51. Boy A A very moving tragedy (in the truest sense; you can understand the actions of pretty much everyone involved and it leads to only one ending) about a young man who committed a murder as a boy, spends several years in prison and when he is released truly tries to change his life. While he's trying to adapt to his new life, the film also shows flashbacks to his childhood which offers a good contrast to what's happening in the present.
Spoiler: The rest of my list. 1. My Week With Marilyn (B-) 2. Fantasia 2000 (B+) 3. Blade Runner (B) 4. The Hidden Fortress (A-) 5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (B+) 6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+) 7. The Descendants (A-) 8. Monsieur Lazhar (A) 9. The Prestige (A+) 10. Blood Simple (A-) 11. The Big Lebowski (B+) 12. West Side Story (A-) 13. The Hours (A-) 14. Lady and the Tramp (B) 15. An Officer and a Gentleman (B) 16. All Quiet On The Western Front (A) 17. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (B-) 18. Spellbound (B+) 19. Seven Samurai (A+) 20. X-Men: First Class (A) 21. Do The Right Thing (N/A) 22. Martha Marcy May Marlene (B) 23. The Artist (A-) 24. LA Confidential (A) 25. Young Adult (B) 26. Children of Men (B+) 27. Gaslight (B+) 28. North By Northwest (A+) 29. American Beauty (A-) 30. Revolutionary Road (A-) 31. Being There (B) 32. Coriolanus (C+) 33. To Catch A Thief (B+) 34. A Separation (A+) 35. The Hunger Games (B+) 36. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (A) 37. Saturday Night Fever (A-) 38. The Tree of Life (A-) 39. Hero (B-) 40. Boogie Nights (A+) 41. Magnolia (A-) 42. The Lives of Others (A) 43. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (A-) 44. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (A) Revisiting another film I haven't seen in almost a decade. I didn't really remember all that much about this other than the general premise and that I liked it, but it really is a lovely romance (in my head I remember it as being a romantic comedy, but it isn't). Jim Carrey delivers one of his best performances, and Kate Winslet is in top form. Elijah Wood plays against type as a douchebag. The thing that struck me the most seeing it again after all those years was Kirsten Dunst's supporting turn, which is wonderful. Cinema: 10 Home Video: 29 (+1) Computer: 5
Spoiler: Rest of List 1. Holy Rollers (B-) 2. The Kids Are All Right (B) 3. History of the World, Part 1 (C-) 4. Blazing Saddles (A+) 5. Scarface [1932] (B-) 6. The Purple Rose of Cairo (A) 7. Rampart (B+) 8. We Need To Talk About Kevin (A+) 9. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (B+) 10. They Live (B-) 11. Darling Companion (D) 12. A Dangerous Method (B-) 13. Haywire (C+) 14. Mission: Impossible (B+) 15. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (B+) 16. Twixt (C+) 17. Burn After Reading (B+) 18. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy (B-) 19. Drive (A) 20. Crazy Stupid Love (A) 21. The Omega Man (D) 22. The Adjustment Bureau (B+) 23. The Artist (A-) 24. Lady and the Tramp (B) 25. Hugo (A-) 26. The Secret World of Arrietty (B) 27. Twelve Angry Men (A) 28. Act of Valor (F) 29. Walker (A) 30. Lonely Are The Brave (A-) 31. Executive Action (C) 32. Three Colors: Blue (A) 33. Bright Leaves (A) 34. Photographic Memory (A) 35. The People Vs. George Lucas (C-) 36. Avatar (B-) 37. The Life of Reilly (A-) 38. Limitless (B-) 39. Star Wars (A) 40. The Empire Strikes Back (A) 41. Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (A) 42. Machete (C+) 43. Unmasking The Idol (D-) 44. Alien (A+) 45. The Raid: Redemption (B-) 46. Attenberg (B) 47. 21 Jump Street (C+) 48. Piranha 3D (C+) 49. The Hunger Games (C-) 50. This Filthy World (B) 51. Bad Fever (C-) 52. The Conspirator (C) 53. We The Party (C-) 54. My Darling Clementine (C+) My Darling Clementine: Henry Fonda is an unusual choice for the role of Wyatt Earp, but he ends up being one of the best actors in the film (Walter Brennan and Ward Bond are also good in minor roles). Unfortunately, Victor Mature fails to leave much of an impression in the role of Doc Holliday. With his big build, he has a hard time expressing the characters physical weakness, besides constantly coughing into his handkerchief. With the exception of some obvious re-shoots done against director John Ford's wishes, the film looks fantastic, with beautiful black and white photography that's almost expressionistic in places. Of course, the proceedings bear little resemblance to history. The portrayals of the Earps and the Clantons are way off, as is the famous gunfight (as in most movie versions, it takes place at the OK Corral here, too). Where the movie runs into problems is the structure; highly episodic, it never can figure out what it wants to be about. If, as the title implies, Clementine is an important figure, the fact that she doesn't appear until about 40 minutes in and is locked in her room (off screen) for the last 30 minutes don't do her character any favors. If, as the set up sequence implies, the movie is about the Earps getting revenge for the death of their youngest brother, they seem to forget the murder for an awfully long time. Other versions have stressed the friendship between Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, but here their relationship is almost antagonistic, and Holliday remains an enigmatic figure whose ultimate death doesn't carry much weight. Actually, the whole gunfight at the end is a bit of an anticlimax, lacking the sudden burst of violence that it was in history, or the smartly plotted gunplay in, say, The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Theatres: 21 +1 Home Video: 30 Computer: 3
