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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Hellboy 2) - PG-13
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Bigger, badder and goofier than its predecessor, Hellboy II is lots of fun to watch if you can make it through the groan-worthy gags and overdone fishboy love story. It's not as good as I'd hoped, but still a great summer flick full of awesome monster fights and (mostly) stellar effects. See it.
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July 9, 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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Indy still rules, and Kingdom has some absolutely awesome, totally satisfying moments. But overall, it's nowhere near as epic or as funny or as exciting as Raiders or Last Crusade. And I hate to be that guy--but CGI action scenes totally blow.
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May 22, 2008
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N/A
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Iron Man - PG-13
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Summer has officially begun. Iron Man is everything a superhero movie should be:violent, cool, self aware and utterly unbelievably fun (thanks in large art to Robert Downey Jr., who's perfect as an alcoholic, narcissistic superhero). It's a bit pokey in spots (Iron Man doesn't even officially appear until at least a half hour in), but other than that it's a near perfect first installment in what is sure to be an awesome superhero series.
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May 1, 2008
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N/A
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Cache (Hidden) - R
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March 20, 2008
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N/A
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 - R
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I hadn't seen TCM2 in years, and I'd forgotten just how truly strange it is. It's like the inverted comedic twin of the original TCM, and it so subverts the audience's expectations that it might even be considered a minor conceptual masterpiece. From Dennis Hopper's madcap performance to Caroline Williams' "chainsaw dance" in the final scene, this thing is all kinds of brilliantly eccentric satire. Though admittedly, it's not much of a horror film, and practically worthless if you haven't seen the original.
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January 23, 2008
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N/A
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Rambo (Rambo IV) - R
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When I saw the trailer for RAMBO way back in mid-07, I was excited about how bloody and violent it looked--after all, we'd just been handed a lame, PG-13 Die Hard movie. But in practice, RAMBO is so completely full of CGI-enhanced killing that it gets repetitive and tedious by the end. And rather than explore the Burmese conflict with any kind of critical eye, the very thin plot effectively reduces things to this formula: white=good, non-white=bad. And before you go spouting on about how we shouldn't expect anything but senseless violence from a Rambo movie, go back and watch First Blood, where a grand total of ONE person is killed. By accident.
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January 23, 2008
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N/A
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Audience of One - Unrated
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January 21, 2008
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N/A
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Maniac Cop 2 - R
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So.. much... fun. Great cast, classic villain and more over-the-top set pieces than you can shake a billy club at. Handcuffed to the steering wheel? Come on...
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January 21, 2008
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N/A
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The Signal - R
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I had a lot of fun watching The Signal. But I was totally confused by the completely awkward shift from straight-faced thriller to sarcastic comedy and back again. If the whole thing were as enjoyable as the second act, this might have been my new favorite horror/comedy.
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January 21, 2008
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N/A
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Seed - Unrated
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Apparently, Boll wrote Seed and Postal at the same time. And though one is a downbeat horror and the other a wacky, tasteless comedy, you can totally tell--they both let Boll's frustration and anxiety overshadow otherwise decent ideas. I've got no problem with doom and gloom, but Seed's tone is so sour and its message so unsubtle that it just plain bummed me out. On the plus side, there's some good "rampaging villain" violence, and a fantastically gritty early 80s feel.
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January 21, 2008
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N/A
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Ŕ l'intérieur (Inside) - R
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January 21, 2008
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N/A
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Teeth - R
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January 21, 2008
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N/A
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Before Night Falls - R
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January 8, 2008
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N/A
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If.... - Unrated
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January 6, 2008
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N/A
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redacted - R
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January 4, 2008
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N/A
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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - R
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December 21, 2007
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N/A
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I Am Legend - PG-13
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December 17, 2007
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N/A
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Margot at the Wedding - R
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Though this movie felt much more natural (and, I think, less pretentious) than Squid and the Whale, I'm not sure I liked it at all. As a character study about someone with borderline personality disorder, it falls flat--mostly because the supporting characters are so randomly, annoyingly, unnecessarily strange. And though Kidman is great in her role, the only likable character is Jack Black's. Where the film succeeds, though, is in its exploration of familial bonds, and the shifting definitions of success and happiness.
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December 12, 2007
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N/A
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Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - R
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Apatow and Kasdan do their best Zucker Abrahams impression... with fairly solid results. There are a LOT of laugh-out-loud moments, but an equal number of eye-rolling duds (especially the running gags). Though I guess you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs, and ultimately I left the theatre smiling.
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December 6, 2007
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N/A
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The Passion of Joan of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc) - Unrated
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December 4, 2007
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N/A
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Black Sheep - Unrated
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December 4, 2007
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N/A
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Kôkaku kidôtai (Ghost in the Shell) (Shell Mobile Force) - R
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November 27, 2007
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N/A
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Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - R
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This isn't a film you'll want to see more than once--but that's not to say it isn't good. "Intense" is probably the best word--it works as a jittery thriller and a bleak drama. But ultimately, the only redeemable character is the woman who dies in the first five minutes.
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November 27, 2007
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N/A
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The Mist - R
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November 27, 2007
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N/A
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I'm Gonna Git You Sucka! - R
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November 24, 2007
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N/A
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180 ratings
48 reviews
