Movies Seen In 2014

1) Wargames - B+
2) Play The Game - B
3) Battle Los Angeles - B+
4) Despicable Me 2 - B
5) Minority Report - C-
6) District 9 - B+
7) How Do You Know? - F
8) Walk The Line - A-
9) The Butler - A+
10) Captain Phillips - B
11) Sky High - C+
12) Draft Day - B-

This is a nice fluffy NFL propaganda piece that is just interesting to hold one's attention and not be boring.

Kevin Costner is as bland as always and his romance with Jennifer Garner falls flat as does a lot of the background, even when the storyline of the son firing the father is crazy enough to be plausible in Cleveland's crazy football life.

I did spend the entire movie hoping that he didn't fleece my Lions at any point.

 

37. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones ★ 1/2
38. The Sacrament ★★★1/2
39. Cheap Thrills ★★★

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)

31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)

The original book was a favourite of mine, slim though it is (the story has been expanded considerably to barely fill out a feature-length film, though on a plot level the extended ending is basically a new variation on the original ending, which instead serves as the two-thirds mark). It's kind of weird to see as distinctive an authorial voice as Roald Dahl's have another, totally different aesthetic superimposed on it (that of Wes Anderson). It's fun, though I wouldn't call it exceptional, and it's especially interesting to see a children's film that really does not have children as its primary audience.

Cinema: 14 (+1)
DVD: 7
Computer: 10

 

Spoiler: films I've seen in 2014

1. Megaforce (F) - Doesn't even enter the so bad it's good. If you get a chance, watch it though, because the badness needs to be seen to be believed.
2. Loose Cannons (C) - Hits a lot of the right notes but never anything special as the chemistry never quite seems to kick off between the leads, Hackman & Ackroyd..
3. The Last Boy Scout (B+) - I love his film, might be marking it higher than I should because of that, for me it's a quintessential beer & popcorn movie. Willis is superb, as is the girl who plays his daughter.
4. Operation Condor: Armour of God II (D) - Worth a watch for Jackie Chan's stuntwork, not much else though.
5. Universal Soldier (B-) - Lundgren steals this movie from JCVD, so much more than the sum of its parts, let down at times by poor directing ad some shoddy sets.
6. The Addams Family (B) - Strong performances by a very good cast push an OK script into a very good film.
7. Hudson Hawk (C-) - A forced farce that just never quite holds together.
8. Showdown In Little Tokyo (F) - Awful, just awful.
9. Ricochet (B) - An over the top film that is very enjoyable. Lithgow is a delight and Washington oozes class on screen.
10. Delirious (D-) - Weak performances and script. Candy does stand out but can't save this from being a below average mess.
11. Heart Condition (E) - Only the on screen chemistry between Hoskins and Washington save this from getting an F.
12. Big Trouble In Little China (B-) - Dislikeable characters, off-the wall plot and yet I enjoyed this.
13. Regarding Henry (C) - A film which benefits greatly from Ford being so watchable.
14. The Man In The Moon (C-) - A nice little movie that throws a lot of coming of age, dealing with loss and sibling rivalry tropes at you and is fairly well acted, but nothing outstanding or even close to original about it.
15. True Colours (B) - Cusack and Spader bring it in this tale of friendship, politics, deceit and betrayal.
16. Billy Bathgate (C) - Despite strong performances from Kidman, Hoffman and Willis this always felt like a TV movie to me, in fact it might have worked better as a mini-series.
17. Simple Men (U) - It put me to sleep half a dozen times, therefore ungraded.
18. Sniper (D) - It's OK, acting, OK, script, OK, directing...you get the gist.
19 Death Becomes Her (B+) - Nearly great, just not quite enough substance to push it to an A. Willis, Streep and Hawn all put in great performances.
20. Twin Dragons (C) - Double Jackie Chan, what's not to like? Good farce, some good stunts and chuckle-worthy throughout.
21. Mortal Thoughts (D+) - Just never quite hangs together as a cohesive whole despite a couple of notable performances.
22. Love Potion No. 9 (C-) - Borderline, nearly got a D+. It's very lightweight and performances are OK. Wet Sunday afternoon, you could do worse than this.
23. Raising Cain (D) - I wanted to like this more, I do like Lithgow's performance but the film doesn't do it for me. Kind of feels like it should have been less linear, a more cut up approach may have worked better and would explain why we have almost gratuitous clock and timepiece shots with no real need.
24. Groundhog Day (A) - Great film, great performances.
25. Deep Cover (C) - Nice drama, nicely acted with Fishburne putting in a really good performance.
26. Midnight Sting (C+) - Better than the sum of its parts. Does have a slight A-Team/KnightRider feel, small town villain getting his comeuppance.
27. The Young Americans (E) - Messy mish-mash of a film that never quite grabs your attention.
28. Crime Story (C) - A Jackie Chan vehicle that feels like a bit of departure from what I know him from. Better acting than in a lot of his films and, as per usual, the stunt work he does always makes it worth a look.
29. Romeo is Bleeding (D) - Gary Oldman is superb but the film never holds together and I kind of drifted in and out of it because of that.
30. Robin Hood: Men In Tights (D) - It has its moments, Patrick Stewart is one of them, but feels tired and formulaic. The jokes are hit and miss, with far more being misses.
31. The Three Musketeers (1993) (C-) - Fun and silly, but no substance to speak of.
32. My Cousin Vinny (B) - Surprised me, really enjoyed this film. Funny and some good performances.
33. Undercover Blues (D) - The lead characters are affable enough, the film is shoddy though and some of the supporting characters are just plain irritating.
34. True Romance (A) - Morally wrong, intellectually wrong and the romance is wrong and twisted but it's a great film.
35. Bad Girls (C-) - An OK film with the 'twist' being that the leads are female. It adds nor detracts from the final product. That said, it was better than what I had expected it to be,
36. Back In Action (E) - Has a few moments of interest but this Billy Blanks and Roddy Piper vehicle crashes and burns.
37. The Snapper (B-) - A family tale set in Ireland about an unplanned pregnancy and its fallout. Colm Meaney is simply superb in this.0
38. The Real McCoy (D-) - Early nineties Kim Basinger vehicle that is mediocre in every way, excepting Val Kilmer who was awful.
39. Much Ado About Nothing (1993) (B+) - Great retelling of this Shakespeare tale with an interesting transatlantic cast that works really well.
40. Poison Ivy (E) - The young femme fatale story has been done many times, rarely as poorly as this. Uninteresting characters, poorly acted & shoddy direction.
41. Clear & Present Danger (A-) A film that is a joy to watch, never seems like the 2 plus hours it is and, for me, Harrison Ford embodies Jack Ryan and it's the best character he's portrayed more than once.
42. Serial Mom (A-) Not sure this was what I expected when I put in the blu-ray, but a joyously dark, riotously funny and well acted satire/spoof/inverse morality play... I don't know, none of these really fit. Don't think it'll be to everybody's taste though but I loved it.
43. When The Bough Breaks (E) - Not a bad premise, but done so much better than this, many times before and after. Ally Sheedy was just painful to watch in this, not that any of the cast was much better.
44. Leon The Professional (A) - Jean Russo just commands the screen, he has the presence of a real movie star. Gary Oldman oozes the same kind of charisma, just so compelling. Natalie Portman is amazing as the 12 year old Mathilda. The film is wonderfully shot, a cracking story that left me feeling a little uncomfortable about where it may go, all the way through.
45. Pulp Fiction (B+) - Having watched a couple of early films Tarantino was involved in recently, I thought I'd re-watch Pulp Fiction. It's good, it has some great direction and the music is well placed. Never quite hits the highs of Reservoir Dogs or True Romance though.
46. The Enemy Within (E) - Save the Forest Whittaker speech at the end, this was a shoddy mess.
47. City Hunter (C-) - One for Jackie Chan fans only. I still think the Street Fighter scene in this is better than the whole JCVD film.
48. One Of Her Own (B-) - Seems like a made for TV movie, well acted for the large part, though the script is poor in places. Although I enjoyed it, I did feel, with a little more polish, this could have been great.

