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Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl - PG-13
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September 1, 2008
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N/A
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Tropic Thunder - R
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Really very funny film that's both a genuine action movie (in the sense that "stuff blows up real nice") and a satire/spoof of the genre and of Hollywood in general. In particular the film effectively satirizes the self-interested and self-important ways that Award-winning movie stars co-opt experiences (in particular, experiences of race or disability) outside of their own in the name of "art", "emotion" and "self-aggrandizement". It does this most effectively, of course, through the character played by Robert Downey Jr. (Also perhaps the only time in history that I have genuinely laughed out loud at Tom Cruise -because he was trying to make me laugh-.)
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August 31, 2008
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N/A
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Wet Hot American Summer - R
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This is a spot-on spoof/homage of the great summer camp films of the early 80s (as well as dozens of other cinematic tropes from the era). Pitch perfect in style, visuals, and plot. Absolutely hilarious. Fantastic cast, and well worth watching again and again. I particularly love the over-blown Skylab plot point.
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August 26, 2008
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N/A
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The Ten - R
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Preposterous and very funny, each of the ten vignettes plays like a slightly longer sketch from The State, linked by a thin 'story' set-up. The cast is fantastic even if the writing is somewhat spotty. However, even the weaker moments are worth laughing at. It doesn't quite live up to its potential, but it was a nice diversion for an evening.
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August 15, 2008
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N/A
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The Onion Movie - Unrated
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Just as scattered as you might expect a sketch-based film to be -- and really, it's little more than a spoof film that's an intellectual cut above films like EPIC MOVIE or DISASTER MOVIE. That cut, however, is pretty small. Some sketches play closely to The Onion's standard fake-news article format while others strive to be more cinematic. Hit or miss, with a decent enough hit percentage for watching if you've got nothing else to watch.
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August 7, 2008
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N/A
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The Departed - R
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Intense, engaging, and with performances that surprised me for all the right reasons. Upon a second viewing, the film is gripping even when you know what happens next. I did end up wondering how I missed the rat in the final shot, however.
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August 7, 2008
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N/A
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Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs - Unrated
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Much sharper (and even funnier) than the first Futurama feature -- this is closer to the best of Futurama writing, and delivers the comedy. Many great moments, and some really stellar jokes. Though it's nice to see characters like Amy getting a little more in depth development, I was a bit disappointed that Fry & Leela's relationship seems to have been back-burnered. That said, Bender gets the attention he deserves, and the LoR is one of my favorite new additions. Can't wait for the next one!
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August 2, 2008
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N/A
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The Dark Knight - PG-13
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Impressive, grim, and possibly the best film in the franchise. Ledger's performance is everything it's cracked up to be -- he sold me on it, creeped me out, and way entertained me all at once. The action sequences are well done, and the plot was complex enough to make the film more than just an action movie.
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July 19, 2008
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N/A
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Space Chimps - G
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July 18, 2008
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N/A
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Batman Begins - PG-13
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Pretty good -- cast of thousands! There were segments that I felt dragged, and the occasional moment of "Wait, what?", but entertaining on the whole and a huge step up for the franchise. Though I'm not sure I buy the ninja origin story.
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July 14, 2008
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N/A
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WALL-E - G
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Lovely. Pixar continues to impress... during the portions of the movie that didn't feature humans, I nearly forgot I was watching a cartoon. Full of heart, finely observed, lovely to look at. I was honestly moved to tears several times! Enough humor and action to keep things rolling, emotionally resonant, and unlike anything else in theaters right now. As a bonus -- the Pixar short that plays before this one is perhaps my new favorite Pixar short.
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July 13, 2008
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N/A
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There Will Be Blood - R
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A stunning performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, this film is mesmerizing in nearly every respect. The score is perfect, the visuals are breathtaking. At the center is Day-Lewis, and it's impossible to stop watching him. Paul Dano does an amazing job of acting as a counter-balance, and although the film wanders a bit in the middle, the conclusion is powerful. Possibly Paul Thomas Anderson's best work to date.
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July 8, 2008
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N/A
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Sex and the City - R
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June 27, 2008
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N/A
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - PG-13
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If you go in expecting nothing more than a fun Indy movie, you'll do just fine. Not Great Cinema by any means, but a fun serial romp with plenty of referential material and solid performances. Ford's still got it, LeBeouf is a solid addition to the cast, and HOW GREAT IS IT that Karen Allen is back! Some of the chase sequences are tremendously entertaining. Fun to watch, despite Spielberg's tendency to fall back a bit too heavily on his own tropes.
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June 1, 2008
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N/A
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Iron Man - PG-13
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Everything you could want in a superhero movie -- not quite on par with Spiderman, imo, but pretty terrific nonetheless. Casting is great, performances are good, fun is had by all.
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June 1, 2008
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N/A
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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - R
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Nicely done -- dark, amusing, and emotionally resonant. Much of the credit goes to Sondheim, naturally, for such a terrific book/score. But Burton stages it nicely, with attention to detail, and keeps it rolling along at a nice clip. Terrific performances, both in acting and vocal performance, seal the deal.
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April 19, 2008
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N/A
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Bad Taste - Unrated
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Essentially plotless, the real value in watching BAD TASTE is to witness the beginning of Peter Jackson's insanely creative 'bring it in under the non-existent budget' movie making MO. It's entertaining enough, but I enjoyed it more as an exercise in watching Jackson's career evolution... I'm convinced that making this sort of film on-the-cheap prepared Jackson for his future Oscar-winning successes.
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April 14, 2008
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N/A
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300 - R
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Eh... Braveheart meets Gladiator meets lots of CGI blood meets Frank Miller. It was entertaining enough, I suppose, though I felt sort of bad for David Wenham, because this film is probably beneath him. Visually, trying a bit too hard. But hey, lots of mostly naked men is a ... plus?
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March 16, 2008
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N/A
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Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron - Unrated
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I liked this one a lot better than the other Hellboy animated film. The story is tighter and it felt a little truer to the spirit the the comic.
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March 9, 2008
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N/A
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The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - PG-13
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March 8, 2008
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N/A
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King Kong - PG-13
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Fun to watch -- plenty of eye candy. Also, dinosaurs! The performances were decent, and the film overall is pretty good, though it's not Jackson's best or most inventive work.
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February 24, 2008
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N/A
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Paycheck - PG-13
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Silly, fun, and hits every square on the John Woo Movie Bingo Card. [Excessive use of slo-mo? Check! Random-ass dove out of nowhere? Check!] Not altogether awful, but by the end it just felt goofy.
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February 15, 2008
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N/A
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Cloverfield - PG-13
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Lots of fun. A pretty great monster movie without any apparent ulterior motives (except MONSTER SMASH). Things explode, people die, NYC experiences lots of fire and evacuation, and there are also some gross parts. A fun way to spend an afternoon.
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January 19, 2008
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N/A
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I Am Legend - PG-13
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January 19, 2008
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N/A
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Juno - PG-13
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January 19, 2008
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N/A
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289 ratings
73 reviews
