over the rest of the 1st five films as I found this the most visually interesting film of the first five releases.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - ***
(A/K/A Harry Potter goes to Shermer High School) Even with it's John Hughes teen themes, the cast continues to grow and develop their characters with a helpful script that makes this journey into adulthood a treat. Emma Watson (Hermione) really stands out here and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her work outside of this franchise. However, with all the teen hormones raging, Harry's central storyline gets cast to the side in favor of a Hogwart's Olympics, which only at the end provides us with what we really want--more Ralph! I mean, Lord Voldemort!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - ***
This film continues to uphold what we expect from a Harry Potter film but doesn't separate itself visually like 'Azkaban' does. However, WB had enough faith in director David Yates's vision to give him the rains to this film as well as the rest of the films in the series. As capable director as he is, I feel this is a mistake as, unless he consciously makes the decision to differ them visually, the films will start to blend over time, especially when viewed in succession. Imagine Danny Boyle, Guillermo del Toro or (gulp) Michael Bay directing. I'm just saying, I disagree with going with the same director for 4 of the 8 films in the series.

Texasville - ***
Great when seen shortly after "The Last Picture Show" as it really gives you extra depth after seeing how these characters turned out. If you were to see it without knowing it was a sequel, it wouldn't make much sense, but still an interesting character film. I'm not sure why Chloris Leachman's and Timothy Bottom's character's were cast aside to much smaller roles as their story was my favorite from the previous film. One figures because Jeff Bridges became much more successful as there's no reason other than money to deny these great characters (and actors) another chance to shine.

Being John Malkovich - ***1/2
I forever became a Charlie Kaufman fan after seeing this film. Much of the focus upon it’s initial release was given to director Spike Jones for the originality of this film, but time has shown us it was its writer who had the true vision.

The Hunt for Red October - ***
Was Alec Baldwin really ever that young?! He shows great promise as an anti-action hero in this highly suspenseful and well-produced film. Watch on a good home theatre system as its effects really shine in this Oscar winner for Best Effects and Sound Effects Editing.

Patriot Games - **1/2
Harrison Ford replaces Alec Baldwin in this follow-up in the Jack Ryan series. It's worth seeing as it solidified Ford's stance as action hero, even without a blaster or whip at his side.

A Clear and Present Danger - **1/2
Too long for its own good, this third film in the Jack Ryan series has Ford reprising the role in standard summer action fare. It was, however, fun to see how clunky and low-tech all the "high-end" computers were. Ah, technology, we barely know ye.

Watchmen - ***
Having not read the graphic novel in over a decade, I barely remember what this film was supposed to be about other than superheroes aren't appreciated in this alternate 1985 universe. As an adaptation, I'd like to revisit the novel to get a real sense of what it did or did not accomplish, however, as a film on it's own, if you're not familiar with its historical significance in the comic book world, this films is a well-produced, but much too long superhero film. Jackie Earle Haley and Patrick Wilson stand out as the better performances. Director Zack Snyder does have some great visuals and would be a great candidate for a (much different) Harry Potter movie.

The Fugitive - ***1/2
Now *this* is a non-Indy Harrison Ford film to which you can be proud of being a fan. Wonderfully paced action film that lures you in from the start and never lets go. This film was nominated for a well-deserved seven Academy Awards (sadly winning only one for Tommy Lee Jones as Supporting Actor). Director Andrew Davis must have had lighting in a bottle for this film only as his career has yet to prove anything as worthy of mention.

Also, as of this writing, WB is planning on remaking this. This is why the recession is bad.

Schindler's List - ****
While it doesn't fit in the same style of what I love about Spielberg, it shows he's a fantastic director without his standard Spielbergism's. I think it's an amazing film, which comes dangerously close to making you think it's a documentary, in the sense that you really lose focus that it's a film with actors, props and sets. A must-see for everyone and should be seen on the biggest screen you to which you have access.

Jurassic Park - ***
At the polar opposite end of the film spectrum from Schindler's List, Jurassic Park demonstrates the trademarks of camera movement and lighting of the Spielberg to which I am the biggest fan. This is all fun and gags and is one long amusement ride, which is well worth the price of admission.

Saving Private Ryan - ***
The first half-hour is probably my favorite 30 minutes of film footage ever. The DTS mix causes my sound system to weep with pleasure. I cannot comprehend the amount of work put in to make D-Day look so real. However, the film doesn't have the character development needed to match those 30 minutes on Normandy thus I slowly lost my interest slowly as the film progressed. Production-wise, it's really fantastic, but it's over-hyped as a great film. Still, it should be standard annual viewing on Veteran's and/or Memorial Day for its incredible realistic portrayal of battle. (suggested viewing -- HBO's "Band of Brothers" is a great compliment to this film)

Thoroughly Modern Millie - *
This film is thoroughly ridiculous on every level and I can only recommend if you're really into production design and wardrobe. How can a "musical" have so few songs yet be so long? What an awful film for Julie Andrews to have following "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music."

February Screenings

Home Alone - ****
A Personal favorite of mine since it's theatrical release and second only to A CHRISTMAS STORY as my favorite holiday film.

Annie - **1/2
The films is great until Annie gets out of the orphanage and involved in Oliver Warbucks life. Annie should have stayed with Carol Burnett and kept the cycle repeating (you think it's coincidence Annie and Miss Hannigan both have red hair?!).

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - ****
Tied with FORREST GUMP as the only film I've seen in the theatre four times on it's first-run release. My favorite Disney animated film followed *very* closely by THE LITTLE MERMAID.

The Duchess - ***
Ralph Fiennes raises this film from another ho-hum period piece to something much more fun to watch. His presence is felt even when he's off screen (which is most of the film) and I think the supporting actor nomination snub was one of the year's worst.

Main in Manhattan - ***
Speaking of Ralph, after watching THE DUCHESS, I had to give this film another screening and I found it quite charming. It's often too "cute" but it reminded me why I liked Jennifer Lopez as an actress after seeing her in OUT OF SIGHT. Yes, it's the Latin 'Pretty Woman' trading the hooker role for one as a maid, but it still works fine.

Finding Neverland - ****
Again, the Peter Pan story is one of my favorites and this take is nothing but breathtaking. I must-see for kids and adults as it reminds us the joy storytelling can bring, no matter what form it takes.

Gran Torino - ***
Angry Clint Eastwood takes on a gang. No surprises here and for all it's plot elements you can see a mile away, it's still entertaining and worth seeing.

Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway - ****
This has been the greatest thing I've screening in a long, long time. I *loved* finally seeing a version of rent performed on the stage. I hope for a day when all Broadway shows can reach a wide audience via DVD or on-demand or whatever form home entertainment takes in the future.

Another Country - **1/2
A decent film about a gay teen dealing with issues of class and society in a predominant British high school. Think 'gay Harry Potter sans the magic'. Fun to see a very young Rupert Everett and Colin Firth.

Milk - ***
Moves above standard bio fare with a remarkable performance from Sean Penn. I didn't quite see the hype in many of the other performances often mentioned during award season, especially Josh Brolin's, but I think his nomination for supporting actor was a correction for his not being nominated for "No Country for Old Men" in which he created a much more realized and intriguing character.

Doubt - ***1/2
So far, it's been my favorite "award season" film. Fantastic performances by Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. And speaking of 'awards,' as fantastic as the scene between Viola Davis and Meryl Streep is, I'm not a fan of people being nominated for l or 2 scenes with a screen time of under 10 minutes. It's a great 10 minutes, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't help but feel like it was more like a clip from her acting reel and I was reminded of the scene in 'Austin Powers' when Austin was crying and underneath was the Chyron "Oscar scene" or something to that effect. As crucial as the scene is to the plot of the film, it was overdone and distracting from the subtle nuances of the performances which had preceeded it. I can't fault the actress for milking the scene as that's the only one she had, but the director should have known to keep it on the same tone as the other actor's.

The Wrestler - ***
A great character study and truly underrated film. Yes, Rourke wasn't underrated during award season but, although she received the Supporting Actress nod, Marisa Tomei deserved more as she brings so much depth to her character than most other actresses would have given this role. She's the antithesis of the Julia Roberts PRETTY WOMAN 'hooker with the heart of gold' yet you root for her just as much. It's not an easy film to watch as it's a cold film. Cold weather, cold characters and a cold hard life. However, Rourke's performance will have you cheering for him the entire time.

Also, on a personal note, it was bittersweet to see Rourke get all the "comeback" attention he did for this film when I was praising his return three years ago after seeing SIN CITY. You want to watch a truly unrecognizable Rourke in a fantastic role unlike any you've seen, then please see SIN CITY.

Scrooged - ***
I've loved this film since it's original release and I cannot find a reason why I haven't bought this DVD until now. It will forever be a favorite holiday film, not quite in the league of HOME ALONE or A CHRISTMAS STORY, but it's something you can watch if you're with the Scrooges you know who don't want to watch anything "sappy." Bobcat Goldthwait is a real joy to watch in this film and Bill Murray's performance can be enjoyed on so many levels. His scenes with Carol Kane rank as one of my favorite pairings ever to grace the screen.

The Reader - ***
I liked this film, especially Kate Winslet's Oscar-winning performance, but... I doubt it will stand the test of time other than being known as the film which finally brought Ms. Winslet her Oscar.

Caddyshack - ***
A timeless classic that still holds up, at least for me, nearly 30 years after its initial release. It's one of those films where, depending on the circles you hang in, nearly every line is quotable and immediately recognized.

January Screenings

The Pixar Story - ***
A very interesting documentary about what it must be like to be awesome every minute of every day.

The Magnificent Seven - ***
I wrote a long review but it seemed to have gotten lost so, to sum up... Awesome western. Great theme song. Michael Bay will eventually do a remake and ruin it.