49. Clean Slate (C+) - Kind of 50 First Dates meets Harry Crumb. Carvey is enjoyable in the lead role and the supporting characters are all strong. The premise just about holds together. Surprised me to enjoy this one as much as I did.
50. No Contest (C-) - A Shannon Tweed vehicle that I feel somewhat ashamed about enjoying. It's not good, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe I was just in the right mood for this no-brain required nonsense. Robert Davi was really good in his part though, a definite cut above every other actor in the film.
51. Murder In The First (A-) - Oldman, Slater & Bacon are absolutely fabulous in this 'based on a true story' period piece. Sensationalized & salacious in parts, it never takes to much away from the story they are telling. Great movie.
52. Freaked (B-) - Far better than I thought it would be. It's a gross-out comedy that has its moments and while thin, it entertains.

 

In a Theater:

Spoiler: Movies Seen in 2014

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) -- A

On a TV:

Spoiler: Movies Seen in 2014

1. The Land Unknown (1957) -- C-
2. Seconds (1966) -- B+
3. Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956) -- C
4. Play It Again, Sam (1972) -- A-
5. Lincoln (2012) -- B+
6. Death Race 2000 (1975) -- C
7. Gorgo (1961) -- C+
8. It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- B
9. The Invisible Man Returns (1940) -- B-
10. Europa Report (2013) -- A
11. Mitchell (1975) -- F
12. Devil Doll (1964) -- C-
13. Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (2012) -- B+
14. Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966) -- F
15. House of Games (1987) -- B
16. Le Samouraï (1967) -- B
17. Man Of Steel (2013) -- C-
18. 20 Million Miles To Earth (1957) -- C
19. Mud (2013) -- A
20. Gods and Monsters (1998) -- B
21. In The Mood For Love (2000) -- A
22. It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955) -- C+
23. Cinema Verite (2011) -- B-
24. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) -- F
25. Track of the Moon Beast (1976) -- F
26. Bad Timing (1980) -- B-
27. Cedar Rapids (2011) -- B
28. Lifeforce (1985) -- C+
29. Extraterrestrial (2011) -- C-
30. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) -- B+
31. Night of the Comet (1984) -- B-
32. Invisible Agent (1942) -- B-

33. The Fog (1980) -- B+

At the time The Fog was released, there was no way John Carpenter could meet the expectations set by Halloween. That movie was a game-changer for the horror genre and is still, I think, a classic -- even if it spawned a lot of terrible imitators and a slew of awful sequels. Decades removed from those expectations, however, I think The Fog holds up splendidly. The movie doesn't generate a feeling of horror so much as dread, a mood which is perfectly established by John Houseman's opening scene and maintained throughout the movie. In many ways, this movie is an ensemble piece, which is different than the other Carpenter-directed movies I've seen thus far. Adrienne Barbeau is ostensibly the lead, but the film is really more about the town as a community than any individual character. Hal Holbrook is terrific as a priest who discovers a terrible secret, Jamie Lee Curtis is fun in a supporting part, and there are numerous others I'm too lazy to name!

 

The Station Agent - Amazon Prime on Apple TV - I have been meaning to see this for a very long time. I really liked this movie a lot, it's one of those slow moving dramas that is never boring and you just get absorbed into it. Funny enough, I saw the directors next film The Visitor a few years ago and loved that as well but was unaware of the connection. Now I just have to check out Win Win, his last released film.

Buffalo 66 - HBO go - this is another movie I have been wanting to see for like forever. This is a really weird movie, one that wants you to hate but the story is so engaging and it's directed so well you can't help to like it even if you really hate it, weird right.

Man of Steel - HBO go - I actually watched this movie twice, the first time was on a flight home from Florida on JetBlue. Unfortunately our plane landed before The film finished, I think I missed the last half hour of the film and that was all the way back in October of last year. So I was glad when it showed up on HBO go recently.

I know a lot of people have issues with this movie and so do I, but overall I really liked it. I liked it way better then Superman Returns and I liked that movie as well. I actually thought the best thing about this movie is Clark/Kal's struggles with who he is. What this film needed was more Kevin Costner and less Zod. I wish the film makers had the courage to make a Superman movie that was all about him finding himself then that awful, overdone destroy everything in our wake two super beings pummeling each other, we have to put in or no one will see this movie wretch we got. I personally would have eliminated that whole thing and maybe made it smaller, give him a reason to reveal himself and the consequences. The only Zod we would have gotten was at the beginning and at the end when he escaped the Phantom Zone and used the awakening of the ship to find earth. Perfect setup for a sequel with Zod and all the fighting and world destroying.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3D - Movie Theater - my second movie in an actually movie theater this year, the last one was Frozen in January. It only took being 200 miles away from home in NYC to do it. I wanted to see it in IMAX 3D but that ended on Thursday.

For me, this is simply the best comic book movie ever. Better then Avengers and The Dark Knight, both movies I really like. If you want to argue otherwise, no problem I get you. How great is it that we can compare and contrast movies like these, great quality and compelling stories that are actually intelligent and fun.

