Updates in Bold: 2 Fast 2 Furious (8) 47 Ronin (7) The Avengers (10) Bad Boys (8) Battle of Los Angles (9) Battleship (9) Blade of the Phantom Master (8) Daybreakers (5)Die Hard (9) Die Hard II (8) Die Hard: With a Vengeance (8) Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog (7) Fargo (6) The Fast and the Furious (8) The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (7) Fast and Furious (2009) (8) Fast Five (10) First Blood (8) First Squad: The Moment of Truth (8) Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (8) Gantz: Perfect Answer (7) Gattaca (8) Golgo 13: The Professional (6) Golgo 13: Queen Bee (6) Green Hornet (6) Haywire (7) Heaven's Lost Property: The Angeloid of Clockwork (5) Hellboy: Blood and Iron (8) Hellboy: Sword of Storms (6) Hunger Games (4) John Carter (9) King of Thorn (9) Legend of the Millennium Dragon (7) Lockout (8) Lupin the 3rd: Blood Seal of the Eternal Mermaid (9) Lupin the 3rd: Return of Pycal (7) Mardock Scramble: The First Compression (Director's Cut) (9) Men In Black III (8) The Men Who Stare at Goats (7) Mercury Rising (7) Mystic River (6) Negima!: Final (7) Nydenion (7) Prometheus (5) Rambo: First Blood Part II (8) Rambo III (8) The Raven (9) Redline (10) Robotech II: The Sentinels (6) Safe House (2012) (8) Salt (7) Scott Pilgrim VS The World (8) Time Traveler: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (8) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (5) Toward the Tera (1980) (6) Underworld: Awakening (8) Wrath of the Titans (7) Total Thus Far: 56
Spoiler: The rest of my 2012 list of 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- SW7D: This animated Disney classic is just a bit OTT in terms of the dwarfs. Kids cartoon aside I know. I know they saved time on the story with the story book prose for story advancement but this classic just isn't as great for me from the Disney library. B&tB: The 90's Disney classic that needs not explanation. From the songs to the animation to the pacing and emotional depth this film owns all it's accolades in spades!! Bambi: This classic still has it. I realized that the Lion King is essentially, at it's core, Bambi remade with a few tweaks.
Spoiler: Movies Seen in January, February, March, April & May 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 3D- 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 Pirates! Band of Misfits 3D - free screenin' Street Kings 2: Motor City - Unrated - DVD The Cat Returns - free admission The Prophecy 3: The Ascent - DVD Marley - free admission The Lucky One - free admission Cool Hand Luke - free admission The Grudge 2: Unrated Director's Cut - DVD Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - DVD The Raven - free admission Colombiana - Unrated - DVD Princess Mononoke - free admission The Five-Year Engagement - free admission Last Days Here - free admission The Three Stooges - free admission The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter - DVD The Avengers 3D - free admission Damsels in Distress - free admission Sound of My Voice - free admission Yellow Submarine - free admission The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - free screenin' The Skulls - DVD Dark Shadows - free admission The Skulls II - DVD Sleepless Night - free admission Conan the Barbarian (1982) - DVD Battleship - free admission The Skulls III - DVD The Dictator - free admission What to Expect When You're Expecting - free admission Men in Black 3 3D - free screenin' Chernobyl Diaries - free screenin' Batman: Year One/Catwoman - DVD The Batma vs Dracula - DVD Seven Pounds - DVD He's Just Not That Into You - DVD Final Destination - DVD The Black Six (1973) - free admission Final Destination 2 - DVD Snow White and the Huntsman - free admission Final Destination 3 - DVD Piranha 3DD - free admission The Final Destination - DVD Final Destination 5 - DVD Conan the Destroyer - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Stone Cold - Netflix Instant Ralphie May: Austin-tatious - Netflix Instant Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore - Netflix Instant Shark Night 3D - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Night Passage - Netflix Instant Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Sea Change - Netflix Instant Moonrise Kingdom - free admission God Bless America - free admission Prometheus 3D - free admission Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - free admission Rock of Ages - free admission That's My Boy - free admission Cursed - DVD Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter 3D - free screenin' Escape 2000 (1982) - free admission Went to a free advanced 3D screenin' of ALVH earlier this evenin', but since half the theater was roped off for press and certain winners were given priority access to the theater, despite it bein' first come, first seated, I wound up in the front row. And I don't care how good a movie ya think ya may have made, nothin' looks good in the front row, especially when ya are wearin' 3D glasses. So, I'll have to go see it again after it opens Friday, and I'll be sure to get a better seat. After that, I wound up at the Drafthouse Village for a Summer of '82 movie, Escape 2000 (also called Turkey Shoot and Blood Camp Thatcher accordin' the information at IMDB.com). An Australian movie from 1982, its set in the "near future" where dissidents are put into concentration camps. This particular camp administrator prefers to hunt the dissidents with other government officials. And they get a dissident who won't be silenced... The movie was insanely stupid, and if it had been even more stupid, it may have circled back around to brilliant, but it wasn't, so it didn't. I've got passes to see Pixar's Brave tomorrow night, and there's a plan to see Prometheus with a friend, too.
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-) 58. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (B+) 59. Me and Orson Welles (B) 60. Everything Must Go (B+) 61. The Avengers (C) 62. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (B) 63. One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (B) 64. Starship Troopers (A) 65. Alien (A+) 66. Aliens (A) 67. Into the Abyss (B) 68. The Expendables (D) 69. Dumbo (B+) 70. Bullet in the Head (B-) 71. City Streets (D) 72. Hard Boiled (A) 73. Burn After Reading (B+) 74. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (B+) 75. A Few Good Men (B) 76. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (A) 77. RoboCop (A-) 78. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (A-) 79. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (C-) 80. Your Sister's Sister (A) 81. The Gunfighter (B+) 82. The Sting (A-) 83. The Thin Blue Line (A) The Thin Blue Line -- Perhaps the best known film by Errol Morris, his third feature serves as the template for almost all of his subsequent work. The head on interviews, the dramatic re-enactments (controversial at the time, commonplace now), the moving graphics (much more dynamic than the pan, tilt, and zoom offered by a filmmaker like Ken Burns), and the repetitious, hypnotic musical score are all here. It's not quite as developed as his more recent documentaries, but it still demands your attention (even upon second viewing). In the hands of a more didactic filmmaker, this could have easily been made into a tract against capital punishment, but Morris opts for a more personal and subtle film (not that you'll finish it feeling good about the American justice system; far from it). Theatres: 37 Home Video: 40 Computer: 6+1
72. My Week with Marylin That was a pleasant surprise. Good to great performances and a score I really enjoyed (especially Marylin's Theme).
Spoiler: The rest of my 2012 list of 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+ This film is just bad. I essentially save it from an all out 'F' grade cause the cinematography was good, Charlotte's story was a bit fun as was Miranda's. They however play second fiddle to Carrie and Samantha whose stories were forced, insulting and not funny when trying to be. There are a number of reasons the film likely did poorer than expected at the box office but I felt the film insulted it's characters. Perhaps also it's audience. Are these women not sophisticated, worldly, progressive and empowered? Miranda is the only one who really acted with any self respect or decency concerning their Middle East trip. I'm not someone who cow tows to PC-ness but basic respect was sorely lacking by Samantha. I think on paper they thought her sexual disrespect would be funny but it just came off as rude, disrespectful and not funny. Then there was the cramming of Aiden into the film for Carrie. Him just turning up in the same place felt like a contrivance we all joked about when Worf would be worked back into a TNG film while we knew he should be at DS9.