A Love Song For Bobby Long - ***
Again, wrote a long review but was lost by google because apparently "save now" means "let's make it say "saved" but if you navigate away to preview, when you come back all your changes will be gone. F'n google. To sum up, Gabriel Macht is the surprise in a great indepenent film that received no recognition other than Johansson's Golden Globe nod for Best Actress. Give it a shot. It's much better than the trailer makes it look.

Cool Hand Luke - ***
George Kennedy deserved the Oscar for his supporting performance. To act side by side Paul Newman and be a scene stealer is award worthy indeed. Didn't quite work for Bruce Willis in "Nobody's Fool," although the Chlotrudis Awards agree with me and gave Bruce the nomination.

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story - **1/2
I found this film to be funny at times, but a bit unorganized. Maybe it would have worked better as a cable series a la "Extras." But I did think Steve Coogan was good. I'm looking forward to more of his work in the future.

Junebug - **1/2
I've had this DVD for-ever and just never got around to it. Amy Adams is great, which I had already known by the time I screened this, and worth viewing if you're a fan of hers. The rest of the cast is good too, but the last act is unsatisfying.

What's Up Doc? - ***
A favorite of mine when I saw it in college and it still holds up well with me. Streisand is hilarious (yes, that Streisand, for those brought up on Yentl and The Prince of Tides) and Ryan O'Neal is also very well-suited in the character perfected by Cary Grant in "Bringing Up Baby."

Black Rain - **
Visually interesting, but looks a lot like scenes/sets not used in Ridley Scott's earlier film "Blade Runner." It's the kind of film every action parody was built on.

Tropic Thunder - **1/2
I wanted to like this more but maybe my expectations were too high once I finally screened it. Downey Jr. is great, Jack Black is really miscast here and I think Stiller's best work is when he's the straight man. I should probably bump this up to three stars because of Tom Cruise's performance. As great as he is in this cameo-ish role (when is 10 minutes of screen time a "cameo" and when is it a "supporting acting Oscar nomination" role? I can't tell anymore.) I would have much rather seen him take the Ben Stiller role. That would have been an even greater career move. Or how about him doing both? Pompous and spoiled is the same whether it's an actor or studio executive.

The Dark Knight - ***1/2
I didn't like this as much on the 2nd viewing and several people are going to be pretty pissed at me for saying so. It's still great, it's just not the best movie ever. Heath Ledger deserves every bit of praise. A very nuanced and subtle performance even though it's a very loud and exaggerated character. Very, very few actors could have pulled this off and were I casting the film, he wouldn't have made my short list. Kudos definitely goes to Christopher Nolan, who was not only robbed of Oscar nomination for directing but I think was robbed of a win as well. I also think Aaron Eckhart was robbed of a lot of deserved praise because of the over-hype of Ledger's tragic death.

Rebecca - ***1/2
Why don't I rate this film as four stars? I'm not sure, but my immediate reaction upon seeing this after several years was three and a half. It's really, really close. I really like it and especially like Joan Fontaine. Just watch the extra's on the DVD which shows screen tests from other actresses and I think you'll find Joan did the best interpretation of the character. Olivier is quite irreplacable here. Extremely worthy of it's 11 Academy Award nominations. (Why does it seem like films *earned* their nominations in those days and it wasn't all about who's popular or what studio has the best marketing team? Oddly enough, it probably was the same way then and in 50 years I'll be sitting with my peers in the nursing home and we'll all reminisce about how great "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" was. Hopefully I'll be heavily sedated or the first person to say that will soon see the hook end of my cane.

Meet Me In St. Louis - ***1/2
This is the mashed potato's of film. The definition of comfort food you find yourself wanting over and over again. The art decoration is like butter. Judy is picture perfect and if you don't find yourself *completely* adoring Margaret O'Brien you are dead inside (she won the Outstanding Juvenille Actress Oscar for this role and it's very clear why).

Dumbo - **
I choke up during "Baby Mine" but really, this film didn't offer me much as far as entertainment. I'm sure had I seen it as a child my reaction would be different. It's a good movie, with some interesting points, one major one being the "Pink Elephants on Parade" sequence which seems like it belonged in "Fantasia" but was cut for whatever reasons and they just dumped in in "Dumbo." It's viewed as a classic "scary" scene for people who saw it as children, but I don't think it fit with the film at all.

Peter Pan (Disney's) - ***
I've come to learn that I adore any and every version of the Peter Pan story (except "Hook"; sorry Steven). Universal's 2003 live-action version is underrated while "Finding Neverland" is my personal favorite so far (I highly doubt this title will be challenged in my lifetime). Disney's version is also extremely entertaining and a delight to watch.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army - ***
I was surprised to see how director Guillermo del Toro started to get a great deal of attention for his film "Pan's Labyrinth" and praise for how visually stunning it was. I kept asking myself, "didn't any of these people see 'Hellboy'"? Apparently not, and they apparently didn't see this sequel either or the praise would have continued. It's films like these that make me glad I have a very big screen with which to enjoy films like this. The cast is great, the story is intriguing and it's never boring to behold it's visuals. I hope this franchise continues on.

December Screenings - 1st Week Only

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Theatrical Cut) - ***1/2

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Theatrical Cut) - ****

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Theatrical Cut) - ***1/2

The Godfather - **** My only screening of this film had been back in college on a 13-inch TV when USA ran the 1st two in the series. Sad, yes. After seeing this in a more "theatrical" environment on a much, much bigger screen, I highly enjoyed this film. I'm anxiously awaiting a screening of the "restored" version soon.

The Godfather Part II - *** (I've always argued how this film is better than the 1st one, but I've changed my mind.)

The Godfather Part III - **1/2 (Sophia Coppola didn't ruin this film as much as I remembered from my first screening upon the film's release. Yes, she's not a good actress and thankfully has maybe 10 minutes of screen time. If she were a great actress she may not have taken up directing and the world probably wouldn't have "Lost in Translation" - so suck it. When you watch the trilogy back to back to back, it holds up ok, but it's nowhere near as good as the 1st one.)

November Screenings

The Incredible Hulk - *** (As good as Iron Man... This reaction may be based on the fact that I didn't see Iron Man until this month after hearing from everyone that it was great and hearing that 'Hulk' wasn't good. Pishaw.)

Tank Girl - *** (I *loved* this film upon its initial release but it has lost some of its zeal. Why why why didn't Lori Petty become more famous. Love Her.)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - **1/2 (It's not my generation's Star Wars anymore... *sigh* Oh, well. If this is what the kids want/like, I'll sit quietly and make try to make peace with Lucas on my deathbed.)

Get Smart - *** God I love it when someone so attractive makes me laugh so hard… and Anne Hathaway’s pretty good too.

Sunshine - *** (1st 2 acts are great, falls apart in the 3rd, but still enjoyable and shows the great range of Danny Boyle as a director.)

The Philadelphia Story - ****

Bringing Up Baby -****

The Sound of Music - ****

From Hell – Heather Graham isn’t as bad as I remember so I liked it more this time than I probably have in the past. Fantastic production design.

Pennies from Heaven - ***1/2 I haven't seen this since the early 90’s and after seeing it on a big screen, it’s the “Moulin Rouge” of its day. Truly a unique film and one which must fall under the “love it or hate it” category. I love it.

Dr. Zhivago - ****

Funny Girl - ***1/2 Man do I love me some "early" Streisand.

The Way We Were *** - A solid film from director Sydney Pollack and holds up well since I screened it in college.

Hello Dolly - **1/2 I liked it when I was discovering “Babs” in college, but see it was wrong to cast her in this. She shows up only to sing. Walter Matthaeu (too lazy to look up spelling) is still great. Michael Crawford is so over the top and I’ve always thought so and it’s still ridiculous.

X-Men - *** Hugh Jackman is forever Wolverine.

X2: Evolution - ***1/2 One of the few examples where the sequel is better than the 1st.

X3: The Last Stand - **1/2 So disappointing… this trilogy rates the same for me as the 1st Star Wars trilogy (i.e. 2, 1, 3).

Fame - **
I probably would have liked this had I seen it as a kid, but as an adult, it was just dumb.

October Screenings

Soldier's Girl - ***

I Think I Do - ***

Camp - **1/2

The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green - **1/2

Milwaukee, Minnesota - **1/2

Gone Baby Gone - ***

Iron Man - ***

The Incredible Hulk - ***
As good as Iron Man... This reaction may be based on the fact that I didn't see Iron Man until this month after hearing from everyone that it was great and hearing that 'Hulk' wasn't good. Pishaw.

Superman: Doomsday - **1/2
I enjoyed this too, but I never read the comic so I really have no basis of judgment other than it seems as good as the other WB animation shows, none of which I followed too closely.

Batman: Gotham Knight - ***
If you're into animation, check this out. It's kinda like the Animatrix films, but better.

Tank Girl - ***
I *loved* this film upon its initial release but it has lost some of its zeal. Why why why didn't Lori Petty become more famous. Love Her.

House of D - **1/2

Speed Racer - ***
I liked this *a lot*! Maybe my standards were so low because everything I read/heard said it sucked. It’s all eye candy and needs to be seen on a big-screen but it’s fun and really uniquely visual. Too bad WB lost so much money on it.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - *** Kristin Bell had the impossible job of playing a bitch who we had to actually care for and she did an amazing job. A very well-layered film both in performances and script but not quite as funny as people have led me to believe—it’s no “40 year-old virgin”. Paul Rudd still steals every movie he’s in and when two men are allowed to marry, I will propose to him.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - ***
Yes, I liked it. It's good. Stop complaining. I don’t care what people say. Yes, it’s not as good story as “Raiders” but it’s still an “Indy” film. Solidly made and Shia LaBouf is great as well as Kate Blanchett.