Spoiler: Movies Seen in January, February & March Cowboys & Aliens- DVD Rise of the Planet of the Apes - DVD Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - free screenin' Limitless - Netflix Instant The Next Three Days - Netflix Instant Man on a Ledge - free screenin' Red State - Netflix Instant Mars Needs Moms - Netflix Instant S.W.A.T.: Firefight - Netflix Instant Red Tails - free screenin' Resident Evil: Degeneration - Netflix Instant The Last Exorcism - Netflix Instant Frozen - Netflix Instant The Perfect Host - Netflix Instant Tucker & Dale vs Evil - Netflix Instant Brooklyn's Finest - Netflix Instant Stone - Netflix Instant The Woman in Black - free screenin' Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - free screenin' Haywire - free admission The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - free admission The Artist - free admission Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - free admission Ted & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie - tech screenin' Hugo - free admission Safe House - free screenin' The Captains - Netflix Instant Troll Hunter - Netflix Instant The Evil Dead (1981) - Netflix Instant Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D - tech screenin' Underworld Awakening 3D - free admission We Need to Talk About Kevin - free admission The Innkeepers - free admission Big Miracle - free admission Chronicle - free admission Underworld: Unrated Extended Cut - DVD The Grey - free admission Contraband - free admission Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D - free admission One for the Money - free admission The Ouija Experiment - free admission Ghost Rider - Extended Cut - DVD The Secret World of Arrietty - free admission Bullhead - free admission Underworld Evolution - DVD Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - free admission Castle in the Sky - free admission Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Live Action: Pentacost, Raju, The Shore, Time Freak & Tuba Atlantic - free admission This Means War - free admission Alien Trespass - Netflix Instant My Neighbor Totoro - free admission Rampart - free admission Dr Suess' The Lorax 3D - free screenin' Comin' At Ya! 3D - free admission Wanderlust - free admission Act of Valor - free admission Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Animated: A Morning Stroll, Dimanche/Sunday, La Luna, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore & Wild Life - free admission Dune (1984) - free admission Doctor Strange - DVD Project X (2012) - free admission Martha Marcy May Marlene - free admission Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - free admission Friends with Kids - free admission The Lincoln Lawyer - Netflix Instant Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy - Netflix Instant John Carter 2D/3D - free admission/free admission Silent House - free admission 21 Jump Street - free screenin' Casa de Mi Padre - free admission Support Your Local Gunfighter - Netflix Instant The Grudge: Unrated Extended Director's Cut - DVD Jeff, Who Lives at Home - free admission My Bloody Valentine (2009) - DVD Battle Royale (2000) - Alamo Drafthouse Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocal - discount theater The Butterfly Effect - DVD The Butterfly Effect 2 - DVD Sound of Noise - free admission The FP - free admission Harold & Maude - free admission The Double - Netflix Instant No Strings Attached - Netflix Instant Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey - Netflix Instant Louis C.K. Hilarious - Netflix Instant Gamer - Netflix Instant Rising Sun - Netflix Instant Death Race 2000 - Netflix Instant Beverly Hills Cop III - Netflix Instant Inferno: The Making of The Expendables - Netflix Instant Street Kings - DVD Kiki's Delivery Service - free admission Dark Country - DVD Wrath of the Titans 3D - free admission Jiro Dreams of Sushi - free admission The Raid: Redemption - free admission The Incredible Hulk Returns - DVD Titanic 3D - free admission The Hunger Games - free admission Mirror, Mirror - free admission American Reunion - free admission Justice League: Doom - DVD W. - DVD Night of the Running Man - Netflix Instant The Trial of the Incredible Hulk - DVD The Hunter - free admission An Education - DVD Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two - DVD The Prophecy - DVD Them Idiots Whirled Tour - DVD The Prophecy II - DVD Cabin in the Woods - free admission Juan of the Dead - free admission Them Idiots is basically the new "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" without Ron White. Filmed in Pittsburgh, Bill Engvall opens the show, followed by Jeff Foxworthy & then Larry the Cable Guy, with the three of 'em on stage at the end with the show's "host", a very NOT FUNNY guy who's name I don't remember. Kinda miss Ron White, but Bill Engvall is always funny in stand up form, and Jeff Foxworthy was pretty good this time out, too. Prophecy II is worth watchin' for Christopher Walken. The story is kinda silly, and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I'm guessin' it gets resolved in the next movie... CitW was really good. Got together with some friends to see it, and Joss Whedon's fingerprints are all over this thing, from dialogue, to sets, to castin'...and its awesome. Yes, a little too much is given away in the trailer, but some of the best bits are kept under wraps. Well worth checkin' out, and I'll be seein' it again soon. In line now for Juan of the Dead, a Mexican-language zombie movie. Hope it doesn't suck! In other, movie-related news, I stopped off to browse a used DVD store, Buy Backs, after dinner, and found the five-disc Mission: Impossible box set with the first three movies (one disc for MI, two for MI2 & two for MI3) for $0.99. Thinkin' the price was a misprint, I snatched it up, and turns out, that was the actual price! Got the first three Mission: Impossible movies for $1.07! I've seen all three, of course, but still, a good purchase...
