| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Road - PG-13 | It is a road trip movie, but unfortunately not the kind of trip I wanted to tag along for. Jeff Bridges is usually great, but his Southern ball player spouts off lame similes so much that it is unbearable. At the end, profound life lessons are learned by the characters from their trip, but I took nothing with me as the audience bystander who had to observe these characters working out their petty problems. | December 3, 2009 | N/A | |||
| 17 Again - PG-13 | Look...it is what it is: another rip-off of Big. It does deserve credit for its easy and light humor. Zac Efron even manages to turn in a likable and funny performance, but it is Thomas Lennon (Reno 911) who steals the show. | November 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Gomorrah (Gomorra) - Unrated | While this isn't the crime masterpiece that I expected, it is still gritty and well-done. It helps going in expecting this to be character-centric rather than plot-centric with twists and turns. It runs at a slow pace, but it is not hard to get into these characters destined for a grizzly fate while serving for the life-destroying Camorra crime syndicate. | November 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Bakjwi (Thirst) - R | Director Park Chan-wook is probably one of the greatest filmmakers working today. This time he tackles vampires and does so with captivating humor and horror. | November 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| All the President's Men - R | The story of Woodward and Bernstein is a fantastic exploration of journalism. Not only does it withstand the test of time, but it actually gets better as time goes by. It demonstrates what real journalism used to be in comparison with today's blogospheres and sensational "news" journals. Very intricate and detailed, yet also intense. | November 23, 2009 | N/A | |||
| After Hours - R | I would go so far to call this one of Martin Scorsese's best films. Griffin Dunne plays a single dude who only wants to make it home after a regrettable trip to SoHo for a one night stand with head case Rosanna Arquette. It is just too bad that a series of coincidences leave him trapped in SoHo where he encounters a cast of quirky folks. It is a quick-paced and brilliant movie. | November 23, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Trick 'r Treat - R | It amazes me that so much crap within the horror genre is released in theaters, yet this was given a direct-to-DVD release. It is a very well-done horror anthology that interweaves its characters. I think I will be buying this and watching it every Halloween. | November 23, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Observe and Report - R | I think this movie deserves a lot more credit than it received. I went in with my expectations low and I laughed so hard my face hurt. If you prefer your comedy to be R-rated, edgy, and completely unrestrained whilst not relying on fart jokes, I think you will dig this. | November 23, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Paul Blart: Mall Cop - PG | I thought that since Paul Blart was the #1 movie for many consecutive weeks back in January that there may be something redeeming here. I was wrong. I'll give a half star to Kevin James for his fat man physical shtick that rivals the late Chris Farley. But this pulled in over $100 million as the #1 movie in America? Seriously, really?????? | November 21, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Red Road - Unrated | I would call this another hidden gem. This is a Scotland-set psychological thriller that immerses us in a world of vagueness until the very end. A female protagonist obsessively watches a man from her past. How he figures into her past the audience never knows until the conclusion, and it is not knowing that kept me enamored. | November 20, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Don't Look Now - R | Don't Look Now is part drama, part thriller, and whole magnificence. Strange things happen to married couple Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie while they are in Italy trying to start fresh after the death of their daughter. These strange things lead to a climax both chilling and perplexing. This really is a diamond in the rough of older, forgotten films. | November 20, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! - R | Talk about a wild ride. This is a very comprehensive documentary about genre films in Australia. Everything is covered from cars to sexploitation to bloody horror. While watching this film, I was simultaneously adding titles to my Netflix queue. | November 19, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Dead and Buried - R | This is a little-seen mystery about resurrecting that dead that I found quite atmospheric and creepy. The highlight of this has to be Jack "Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka" Albertson in his final role as the town coroner. Also watch out for a "pre-Freddy Kreuger" Robert Englund. | November 1, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Burnt Offerings - PG | The final 5 minutes are genuinely chilling, but it sure takes a lot of slow dragging to get there. | November 1, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Up - PG |
Pixar is still on a winning streak. My review for the DVD/Blu-Ray combo at Movieweb.com: http://www.movieweb.com/review/REfHZhkhyxR3in |
November 1, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The House of the Devil - R | November 1, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| White Zombie - Unrated | This movie is solid simply because a) it is considered the first zombie movie and b) Bela Lugosi rules. | October 26, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day - R | October 26, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Where the Wild Things Are - PG | This is a massive disappointment considering the fact that I was expecting one of the best films this year. The trailer is amazing and everything in the film is visually incredible. But there is very little effort in the screenwriting department. It truly feels like the thinly-paged source material was stretched out to a 90-minute film. The majority of this movie rarely goes anywhere. | October 25, 2009 | N/A | |||
| American Swing - Unrated | The topic of late 70's swing culture is intriguing, but it seems like there is way too little to talk about even during an 80-minute runtime. Plus, I seriously felt I like contracted 5 different STD's by listening to the testimonials of crusty fogies who spent a great deal of their younger years swimming around nude in jacuzzi petri dishes. | October 22, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Night of the Creeps - R | This 80's zombie/alien flick is full of campy wonderment. It isn't perfect, but it also never takes itself too seriously. Simply put, it is a fun movie, and it is available for the first time on DVD at the end of this month. | October 22, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Lymelife - R | Without the strong performances from the ensemble cast, this is just another movie about dysfunctional families and how it seriously messes up the kids. | October 19, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Fly - R | The body horror of director David Cronenberg + the eccentric Jeff Goldblum = a horror masterpiece. It is a classic worth renting this Halloween season. | October 19, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Invention of Lying - PG-13 | While the second half of this movie drags a tad, the first 45 minutes are bitingly hilarious thanks to the humor of Ricky Gervais. It is definitely rent-worthy. | October 19, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Paranormal Activity - R | I would go so far to say this movie is superior to Blair Witch. I love that a movie on an ultra-low budget can produce more thrills than any throw-away remake or sequel (yeah, I mean you Saw!!!). While very modern, this movie is old fashioned in its "things that go bump in the night" scares. I suggest it to anyone who enjoys getting creeped out. | October 19, 2009 | N/A |
583 ratings
342 reviews