Southland Tales - **1/2 If you thought Donnie Darko was odd… I still can’t explain this and it’s one of those you have to see for yourself. It’s not bad, just weird and very non-linear. It might have started out fine then somebody lost a few pages of the script and nobody bothered to look for them…

September Screenings

Latter Days - **1/2
But I'm A Cheerleader - ***
The Ritz - **1/2

August Screenings

A League of Their Own - ***1/2

Zoolander - **1/2

Pure Country - **1/2

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie - **1/2

The Dark Knight - ****

The TV Set - ***

Boy Culture - **

Trick - **1/2

Eight Legged Freaks - **1/2

The Bank Job - ***

The Lookout - ***

The Savages - ***

American Graffiti - ***

1776 - **

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - **

The Hoax - ***

No Reservations - **1/2

The Golden Compass - **1/2

Reefer Madness (2004) - **1/2

Planet Terror - ***

Death Proof - **1/2

Torch Song Trilogy - ***

Jeffrey - ***

July Screenings

Cry-Baby (1990) - ***

Hairspray (1988) - ***

Go - ***

Groove - **1/2

Rumor Has It - **

Men In Black II - **

Box of Moonlight - ***

Spider-Man 2 - ***1/2

Superman Returns - *** (This was a second screening, about a year after my initial viewing and even though the plot still sucked, the execution shows promise how this franchise could have been reborn)

The Broken Hearts Club - ***

The Chumscrubber - *** (Very unusual film with a distinct style - Highly recommend)

Pink Flamingo's - **1/2

Female Trouble - **

Bernard and Doris - **1/2

The Kite Runner - **1/2

The Horse Whisperer - **

The Darjeeling Limited - *** (Restored my faith in Wes Anderson - be sure to watch the short film "Hotel Chevalier" which preceeds the action in 'Darjeelin' - an always fantastic Natalie Portman does a great job)

In Bruges - ***1/2

Eagle Vs. Shark - **1/2

All Over the Guy - ***

Get Real - **1/2

Sleepless in Seattle - (There aren't enough stars in the sky to rate this film.)

16 Candles - **** (Still frakkin' awesome!)

Weird Science - ***1/2 (see above)

Shortbus - ****

Mom, please feel free to avoid this movie and never refer to it in my presence. That said, the hypocracy begins below.

The opening 5 minutes of this film is sexually graphic. Not flashy fake movie sex, but full on body fluid graphic. However, this is a film. Not a "porno movie," but a fantastic independently produced work of art film. I was incredibly surprised to find this completely engaging with an intelligent script and the best acting I've seen in any film in a long, long time. And remember, this is a cast of unknowns. And they're all having real sex. Straight sex, gay sex, freaky sex... sex.

I challenge you to categorize this film.

It's a little bit "Rent", a little bit "Dazed and Confused", a little bit "As Good As It Gets", and a little bit 'porn' (pardon the pun, but insert favorite title here. My current favorite is "The Da Vinci Load").

Writer/Director John Cameron Mitchell (co-creator and writer/director of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch") has crafted a different kind of film here, not only in it's presentation, but with it's conception (really, I'll try not to add too many puns here...). This film was cast first so everyone knew what they would be getting into (tee-hee) and then allowed to create their own characters and backstory. Once worked out, the actors participated in workshops to construct scenes and situations while making up their dialogue. J.C.M then used those workshops to write a script which would then be used to raise financing for the production.

Again, I can't recommend this film without emphasizing how graphic some scenes are. I averted my eyes more than once. There is an orgy scene or two and it's not blurred, cleverly concealed a la Austin Powers or "black boxed" out. However, the genius of scenes like this isn't to shock or excite you, but use that situation to progress the story. What would you do if you were invited to a place or private club, not really knowing what to expect, but certainly not expecting a room full of people having sex? This isn't "American Graffiti."

It won't be everybody's cup-o-tea to be sure, however, it certainly is suitable for intelligent adults looking to explore art in a new way. You can argue that any actual sex act depicted on film is pornographic but you can also argue that caffeine is a drug, yet millions of people (and a lot of kids) overindulge daily. Besides, it's not like the entire movie is nothing but sex, it's actually given very little screen time, but it's real and not pushed to the background when present.

I'm really surprised (or maybe missed?) how this film didn't raise a lot of controversy. Maybe it was dismissed as nothing more than just another porno. It's depressing to know so many people will miss out on such an emotional journey and exquisite work of art just because they may be embarrassed to see naked people. In this day and age, especially since the dawn of the internet, missing this film would be the real shame, not the sexual content.


**If you decide to screen the film on DVD, plan to keep it a few days as the special features are a must-see and the commentary is insightful, playful and very engaging.

The Lookout - ***

I saw half of this film but had to return the disc to the video store, then screened again a few months later. I remember liking it. Another great performance by Joseph Gorden-Levitt who will hopefully get recognized for his body of the during the past few years. He's not the little kid on "3rd Rock from the Sun" anymore. Also a great job by Matthew Goode (whom I had previously noticed and liked very much in "Match Point").

The Apple - ***1/2

It has to be seen to be believed... wow. Watch it with friends in whatever form of altered mental state you prefer. No ELO or Olivia Newton-John, or it would have been 4 stars.

The Spitfire Grill - **

I put off seeing this film for 10 years. No reason, just never got around to it. It looked good. I heard it was good. It was good... well the *performances* were good. Why didn't Alison Elliott's career soar after this film was released?

The highly dramatic material would be better suited for a high school play put on by a heavily depressed drama teacher and a cast of future man-hating women who will choose an alternate lifestyle somewhere down the road. "Steel Magnolias" and "Terms of Endearment" are much better examples of highly dramatic films showing strong independant women facing challenging situations. They at least know enough to insert some humor now and again to make it palpable. This film makes "The Green Mile" look like an Austin Powers film.

Also, from a marketing perspective, the poster makes this film look like a lesbian horror film called, "Are you there God, it's me Percy..." (yes the ax has something to do with the actual story, but why does the blade have to be at the same level as her neck?).

Fun Article

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/guest/altman061008.html

Somehow this guy got in my head and explains a passion so few of us had back in the early 90's. A fun read and a great website.

Mumford - ***

I know I watched this film a few years ago but didn't remember much about it except liking Jason Lee (in a role not written by Kevin Smith). It's one of those films that's an enjoyable viewing but then you forget you've seen it a few months later. Writer/Director Lawrence Kasdan does a good job assembling a cast that plays well off each other but nothing really exciting happens. When you reach the pivotol change in the story, which happens so nonchalantly, you have to stop and wonder, "wait, is this where the story is going?" It is, but it's a nice safe place, like going on a Sunday drive on a breezy June afternoon.

I Could Never Be Your Woman - **1/2

If I've learned anything over the past decade and a half from all the movies I've screened, it is this: Paul Rudd steals every movie he's in. I've probably only seen a dozen or so of his films, along with a few of his television appearances (remember he was Phoebe's boyfriend/husband on "Friends" -- oh yeah...), but you just can't ignore that much talent. I'm gushing about the boy because I first noticed him in writer/director Amy Heckerling's "Clueless" and they're reunited here in this straight to video mishmash of romantic comedy and Lifetime single mom movie of the week.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Saoirse Ronan both turn in believeable performances as a mother and daughter who don't always see eye to eye but have a mutual respect for each other, even when their maturity levels seem to trade places. Jon Lovitz has a minor role as Pfeiffer's ex-husband,which, really, puts this film in the realm of science fiction or at least asks us to suspend our disbelief enough to accept that maybe 15 years ago he was a catch. It's never mentioned, but given how this film deals with the television industry (i.e., "Hollywood") I couldn't help but think Pfeiffer's charcter married him to further her own career, and that didn't aid in my desire to like her character, let alone empathize with any of her drama.

One other issue I had with this film is why Pfeiffer, who's character is an executive on a teenage show a la "Saved by the Bell," would have cast Rudd's character as he was *clearly* older than any other person shown in the 'audition scene'. I have no problem with actor's in their 20's playing teens, it's been done forever, but if you're going to try and convince us that an actor in their late 30's looks like a teen, don't put them next to other actor's who look much more convincing as a teen. Ironically, Stacey Dash who plays the star of the fictional TV show was 40 years old when this film was made and looked as young as many of the teens on set. I just saw no reason for it to be a "teen show" when any standard sit-com setting would have suited the story just fine.

That said, the film is worth seeing just for Paul Rudd, whom I hope see's more leading man roles in the very near future. Maybe his lasting working relationship with writer/producer Judd Apatow (the two worked together on "The 40 Year-Old Virgin", "Knocked Up" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") will produce something worthy of notice and garner him accolades he so richly deserves.

27 Dresses / Knocked Up / Beowulf

27 Dresses - ***

A bit too long, but when you're staring at Katherine Heigl for 2 hours, that's not always a bad thing, unless Judy Greer (a fav of mine since 1999's "Jawbreaker") is on screen as she always is a scene-stealer. James Marsden shows promise as a romantic comedy lead and is much more charming here than as Cyclops in the "X-Men" films. The chemistry isn't as great between Heigl and Marsden as it is between her and Seth Rogan, but that's another film (see below). Still, sparks are present and Heigl is clearly the front-runner as the next Julia/Meg/Reese (Amy Adams being her biggest competition, and she's got 2 Oscar nods, but Heigl's Emmy win last fall shows she's not backing down by any means). This film is my first exposure to Heigl as an actress and, had I not heard of her before, I would say she's "one to watch" but everyone's been watching her for years. I guess I should have stuck with "Rosewell" way back when and now I actually have a reason for watching "Grey's Anatomy." Dammit!


Knocked Up - ***

Yes, a Katherine Heigl double-feature day and yes, I hadn't seen this film until yesterday. How is that possible?! I don't know so let's just say I didn't get a chance to see it, then I wanted to wait until the hype died down. The film lives up to my expectations as I found it genuinely funny, touching and well-balanced in humor and drama in it's approach to the subject, much like director Judd Apatow's "The 40 Year Old Virgin." I think a lot of credit needs to go to Seth Rogan for this film finding the success it did, as well as to Paul Rudd who, from what I've seen so far, has never had a bad performance. I will definitely be adding more of his work to my Netflix queue.