CA:TWS is the culmination of all my dreams when I read Captain America as a kid. If this movie came out when I was eight or nine years old, I would have lost my mind. I loved the banter between Cap and Black Widow. Black Widow seamed more like a complete character in this movie and I want Cap and Black Widow together in every Captain American movie going forward. The addition of the Falcon was handled perfectly, like others have said it's a tragedy they are not using him in the next Avengers movie. I could go on and on about the movie but I won't. I can't wait until the BluRay comes out.

 

Spoiler: Movies Seen January & February

The Devil's Double - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Future War - Netflix Instant
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay - Netflix Instant
Stephen King's Graveyard Shift - Netflix Instant
Charge - Netflix Instant
The Eiger Sanction - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Laserblast - Netflix Instant
The Joneses - Netflix Instant
The Reich Underground - Netflix Instant
In the Loop - Netflix Instant
The Other Man - Netflix Instant
Our Nixon - Netflix Instant
Broadcast News - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Final Justice - Netflix Instant
The Blob (1958) - HuluPlus
American Breakdown - HuluPlus
Spy Kids 3: Game Over - Netflix Instant
The Beast with a Million Eyes - Netflix Instant
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - Netflix Instant
Escape from Alcatraz - Netflix Insant
River of No Return - Netflix Instant
The Apartment - Netflix Instant
Rewind This! - HuluPlus
Ping Pong - Netflix Instant
Schooled: The Price of College Sports - Netflix Instant
Bronies - Netflix Instant
Le Lac Des Zombies (aka Zombie Lake) - Netflix Instant
Cockneys vs Zombies - Netflix Instant
Humanoids from the Deep (aka Monster) - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia - Netflix Instant
Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis (1984) - Netflix Instant
Dinosaur Island - Netflix Instant
Age of Dinosaurs - Netflix Instant
The Dinosaur Project - Netflix Instant
Baby Boom - Netflix Instant
Blindsided - Netflix Instant
Hobo with a Shotgun - Netflix Instant
Stranded - Netflix Instant
MST3K: The Phantom Planet - Netflix Instant

Looney Tunes: Back in Action - DVD
The Crow: Wicked Prayer - Showtime Extreme
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home - Starz Kids & Family
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit - HBO on Demand
Bullet to the Head - Cinemax on Demand
Howard the Duck - HBO Family
Battlefield Earth - HBO on Demand
Me, Myself & Irene - HBO on Demand
Bad Milo! - Netflix Instant
The Final Cut - Netflix Instant
Starship Troopers: Invasion - Netflix Instant
P!nk: The Truth About Love Tour - Netflix Instant
Saving Mr. Banks - DVD
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow / Punisher - DVD
Suddenly - Netflix Instant
Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2D - theater
Turbulance - HBO
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor - BBC America
Fearless - Cinemax
Blly Crystal: 700 Sundays - HBO

Cleanin' up my brother's DVR with stuff I've recorded...

Watched Turbulance...which wasn't the worst Ray Liotta movie I've watched this month. In this one, he's a serial killer being transported from New England to Los Angeles, and winds up takin' over the plane durin' the Christmas Eve flight. And he gets to terrorize a flight attendant!

I didn't buy the premise, to be honest...busiest travel time of the year, and only a dozen passengers? And it never did show how he got the gun used durin' the takeover.

Watched the Doctor Who anniversary special when BBC American rebroadcast it. First I've seen it not cut up into parts and on a screen bigger than my laptop, so I'm countin' it as the first time watchin' it.

I liked it unedited. Wish it was the first time I'd seen it, but if I had waited, I wouldn't have been able to avoid spoilers.

Jeff Bridges is the star of Fearless, a movie I've kinda sorted wanted to see since I first saw it reviewed by Roger Ebert fuckin' forever ago. And, as with Turbulance, it involves a plane, too. This time, its about the survivors of a plane crash, specifically a man who now lives without fear of death and Rosie Perez as a woman who mourns the loss of her baby in the crash.

Kinda surprised to see John de Lancie in a small role.

Took forever to get to the point of the story, I think, and the endin' sucked.

And I watched 700 Sundays last night. A filmed version of Billy Crystal's one-man show...it was very movin'. Funny, too, but sad. Bastard made me cry a bit when he talked about his last conversation with his mother before she died and then sayin' he was an orphan. I felt the same after my dad had died, since my mother died when I was young, but I was in my twenties when dad died.

Not sure what's next to watch, besides Game of Thrones and Mad Men tonight.

 

Spoiler: 2010 viewed movies

I didn't start in the thread till August that year, partial list

1. Piranha 3D: C+
2. Book of Eli: B
3. Lethal Weapon: A
4. Lethal Weapon 2: A-
5. Lethal Weapon 3: B
6. Lethal Weapon 4: C+
7. The Crow: A
8. Clash of the Titans: B+
9. Prince of Persia: B
10. The Fountain: D
11. Resident Evil: A-
12. Resident Evil: Apocalypse: B
13. Resident Evil: Extinction: B-
14. Resident Evil: Afterlife: B
15. Resident Evil: Degeneration(animated): B
16. Bad Boys: B+
17. Zombieland: B
18. The Evil Dead: B-
19. R.E.D.: B
20. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days: B+
21. Conviction: A-
22. Crazies(2010): A-
23. Paranormal Activity: A+
24. Paranormal Activity 2: A
25. Shutter Island: B-
26. Gamer: F
27. Last House on the Left(orig): D+
28. Thirst(asian film): C-
29. The Hills Have Eyes: B
30. When In Rome: B-
31. Dr.Horrible Sing-A-Long: A
32. Expelled No Intelligence Allowed(doc): B
33. Zombie Strippers: D
34. Mammoth: D+
35. Everyone Else: D
36. Dark Ages(doc): A
37. Batman vs Dracula(anim): A-
38. Independence Day: A
39. Robin Hood(2010-Crowe): B
40. Taken: A
41. Only You: B-
42. Momma Mia: C
43. High Plains Drifter: C
44. Joe Kid: A-
45. Tron Legacy: B
46. Voyage of the DawnTreader: B+
47. Tourist: B
48. Duchess: B
49. Blade Runner: B+
50. Men In Black: A
51. Jumper: B-
52. Interview with the Vampire: A-
53. Brideshead Revisted: B
54. Wizard of Oz: A
55. Gone With the Wind: A
56. True Grit: A