Spoiler: The rest of my list. 1. My Week With Marilyn (B-) 2. Fantasia 2000 (B+) 3. Blade Runner (B) 4. The Hidden Fortress (A-) 5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (B+) 6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+) 7. The Descendants (A-) 8. Monsieur Lazhar (A) 9. The Prestige (A+) 10. Blood Simple (A-) 11. The Big Lebowski (B+) 12. West Side Story (A-) 13. The Hours (A-) 14. Lady and the Tramp (B) 15. An Officer and a Gentleman (B) 16. All Quiet On The Western Front (A) 17. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (B-) 18. Spellbound (B+) 19. Seven Samurai (A+) 20. X-Men: First Class (A) 21. Do The Right Thing (N/A) 22. Martha Marcy May Marlene (B) 23. The Artist (A-) 24. LA Confidential (A) 25. Young Adult (B) 26. Children of Men (B+) 27. Gaslight (B+) 28. North By Northwest (A+) 29. American Beauty (A-) 30. Revolutionary Road (A-) 31. Being There (B) 32. Coriolanus (C+) 33. To Catch A Thief (B+) 34. A Separation (A+) 35. The Hunger Games (B+) 36. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (A) 37. Saturday Night Fever (A-) 38. The Tree of Life (A-) 39. Hero (B-) 40. Boogie Nights (A+) 41. Magnolia (A-) 42. The Lives of Others (A) 43. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (A-) 44. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (A) 45. A Streetcar Named Desire (A) Feels a little histrionic in places, but it remains a powerful story (another "four characters and limited locations" play, like Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?) with great performances. It's weird to look at Brando's contemptible character and imagine this made him a sex symbol, but there you go. I'd have to disagree with Elia Kazan though; the four minutes in the restored version add a lot to it. Cinema: 10 Home Video: 30 (+1) Computer: 5
Spoiler: Rest of List 1. Holy Rollers (B-) 2. The Kids Are All Right (B) 3. History of the World, Part 1 (C-) 4. Blazing Saddles (A+) 5. Scarface [1932] (B-) 6. The Purple Rose of Cairo (A) 7. Rampart (B+) 8. We Need To Talk About Kevin (A+) 9. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (B+) 10. They Live (B-) 11. Darling Companion (D) 12. A Dangerous Method (B-) 13. Haywire (C+) 14. Mission: Impossible (B+) 15. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (B+) 16. Twixt (C+) 17. Burn After Reading (B+) 18. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy (B-) 19. Drive (A) 20. Crazy Stupid Love (A) 21. The Omega Man (D) 22. The Adjustment Bureau (B+) 23. The Artist (A-) 24. Lady and the Tramp (B) 25. Hugo (A-) 26. The Secret World of Arrietty (B) 27. Twelve Angry Men (A) 28. Act of Valor (F) 29. Walker (A) 30. Lonely Are The Brave (A-) 31. Executive Action (C) 32. Three Colors: Blue (A) 33. Bright Leaves (A) 34. Photographic Memory (A) 35. The People Vs. George Lucas (C-) 36. Avatar (B-) 37. The Life of Reilly (A-) 38. Limitless (B-) 39. Star Wars (A) 40. The Empire Strikes Back (A) 41. Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (A) 42. Machete (C+) 43. Unmasking The Idol (D-) 44. Alien (A+) 45. The Raid: Redemption (B-) 46. Attenberg (B) 47. 21 Jump Street (C+) 48. Piranha 3D (C+) 49. The Hunger Games (C-) 50. This Filthy World (B) 51. Bad Fever (C-) 52. The Conspirator (C) 53. We The Party (C-) 54. My Darling Clementine (C+) 55. Freakonomics (C+) 56 Sound of My Voice (A-) Freakonomics: The problem with this documentary is that it is impossible to offer the substance of the book (such as it is) in 90 minutes. Consisting of four chapters (plus bridging segments), there's not even enough time to put the book's arguments on screen, let alone cover new ground. Even the final segment -- which covers a study of the use of financial incentives to improve grades in high school (not in the book) -- doesn't have enough time to accomplish much before it's over. It's a shame the movie is so mediocre. Not only is the movie well budgeted, but the talent involved (Heidi Ewing, Alex Gibney, Seth Gordon, Rachel Grady, Eugene Jarecki, and Morgan Spurlock) is essentially a whose who of the documentary filmmaking world. The movie entertains, but is hardly essential, especially if you've read the book. Sound of My Voice: This is a fantastic micro-budget film that may or may not be science fiction, depending on how you read certain scenes (the audience was polled after the screening; they seemed split on the issue). It pertains a couple who join a cult in order to make a documentary exposing it. At the center of the cult is a women who claims to be from the year 2054, played wonderfully by Brit Marling (who co-wrote and produced, as she did on Another Earth). Is she from the future? The film has no clear-cut answers (and presents many dangling pieces of information without and kind of pandering explanation), but it's surprisingly satisfying. It enters limited release in ten days and is worth seeing if you're interested in personal, low budget sf(?) cinema. Theatres: 22 +1 Home Video: 30 Computer: 4 +1