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) 47. Downfall (A+) 48. In Darkness (B+) 49. Cabaret (C+) 50. The Avengers (A) 51. The Incredible Hulk (B) 52. The Last of the Mohicans (A-) 53. Alien (A) 54. Mystic River (A) 55. Amadeus (A+) 56. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (B) 57. Snow White and the Huntsman (C) 58. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (B+) 59. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (B) 60. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (A-) 61. Field of Dreams (A+) 62. The Conversation (B) 63. American Gangster (A) 64. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (B+) 65. Damsels in Distress (B+) 66. 3 Days of the Condor (B+) 67. Star Trek (A) This will be the first time I've talked about Star Trek on this supposed Star Trek forum in a couple of years. Revisiting the 2009 relaunch for the first time since theatres (been meaning to do that for a while). I find my opinion is largely unchanged. It was one of the best adventure films of the last few years - it takes a few narrative shortcuts here and there, but that's hardly uncommon in film, and it's dramatic, funny, and very stylish. It marks a completely new phase in the way the Star Trek films are approached by the studio -- or, perhaps, the first time they've approached it this way since Robert Wise's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the only film that has anything approaching this film's budget. For all that people talked about this as thoroughly showing up Star Trek: Nemesis (which it does in numerous non-finance-related respects, don't get me wrong), that film had less than half this film's budget. The last nine Star Trek films were simply not able to compete with major blockbusters on the spectacle front, something that Paramount consciously is doing this time. And Abrams knows how to do that. Cinema: 15 Home Video: 45 (+1) Computer: 7
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-) 58. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (B+) 59. Me and Orson Welles (B) 60. Everything Must Go (B+) 61. The Avengers (C) 62. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (B) 63. One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (B) 64. Starship Troopers (A) 65. Alien (A+) 66. Aliens (A) 67. Into the Abyss (B) 68. The Expendables (D) 69. Dumbo (B+) 70. Bullet in the Head (B-) 71. City Streets (D) 72. Hard Boiled (A) 73. Burn After Reading (B+) 74. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (B+) 75. A Few Good Men (B) 76. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (A) 77. RoboCop (A-) 78. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (A-) 79. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (C-) 80. Your Sister's Sister (A) 81. The Gunfighter (B+) 82. The Sting (A-) 83. The Thin Blue Line (A) 84. Rango (A) Rango -- Animated children's movies (at least, those that aren't made by Pixar) can feel so rote and lifeless these days that an eccentric and genre-bending Western like this is simply a joy to watch. The movie has a great cast, a good score, and a wonderful visual imagination that is sorely needed for this type of thing. The plot (much like the classical Westerns the movie is riffing on) is rather simple-minded, but that's not really important. What's important is that the film is fun. Theatres: 37 Home Video: 41 +1 Computer: 6
Spoiler: Movies Seen in January, February, March, April & May 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 3D- 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 Pirates! Band of Misfits 3D - free screenin' Street Kings 2: Motor City - Unrated - DVD The Cat Returns - free admission The Prophecy 3: The Ascent - DVD Marley - free admission The Lucky One - free admission Cool Hand Luke - free admission The Grudge 2: Unrated Director's Cut - DVD Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - DVD The Raven - free admission Colombiana - Unrated - DVD Princess Mononoke - free admission The Five-Year Engagement - free admission Last Days Here - free admission The Three Stooges - free admission The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter - DVD The Avengers 3D - free admission Damsels in Distress - free admission Sound of My Voice - free admission Yellow Submarine - free admission The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - free screenin' The Skulls - DVD Dark Shadows - free admission The Skulls II - DVD Sleepless Night - free admission Conan the Barbarian (1982) - DVD Battleship - free admission The Skulls III - DVD The Dictator - free admission What to Expect When You're Expecting - free admission Men in Black 3 3D - free screenin' Chernobyl Diaries - free screenin' Batman: Year One/Catwoman - DVD The Batma vs Dracula - DVD Seven Pounds - DVD He's Just Not That Into You - DVD Final Destination - DVD The Black Six (1973) - free admission Final Destination 2 - DVD Snow White and the Huntsman - free admission Final Destination 3 - DVD Piranha 