I wasn't quickly won over with Heigl on this film, but that may have been a script issue and not with her performance. The story is dependent on the fact that she's a beautiful woman on the verge of becoming a breakout correspondent on the E! network. On the eve of a big promotion she celebrates with a little too much "spirit" and winds up in bed with someone whom she probably would never give a second look. I didn't get any insight into whether she really liked Ben (Seth Rogan) or was only after a one night stand to accent her promotion celebration. Given her reaction the following morning and the fact that she doesn't contact him until she finds out she's pregnant, I would believe the latter. However, her agreeing to breakfast would lead me to believe she was willing to give him a real shot, which he blows big time, but not by being a pompous jerk, but by being nervous version of himself. So does she agree to "give it a real shot" (i.e., give him a second chance) because she's having his baby, or because everyone deserves a second chance? I saw no indication that, had she not gotten pregnant, she never would have called him again. I'll need another screening to be sure.


Beowulf - **1/2

Visually impressive but I found the story to be lackluster at best. Crispen Glover is fantastic as Grendel, yet I felt as if this film was intending to border on campy adventure yet it never gets there. Imagine if Monty Python had done "Braveheart" then maybe you'll understand what I mean. Still, I'm a fan of the motion capture process and hope that it continue's to be a genre of movie making, but I do prefer live actor's in front of a blue/green screen as compared to motion capture as animation has yet to make people look anything but creepy. Although the character of Beowulf did look more real than the others. Maybe because he had no correlation to his live-action actor?

I, Robot / Interview With A Vampire / Man on the Moon / The Matrix: Revolutions / The Last Starfighter

I, Robot - ***

I found this film to be a visually exciting Will Smith vehicle in his traditional summer blockbuster/popcorn movie-esqe way. I know I screened this a few years ago but don't remember liking it this much. Similar in style to "Minority Report" in it's futuristic look, the film holds up well on for what it is, but is not as original as director Alex Proyas's "Dark City." He would be well suited for a comic adaptation.


Interview With The Vampire - ***
I always find myself going back and forth in regards to Tom Cruise's performance. I would have really liked to see him portray Lestat one more time, to see if he was on to something or completely missed the mark. Having never read any of the novels, I have nothing to base his performance on other than how it comes across on screen. Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst, however, always good in their respective roles as Louis and Claudia.


The Man on the Moon - **1/2
Jim Carrey's interpretation of Andy Kaufmann plays well on-screen, but my being unfamiliar with Kaufmann's work made this seem like a standard bio pic that leaves a lot of questions open, which apparently is how Kaufmann liked to leave his audience.


The Matrix: Revolutions - **
I love the "The Matrix." My admiration for "The Matrix: Reloaded" grows everytime I screen it. However, 'Revolutions' is always disappointing. Technically and visually impressive, the story falls flat it it's conclusion and by the end I just don't care what's happening in Zion and I just want to go back to the Matrix.


The Last Starfighter - ***
I hold a deep affection for this film as it was a favorite of mine as a young teen. The story is simple and to the point in it's "teen recruited by a video-game to save the universe" way. As high-concept as the plot may be (and arguibly similar to "Tron"minus the biblical pretense), I just find this film to be charming (but too soft-focused in several scenes). Yes, it's cheesy, corny, and campy when viewed by a "Matrix" audience, but it's charm still holds up. I could easily see this film becoming a TV series someday, a la "Battlestar Galactica."

Dan In Real Life / Enchanted / I Am Legend / Shoot 'Em Up / There Will Be Blood

DAN IN REAL LIFE - ***

I really enjoyed this film. I've been fan of Steve Carell's since I first saw him on "The Daily Show" back in 1999 or 2000 yet didn't have Comedy Central at the time so I only caught glimpses of his work, yet I always singled him out as terrific in "Bruce Almighty" and "Anchorman." These brief encounters with his career has robbed me of watching him bloom into a terrific 'Hollywood' actor which usually isn't the case considering how well I can spot talent long before they're A List actors (yes, Tom Hanks, I was a "Bosom Buddies" fan from day one at age 11 and Jim Carrey, I could not stop quoting you all through college after watching each Sunday's episode of "In Living Color" which I started watching because I recognized you from "The Duck Factory" years earlier when I was 13). Steve has so many great moments in this film. No words, no sweeping camera movements and no scrolling banner that said "Oscar.... Oscar.... Oscar...." -- you can see what he's thinking, something he does so well as Michael on "The Office." The scene where he performed "Let Me Love Open the Door" broke my heart. I cannot wait for him to be recognized as a genuine, real actor and not just a comedic performer.

The entire cast here is a joy to watch and the script and direction really make this 'Hollywood' film feel like an indie but without shouting it from the rooftops, "Look at us! A big cast with no special effects! We're a smart, funny and audience-friendly film!" Where was this film during awards season?! I know it was a strong year for films, but this should have been included, esp. Steve Carell.


ENCHANTED - ***1/2

I didn't want to like this film. I know it's biased to think that, but I think Disney has been phoning their animated films in since "Aladdin". The only reason I was willing to screen this was because of Amy Adams, who, in the rare case, actually *earned* her Oscar nomination for this film. Kristin Chenoweth is the only other actress I would have cast here. I fell in love with Amy after seeing "Catch Me If You Can" and was happy for her attention a couple years ago for her role in "Junebug" (note to self, you've had the movie for 3 years... maybe we should watch it?!?!)
I'm off track, I know. This film manages to combine so many elements: comedy, romance, music, huge production numbers, special effects and a wonderful cast. I haven't jumped on the "Grey's Anatomy" bandwagon, but I've been a fan of Patrick Dempsey's since "Can't Buy Me Love" and was disappointed that he ran into a career slump toward the end of the 80's. I think his appearance on "Will and Grace" was the turning point in his comeback. Track... me... not on... right. Just watch this film, it's fantastic and, regarding the music, I didn't think the songs were so great after hearing them on the Oscars but they work much better here and I'm now humming them all the time.


I AM LEGEND - **1/2

Will Smith carries this film well, but it's basically "Cast Away" in Manhattan with some zombies. The film has some great cinematography and special effects but it's a long 101 minutes where as "Cast Away" feels like a quick 143 minutes.


SHOOT 'EM UP - **1/2

No real story here and it's all action. But I liked it. It's like an audition tape for some more meaty material, obviously the director is a fan of graphic novels and video games. Much less stylized but similar enough to be an extension of Clive Owen's character of Dwight from "Sin City." It's over the top in every way and if that's what you're in the mood for, it's highly satisfying.


THERE WILL BE BLOOD - **1/2

Much like "No Country for Old Men" I just don't get all the hype over this film. Daniel Day Lewis is really good, but he's always really good. I did like this film as it had a good story, cast and production. But overall they were just good, not great. Definitely not my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film ("Magnolia" still carries that trophy). Maybe I should have seen it before all the hype, maybe not many people watched their screener of "Atonement" or maybe I should give it some time to sink in and not watch 5 movies in 2 days.

Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical - **1/2

This film is not as much fun watching it alone as I would guess it would be with a group of people nor is it necessary to see the original 30's cult film, but it helps with some of the inside jokes.


Krisitn Bell is particularly good here, showing great charm, comedic timing and a voice well suited for this type of musical. Alan Cumming is also a standout (as always) and the whole cast has fun with their roles.

I didn't find the songs as memorable after one initial viewing like I did with a film like "Hairspray" (2007) but this 'movie verison of a musical based on a movie' genre can be quite tricky (see "The Producers" as a good example of something getting lost in the translation). I may give the soundtrack a more thorough listen and append this review.

Atonement / Cloverfield / The Queen / The Last King of Scotland

ATONEMENT - ***

Had the 3rd act not stumbled I would be inclined to give this 1/2 more star. I really liked the 1st act as it sets up the relationships and history (plays very much like a Merchant/Ivory film and I may have to rewatch some of those) and the 2nd act does a fine job of doing a WWII recreation (far better than Michael Bay did in "Pearl Harbor") with some powerful moments. The 3rd act isn't bad, just doesn't quite measure up to the 1st two, but Vanessa Redgrave's performance make up for it with a great performance with such little time.


CLOVERFIELD - ***

The camerawork made me nauseous toward the last third of the film, but a fun take on a 'monster movie.' I would be anxious to see a companion piece to this, a real Hollywood Blockbuster take on it which would only enhance this version of the film.


THE QUEEN - ***1/2

Fantastic film making, subtle yet memorable performance by Helen Mirren (what? someone earned their Oscar?!) Really interesting and enjoyable.


THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND - ***

Yes, I just happened to watch this and "The Queen" back to back. *Another* well-deserved Oscar win. Forrest Whitaker is frightening and charming, just like a good villain should be. James McAvoy does an equally great job of holding his own against this monster performance.

Spiderman 3 / Transformers

SPIDERMAN 3 - **1/2

This franchise is falling apart. Dammit.


TRANSFORMERS - ***

This franchise is off to a good start! Yippee! Hopefully Ben Affleck will show up eventually.


ZODIAC - ***

I liked it and looking forward to a screening of the Director's Cut - I'm not normally a fan of David Fincher but this one is solid filmmaking.

The Sunshine Boys - ***

This film is based on Neil Simon's Tony Award-nominated play and Director Herbert Ross wisely keeps the cinematic elements to a minimum and lets the script and actors do all the showcasing. Any overly artistic editing or camerawork would have distracted attention from star Walter Matthau, who demands your attention with every line, whether mumbled or shouted ("En-taaar!").