Spoiler: The rest of my list. 1. My Week With Marilyn (B-) 2. Fantasia 2000 (B+) 3. Blade Runner (B) 4. The Hidden Fortress (A-) 5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (B+) 6. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (A+) 7. The Descendants (A-) 8. Monsieur Lazhar (A) 9. The Prestige (A+) 10. Blood Simple (A-) 11. The Big Lebowski (B+) 12. West Side Story (A-) 13. The Hours (A-) 14. Lady and the Tramp (B) 15. An Officer and a Gentleman (B) 16. All Quiet On The Western Front (A) 17. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (B-) 18. Spellbound (B+) 19. Seven Samurai (A+) 20. X-Men: First Class (A) 21. Do The Right Thing (N/A) 22. Martha Marcy May Marlene (B) 23. The Artist (A-) 24. LA Confidential (A) 25. Young Adult (B) 26. Children of Men (B+) 27. Gaslight (B+) 28. North By Northwest (A+) 29. American Beauty (A-) 30. Revolutionary Road (A-) 31. Being There (B) 32. Coriolanus (C+) 33. To Catch A Thief (B+) 34. A Separation (A+) 35. The Hunger Games (B+) 36. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (A) 37. Saturday Night Fever (A-) 38. The Tree of Life (A-) 39. Hero (B-) 40. Boogie Nights (A+) 41. Magnolia (A-) 42. The Lives of Others (A) 43. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (A-) 44. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (A) 45. A Streetcar Named Desire (A) 46. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (A) Ang Lee is arguably the most versatile of the major directors currently working - one film of his very rarely looks much like his next one. This wuxia film combines some of the best and most fluid action to be had with a much more developed story than is normally the case; an intelligent, poetic action movie. Chow Yun-Fat is fine, if unexceptional, as the male lead (the role mostly just requires him to be stoic). The real fireworks are from Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi, who are both superb (particularly Zhang, who was really prominent in the first half of the 2000s but hasn't really done anything of note in a while). My run of great movies continues (ironically, the last that didn't meet that standard was another wuxia with Zhang Ziyi, Hero). The next film I'll be rewatching I consider one of my Top 10, so that'll continue a while longer. Cinema: 10 Home Video: 31 (+1) Computer: 5
Spoiler: Movies Seen in January, February & March Cowboys & Aliens- DVD Rise of the Planet of the Apes - DVD Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - free screenin' Limitless - Netflix Instant The Next Three Days - Netflix Instant Man on a Ledge - free screenin' Red State - Netflix Instant Mars Needs Moms - Netflix Instant S.W.A.T.: Firefight - Netflix Instant Red Tails - free screenin' Resident Evil: Degeneration - Netflix Instant The Last Exorcism - Netflix Instant Frozen - Netflix Instant The Perfect Host - Netflix Instant Tucker & Dale vs Evil - Netflix Instant Brooklyn's Finest - Netflix Instant Stone - Netflix Instant The Woman in Black - free screenin' Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - free screenin' Haywire - free admission The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - free admission The Artist - free admission Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - free admission Ted & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie - tech screenin' Hugo - free admission Safe House - free screenin' The Captains - Netflix Instant Troll Hunter - Netflix Instant The Evil Dead (1981) - Netflix Instant Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D - tech screenin' Underworld Awakening 3D - free admission We Need to Talk About Kevin - free admission The Innkeepers - free admission Big Miracle - free admission Chronicle - free admission Underworld: Unrated Extended Cut - DVD The Grey - free admission Contraband - free admission Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D - free admission One for the Money - free admission The Ouija Experiment - free admission Ghost Rider - Extended Cut - DVD The Secret World of Arrietty - free admission Bullhead - free admission Underworld Evolution - DVD Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - free admission Castle in the Sky - free admission Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Live Action: Pentacost, Raju, The Shore, Time Freak & Tuba Atlantic - free admission This Means War - free admission Alien Trespass - Netflix Instant My Neighbor Totoro - free admission Rampart - free admission Dr Suess' The Lorax 3D - free screenin' Comin' At Ya! 3D - free admission Wanderlust - free admission Act of Valor - free admission Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Animated: A Morning Stroll, Dimanche/Sunday, La Luna, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore & Wild Life - free admission Dune (1984) - free admission Doctor Strange - DVD Project X (2012) - free admission Martha Marcy May Marlene - free admission Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - free admission Friends with Kids - free admission The Lincoln Lawyer - Netflix Instant Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy - Netflix Instant John Carter 2D/3D - free admission/free admission Silent House - free admission 21 Jump Street - free screenin' Casa de Mi Padre - free admission Support Your Local Gunfighter - Netflix Instant The Grudge: Unrated Extended Director's Cut - DVD Jeff, Who Lives at Home - free admission My Bloody Valentine (2009) - DVD Battle Royale (2000) - Alamo Drafthouse Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocal - discount theater The Butterfly Effect - DVD The Butterfly Effect 2 - DVD Sound of Noise - free admission The FP - free admission Harold & Maude - free admission The Double - Netflix Instant No Strings Attached - Netflix Instant Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey - Netflix Instant Louis C.K. Hilarious - Netflix Instant Gamer - Netflix Instant Rising Sun - Netflix Instant Death Race 2000 - Netflix Instant Beverly Hills Cop III - Netflix Instant Inferno: The Making of The Expendables - Netflix Instant Street Kings - DVD Kiki's Delivery Service - free admission Dark Country - DVD Wrath of the Titans 3D - free admission Jiro Dreams of Sushi - free admission The Raid: Redemption - free admission The Incredible Hulk Returns - DVD Titanic 3D - free admission The Hunger Games - free admission Mirror, Mirror - free admission American Reunion - free admission Justice League: Doom - DVD W. - DVD Night of the Running Man - Netflix Instant The Trial of the Incredible Hulk - DVD The Hunter - free admission An Education - DVD Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two - DVD The Prophecy - DVD Them Idiots Whirled Tour - DVD The Prophecy II - DVD Cabin in the Woods - free admission Juan of the Dead - free admission Lockout - free admission I seriously haven't watched a new movie since Saturday?!? Anyway, went to see Lockout last night after work...and it sucked hardcore donkey dick. Terrible fuckin' movie... Set in the year 2079, a CIA operative (Guy Pierce) is arrested & convicted for murder & sentenced to a cryogenic prison in orbit above Earth. At the same time, the president's daugther (Maggie Grace) is visitin' the prison to investigate humanitarian concerns about the inmates. A Secret Service bodyguard named Hawk smuggles a weapon into the interrogation room, and, predictably, all hell breaks loose. When the first daughter is taken hostage, the CIA operative is charged with the task to rescue her in exchange for a pardon. Not a good movie, at all. The one chase scene looks like a fuckin' video game, its so heavy in CGI, which is bad since the hero is on a one-wheel motorcycle of the future and ya can tell he's fake. He smokes, and every time he lights up, I was reminded of that scene in Thank You for Smoking. Once on the station, everything goes as ya would expect it to...which is just bad moviemakin'. The credits insist its based on an original story from Luc Besson, but there's nothin' original about it. All tired cliches & bad actin', no twists ya can't see comin', ever. Next up, I'll be checkin' out Bully tomorrow before work, and I'm on the list for the Get the Gringo event here in Austin, with Mel Gibson in attendance for a Q&A. And I have passes for a free screenin' of Pirates! Band of Misfits on Saturday, if I'm off from work...
The only movie that I've seen in the theater this year has been John Carter, whhich I enjoyed very much. The next four movies that I see in the theater will all be The Avengers.
Okay, so, yeah...the Get the Gringo event is tonight, so I'll be at that, and Bully will be tomorrow after work. Can't believe I almost screwed myself out of attendin' the event by misrememberin' the day...
Spoiler: The rest of my list. January 1. Daddy Day Care (✩✩✩½) - TV 2. Wild Child (✩✩) - TV 3. Fling (✩✩✩½) - DVD 4. Arthur 2: On the Rocks (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 5. Havoc (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 6. Contagion (✩✩✩✩½) - On Demand 7. The Blind Side (✩✩✩½) - TV 8. Batman: Under the Red Hood (✩✩✩✩½) - TV 9. The Andromeda Strain (✩✩✩½) - TV 10. The Last Man on Earth (✩✩✩✩) - TV 11. Network (✩✩½) - TV 12. Normal Adolescent Behavior: Havoc 2 (✩) - DVD 13. Starsky & Hutch (✩✩½) - TV 14. The Rundown (✩✩✩½) - TV 15. Mallrats (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 16. My Sister's Keeper (✩✩✩✩½) - TV 17. Valkyrie (✩✩✩½) - TV 18. The Anderson Tapes (✩✩✩) - TV 19. Jack Goes Boating (✩✩✩½) - DVD 20. Margin Call (✩✩✩½) - On Demand 21. Away We Go (✩✩✩½) - TV 22. Girl Fight (✩✩✩½) - TV 23. Superman & Batman: Apocalypse (✩✩✩✩) - TV 24. Pandorum (✩✩½) - TV 25. Paper Man (✩✩✩✩½) - DVD 26. In Like Flint (✩✩½) - TV 27. Blood Diamond (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 28. The Invisible Man (✩✩✩✩) - TV 29. Frankenstein (✩✩✩½) - TV 30. The Dilemma (✩✩✩½) - DVD February 31. That One Night (✩✩✩½) - Internet 32. Sex Drive (✩✩½) - DVD 33. Chronicle (✩✩✩½) - Theatre 34. Couples Retreat (✩✩✩) - DVD 35. RV (✩✩✩) - TV 36. Chaos Theory (✩✩✩✩) - TV 37. Black Swan (✩✩✩✩✩) - DVD 38. One Missed Call (✩) - DVD 39. Kramer vs. Kramer (✩✩✩✩½) - TV 40. When in Rome (✩✩½) - TV 41. Love to Kill (✩✩✩) - TV 42. Possession (✩✩) - TV 43. Sex and the City 2 (✩✩✩½) - DVD 44. Little Fockers (✩✩✩½) - DVD 45. Breach: (✩✩✩½) - On Demand 46. Broken Flowers (✩✩✩✩½) - DVD 47. Bronson (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 48. Edge of Darkness (✩✩✩½) - TV 49. In & Out (✩✩✩) - TV 50. Secrets of Eden (✩✩½) - TV 51. Shooter (✩✩✩½) - TV 52. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (✩✩✩½) - TV March 53. 10 Items or Less (✩✩✩½) - DVD 54. The Old Man and the Sea (✩✩✩✩) - TV 55. The Reader (✩✩✩✩✩) - TV 56. The Stunt Man (✩✩) - TV 57. Nine (✩✩✩✩) - TV 58. Untraceable (✩✩½) - DVD 59. The Quiet (✩✩✩½) - DVD 60. My Mother's Secret (✩✩½) - TV 61. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (✩✩✩½) - DVD 62. Sex and Death 101 (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 63. The Human Contract (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 64. The Craigslist Killer (✩✩✩) - TV 65. Life As We Know It (✩✩✩½) - DVD 66. She's the Man (✩✩✩) - TV 67. Witchslayer Gretl (✩½) - TV 68. The Adjustment Bureau (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 69. Young Adult (✩✩✩½) - On Demand 70. My Silent Partner (✩✩) - TV 71. Middle Men (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 72. The Rebound (✩✩) - On Demand 73. The Descendants (✩✩✩✩) - On Demand 74. Melancholia (✩✩✩✩) - On Demand 75. Walking the Halls (✩✩✩) - TV 76. Hoodwinked! (✩✩✩½) - TV 77. 21 Jump Street (✩✩✩½) - Theatre 78. Clerks II (✩✩✩½) - TV 79. Henry's Crime (✩✩✩½) - DVD 80. Hannah Montana: The Movie (✩✩✩½) - DVD 81. Chasing Amy (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 82. The Hunger Games (✩✩✩✩) - Theatre 83. Like Crazy (✩✩✩✩) - On Demand 84. Newlyweds (✩✩✩½) - On Demand 85. Dear John (✩✩✩) - TV 86. Carriers (✩✩½) - TV 87. The Karate Kid (✩✩✩✩) - DVD 88. Vertical Limit (✩✩✩) - DVD 89. Killers (✩✩½) - DVD 90. Cyberbully (✩✩½) - On Demand 91. The Change-Up (✩✩✩) - On Demand 92. 50/50 (✩✩✩✩½) - On Demand 93. The Seven Year Itch (✩✩✩) - TV 94. Confined (✩✩✩½) - On Demand 95. Love Happens (✩✩✩) - TV April 96. La Jetée (✩✩✩✩) - TV 97. Some Like It Hot (✩✩✩) - TV 98. Starman (✩✩✩) - DVD 99. Adam (✩✩✩✩½) - DVD 100. The Other Woman (✩✩½) - DVD 101. The Good Night (✩✩✩) - DVD 102. The Spy Next Door (✩✩) - TV 103. Paranormal Activity (✩✩✩½) - TV 104. Breakaway (✩✩½) - TV 105. Moneyball (✩✩✩½) - On Demand 106. The Iron Lady (✩✩✩½) - On Demand 107. Crazy, Stupid, Love. (✩✩✩✩) - On Demand 108. American Reunion (✩✩✩½) - Theatre 109. Bedazzled (✩✩✩✩) - TV 110. Picture This: (✩✩½) - TV - A grounded teenage girl tells her dad that she's going to a friend's house to study but sneaks off to go to a party. Her dad calls her cell phone every half-hour to check up on her and if he finds out what she's really up to, it could mean not going away to college. Ashley Tisdale and Kevin Pollack star. Typical teenie fare, but it's watchable. 111. Hall Pass: (✩✩✩) - DVD - Owen Wilson and his buddy are having marriage troubles and end up getting free passes to spend the week with other women in order to get it out of their system. Hilarity ensues. It's very predictable, but I'm giving it an extra half-star (up from 2.5) because it has a good twist or two. 112. Field of Dreams: (✩✩✩½) - TV - Finally saw this iconic piece. Good watch. Now I know what it's all about. It was a little better than I expected. 113. Thirst: (✩✩½) - TV - Four young 20-somethings ran their jeep into a ravine in the desert and now they're stuck without water. Lacey Chabert stars. It had some of my sttention at least. 114. Saint John of Las Vegas: (✩✩✩) - DVD - John, an ex gambler, is now an insurance adjuster, but temptation takes hold again when he's sent on an insurance case just outside of Las Vegas. Steve Buscemi stars. I like the setting and it's got some dry humor, but it's not that great. 115. Shame: (✩✩✩½) - On Demand - Michael Fassbender stars as a sex addict who has to deal with his visiting sister. I liked that the movie doesn't moralize with the message that "sex is bad and will get you into trouble", but it doesn't have any real impact, tended to be slow and plodding in spots and the dark mood seemed a bit forced. I'm surprised that it scored highly with critics. It's not bad, just overrated if you ask me. 116. The Men Who Stare at Goats: (✩✩½) - DVD - A man (Ewan McGreggor) takes on a job as a reporter and finds his big story... The U.S. military's attempt to develop psychic warfare, and his guide is a Jedi Warrior with super awesome powers (George Clooney). This one has the same dry humor as Burn After Reading, but it's pretty boring and not as clever. I did like that Clooney's character would grandstand with confidence in his powers, yet we never saw much of anything though. Theatre: 4 DVD/Blu-Ray: 39 TV: 55 On Demand: 17 Internet: 1