3DD - free admission The Final Destination - DVD Final Destination 5 - DVD Conan the Destroyer - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Stone Cold - Netflix Instant Ralphie May: Austin-tatious - Netflix Instant Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore - Netflix Instant Shark Night 3D - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Night Passage - Netflix Instant Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Sea Change - Netflix Instant Moonrise Kingdom - free admission God Bless America - free admission Prometheus 3D/2D - free admission Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - free admission Rock of Ages - free admission That's My Boy - free admission Cursed - DVD Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter 3D - free screenin' Escape 2000 (1982) - free admission Brave 3D - free screenin' Saw Prometheus again today, in 2D this time...Michael Fessbender is still awesome as David, and I still liked it, but I have begun to turn a more critical eye to what all happens in the movie. And it did look better in 3D, especially the alien holographic recordings. Took my friends Barbara & Tomi (and her teenage daughter Kathryn) to see Brave at a free screenin' tonight. And it was in 3D, which I think was unnecessary, and a bit blurry in a couple of parts featurin' fast action. But it had a great voice cast, cute comedy, and a nice story, as should be expected from Pixar. If ya go see it, save money on the 3D, but stay through the end credits for a bonus scene!
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) 47. Downfall (A+) 48. In Darkness (B+) 49. Cabaret (C+) 50. The Avengers (A) 51. The Incredible Hulk (B) 52. The Last of the Mohicans (A-) 53. Alien (A) 54. Mystic River (A) 55. Amadeus (A+) 56. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (B) 57. Snow White and the Huntsman (C) 58. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (B+) 59. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (B) 60. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (A-) 61. Field of Dreams (A+) 62. The Conversation (B) 63. American Gangster (A) 64. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (B+) 65. Damsels in Distress (B+) 66. 3 Days of the Condor (B+) 67. Star Trek (A) 68. Thelma & Louise (A) The last few weeks have been heavy on Ridley Scott -- in this case, the one film of his between Blade Runner and Gladiator that people really remember. The movie's reputation is well-earned, for the most part. Sarandon and Davis are excellent as the leads, both very fleshed out, and Brad Pitt's breakout part is a magnetic star turn. My two niggles with it are the stuff with the truck driver, which feels like it's from a completely different, much less interesting movie; and Harvey Keitel's cop character, whose sympathy for the protagonists kind of comes out of nowhere. Cinema: 15 Home Video: 46 (+1) Computer: 7
I never felt like either was a contrvance. Stuff like that does happen. I've run into people like that a number of times. And Worf's presence always made sense. He travelled about as part of his job on DS9. The movies just coincided with his trips to the Enterprise.
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) 47. Downfall (A+) 48. In Darkness (B+) 49. Cabaret (C+) 50. The Avengers (A) 51. The Incredible Hulk (B) 52. The Last of the Mohicans (A-) 53. Alien (A) 54. Mystic River (A) 55. Amadeus (A+) 56. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (B) 57. Snow White and the Huntsman (C) 58. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (B+) 59. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (B) 60. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (A-) 61. Field of Dreams (A+) 62. The Conversation (B) 63. American Gangster (A) 64. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (B+) 65. Damsels in Distress (B+) 66. 3 Days of the Condor (B+) 67. Star Trek (A) 68. Thelma & Louise (A) 69. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (B) The directorial debut of Lorene Scafaria, who on checking the IMDb wrote Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, which I also liked. From the time I saw the trailer I thought this looked like a very offbeat premise for a fairly mainstream studio comedy, and indeed, it is -- and, really, after about the halfway point it's really not that funny. But it's got some very moving sequences. Carell/Knightley as a romantic pairing is kind of weird, but their interactions are generally engaging. There are a lot of cameos here from recognizable comedians (friends of the director?), and a very moving one from Martin Sheen. It's not a great movie, per se, but I think it's definitely worth seeing. As a Keira fan, she hasn't had a part like this for basically a decade. Cinema: 16 (+1) Home Video: 46 Computer: 7
^ I'd like to see that. I saw the trailer and found it odd seeing what appeared to be people going to work and going about their days when the world is about to end.