Spoiler: 2011 viewed movies

1. The Fighter: B-
2. Batman(90's saga): A-,B-,C-,D
3. Star Wars OT-Special Edition: B+, A, B
4. The Green Hornet: B
5. True Grit(1969): C+
6. Lord of the Rings saga: (A,A,A)
7. The Machinist: A-
8. Season of the Witch: B
9. Frozen: A-
10. Due Date: B+
11. Planet of the Apes(2001): B-
12. Faster: C
13. Romance: D (French film, subtitled)
14. YPF: C- (YPF=Young People F*&^ing)
15. The Beautiful Truth: B-
16. Strictly Sexual: C+
17. DOOM: C
18. Brothers: B+
19. Men In Black II: B-
20. The Crow: Wicked Prayer: C-
21. The Soloist: C
22. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love: C+
23. I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry: B-
24. Battle in Heaven: C+ (Mexican film, subtitled)
25. Legion: B-
26. Battle: LA: B+
27. Righteous Kill: B
28. Dracula II: Ascension: B-
29. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li: D
30. You Don't Mess With the Zohan: C+
31. Finding Bliss: C
32. Dracula III: Legacy: B-
33. Tangled: B+
34. Paul Blart Mall Cop: C-
35. Chloe: B
36. Kung Fu Panda: B-
37. Centurion: B
38. The People I've Slept With: C
39. Grown Ups: B-
40. The Conspirator: A-
41. XXX: State of the Union: C+
42. Fast Five: B+
43. THOR: A-
44. Priest: D+
45. The Fourth Kind: B+
46. POTC: On Stranger Tides: B-
47. Turtles Forever: A-
48. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story: B+
49. Easy A: A
50. Inception: B
51. #1 Cheerleader Camp: D
52. Freakanomics: C+
53. Green Lantern: C
54. The American: C-
55. Super 8: A
56. Green Lantern: First Flight: B
57. Transformers: Dark of the Moon: B-
58. 9 Songs: F
59. Kings Speech: A-
60. Whiteout: C+
61. Passion Play: D+
62. Captain America: The First Avenger: A-
63. Marley & Me: A
64. Date Night: C+
65. Frantic: B+
66. Presumed Innocent: A
67. Invictus: A
68. Rocky: A
69. Hurt Locker: A+
70. Rocky II: C+
71. Rocky III: B+
72. Rocky IV: A
73. Cowboys & Aliens: B
74. Wonder Woman (DC Animated): B+
75. Rocky V: B-
76. Conan The Barbarian('11): B-
77. Dinner for Schmucks: D
78. Nothing But the Truth: B
79. Snow Angels: B+
80. Everybody's Fine: C-
81. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: A+
82. Fragments: C+
83. Fright Night ('11): A-
84. Cold Comfort Farm: D
85. Machete: C-
86. The Queen: A
87. Public Enemies: B+
88. Drive Angry: D
89. Red Riding Hood: C+
90. Fright Night ('85): B
91. Love & Other Drugs: B
92. X-Files: I Want to Believe - B+
93. Source Code: A-
94. Paranormal Activity 3: A
95. Rachel Getting Married: C
96. Love Guru: F
97. Funny People: C-
98. Win Win: B+
99. Everything Must Go: B
100. Scott Pilgrim vs The World: D+
101. American Ninja: D
102. Revenge of the Ninja: D
103. Lonesome Dove: A
104. Black Swan: B
105. Westworld: B
106. Fireproof: A-
107. Mission Impossible(4):Ghost Protocol: A
108. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A
109. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: A-
110. Belly: D-
111. Despicable Me: B+

Spoiler: 2012 viewed movies

Kicking off my 2012 list:

1. Edge of Darkness: A
2. Star Trek: The Motion Picture: B+
3. Repo Men: B-
4. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: B-
5. Underworld: Awakening: B
6. Lost City Raiders: C+
7. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: B+
8. Contraband: B+
9. Kick-Ass: B+
10. Hereafter: A-
11. Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance: B
12. Act of Valor: C+
13. John Carter: B
14. Hunger Games: B+
15. Wrath of the Titans: C
16. Cabin In the Woods: B+
17. The Rum Diary: C
18. The Eagle: C+
19. The Avengers: A+
20. The Adjustment Bureau: A
21. Sucker Punch: B-
22. Knight & Day: C+
23. Mechanic: B
24. Devil: A
25. Dark Shadows: C+
26. Men In Black 3: B-
27. Columbiana: B
28. Haywire: C
29. Snow White and the Huntsman: B-
30. Meet the Parents: A-
31. Meet the Fockers: B
32. Prometheus: B
33. Chernobyl Dairies: B-
34. Little Fockers: B-
35. Halloween III: Season of the Witch: B+
36. Winters Bone: B+
37. Battleship: A-
38. Much Ado About Nothing: B+
39. Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs: B
40. Beauty & the Beast: A+
41. Bambi: A-
42. Sex & the City 2: D+
43. Top Gun: B
44. Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter: B-
45. Brave: B+
46. Kill Bill vol.1: A-
47. Kill Bill vol.2: B
48. The Amazing Spider-man: B-
49. Virgin Territory: C-
50. 21 Jump Street: B+
51. The Dark Knight Rises: A-
52. Sicko: C
53. Capitalism A Love Story: C
54. Seven Pounds: B
55. Hot Fuzz: B
56. Total Recall (2012): A-
57. Total Recall (1990): B+
58. Hardware: D+
59. The Bourne Legacy: A-
60. Once Upon A Time in the West: B-
61. Expendables 2: B+
62. Hangover 2: C
63. Moneyball: A-
64. Adventures of Tin Tin: B-
65. 2016 Obama's America: A-
66. Unknown: B
67. No Strings Attached: B+
68. Megamind: A-
69. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: A-
70. Halloween 4:Return of Michael Myers: A-
71. Halloween 5:Revenge of Michael Myers: B+
72. Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers: B
73. Halloween H2O: A
74. Halloween Resurrection: C+
75. The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008): B
76. Looper: A-
77. Smart People: C-
78. Atlas Shrugged-Part One: B
79. Dredd: A-
80. Bridesmaids: C-
81. Taken 2: B
82. Atlas Shrugged-Part Two: C+
83. Alex Cross: A-
84. RockNRolla: B-
85. Paranormal Activity 4: B
86. Argo: A+
87. Skyline: F
88. Cop Out: D
89. Skyfall: A
90. Red Dawn (2012): B-
91. Dracula (1979): B
92. Dracula (2009): C+
93. Slither: B-
94. Your Highness: F
95. Goldeneye: A
96. Whistleblower: B+
97. The Town: A+
98. Ted: A
99. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: B+
100. Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: A
101. Jack Reacher: A-
102. Django Unchained: B+