Spoiler: Rest of List 1. Holy Rollers (B-) 2. The Kids Are All Right (B) 3. History of the World, Part 1 (C-) 4. Blazing Saddles (A+) 5. Scarface [1932] (B-) 6. The Purple Rose of Cairo (A) 7. Rampart (B+) 8. We Need To Talk About Kevin (A+) 9. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (B+) 10. They Live (B-) 11. Darling Companion (D) 12. A Dangerous Method (B-) 13. Haywire (C+) 14. Mission: Impossible (B+) 15. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (B+) 16. Twixt (C+) 17. Burn After Reading (B+) 18. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy (B-) 19. Drive (A) 20. Crazy Stupid Love (A) 21. The Omega Man (D) 22. The Adjustment Bureau (B+) 23. The Artist (A-) 24. Lady and the Tramp (B) 25. Hugo (A-) 26. The Secret World of Arrietty (B) 27. Twelve Angry Men (A) 28. Act of Valor (F) 29. Walker (A) 30. Lonely Are The Brave (A-) 31. Executive Action (C) 32. Three Colors: Blue (A) 33. Bright Leaves (A) 34. Photographic Memory (A) 35. The People Vs. George Lucas (C-) 36. Avatar (B-) 37. The Life of Reilly (A-) 38. Limitless (B-) 39. Star Wars (A) 40. The Empire Strikes Back (A) 41. Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (A) 42. Machete (C+) 43. Unmasking The Idol (D-) 44. Alien (A+) 45. The Raid: Redemption (B-) 46. Attenberg (B) 47. 21 Jump Street (C+) 48. Piranha 3D (C+) 49. The Hunger Games (C-) 50. This Filthy World (B) 51. Bad Fever (C-) 52. The Conspirator (C) 53. We The Party (C-) 54. My Darling Clementine (C+) 55. Freakonomics (C+) 56 Sound of My Voice (A-) 57. Tales from the Script (C-) Tales from the Script: This is a watchable if slight documentary about Hollywood screenwriters. For viewers that don't know much about the subject I suspect it will be more enjoyable than for those that do; the anecdotes are entertaining (and occasionally useful), but well trodden. The production values are bargain bin, though. Essentially the film alternates between poorly shot talking heads and film clips that appear to have been culled from a VHS tape, so it won't impress anyone with its groundbreaking visual style. It's currently available on Netflix, though, so at least it's not hard to see. Theatres: 22 Home Video: 31 +1 Computer: 4
Theatre/Cinema Spoiler: Rest of List DVD 1. Meet the Robinsons 2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon 5. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (3D) 6. Spider-Man 2 7. Green Lantern 8. Tron: Legacy 9. Rio 10. Groundhog Day 11. The Lorax A quite good kids movie. (I enjoyed it, as did my sister and nephew.)
Spoiler: Movies Seen in January, February & March Cowboys & Aliens- DVD Rise of the Planet of the Apes - DVD Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - free screenin' Limitless - Netflix Instant The Next Three Days - Netflix Instant Man on a Ledge - free screenin' Red State - Netflix Instant Mars Needs Moms - Netflix Instant S.W.A.T.: Firefight - Netflix Instant Red Tails - free screenin' Resident Evil: Degeneration - Netflix Instant The Last Exorcism - Netflix Instant Frozen - Netflix Instant The Perfect Host - Netflix Instant Tucker & Dale vs Evil - Netflix Instant Brooklyn's Finest - Netflix Instant Stone - Netflix Instant The Woman in Black - free screenin' Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - free screenin' Haywire - free admission The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - free admission The Artist - free admission Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - free admission Ted & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie - tech screenin' Hugo - free admission Safe House - free screenin' The Captains - Netflix Instant Troll Hunter - Netflix Instant The Evil Dead (1981) - Netflix Instant Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D - tech screenin' Underworld Awakening 3D - free admission We Need to Talk About Kevin - free admission The Innkeepers - free admission Big Miracle - free admission Chronicle - free admission Underworld: Unrated Extended Cut - DVD The Grey - free admission Contraband - free admission Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D - free admission One for the Money - free admission The Ouija Experiment - free admission Ghost Rider - Extended Cut - DVD The Secret World of Arrietty - free admission Bullhead - free admission Underworld Evolution - DVD Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - free admission Castle in the Sky - free admission Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Live Action: Pentacost, Raju, The Shore, Time Freak & Tuba Atlantic - free admission This Means War - free admission Alien Trespass - Netflix Instant My Neighbor Totoro - free admission Rampart - free admission Dr Suess' The Lorax 3D - free screenin' Comin' At Ya! 3D - free admission Wanderlust - free admission Act of Valor - free admission Oscar-Nominated Short Films, Animated: A Morning Stroll, Dimanche/Sunday, La Luna, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore & Wild Life - free admission Dune (1984) - free admission Doctor Strange - DVD Project X (2012) - free admission Martha Marcy May Marlene - free admission Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - free admission Friends with Kids - free admission The Lincoln Lawyer - Netflix Instant Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy - Netflix Instant John Carter 2D/3D - free admission/free admission Silent House - free admission 21 Jump Street - free screenin' Casa de Mi Padre - free admission