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) 47. Downfall (A+) 48. In Darkness (B+) 49. Cabaret (C+) 50. The Avengers (A) 51. The Incredible Hulk (B) 52. The Last of the Mohicans (A-) 53. Alien (A) 54. Mystic River (A) 55. Amadeus (A+) 56. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (B) 57. Snow White and the Huntsman (C) 58. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (B+) 59. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (B) 60. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (A-) 61. Field of Dreams (A+) 62. The Conversation (B) 63. American Gangster (A) 64. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (B+) 65. Damsels in Distress (B+) 66. 3 Days of the Condor (B+) 67. Star Trek (A) 68. Thelma & Louise (A) 69. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (B) 70. Brave (B+) Humpty Dumpty had a great fall last year: can Lasseter's men put him back together again? The answer is, well, kinda. This is a pretty decent movie, and I expect it's being graded on a curve by the critics, hence the middling reception; but then, that's always been the case with films (Spielberg has made some movies in the 00s that would have been considered crown jewels from a lesser director). Because, make no mistake, this is a very generic movie. The early teasers make it look like it's going to be a somewhat dark epic, but it really isn't; it's arguably the smallest, least-plotted Pixar film (of the ones I've seen, that is, all of them less A Bug's Life and the two Cars films). It's pretty much a melange of Disney fairy tale tropes, ones that the parent studio has used before and better. Cinema: 17 (+1) Home Video: 46 Computer: 7
^ Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. Brave is by no means a bad movie, and the visuals and voice cast are excellent. But I think there's been a fair criticism that some things could have been less formulaic or more balanced. Some think it's a result of "Disneyfication."
That I don't for a second believe. Pixar has taken over Disney's animation studio, not the other way around; and there's a bunch of stuff in this movie that Disney Animation Studios would never have allowed (the lack of a strong antagonist, for instance; that's common for Pixar, and generally fits the kind of movie they make, but the absence of one from the fairy tale formula is glaring).
Spoiler: Movies Seen in January, February, March, April & May 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 3D- 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 Pirates! Band of Misfits 3D - free screenin' Street Kings 2: Motor City - Unrated - DVD The Cat Returns - free admission The Prophecy 3: The Ascent - DVD Marley - free admission The Lucky One - free admission Cool Hand Luke - free admission The Grudge 2: Unrated Director's Cut - DVD Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - DVD The Raven - free admission Colombiana - Unrated - DVD Princess Mononoke - free admission The Five-Year Engagement - free admission Last Days Here - free admission The Three Stooges - free admission The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter - DVD The Avengers 3D - free admission Damsels in Distress - free admission Sound of My Voice - free admission Yellow Submarine - free admission The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - free screenin' The Skulls - DVD Dark Shadows - free admission The Skulls II - DVD Sleepless Night - free admission Conan the Barbarian (1982) - DVD Battleship - free admission The Skulls III - DVD The Dictator - free admission What to Expect When You're Expecting - free admission Men in Black 3 3D - free screenin' Chernobyl Diaries - free screenin' Batman: Year One/Catwoman - DVD The Batma vs Dracula - DVD Seven Pounds - DVD He's Just Not That Into You - DVD Final Destination - DVD The Black Six (1973) - free admission Final Destination 2 - DVD Snow White and the Huntsman - free admission Final Destination 3 - DVD Piranha 3DD - free admission The Final Destination - DVD Final Destination 5 - DVD Conan the Destroyer - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Stone Cold - Netflix Instant Ralphie May: Austin-tatious - Netflix Instant Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore - Netflix Instant Shark Night 3D - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Night Passage - Netflix