Spoiler: 2013 viewed movies

The 2013 list:
1. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas: C-
2. Les Miserables(2012): B
3. Lincoln: A+
4. Parental Guidance: C+
5. Warm Bodies: B
6. Waiting for Superman: B
7. Grindhouse: Planet Terror: B-
8. Grindhouse: Death Proof: C+
9. Zero Dark Thirty: A
10. Last Stand: B
11. Red Tails: A-
12. Hansel & Gretel-Witch Hunters: C-
13. Parker: B-
14. Bullet to the Head: B+
15. Judge Dredd(1995): C
16. The Mist: B+
17. A Good Day to Die Hard: B-
18. Fired Up: C+
19. Fling: C
20. Ask the Dust: D+
21. Mulan: A-
22. The Lovely Bones: B
23. The Initiation of Sarah: D
24. Jack the Giant Slayer: C+
25. Oz the Great and Powerful: B+
26. Olympus Has Fallen: A-
27. The Lives of Others: B+ (German film)
28. The Croods: B+
29. Jennifers Body: D+
30. Evil Dead (2013 remake): B+
31. G.I. Joe: Retaliation: B
32. The Dark Knight Returns pt.1: A+
33. The Dark Knight Returns pt.2: A+
34. Batman: Gotham Knight: B
35. Superman/Shazam: Return of Black Adam: A-
36. Batman: Year One: B
37. Batman/Superman: Apocalypse: A+
38. Superman vs The Elite: B+
39. Justice League: Doom: A
40. Green Lantern First Flight: A
41. Oblivion: B+
42. Iron Man 3: B-
43. Planet Hulk: A-
44. Welcome to the Jungle: F
45. The Time Travelers Wife: B+
46. Star Trek into Darkness: A-
47. The Lost Tomb of Jesus: B
48. The Heat: C+
49. Fast and Furious 6: A-
50. Hangover III: C-
51. Now You See Me: A
52. Boot Camp: B-
53. Green Zone: C
54. Ninja Assassin: B
55. Mr&Mrs. Smith: A-
56. Silver Linings Playbook: A-
57. Man of Steel: B+
58. Doubt: A
59. Godfather: A
60. World War Z: B
61. Much Ado About Nothing: A-
62. The Lone Ranger: C+
63. Godfather pt.II: A+
64. Godfather pt.III: B
65. Beyond Sherwood Forest: D
66. R.E.D. 2: B-
67. The Wolverine: B+
68. R.I.P.D.: C+
69. Proof of Life: B-
70. The Conjuring: B
71. Pacific Rim: B-
72. Alone in the Dark: D
73. Apocalypto: A
74. Stargate: Ark of Truth: A-
75. Stargate: Continuum: A
76. Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: B-
77. Pi: C-
78. Riddick: B+
79. Percy Jackson: Lightning Thief: B
80. The World's End: C+
81. The Other Woman: B
82. The Other Guys: B-
83. The Sorcerer's Apprentice: C+
84. Catfish: A-
85. Wild Hogs: C
86. Zach & Miri Make a Porno: B
87. Gravity: A+
88. Supergirl: D
89. Escape Plan: B+
90. Prisoners: A
91. Disappearance of Alice Creed: A
92. Deathrace 2000: C+
93. Thor Dark World: A-
94. Superman Unbound: B+
95. JCVD: B-
96. Drive: B-
97. Hunger Games: Catching Fire: B+
98. War Horse: B
99. How to Train Your Dragon: A
100. Scrooged: A-
101. W: D+
102. 127 Hours: A-
103. Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: B+
104. Moonrise Kingdom: A
105. Piranha DD: D

Spoiler: 2014 First Time Viewed Films

2014 First time viewed films:
1. Saving Mr.Banks: A
2. American Hustle: A-
3. Larry Crowne: B+
4. The Grey: C
5. Real Steel: B-
6. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit: B
7. Just Go With It: A-
8. The Road: B
9. Blue Valentine: B
10. Fifth Element: C
11. Boy in the Stripped Pajamas: A
12. Hachi: A Dog's Tale: A
13. She's Out of My League: C
14. The Lego Movie: A
15. Whip It: B
16. Up in the Air: B
17. 300: Rise of an Empire: B+
18. Splice: C-
19. Mirrors: B-
20. Pitch Perfect: A-
21. Noah: C-

22. 2 Guns: B
23. The Seventh Seal: B+
24. Mongol: A-
25. Captain America The Winter Soldier: A+
26. Munich: B

The Eric Bana and Daniel Craig led film by Steven Spielberg that chronicles the actions taken by the young State of Israel following the aftermath of the 60's Olympic Hostage Crisis.
Not being fully versed on this piece of history I was able to watch without too much in the way of expectations or as to where liberties were likely taken.

I found the film to be tense and sprinkled with various moments of suspense. I did however find myself drifting during the middle parts of the film. I think the flaw was showing too much. As they went from one target to the next, it just got to be a bit overkill. At 2hrs 45min it dragged and that's what brings down my grade for it.

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)
31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)

32. Independence Day (A)

After finishing my exams for second year of law school and resolving an insurance claim, it was time to unwind by revisiting the pop culture masterpiece known as Independence Day, which has traveled the long road from being looked down up to being a fondly-regarded piece of 90s nostalgia. The movie has an important place in my own history as a movie-lover, as it was the movie I ever owned personally, after getting it on VHS for Christmas in 1996 when I was nine. I probably watched it about fifty times, but this is the first time I've seen it in widescreen.

I have to say, I wish we had more blockbusters today that were fun but without totally suffocating in irony and self-awareness. This movie is totally sincere, which does lend to plenty of humour potential at the corny parts, but it still works, and I'd much rather this approach be more common (there's a reason people remember so many scenes and lines in this movie and can joke about them; the movie commits to its story). This and Men in Black were a one-two punch that made Will Smith the coolest guy on the planet in my mind circa 1997, though his subsequent blockbuster output has never lived up to that.

The mid-90s visual effects still hold up pretty well, although the rigidity of the models' movements is evident in some of the air combat sequences (and the way they mesh with the explosions).