Support Your Local Gunfighter - Netflix Instant The Grudge: Unrated Extended Director's Cut - DVD Jeff, Who Lives at Home - free admission My Bloody Valentine (2009) - DVD Battle Royale (2000) - Alamo Drafthouse Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocal - discount theater The Butterfly Effect - DVD The Butterfly Effect 2 - DVD Sound of Noise - free admission The FP - free admission Harold & Maude - free admission The Double - Netflix Instant No Strings Attached - Netflix Instant Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey - Netflix Instant Louis C.K. Hilarious - Netflix Instant Gamer - Netflix Instant Rising Sun - Netflix Instant Death Race 2000 - Netflix Instant Beverly Hills Cop III - Netflix Instant Inferno: The Making of The Expendables - Netflix Instant Street Kings - DVD Kiki's Delivery Service - free admission Dark Country - DVD Wrath of the Titans 3D - free admission Jiro Dreams of Sushi - free admission The Raid: Redemption - free admission The Incredible Hulk Returns - DVD Titanic 3D - free admission The Hunger Games - free admission Mirror, Mirror - free admission American Reunion - free admission Justice League: Doom - DVD W. - DVD Night of the Running Man - Netflix Instant The Trial of the Incredible Hulk - DVD The Hunter - free admission An Education - DVD Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two - DVD The Prophecy - DVD Them Idiots Whirled Tour - DVD The Prophecy II - DVD Cabin in the Woods - free admission Juan of the Dead - free admission Lockout - free admission Get the Gringo - free screenin' Only Yesterday - free admission Good thing they had two theaters open for Get the Gringo the other night - so many VIPs at the red carpet event for the movie, they filled up the first one too quickly! I wound up in the second theater, and had to watch the post-film Q&A on the screen bein' broadcast from the second theater. Decent enough movie, reminded me of Payback, where Mel Gibson was also playin' a bad guy but not the worst guy... And some of it was filmed here in Texas, so yay! for that. I did not get an autograph, but Mel Gibson did growl at me when I tried to get one. So, there's that... Got cut early from work yesterday, wasted some time by watchin' 21 Jump Street again (for free) before I went to see Studio Ghibli's Only Yesterday. Total chick flick, animated. And subtitled. Kinda slowed down on my DVD watchin' this week...and I still haven't been to see Bully! I'll be at a free advanced screenin' of Pirates! Band of Misfits tomorrow mornin' and may go see this week's Studio Ghibli film, The Cat Returns in the evenin' before my shift.
11. "War Horse" (2011) C + Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch. Directed By Stephen Speilberg. The adaptation of the 1982 Children's novel, there is of course the famous stage play. I was not interested in this film at all when it came out. Pretty much ignored it for the longest time. My parents have seen the excellent stage play (the West End version in London) and ended up seeing this On Demand, and I finally broke down and watched it the other night and ended up really enjoying it. Speilberg has the ability as a film maker and storyteller to evoke emotion from his audience when he's really into the story and characters of a film he directs, while I didn't think his direction was exceptionally stellar, he did an incredible job of directing the horses, especially "Joey" the titular character. You really get swept up in the connection of his journey. Plus it is exceptionally shot, the cinematography is simply beautiful. John Williams score is typical Williams excellence as well. I'd recommend it. I didn't think i'd like it at all, but glad it changed my mind. 12. "Shame" (2011) A Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan. Directed By Steve McQueen. Fassbender plays a man struggling with a serious sex addiction. This film is dark, moody and slow in some places, but the fascinating thing about it is the character study of Fassbender's Brandon as he deals with his visiting sister Sissy (Mulligan) and continues to try and hide his addiction. Beautifully shot, written, and acted. Fassbender was truly outstanding and it is great to see him and Mulligan continue to become superstars. I'd see this for sure. You might lose patience with it if you don't like slow paced films, but try to stick with it!
Looks like Mel Gibson put his foot in his mouth again. I thought that Mulligan's singing ran a bit long.
52. Chronicle I probably would have liked the film better, if i hadn't had higher expectations based on the reviews. But I found it to be just a pretty standard, mostly well acted, origin story. The big gimmick here - the found footage look - works great in some parts (especially during the final battle, there are a few moments when you really feel like what it must be like to be a civilian during a superhero battle), but in others it was completely unbelievable. I think it would have been better if they had gone the District 9 route and clearly switched between "found footage" and being a normal film.