Walter Matthau had a run of great films in the mid 70's: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Front Page, The Bad News Bears and The Sunshine Boys. He won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy for 'Sunshine,' his sixth nomination in that category between 1967 and 1975. This film also earned him a Lead Actor nomination for an Academy Award--his second in five years.

Surprisingly, it was his co-star George Burns who walked away with the Oscar for Supporting Actor, one I feel must have been more of a lifetime achievement award, as it was his only Oscar nomination (and first film role since 1939!). It's interesting to note that it was fellow co-star Richard Benjamin who won the Golden Globe as Supporting Actor for this film while Burns wasn't even nominated!

Three award-winning performances in a film mainly about three people; two has-been vaudevillian comedians who worked together for 43 years and now can't stand each other and a newphew/manager depserately trying to give them one more opportunity to shine.

A truly outstanding film, updated for a TV verison in 1995 starring Woody Allan and Peter Faulk and probably will be done again in 30 years with Adam Sandler and Tony Shaloub.

Sweet.

Because I Said So / Scoop / The Break-Up

"Because I Said So"

Is this really an insight into women? It was written by two women so it can't claim to be a movie about women but written by a man. Directed by a man, sure, but after screening the bonus features it was pretty clear he was heavily influenced by the creative control of the women writers, actors, caterer's and costumer's. Overall, I was pretty apalled at the behaviour of Milly (Mandy Moore) by the way she teetered between the two men and used them. Now, before you claim I'm sexist and had the genders been reversed it would have been acceptible, I have to disagree. Maybe I'm getting old, but treating the men the way she did is just wrong.

Her character is one frosted layer after layer of crazy. I saw several common traits in her which were reasons I've ended some of my relationships. Obviously this wackiness was inherited from her mother, Daphne (Diane Keaton), and it's easy for me to see why her husband left her, if she's consistently behaved this way. Or was his leaving the reason for her over-the-top behavoir? It's never explained in the film or deleted scenes, which is poor writing. I do give credit to the script for having Gabriel's wife leave him and their son because she "couldn't handle it" instead of him being a widower.

Also, what a waste of Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo (don’t judge her on Coyote Ugly, check out Lost and Delirious). As film about women, i.e., one that prides itself in being about mothers and daughters and sisters, it's emphasis on just two of the four doesn't seem to make sense. I certainly can't blame either of these two actresses to take these roles when given the chance to work with Diane Keaton, but any good director would know to utilize talent when presented to them.


"Scoop" I hate to use the term "classic Woody Allen" because it's been a long time since I've seen any of his great films, but this one felt very comfortable to me as a Woody Allen film. The story is simple, has a few clever Allen quips (some seem dated, like they were leftovers from previous work) and performances are adeuquate, yet extremely one-note. There are no surprises.

As much as I like her screen presence, I think Scarlett Johansson is miscast here. It's not that she doesn't play the bumbling student nerd well, but it just never sat right with me. Her delivery came across like she was improvising dialogue with long stammers (I think she was doing a female Woody Allen w/o the quips) and it just got boring quick. However, from a writing standpoint, it's a fresh choice for her not to be a golddigger because she's trying to seduce a rich and prominent man (Hugh Jackman) but she's doing it for a story and subsequently genuinely falls for him, without a change in her behaviour.

Forgetable, perhaps, considering Woody Allen's large body of work, but enjoyable.


"The Break-Up" I borderline liked this film overall, however I believe I would like it much more as a play because a live audience would help find the right peaks and valley's in both the script and performances and attain a greater balance in both.

The performances and script seemed a bit off-balanced, seeming to go to the left and then to the right without going to extremes like it couldn't find the right tone, yet somehow came across as very real. In particular, the arguement that initializes the break-up at the beginning was very well written and performed but then the attempted comedic elements that follow are never that funny to balance out the drama that came before it. As a result, the film as a comedy (especially if it was trying for Black Comedy) falls flat compared to it's dramatic elements, and as a drama it never finds the comic relief it needs to sustain our emotional connection to it's characters. "The War of the Roses" did it much, much better.

I did absolutely love Peter Billingsly in this film and wish to heaven he'll want to act more in the future. He looks like a cross between Barney Rubble and Jeff Bridges and got more laughs from me with his two scenes than the entire film did. Also, Vincent D'Onofrio was fantastic as the older brother in charge of the family business. He had only a few scenes, but I would watch a while film about what his life must be like.

Apparently I need therapy to work on my issues with women, considering my review of 'Because I Said So' and this one, but I just couldn't understand the measures Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) went to in order to save their relationship. To me, it's like blowing up your car to save on car insurance or setting fire to your house to lower the heating bill. I do understand her reasons for wanting a change in their relationship, but her methods left me perplexed. I'm reaching the age of "confirmed bachelor" and it keeps me awake some nights, but given the options of dealing with characters like women in these aforementioned films, I really don't see a choice.

And please don't give me the arguement about how these women are characters in a movie and real people don't behave this way. I have plenty of examples to back up my opinion.

Links

Does anyone have an opinion if my adding links to movie titles and actors enhances this blog or detracts from the reviews?

Ghost Rider / The Black Dahlia

Loved “Ghost Rider” – easily the loudest movie I’ve ever screened at my house. Far more ‘spooky’ than I thought it would be and Nic Cage really plays the character well. Watching this film and “The Family Man” so close together really emphasized how great and underrated an actor he is. He’s made some poor, poor choices the post Oscar-win, but also has some great roles mixed in. I could easily envision a film class based on his films.

“The Black Dahlia” was bo-ring, but really well executed and produced; difficult to explain, but if you ever watch it, make sure you screen the ‘making of’ documentaries on the disc. They made my respect for the film go up, and maybe I’d screen it again if I ever read the book. I’m just not a Brian de Palma fan and can’t really explain why. I liked Aaron Eckhart but the rest of the film was way miscast, esp. Hillary Swank. I must admit, I didn’t hate Josh Hartnett. Does he have a future as an actor I will like? Maybe “Hollywood Homicide” will sway the decision as it’s on my list (the only recent Harrison Ford film I haven’t seen).

The biggest surprise was Mia Kirshner. She had very little screen time but really brought the character of murder victim Elizabeth Short to life. She’s been around a long time and I know I’ve seen her in some other things (“24” is the only recent thing I’ve seen her do) but I’d like to view a few more things to see how great she is.

Tonight, if I get time, I’m doing “Lady in the Water” which, honestly, I’m not really looking forward to but need to see as part of M. Night’s body of work. And really, for Paul Giamatti.

The Family Man / Ever After

Watched “The Family Man” and “Ever After” last night and absolutely adored them both.

"The Family Man" - Was *really* surprised by this film – Nic Cage and Tea Leoni are fantastic in parts that aren’t badly written, but they add so much to the roles in their lightly sprinkled subtle gestures and unexpected (i.e., non-cliché) reactions to situations and events. Worth another look if you saw it during its initial release in 2000 as your interpretation may be different now. Well done Brett Ratner, I may have to re-think mocking him, as I guess I sorta seem to like his films. Dammit!

“Ever After” - I’ve heard from several people that this was an above average film, which is surprising given the trailer had techno music throughout and must have tried to grab the “Romeo & Juliet” audience. Ignore the trailer… it’s doesn’t have the dialogue of “Shakespeare in Love” but it does have the same sweet romantic flair and a gorgeous score by George Fenton (check out other films he’s scored – he’s really underrated!).

“Lord of War”

I liked this movie, however, in case you haven’t seen it or only saw it on DVD, the transfer of the film in this format is presented in 1:85, however, when the film was shot and shown in theaters the aspect ratio is 2:35:1. That said, this transfer annoyed the *bejeezus* out of me. It wasn’t bad like pan & scan, but just seemed like all the shots were cramped.

If a correct transfer comes out, I highly recommend this film. If not, and you’re in the mood for a good Nic Cage movie rent this.


“Firewall”

If you liked “Air Force One” you’ll like this. You might like it better if you’re over 60. Solid, well-made film that will be lost in shuffle of Ford's films during any tribute. If you’re a fan of Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, and/or Virginia Madsen it’s worth the 2 hours just to see it as part of his body of work.

The Island / Kiss Kiss Bang Bang / Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny

"The Island" ** - If I were to have $100 million dollars and want to produce an action film, I'd hire Michale Bay. To be my stunt coordinator, not director. I truly believe the man has a gift for action sequences, but gets far too caught up in them and ignores, what I feel to be crucial, narrative and characters. I don't know if he chooses films with poor dialogue or changes them to his liking once hired but something is wrong when I film can look so good and sound so bad.

Were the $100 million dream come true, I'd most certainly hire Scarlett Johansson to do... something, even if it's just to be there and talk.


"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" *** - I wish I'd made notes during or at least right after this screening. Regardless, Writer/Director Shane Black is something I will most definitely be watching in the future. He wrote the first Lethal Weapon script, The Last Boy Scout, The Last Action Hero (which I like to believe was written for Willis) and The Long Kiss Goodnight. I don't remember The Last Action Hero being all that well written, but I did like the concept and I feel The Long Kiss Goodnight is highly underrated. I may need to screen that again soon. Anyway, The cast is great, the story interesting and the dialogue fantastic.

"Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny" **1/2 - If you're a fan, it's worth seeing. If you're not familiar with their music but like Jack Black, then it's a must see as you get to witness why he became famous in the first place. Kyle Gass is still my personal fave as I think he has great comedic skills that are so overshadowed by Black. I felt the songs were good but didn't seem like a good listen outside of the film. I wish I could have seen them live 10 years ago.

The Believer / Red Eye

The Believer - ***

A must-see if you like Ryan Gosling. Fantastic performance; one of his many.


Red Eye - **1/2

Speaking of Ryan Gosling, his equal counterpart on-screen, and sometimes off, Rachel McAdams, does her best in this solid Wes Craven thriller with an "as always" creepy Cillian Murphy.