Cinema: 14
DVD: 8 (+1)
Computer: 10

 

In a Theater:

Spoiler: Movies Seen in 2014

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) -- A

On a TV:

Spoiler: Movies Seen in 2014

1. The Land Unknown (1957) -- C-
2. Seconds (1966) -- B+
3. Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956) -- C
4. Play It Again, Sam (1972) -- A-
5. Lincoln (2012) -- B+
6. Death Race 2000 (1975) -- C
7. Gorgo (1961) -- C+
8. It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- B
9. The Invisible Man Returns (1940) -- B-
10. Europa Report (2013) -- A
11. Mitchell (1975) -- F
12. Devil Doll (1964) -- C-
13. Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (2012) -- B+
14. Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966) -- F
15. House of Games (1987) -- B
16. Le Samouraï (1967) -- B
17. Man Of Steel (2013) -- C-
18. 20 Million Miles To Earth (1957) -- C
19. Mud (2013) -- A
20. Gods and Monsters (1998) -- B
21. In The Mood For Love (2000) -- A
22. It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955) -- C+
23. Cinema Verite (2011) -- B-
24. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) -- F
25. Track of the Moon Beast (1976) -- F
26. Bad Timing (1980) -- B-
27. Cedar Rapids (2011) -- B
28. Lifeforce (1985) -- C+
29. Extraterrestrial (2011) -- C-
30. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) -- B+
31. Night of the Comet (1984) -- B-
32. Invisible Agent (1942) -- B-
33. The Fog (1980) -- B+

34. The Invisible Woman (1940) -- B+

I've now seen all the "Invisible Man" movies from the early studio era except for The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944), which is a quasi-remake of the original and, as a result, doesn't interest me all that much. The original, of course, is the best, but the second best might be The Invisible Woman, which opts to use the concept as the basis for a screwball comedy rather than something semi-serious (all of the movies in the series have a darkly comedic streak to them, of course).

Unlike "Returns" or "Agent," there's no hitherto unknown family connection to the original's Dr. Jack Griffin to tie this to the series, but it doesn't really matter. Invisibility is the star of the series, and the effects work in this film is up to par with the previous installments. This movie came near the end of Virginia Bruce's brief period of stardom, but given her sense of comedic timing and delivery, it's a shame she didn't continue working steadily as a comedic actress. Co-star John Howard would soon be exiled to a career as a perpetual TV guest star, which is a shame, too, because he's almost as good.

It's not a perfect movie (the climax, in which the invisible woman opens fire with a machine gun on her love interest and his man servant, is a head-scratcher), but it's a fun twist on the premise that (wisely) doesn't take itself too seriously.

 

1) Wargames - B+
2) Play The Game - B
3) Battle Los Angeles - B+
4) Despicable Me 2 - B
5) Minority Report - C-
6) District 9 - B+
7) How Do You Know? - F
8) Walk The Line - A-
9) The Butler - A+
10) Captain Phillips - B
11) Sky High - C+
12) Draft Day - B-
13) Nuremberg - B

This is the Alec Baldwin version from 2000 and it is him, along with Jill Hennessy, that bring any dramatic moments to a screeching halt. Her character is written like a shell of a woman, simply around to pine away for Baldwin. When Baldwin is called on to have a big speech or a big moment, he doesn't step up to the challenge.

However, the supporting cast does it's job admirably well given the low performances of the stars. Len Cariou does his usual good job of being the pompous assholes. Two of my favorites, Michael Ironside and Christopher Plummer, put in the strong performances you except from them. Plummer's court room scenes are leaps and bounds about Baldwin's. One surprise was Matt Craven, who I have been underwhelmed by on Resurrection as the sheriff.

 

Spoiler: Movies Seen January & February

The Devil's Double - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Future War - Netflix Instant
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay - Netflix Instant
Stephen King's Graveyard Shift - Netflix Instant
Charge - Netflix Instant
The Eiger Sanction - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Laserblast - Netflix Instant
The Joneses - Netflix Instant
The Reich Underground - Netflix Instant
In the Loop - Netflix Instant
The Other Man - Netflix Instant
Our Nixon - Netflix Instant
Broadcast News - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Final Justice - Netflix Instant
The Blob (1958) - HuluPlus
American Breakdown - HuluPlus
Spy Kids 3: Game Over - Netflix Instant
The Beast with a Million Eyes - Netflix Instant
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - Netflix Instant
Escape from Alcatraz - Netflix Insant
River of No Return - Netflix Instant
The Apartment - Netflix Instant
Rewind This! - HuluPlus
Ping Pong - Netflix Instant
Schooled: The Price of College Sports - Netflix Instant
Bronies - Netflix Instant
Le Lac Des Zombies (aka Zombie Lake) - Netflix Instant
Cockneys vs Zombies - Netflix Instant
Humanoids from the Deep (aka Monster) - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia - Netflix Instant
Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis (1984) - Netflix Instant
Dinosaur Island - Netflix Instant
Age of Dinosaurs - Netflix Instant
The Dinosaur Project - Netflix Instant
Baby Boom - Netflix Instant
Blindsided - Netflix Instant
Hobo with a Shotgun - Netflix Instant
Stranded - Netflix Instant
MST3K: The Phantom Planet - Netflix Instant

Looney Tunes: Back in Action - DVD
The Crow: Wicked Prayer - Showtime Extreme
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home - Starz Kids & Family
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit - HBO on Demand
Bullet to the Head - Cinemax on Demand
Howard the Duck - HBO Family
Battlefield Earth - HBO on Demand
Me, Myself & Irene - HBO on Demand
Bad Milo! - Netflix Instant
The Final Cut - Netflix Instant
Starship Troopers: Invasion - Netflix Instant
P!nk: The Truth About Love Tour - Netflix Instant
Saving Mr. Banks - DVD
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow / Punisher - DVD
Suddenly - Netflix Instant
Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2D - theater
Turbulance - HBO
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor - BBC America
Fearless- Cinemax
Blly Crystal: 700 Sundays - HBO
Jay Mohr: Funny for a Girl - Showtime
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) - Cinemax
The Natural - MoviePlex

Watched a stand up special from Jay Mohr the other night. His comedy is real hit & miss, so it wasn't that great.

Watched the remake of AoP13 yesterday mornin'. The original was a lot better.

Watched TN for the first time today. Pretty good sports movie, even when ya know the endin'.