Instant Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise - Netflix Instant Jesse Stone: Sea Change - Netflix Instant Moonrise Kingdom - free admission God Bless America - free admission Prometheus 3D/2D - free admission Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - free admission Rock of Ages - free admission That's My Boy - free admission Cursed - DVD Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter 3D - free screenin' Escape 2000 (1982) - free admission Brave 3D - free screenin' Dracula 2000 - DVD The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) - free admission Took a couple of tries, but I managed to watch Dracula 2000 on DVD. Not a good movie...and would have been so much better if it had been enough to make Dracula Dracula, instead of Dracula and the other guy (spoilers!!!). On the plus side, Jeri Ryan had a supportin' role and got to talk about her boobs. And Nathan Fillion was in a couple of scenes. Got together with a couple of buddies to see a gawd awful Errol Flynn wannabe fantasy adventure movie from 1982 at the Alamo Drafthouse - South Lamar tonight. Dear god, what a terrible movie that was...anyone else seen it? 'cause my friends and I were arguin' about whether or not Talon wound up havin' sex with his sister... Not sure what all else I'll be seein' this week - I have advanced screenin' passes I can't use, a couple of friends who want to see stuff I've already gone to, a few DVDs to watch, and I just started Eureka on DVD.
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-) 58. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (B+) 59. Me and Orson Welles (B) 60. Everything Must Go (B+) 61. The Avengers (C) 62. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (B) 63. One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (B) 64. Starship Troopers (A) 65. Alien (A+) 66. Aliens (A) 67. Into the Abyss (B) 68. The Expendables (D) 69. Dumbo (B+) 70. Bullet in the Head (B-) 71. City Streets (D) 72. Hard Boiled (A) 73. Burn After Reading (B+) 74. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (B+) 75. A Few Good Men (B) 76. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (A) 77. RoboCop (A-) 78. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (A-) 79. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (C-) 80. Your Sister's Sister (A) 81. The Gunfighter (B+) 82. The Sting (A-) 83. The Thin Blue Line (A) 84. Rango (A) 85. The Killing (B+) 86. The Order of the Black Eagle (F) 87. Jaws (A) The Killing -- Stanley Kubrick doesn't display his virtuoso visual design that he would develop in later films, but this one isn't so clinical, either. It's a solid crime thriller, although I find the narration tiresome, and the shoot-out near the end is needlessly cacophonous. Sterling Hayden and Elisha Cook, Jr. are good, and the nonlinear structure is an effective way to lay out the heist. The Order of the Black Eagle -- It's hard to do worse than Duncan Jax, which is not only a total rip off of the James Bond series (and not of the best films of the franchise; he's more like Roger Moore in one of his later outings -- too campy and too damned old), but in this installment filled with some hilarious racism. Not only do we have "Mexican" bandits that speak in the same accent as the Frito Bandito (in the late 80s!), but white extras in brown face trying to make the place (the Carolinas) look like Central America (it doesn't). Terrific bad movie night material. Jaws -- I was lucky enough to see a brand new, restored 35mm print of the movie this evening, and it was a blast. It really works, even when you know all the scares that are coming, although it's a little disheartening to think that a movie with such craft (and, to a certain extent, unconventional leads) would ultimately lead to such high-concept dreck as Transformers. But, Hollywood's decline (creatively, not financially, and only in certain sectors) doesn't negate how good this movie is. I think the first sequel is somewhat unfairly maligned, but it's easy to see why the first film is superior -- it rarely gets better than the last 30-40 minutes with the three men on the boat, hunting the shark. Theatres: 38 +1 Home Video: 43 +2 Computer: 6
^ I saw Jaws last year and it wasn't as scary or as gripping as I thought it would be. It does get better towards the end, but otherwise, it's pretty tame by today's standards and drags in places.