The Devil Wears Prada / The Notebook / Happy Feet / Pan's Labyrinth

The Devil Wears Prada **1/2 - A bit long, Meryl is terrific but I question the 3rd act’s morally reprehensible behavior by our main character. Didn’t agree with all the attention Emily Blunt was given (however, I did like her and look forward to seeing more of her work), but perhaps had I seen it before the hype I’d feel different. Such is the burden when seeing films *way* after they've been released.

The Notebook ***1/2 - In spite of myself I absolutely love this film. Rachel McAdams is fantastic and I will seek out more of her work. Gorgeous score by Aaron Zigman.

Happy Feet ** - So didn’t deserve a Best Animanted Film Oscar – Monster House and Cars were each twice as good. I found it long and boring.

Pan’s Labyrinth **1/2 - I wish I had seen this before the hype. I liked its visuals and story, but it seemed slow and not in that savory good way. I wanted more mysticism and fantasy to balance out the war story, but maybe on a second viewing I’ll appreciate it more.

In order to catch up on my reviews, I'm going to post past screenings in "list form" and hopefully get back to actually reviewing them so keep checking back!

March 24, 2003

• Straw Dogs
• The Thin Red Line
• Serpico
• Road Trip

March 25, 2003

• The Ring
• 8 Mile
• Moonlight Mile
• One Hour Photo
• About A Boy
• Possesion
• Kissing Jessica Stein

March 27, 2003

• Ice Age
• Unfaithful
• K-19: The Widowmaker
• Maid in Manhattan
• Auto Focus
• Death to Smoochy
• Knockaround Guys
• Sweet Home Alabama

April 1, 2003

• Mr. Deeds
• Igby Goes Down
• Secretary
• Roger Dodger
• Far From Heaven
• Red Dragon

June 8, 2003

• Lilo & Stitch
• The Recruit
• About Schmidt
• Comedian
• Femme Fatale
• Two Weeks Notice

June 15, 2003

• The Good Girl
• 25th Hour
• The Pianist
• Love Liza
• Frida
• The Animatrix

June 6, 2003

• Punch Drunk Love
• Spy Kids
• The Sidewalks of New York
• Tears of the Sun
• 25th Hour (must have not finished it)
• The Transporter

July 3, 2003

• A Shot in the Dark
• Sweet Charity
• The Dish
• Someone Like You
• The Hours
• Ghost World

July 7, 2003

• The Importance of Being Earnest
• Barbershop
• Full Frontal
• Max
• Time Bandits
• Rashomon

July 24, 2003

• S.O.B.
• Lone Star
• Dark Blue

August 5, 2003

• Nixon
• Spider

August 7, 2003

• The Gangs of New York
• Phone Booth
• The Magnificent Seven

August 10, 2003

• Rio Bravo
• What A Girl Wants
• NIcholas Nickleby

August 12, 2003

• The Wild Bunch
• 100 Women
• Midnight Cowboy

August 14, 2003

• Enigma
• Rabbit Proof Fence
• Narc
• For Love of the Game

August 21, 2003

• Collateral Damage
• The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming!
• Vulgar
• The Gangs of New York (didn't finish from earlier rental)

________________________________________

April 2, 2004

• The Matrix: Revolutions
• 21 Grams
• House of Sand and Fog
• 28 Days Later

________________________________________

There is a huge gap between April '04 and Febrauary '05 as that's when I bought my video projector and basically re-watched everything I owned on the big screen.

___________________________________________

February 1, 2005

• Chris Rock: Never Scared
• I'm the One That I Want
• Notorious C.H.O.

Febryary 2, 2005

• Vagina Monologues
• The Blue Collar Comedy Tour

February 16, 2005

• Ali
• A Chorus Line

May 27, 2005

• The Phantom of the Opera
• Bye, Bye, Birdy
• Evita

May 28, 2005

• Random Hearts
• JFK
• Fargo

*Thank you Odyssey Video for 9 great years of renting!

November 29, 2005

• Stealth
• March of the Penguins
• Madagascar

December 8, 2005

• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• The Polar Express
• Cinderella Man
• Sky High (didn't finish as DVD was defective)

________________________________________

January 24, 2006

• Lost - Season 1 (discs 1-2)

January 26, 2006

• Lost - Season 1 (discs 3-6)

February 2, 2006

• Mr. & Mrs. Smith
• Junebug
• The Aristocrats
• Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride
• The Fantastic Four
• Four Brothers

February 21, 2006

• Waiting
• Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit
• Rent
• Serenity
• The Exorcism of Emily Rose

May 4, 2006

• Shopgirl
• The Squid and the Whale
• A History of Violence

May 9, 2006

• Chicken Little
• Hustle and Flow
• Flight Plan

May 11, 2006

• Nanny McPhee
• Gattica
• Legend

May 16, 2006

• The Ice Harvest
• The Producers
• Nanny McPhee (didn't finish from earlier rental)

August 10, 2006

• Running Scared
• Underworld: Evolution
• V For Vendetta
• Rent

September 19, 2006

• Battlestar Galactica (1st season?)

September 26, 2006

• Battlestar Galactica (2nd season?)

October 3, 2006

• Battlestar Galactica (no idea)

October 17, 2006

• Thank You for Smoking
• Game 6

November 7, 2006

• Click
• Over the Hedge

December 5, 2006

• Cars
• Monster House

__________________________________________

May 8, 2007

• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• The Prestige

May 15, 2007

• Night at the Museum
• Children of Men
• The Prestige (didn't finish from earlier rental)

May 29, 2007

• The Painted Veil
• The Fountain

June 19, 2007

• The Notebook
• Pan's Labyrinth
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Happy Feet

None of the above includes any of the Netflixing I've done for the past 4 years. Those rentals were mostly TV shows and convinced me very early that if you're a television addict like I am, knocking out a season in a week is the way to go. When I figure out how to export my rental history, I'll post it here. Thanks for reading!

Lost - Season 1 / Meatloaf - Bat out of Hell

LOST - SEASON 1 - ***

Highly recommend. The 2-hour pilot looks like a feature and would probably have done well on it's own, a la the way Twin Peaks released it's pilot overseas with a tacked on ending.

MEATLOAF: BAT OUT OF HELL - ***

This isn't really a "behind the music" productions, but more of a look back at the impact the album had minus all the drama. The really interesting part is when producer Todd Rundgren fades in and out on some tracks and allows the listening to hear just how layered some of the songs were. Meatloaf does the same himself but mostly just sings over stuff, which became annoying. I would really be interested in a version of this album sans vocals to allow Jim Steinman's score to come through.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith / The Polar Express / Cinderella Man / Sky High

STAR WARS - EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH - ***

THE POLAR EXPRESS - ***

CINDERELLA MAN - **1/2

SKY HIGH - The DVD I rented was bad so I never finished, but I remember liking it more than I thought I would.. will definitely have to re-rent or Netflix soon.

Stealth / Madagascar

STEALTH - *

MADAGASCAR - ***

I would like to comment on how scripted television is making a comeback and thankfully reality shows are being pushed back to cable networks where they belong.
here's some shows I'm watching and I hope you will give a chance to in the near future:

Invasion - Has a twin peaks/x-files thing going for it, but w/o the atmosphere or camp.

How I Met Your Mother - Neil Patrick Harris is great. No, really.

Prison Break - (aka Oz Light) has a "24" pacing to it and good performances. The writing, however...

Smallville - seriously, the new Buffy, it's that good since last season.

Threshold - good performances, but doing that villian-of-the-week thing, but it's the same villian, an alien in a human body... getting old quickly. The cast deserves a better show, but I'm rooting for it!

Ghost Whisperer - a guilty pleasure as I normally vomit at this type of CBS crap, but I like it.. I really like it!

Arrested Development - still genius... stupid baseball making it go on hiatus all October.

Scrubs - stupid NBC waiting forever to start airing season 5 which was supposed to be this month, but it's still not on the schedule - show some respect! I guess they don't feel the need to air a show starring Zach Braff, oh... who happens to be voicing the main character in Disney's Chicken Little opening next week. But why would they want to promote a show who's cast member is involved in one of the most anticipated films of the holiday season?

My Name is Earl - Good. Not great, but good. Was hoping for better, but solid. That mustache has got to go. On another other actor playing the part it'd be fine, I get that it's perfect for the character, but Jason Lee has that smile that's literally 1 in a million... why cover it up? Why not put Pamela Anderson on ths show wearing nothing but baggy sweat pants and heavy sweatshirts? Jamie Pressly is spot-on as Earl's trailer park white trash ex-wife. A real breakthrough performance.

MAY SCREENINGS:

The Life Acquatic With Steve Zissou - **1/2 A bit disappointing as I'm a big fan of director Wes Anderson. Without Bill Murray, the film would have been much worse.

Team America - *** It runs long at 82 minutes, or maybe I'm just not a wooden puppet kind of person, but the songs are tremendously entertaining as is Trey Parker doing Kim Jong Il. It's easy to overlook the incredible work put into this film so I give it a high rating based on it's production values.

King Arthur - **1/2 What could have been a fascinating film about King Arthur without all the fairy-tale atmosphere turns into a wanna-be Braveheart. The cast does well, but an empahsis on battles and gore turn this into a USA Up All Night film.

National Treasure - * Nicholas Cage is Indiana Jones, sans the fedora hat, charm, wit, intelligence, et al. This high-concept film was probably thought up over a lunch and the script written over a weekend retreat. Absolute drivel and not even worth the time to watch with friends and make fun of it.

Oceans Twelve - **1/2 Why was Bernie Mac even brought back? He had like 2 scenes. What a waste. Other than that, everyone looks like they had fun making this and I had fun watching it-once. As a sidenote, Catherine Zeta Jones looks better with every film she does, how is that possible?

APRIL SCREENINGS

Publisher's Note: These films were screened in April, it's now mid-June; I've got to learn to take notes during my screenings...