 

Updates in Bold:

300: Rise of an Empire (10)
Black Rain (7)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (9)
Fairy Tail The Movie: The Phoenix Priestess (8)
Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin (Garden of Sinners: Blessings for the Future) (9)
Divergent (7)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (9)
Heat (1995) (8)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (9)
Kick Ass 2 (8)
Lone Survivor (8)
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (7)
Mission Impossible II (8)
Mission Impossible III (8)
Monuments Men (8)
Need for Speed (8)
Non-Stop (10)
Oldboy (2013) (9)
Red Dawn (2012) (5)
Robocop (2014) (8)
Tales From Earthsea (5)
Walking Tall: Lone Justice (6)
White House Down (7)
The Wind Rises (7)
Wolf Children (8)

Running Total: 25

 

Television Broadcasts
Cinema
DVDs
Streaming

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Seen this many times. It's still a great movie adaptation. 9/10.

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Same as above. 9/10.

3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Rewatch. It's as great as LotR. 9/10.

4. Man of Steel
I found it excellent. Better than Superman Returns. On par with the first two Donner/Reeve films.

5. Meet the Robinsons
Still holds up. Rather enjoyable.

6. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Same as above.

7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Not really to my taste, but some parts are enjoyable. 5/10.

8. Tron Legacy
Still rather enjoyable. 8/10.

9. Tron
Streamed because the DVD seems to be in the Disney Vault. (and I haven't upgraded to Blu-Ray yet.)
Still a great story. Legacy is a great continuation. 8/10.

10. Pride & Prejudice (2005)
After re-watching the 1995 BCC production (after reading the novel) I decided to watch this movie. It's a slightly less faithful adaption, but I still enjoyed it. 8/10.

11. The Little Colonel
The earliest Shirley Temple film available on Google Play. The tale of a young girl whose grandfather (who fought on the South's side in the Civil War) had disowned her mother upon her running away with her northerner father... Quite enjoyable 7.8/10.

11. Our Little Girl
Another Shirley Temple film... 5/10.

12. Serenity
Can't rewatch Firefly without watching Serenity...
It holds up. 8.5/10

13. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
One of the best Marvel movies so far. I liked all the revelations involved. 9.5/10.

---

14. The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro
Rather good. It is as good as the earlier film, although the ending is sad. 9/10.

15. Frozen
Disney have outdone themselves. One of their best films for a long while. 9/10.

 

Spoiler: Movies Seen January, February, March & April

The Devil's Double - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Future War - Netflix Instant
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay - Netflix Instant
Stephen King's Graveyard Shift - Netflix Instant
Charge - Netflix Instant
The Eiger Sanction - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Laserblast - Netflix Instant
The Joneses - Netflix Instant
The Reich Underground - Netflix Instant
In the Loop - Netflix Instant
The Other Man - Netflix Instant
Our Nixon - Netflix Instant
Broadcast News - Netflix Instant
MST3K: Final Justice - Netflix Instant
The Blob (1958) - HuluPlus
American Breakdown - HuluPlus
Spy Kids 3: Game Over - Netflix Instant
The Beast with a Million Eyes - Netflix Instant
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - Netflix Instant
Escape from Alcatraz - Netflix Insant
River of No Return - Netflix Instant
The Apartment - Netflix Instant
Rewind This! - HuluPlus
Ping Pong - Netflix Instant
Schooled: The Price of College Sports - Netflix Instant
Bronies - Netflix Instant
Le Lac Des Zombies (aka Zombie Lake) - Netflix Instant
Cockneys vs Zombies - Netflix Instant
Humanoids from the Deep (aka Monster) - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut - Netflix Instant
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia - Netflix Instant
Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis (1984) - Netflix Instant
Dinosaur Island - Netflix Instant
Age of Dinosaurs - Netflix Instant
The Dinosaur Project - Netflix Instant
Baby Boom - Netflix Instant
Blindsided - Netflix Instant
Hobo with a Shotgun - Netflix Instant
Stranded - Netflix Instant
MST3K: The Phantom Planet - Netflix Instant
Looney Tunes: Back in Action - DVD
The Crow: Wicked Prayer - Showtime Extreme
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home - Starz Kids & Family
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit - HBO on Demand
Bullet to the Head - Cinemax on Demand
Howard the Duck - HBO Family
Battlefield Earth - HBO on Demand
Me, Myself & Irene - HBO on Demand
Bad Milo! - Netflix Instant
The Final Cut - Netflix Instant
Starship Troopers: Invasion - Netflix Instant
P!nk: The Truth About Love Tour - Netflix Instant
Saving Mr. Banks - DVD
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow / Punisher - DVD
Suddenly - Netflix Instant
Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2D - theater
Turbulance - HBO
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor - BBC America
Fearless- Cinemax
Blly Crystal: 700 Sundays - HBO
Jay Mohr: Funny for a Girl - Showtime
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) - Cinemax
The Natural - MoviePlex

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - Cinemax
She's the Man - HBO

Watched MST3K's movie for my first movie of the month. The increased budget added some new sets and they did some new camera angles, but it was still the same old show about a guy and his robots makin' fun of a bad movie. In this case, it was This Island Earth.

Some good jokes, some awful jokes, and some in between stuff.

Second movie of the month was Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum in She's the Man, based on William Shakespeare's 'The Twelfth Night'. Bynes poses as her twin brother at a new school to play on the boys' soccer team against her old school after they cancel the girls' soccer program. Tatum, in one of his first movie roles, is her roommate and love interest.

Kinda dumb, with the usual crossdressin' shenanigans.

Got a couple of recent Godzilla movies on the DVR which I may watch next. And there's kind of a plan to see the new Spidey movie next week.

 

40. Almost Human ★★
41. King of the Zombies ★
42. Frozen ★★★

 

Spoiler: My List

January

1. The Manor (✩✩✩✩) - Live TV
2. Pain & Gain (✩✩✩✩) - Download
3. Runner Runner (✩✩✩) - Download
4. Battle of the Year (✩✩) - Download
5. Byzantium (✩✩✩) - Netflix
6. Our Idiot Brother (✩✩✩) - Netflix
7. The Spectacular Now (✩✩✩½) - Download
8. Blue Jasmine (✩✩✩) - Download
9. Carrie (2013) (✩✩✩) - Download
10. Closed Circuit (✩½) - Download
11. Drive (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
12. The Roommate (✩✩½) - Netflix
13. Rocky (✩✩✩) - Netflix
14. Rocky II (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
15. Rocky III (✩✩✩) - Netflix
16. Rocky IV (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
17. Rocky V (✩✩✩) - Netflix
18. Rocky Balboa (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix

February

19. In a World… (✩✩✩½) - Download
20. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (✩✩✩½) - Download
21. A Late Quartet (✩✩✩✩½) - Netflix
22. Justice League: War (✩✩✩½) - Download
23. ATM (✩✩✩✩) - Download
24. That Guy… Who Was in That Thing (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
25. Cleanflix (✩✩✩½) - Netflix
26. Side by Side (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix
27. RoboCop (2014) (✩✩✩½) - Theatre
28. Adult World (✩✩✩✩½) - Download
29. Oldboy (2013) (✩✩✩✩½) - Download
30. Oldboy (2003) (✩✩✩✩½) - Download
31. Cry of the Owl (✩✩✩✩½) - Download

March

32. Kiss at Pine Lake (✩½) - Live TV
33. Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa (✩✩✩½) - Download
34. Sleeping Dogs Lie (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix
35. The Future (✩✩) - Netflix
36. Frozen (✩✩✩✩) - Download
37. American Hustle (✩✩✩) - Download
38. The Right Kind of Wrong (✩✩✩✩) - Download
39. Passion (✩✩✩) - Download
40. Afternoon Delight (✩✩✩½) - Download
41. Breaking the Girls (✩✩✩½) - Download
42. Noah (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre
43. American Mary (✩✩✩½) - Download

April

44. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (✩✩✩½) - Theatre

45. Game Change (✩✩✩✩) - Download - The story of Sarah Palin's 2008 Vice Presidential run. Stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris. It shows what a blundering idiot Palin was supposed to be but I took it with a grain of salt and rightly so. Comments from people who were actually there are mixed. Some say it puts her in a bad light and is full of inaccuracies while others say it was pretty acurate.

46. I Don't Know How She Does It (✩✩✩) - Netflix - Rom-com with Sarah Jessica Parker as a busy mom. Also stars Pierce Brosnan. It's about what you'd expect.

47. Trance (✩✩✩) - Netflix - A guy uses hypnosis to access the lost memory of where he hid a stolen painting. Stars James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and Vincent Cassel. An intriguing premise but it gets convoluted near the end as the story tries to both pad things out to fill the movie's time and introduce a twist. Still, it's not a bad piece. It's got some good cinematography and a nice feel to it.

48. Indigo (✩✩✩) - Download - Neale Donald Walsh, the writer of the Conversations With God book series has written and stars in this independent film about an "indigo child", a child that's supposed to be special and more spiritual. Look up the term. It's not as new-agey as I thought, so kudos to Walsh for that but the story was still muddled. Walsh is a pretty good actor though and I liked seeing Ashland, Oregon where the movie is filmed.

49. In Our Nature (✩✩✩) - Download - A slice of life movie about a guy and his girlfriend staying at a cabin when his dad and his girlfriend show up. John Slattery, Jena Malone and Gabrielle Union are in it. Not great but not bad either and I liked the cast. Feels like Slattery's getting work because of Mad Men.

50. Riddick (Unrated Director's Cut) (✩✩✩✩) - Download - I like what they did with the director's cut. They added some scenes with the necromongers. Unlike the theatrical cut, the new cut lets us know that Riddick isn't done with them yet. An improvement.

51. Contraband (✩✩✩) - Netflix - Mark Wahlberg plays a guy who has to smuggle contraband from Panama into the U.S. by getting a job on a cargo ship. Also stars Kate Beckinsale. It starts off boring but gets mildly more engaging.

52. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (3D) (✩✩✩½) - Theatre - Weak story, nice cast and visually stunning with excellent action shots and good use of theatre sound. Read my comments here.

Theatre: 4
Netflix: 19
Live TV: 2
Download: 27

 

April Rundown (8 Movies)

5 Stars
None

4½ Stars
None

4 Stars
Game Change - Download
Riddick (Unrated Director's Cut) - Download

3½ Stars
Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Theatre

3 Stars
Contraband - Netflix
I Don't Know How She Does It - Netflix
In Our Nature - Download
Indigo - Download
Trance - Netflix

2½ Stars
None

2 Stars
None

1½ Stars
None

1 Star
None

½ Star
None

0 Stars
None

 

Spoiler: The rest of my list.

1. Philomena (B+)
2. Blue Is The Warmest Colour (A)
3. Her (A+)
4. Bicycle Thieves (B)
5. Frances Ha (B+)
6. Inside Llewyn Davis (A)
7. American Hustle (B+)
8. East of Eden (C+)
9. The Hunt (A-)
10. Amadeus (A+)
11. The LEGO Movie (A-)
12. Nebraska (B+)
13. Short Term 12 (A)
14. The Square (B+)
15. The Act of Killing (A)
16. Metropolitan (B)
17. Almost Famous (A+)
18. The Ice Storm (C+)
19. 300: Rise of an Empire (B)
20. The Great Beauty (B+)
21. Network (A+)
22. The Palm Beach Story (A+)
23. The Past (B+)
24. The Royal Tenenbaums (B+)
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (A-)
26. Room 237 (B-)
27. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+)
28. Noah (B+)
29. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (A)
30. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (D)
31. Fantastic Mr. Fox (B+)
32. Independence Day (A)

33. Sherlock, Jr. (B+)

My first foray into the filmography of Buster Keaton (indeed, it's one of the earliest-made films I've watched, period). In general I'm not overly fond of all-physical silent comedy (Chaplin's best work, in my opinion, is his later stuff, for instance), but this is perfectly well-done, though I don't think Keaton has quite the same flair as Chaplin in his similar works from the same period. Kind of a hard to assign a rating to this one, given its undeniable historical importance, but I ultimately went with solely my own entertainment value.

34. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (B)

Discussed more in the review thread, but succinctly I'd call it a decent film. It's cluttered as hell, much like Iron Man 2, but unlike that film it at least manages an emotional arc for its protagonist.

Cinema: 15 (+1)
DVD: 8
Computer: 11 (+1)

 

Updates in Bold:

300: Rise of an Empire (10)
The Amazing Spider-man 2 (7)
Black Rain (7)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (9)
Fairy Tail The Movie: The Phoenix Priestess (8)
Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukuin (Garden of Sinners: Blessings for the Future) (9)
Divergent (7)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (9)
Heat (1995) (8)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (9)
Kick Ass 2 (8)
Lone Survivor (8)
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (7)
Mission Impossible II (8)
Mission Impossible III (8)
Monuments Men (8)
Need for Speed (8)
Non-Stop (10)
Oldboy (2013) (9)
Pack Up Your Troubles (7)
Red Dawn (2012) (5)
Robocop (2014) (8)
Tales From Earthsea (5)
Walking Tall: Lone Justice (6)
White House Down (7)
The Wind Rises (7)
Wolf Children (8)

Running Total: 27