Alfie - **1/2 This remake with Jude Law in the title role is a tamer version than it's original predecessor with Michael Cane. I remember little of this film other than another good, not great, performance by Jude Law. I mostly watched it because Jane Karakowski had a (too) small role. Better than most playboy-searching-for-themselves-fighting-adulthood-while-having-sex-with-lots-of-gorgeous-women movies.

Bridge Jones: The Edge of Reason - * Horrible film. Just awful. The cast seemed to loathe every moment. If there's another Bridget Jones film with this cast, they were obviously brainwashed and/or aliens have taken over their body.

Closer - **** What a wonder this film is! Truly great performances by it's cast--yes, even Julia Roberts (though I'd have rather seen someone like Catherine Zeta Jones cast instead). I can't recommend this film enough.

Fat Albert - **1/2 A standard live-action verion of a famous cartoon with a little 80's John Hughes teen adolescence thrown in. I rewatched some of the original cartoons and they're much funnier. I do think that Kenan Thompson is pretty funny (and embarrassingly underused on SNL).

Ladder 49 - *** Wait, I liked a non-musical John Travolta movie not directed by Quentin Tarantino? Huh. This films follows the carreer of a young fireman (Juaquin Phoenix) and the dangers he faces everyday. A solid film.

Finding Neverland - ***1/2 A great film. A wonder to watch and I envy anyone with kids old enough to understand and enjoy this film. Destined to be a classic.

The Station Agent - *** This is how I remember "independant films" when screening them in college. Small budget, no plot, great performances. The kind of film that, when it's over, you miss the characters and the world they live in.

Spanglish - *** Pos Vega will be star, if nothing than for sure in my dreams. What a stunning find this girl is. Sandler's most subtle role since "Punch Drunk Love" and again proves he can handle drama. Tea Leoni is also great - why doesn't she act more? Not my favorite among James L. Brooks' films, but when your resume has "Broadcast News" and "As Good As It Gets" that's no small accomplishment.

The Blue Collar Comedy Tour - *** A guilty pleasure for anyone without a Master's Degree.

Friday Night Lights *** - Anyone involved in High School sports can identify with this film. It doesn't have the payoff "Rudy" or "Hoosiers" does, but a fine film about sports and the pressure put on kids to perform and how their life is affected long after they leave the field.

Sideways *** - See review for "The Station Agent" above. Another great performance by Paul Giamatti; you'll get the Oscar someday Paul, I can assure you.

Elektra ** - My expectations were high for this film as I had hand-picked Jennifer Garner to play Elektra in the Daredevil film, and I felt she wasn't given enough to do in that film to really show her stuff. In "Elektra" she brings her game, which I enjoy every week on "Alias", unfortunately, someone forgot to bring a script.

The Karate Kid Series:
The Karate Kid - ***1/2 Classic story, classic film, classic karate move.
The Karate Kid Part II - ** Remake of The Karate Kid, but in Japan.
The Karate Kid Part III - ** Remake of The Karate Kid Part II, but back in L.A.
The Next Karate Kid - ** Remake of... well, all of them, but this time with a girl and no Ralph Macchio.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - *** Not one of those "funny ha-ha" films, but you find yourself quoting it often. Now a Tony award winning musical! Really? Yes, really. What happened to Glenn Headly? Last I saw she was on ER...

March Screenings:

Newsies - ** Imagine an all boy-band version of Annie. Yeah, I didn't like it either.
Fiddler on the Roof - *** A bit long and not as originaly imagined as director Norman Jewison's "Jesus Christ Superstar" but a great musical and Topol does a fine job. As much as I liked the songs, I found they started to interrupt a good story after the first half-hour.
The Accidental Tourist - *** Fine, very subtle performances and an intelligent script adaptation by Frank Galati and director Lawrence Kasdan (based on Anny Tyler's book) make this a great film to absorb.
Underworld: Director's Cut - ** Visually I still like this film and Kate Beckinsale is stunningly beautiful in the costumes but it's just silly and not in that good way "The Mummy" is.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - *** Infectious songs by the Sherman Brothers and Dick Van Dyke make this an enjoyable family adventure film. Good visual effects for it's time.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury - **1/2 No magic here, as this anime style focuses much more on visuals than plot. If you're a fan of anime and the Riddick story, it's worth a look, but if you're in the mood for good anime watch "Spirited Away", "Millenium Actress" or "Grave of the Fireflies."
Nine Months - **1/2 Decent enough effort from director Chris Columbus and it's a good Hugh Grant film. I re-watched it again because at the time of it's original release, Julianne Moore was becoming a favorite of mine after her impressive performance in "Short Cuts." Robin Williams has a great small cameo.
Van Wilder - *** I put off seeing this because, after 7 years in college, I was the *original* Van Wilder. For me this film gave me more nostaligia than laughs, but it's numerous funny performances keep the film entertaining. Beetlejuice - ***1/2 Still a favorite of mine. It holds up well after almost two decades.
The Breakfast Club - **** I watched this at least 100 times during high school and it's still great. Even contemporary "independent" films struggle to measure up. Sure this was a studio film, but John Hughes was wise enough to film it almost as a play and let the script and actors take the film where it needed to go.
The Cat's Meow - **1/2 Based on true events, this is Peter Bogdanovich's interpretation of a yacht voyage with famous figures and celebrities where a murder has occurred. The actors do their best to live up to the icons they're portraying especially Eddie Izzard and Kirstin Dunst. Additional credit should go to Izzard for playing Chaplin only a decade after Robert Downey's Oscar-nominated performance and making it distinguishable enough that I wasn't thinking of Downey the entire time. Good production and costume design.
Showgirls - 1/2 (as a film) **** (for camp value) I hadn't seen this film yet. I had no reason. I still had no reason to see it, but I did. It's so horribly wonderful. I now get the hand gesture Silent Bob gave to Jay in "Chasing Amy" after Silent Bob says he always wanted to be a dancer in Vegas.
Evolution - **1/2 Basically a remake of "Ghostbusters." Ivan Reitman must have reached the bottom of his barrell of tricks and only had enough left for a cameo by Dan Aykroyd. It has a DTS mix, Julianne Moore doing pratfalls, David Duchovny doing dry humor (which he's best at) and Sean William Scott (though not enough of him) so I was won over.
Flight of the Phoenix - *1/2 DTS mixes can get you only so far and even though the plane crash is impressively mixed, the film is ridiculous in the way it picks off it's cast members like a teen horror flick. Dennis Quaid is better than this.
Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle - *** Yes, I should have written this a long, long time ago. But I didn't. Yet, I can proudly admit I thought it was hilarious and everything a road movie aimed at stoned teens and twenty-somethings should be. Hope and Crosby would be proud.
Dodgeball - *** Some good laughs and would make a good double-feature with "Old School". I don't think I can get tired of Vince Vaughn doing this type of comedies. He's the new Bill Murray.
The Princess Bride - **** I've seen this at least 100 times and it just gets better. A perfect film, and I don't say that often.
The Forgotten - **1/2 My Julianne Moore film festival continued with this horror/sci-fi/thriller. As much as I had figured it out sooner than I wanted to, it was still impressivly done and with fine performances from the entire cast. Some refer to it as a "Sixth Sense" rip-off, but it deserves more credit than that. One of those "it would have made a good Twilight Zone episode" films.
The Exorcist: The Beginning - ** I'm waiting for the Paul Schrader version. This was only slightly above average of a teen horror film. I expect more from director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2: Die Harder, The Adventures of Ford Fairlaine, The Long Kiss Goodnight) but I guess he's allowed a stinker or two. Of his work that I've seen ("Cutthroat Island" isn't one of them) this will count as his first for me.
Shaun of the Dead - *** Fantastic take on a zombie movie. I liked this better than my previous favorite zombie movie "28 Days Later" (both British... I sense a pattern) and "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" was gaining fast.

February Screenings:

Shark Tale - **1/2 A decent animated comedy with an all-star cast. Personally, I don't think it deserved the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature over "The Polar Express." Time will tell which one we'll be referring to and enjoying 20 years from now.
Ray - ***1/2 Jamie Foxx deservedly won the Oscar for this powerhouse performance of the legendary pianist who changed not just rock-n-roll, but also set an industry standard by owning the masters to his own recordings. A wise man and talented man who struggled with demons throughout his career.
Chronicles of Riddick - **1/2 It could have been worse, right? Very visual but Riddick becomes more of the hero than the anti-hero he was in "Pitch Black" (which I highly recommend). If you're in the mood for sci-fi fluff, this is for you.
Jesus Christ Superstar - **** Fantastic interpretation of the famous rock opera. The print leaves something to be desired (especially a better print). Let's hope this can get some sort of special edition with a DTS soundtrack.
Deep Impact - *** No Bruce Willis or Ben Affleck (crying, as usual) but I'm a sucker for movies about asteroid's on a collision course with Earth and this is the adult version. And it has Lee Lee Sobieski (My Helen Hunt crush will live on in her for a long time)
The Village - ** Over the course of 4 films, M. Night went from overnight sensation to a one-trick pony. Easily the worst of his three films, and I've seen "Unbreakable" at least twice.
AVP: Alien Vs. Predator - **1/2 I expected much worse. It wanted to be "The Thing" (either version) so if that's what you want, rent "The Thing." Otherwise this is basically a live-action video game and you have no control over the plot. Like you care. Great production value shows the crew did their job, but as my friend Spencer put it, "it's a polished turd."
The Vagina Monologues - **1/2 Well written and performed. It's easy to see why every actress over 25 wanted a chance to perform this.
Road to Singapore/Zanzibar/Bali/Morocco/Utopia - **1/2 I'm sure they were much better when viewings were a couple years apart, but watching them back to back I lost a lot of that "here we go again..." feeling. Morocco was the first one I watched and stayed my favorite, although Bali was pretty good too.
Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie - *** I didn't care for the series much, but this film has some genuine laughs.
Bill Maher: Victory Begins At Home - *** Bill likes to say what he hopes we're thinking, and usually succeeds, at least for me.
Trekkies 2 - *** It's hard to critique this as a film, when you sit there open-mouthed at the crazy antics of the Trekkers (they don't like to be referred to as Trekkies... that's right...)
And Starring Poncho Villa As Himself - *** Enjoyable movie with great production value. Eion Bailey could have a promising career; losing out to Christian Bale for the role of Batman isn't the best of luck, but it's an honor just to be considered, right?
Margaret Cho: I'm The One That I Want - *** An homage to the stand-up films of the 70's and 80's make this production worth watching, and I find Cho's humor interesting; especially the imiation of her mother.
Margaret Cho: Notorious C.H.O - ** repeating some of the first film's material doesn't help this video-taped version of Cho in concert. Looks like cable access.
Margaret Cho: CHO Revolution - **1/2 By the time this film was made Cho had become the new Cher to several in the gay community, but, like Cher, the diva seems to be more important than the artist.
I, Robot - **1/2 Enjoyable but not spectacular sci-fi film with Will Smith saving the world. Again. That's so '95.
De-Lovely - *** Highly entertaining film about the life of Cole Porter. Sort of a Moulin Rouge but a musical and set mostly in Paris in the early 1900's. Wait. No, that's right... Great production design, performances and, of course, music make this an underappreciated gem of 2004.
Sky Captain and the World Of Tomorrow - *** As an homage to the serial adventure's of the 30's and 40's this film succeeds on every level of production. Miscasting, however tempers the enjoyment. Were the lead an unknown and not Jude Law making his 4th or 5th film appearance in as many months, this film may have gotten more word of mouth and been more successful. Sadly, Law has expressed interest in turning it into a franshise. Maybe we could hope his role would be restricted to just a Producer. Overall, writer/director Kerry Conran's personal story about how this project got off the ground is a great inspirational story for any aspiring filmmaker.
Collateral - ***1/2 Outstanding film in every aspect. Too much to get into for this little blurb.
Garden State - *** Good performances but a loose script that ties seemingly random events together keep this from becoming "The Graduate" for a new generation. Or maybe I'm too old. Writer/Director and star Zach Braff (TV's Scrubs - my favorite show) wears too many hats for his debut, but shows promise nonetheless.

January Screenings:

Gilmore Girls - Season 2 - My new favorite show. Thanks Darcy! (and every gay guy I've ever talked to)

Taken - (Sci-Fi Channel mini-series) I hadn't much interest in this until I discovered that Dakota Fanning was involved. She's my favorite actress and it's *amazing* what this kid can do.

My TV schedule is getting full again with 24 and Alias back on the air. I also started watching Desperate Housewives and believe it's worth all the hype; a really great show. This isn't your mother's night-time soap opera! (Well, it kinda is, which is why it's good and with a very pretty cast)

I spent the rest of the month watching porn.

What. Shut up.

December Screenings:

The projector screen fell down shortly before Thanksgiving, so I spent most of December watching Sex & The City episodes as I'd only seen a handfull. I'd be finished by now but the place I rent from lost their copy of Season 6: Part One - Disc 2. So I'm stuck until I Netflix it.

But I will comment that I liked the show more than I thought I would. I was resentful for many years for it winning so many awards and Sarah Jessica Parker winning every award. I don't see what she did that couldn't have been done by anyone else, not that she's not a good actress, I just don't think it stood out. I was impressed much more with Kim Catttrall (Samantha) and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) while developing the biggest man-crush on Chris Noth.

I also started "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and have Seasons 2 and 3 ready to go. Larry David and I were separated at birth (albiet a few years apart).

November Screenings:

Deep Rising - *** a/k/a "'Aliens' on a cruise ship" Popcorn fun from Stephen Sommers
The Whole Ten Yards - **1/2 - Same movie as the first, still fun because of the cast.
Shrek 2 *** - Better than most movies, but a disappointment overall. Best jokes were in the background.
Changing Lanes *** - Great movie! As w/ most Affleck movies (save for 'Dazed and Confused') anyone could have done this role, but the structure of the film is great.
Jersey Girl - *** Good effort by Smith to break away from the style of his earlier films. Why he keeps casting Ben is a mystery to me. But, the guy sure can cry.
Scary Movie 3 - **1/2 exactly what it looks like and I'm a Charlie Sheen fan, so this reminded me of his 'Hot Shot' days...
A Home At The End Of The World - *** Colin Farrell can act when he has a good director. Great, interesting small film.
Scooby-Doo 2 - ** Fun for about 1/2 hour, just like the first but gets old fast. The cast keeps things moving as best they can.
Santa Clause 2 - **1/2 Okay sequel kept my attention because I *love* Elizabeth Mitchell.
Sweet and Lowdown - *** I will watch anything Samantha Morton is in.
View From The Top - **1/2 Why would an Academy Award A-List actress do a film like this?! I can only imagine she was promised great catering. Not a bad film, but it's like finding out Janine Garafolo is starring in the next Merchant/Ivory film; I don't doubt her talents, but it just leaves me with a dumbfounded feeling.
Angels in America - ***1/2 Great performances across the board.
The Stepford Wives - ** See above review of 'A View From The Top'.
Standing in the Shadows of Motown - ***1/2 Great documentary and history lesson. A Stand out moment was Joan Osbourne singing "Heat Wave" - the DTS soundtrack was *amazing* and if I closed my eyes in was like the band was in my living room. Definitely a purchase disc for me in the future.
Elf - *** Great holiday film and well made, showing promise for actor turned director Jon Favreau.
The Saddest Music In The World - *** A *very* unusual film that will lead to more viewings of Guy Maddin films (there are 28 as of this writing). Certainly very visual so if you're a fan of the look of silent films, I would highly recommend.
Coffee & Cigarettes - *** This film made me laugh, I liked the dialogue and most of it seemed improvised. Someday I'm going to do a Jim Jarmusch marathon because I don't remember much about his films yet I think they deserve deeper study.

October Screenings:

13 Going on 30 - **1/2
Saved! - ***
THX 1138 - **
Dreamscape - ***
Butterfly Effect - ***
Connie & Carla - **1/2
Identity - **
Firefox - **
Van Helsing - ***
Ella Enchanted - ***
Van Helsing: London Assignment - **
Garfield - *
Dune - **
Dogville - ***
La Cage Aux Folles - **1/2
La Cage Aux Folles 2 - **1/2
The Human Stain - **1/2
Man on Fire - ***
Northfork - **1/2
Sinbad: Legend of the 7 Seas - ***
Young Adam - **1/2
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron - ***
I Am Sam - ***1/2

July Screenings:

Paycheck - ***
Welcome to Collinwood - ***
Kill Bill Vol.1 - ***1/2
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - **
Bowling for Columbine - ***
Saturday Night Fever - ***
Duplex - **
Along Came Polly - **1/2
Love Actually - ***
Caligula - **1/2
West Side Story - ****
Fog of War - **1/2
To Live and Die in L.A. - ***
Battlefield Earth - **
The Gift - ***
Darkman - ***
Hanging Up - **1/2
Mambo Italiano - **1/2
The Singing Detective - **1/2
Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life - **
The Core - ***

Stuck on You - **1/2
 
Good performances by Damon and especially Kinnear doesn't help this 30 min. too long comedy about conjoined twins. It has the heart most Farrelly brother films have and moments of inspiried humor, but the 'Star is Born' plot takes up too much of the movie. I enjoyed the beginning with the daily routine of their home-town life and would have much rather seen this as a road-movie, a la Bubble Boy.

Stir of Echoes - ***
 
Given this film's release date was one month after The Sixth Sense and they're both about boys who see dead people, 'Stir' didn't have a chance. How little of a chance? About 270 million dollars less of a chance than the sleeper box-office champ 'Sense' had. Would this film have been the summer sleeper of '99 had M.Knight's film been released a month later? Doubtful--it doesn't have the wonderful intentional slow pace to build suspension that 'Sense' does. However, it plays well enough and has a good enough cast so if you put the similarities aside and concentrate on the film, you'll discover a good movie that knows the secret of horror films--less is more. I can't imagine director David Keopp's state of mind as he watched 'Sense' reign the box-office right up and through 'Echoes' debut.

Marthon from early April:

Looney Tunes: Back in Action***
Freddy Vs. Jason**
School of Rock***
Lost in Translation****
Dirty Pretty Things**
Once Upon A Time In Mexico**1/2
21 Grams***
Matrix: Revolutions*
The House of Sand and Fog***
28 Days Later**1/2

Open Range - ***

I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did. Sure it's Rio Bravo meets Unforgiven meets every other western plot ever, but it's still done well enough that I was never bored. It's not masterful filmmaking like Costern's 'Dances With Wolves' but he does fare much better here than 'The Postman' or his uncredited work as a director in 'Waterworld.' As an actor, Costner holds the screen well enough, yet it's his few comedic moments that shows he return to something more light, a la 'Bull Durham' and 'Tin Cup'.

PS - Just when I thought the sound wasn't very good for a DTS track, the thunder from a storm scene kicked in -- the subwoofer nearly blew me right off the sofa (granted the sub sits directly behind the sofa, but still...) Just a reminder to everyone that DTS rules!

50 First Dates - ***

Yes, three stars - shut up! This delightful comedy had me smiling all the way through. Adam and Drew really do have some sort of chemistry that reminds me of all the great screwball comedy teams of the 30's and 40's. How about a remake of "His Girl Friday" with the roles reversed, having Adam being the fast-talking reporter who won't let his ex-wife remarry??? A well-made film with all those heart-felt moments I've come to not only respect, but admire in all Adam Sandler films.