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- I was at the library today, and in the mood for something loud and dumb. Well, I guess you should be careful what you wish for. I read much of the critical reaction to this movie when it came out, but I was still surprised by how many major missteps there were. And, to be fair, my interest in comic book movies has been in a precipitous decline since 2012. It's possible I've missed a few things, but... --Why did Zod and co. take Lois Lane with them on the ship? Why'd they let her live? (So that they would have a reason to dump exposition and so that she could escape with the knowledge to defeat Zod, as far as I can tell). --The tornado scene (This has been discussed to death, so I'll leave it at that). --The first 20 minutes on Krypton (It's almost all exposition, the weird use of hand-held camera mixed with random zooms is totally ineffective at providing these total fantasy environments with any sense of reality, and Michael Shannon cranks it up to eleven -- and then twelve and thirteen). --The ending was practically apocalyptic. So why not devote a single scene to the damage (or, heck, a single shot to that family Superman saves at the end by killing Zod)? The movie is devoid of humor (Nolan's Batman movies, of all things, are funnier), so why adopt that goofy tone for the last scene? --Nolan's pounding, percussive score, like many things in the movie, seemed designed to beat the viewer into submission. I love Batman -- but unless the trailer (and the reviews) really wow me, there's absolutely no way I'll be back for the sequel. I should have given this one a pass, honestly, but it was free.
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 - Netflix Instant Cockneys vs Zombies - Netflix Instant Humanoids from the Deep - 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 Watched two movies today while I had the house to myself. First up, Blindsided, a "thriller" about a blind woman terrorized by two men lookin' for stolen diamonds in her penthouse apartment. It was pretty lame, and sad to see Michael Keaton, who used to be so awesome, in such a dull film. Followed that with HwaS, which was pretty bad, too. Way over the top torture by the villians, a city full of folks who were too bloodthirsty, and the way it was filmed, with almost every scene oversaturated to be one or two colors - lots of reds, yellows and blues. Watchin' the fourth season of Dexter tonight.
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 Ray Harryhausen's effects are about the only thing of note in 20 Million Miles To Earth, which begins with some nonsensical narration and then moves on to a romantic subplot in which the male lead verbally abuses the female lead until they, uh, fall in love? In between there's the Ymir, one of Harryhausen's best character creations. It's from Venus, which I suppose makes this science fiction, but it really wouldn't be out of place in one of his fantasy movies. It's a shame the creature is so well-realized and the movie isn't, but what can you do? Take Shelter was a strong movie anchored by a terrific performance, if a little undercut by a "have your cake and eat it, too" ending. Mud is a better movie in all respects, and one of the best I've seen this year. Jeff Nichols is definitely a filmmaker worth watching.
1) Wargames - B+ 2) Play The Game - B 3) Battle Los Angeles - B+ It didn't get great reviews, but if you were going into this expecting any more than a popcorn action flick, what were you thinking? It's not beautiful and the characters are the same stereotypes, but you always find yourself rooting for them anyways,
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) On my way home from seeing this I came across a street guitarist, and gave him a few bucks, mostly due to the after-effects of the movie. This has gone down as the main "overlooked" film of this year's Oscar season (notwithstanding its two deserved nominations, including cinematography), particularly since Her kind of stole its thunder as the critical cause celebre. I'm kind of surprised it missed out on Picture and Screenplay, since A Serious Man made it in a few years ago, and this strikes me as a more accessible piece of work on the whole; maybe it was just too competitive a year. In any event, this another typical success from the Coens, about trying to be an artist and not succeeding. It's an interesting portrait, and it's equivocal how much of it is Llewyn himself and how much is the world around him. Oscar Isaac is terrific in the lead part. The eclectic supporting cast generally has one a few scenes apiece, but all well-cast (including Star Trek: Voyager's Ethan Phillips), though the side trip with Garrett Hedlund (seemingly more or less reprising his performance from On the Road) and Coens regular John Goodman seems kind of superfluous. Cinema: 4 (+1) DVD: 0 Computer: 2
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 Gods and Monsters is a fictionalized account of director James Whale's final weeks. It was made for peanuts, and Bill Condon's style feels a little small at times, but the writing is sharp and the performances (especially Ian McKellan, in a breakout role, and Brendan Fraser, who needs to do better movies) are excellent. The recreations of scenes from Bride of Frankenstein are a lot of fun, too. In The Mood For Love is the first Wong Kar-wai film I've seen. It was absolutely beautiful to look at and the performances from the leads were sharp. There's some good dialogue scenes here, too, despite much of the movie playing without words. I know this film has a relationship to Days of Being Wild and 2046, but I'm not sure how closely the films are actually linked. Anyone here know?
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 I resolved to finally watch a few iconic movies that I've never seen before and I've decided to start with the Rocky series. 13. Rocky (✩✩✩) - Netflix - It felt good finally watching a classic but I found it a little too talky, though it does provide a good look into the life of a down and out boxer in Philly. Not sure what's so great and iconic about the big run up the steps but at least I got to experience it. I guess it's just one of those things. 14. Rocky II (✩✩✩½) - Netflix - I thought this one was a little better because it raised the stakes with Rocky facing the health consequences of too many blows to the head. 15. Rocky III (✩✩✩) - Netflix - The first movie of the series that's more of a mainstream motion picture and less of an artsy film that the first one was, and it's very predictable. I did like that Rocky has advanced to super stardom though, and Mr. T played a formidable adversary. I was also wondering how Apollo Creed would react to having been dethroned by Rocky in the previous film. We didn't get much, if any of that reaction, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was worked in as Rocky's new trainer and friend. It was a nice development. The match with Hulk Hogan was also a hoot and I liked that it ended in a friendly manner. And nice soundtrack with "Eye of the Tiger" which was written for the film at Stallone's request. That song is in my head more than the more familiar Rocky theme is. Then there's my favorite bit of dialog… Thunderlips arrives in the arena, towering over everyone in the crowd… Rocky: Why are they carrying him? Mickey: He's walking. 16. Rocky IV (✩✩✩½) - Netflix - The mainstreaming of Rocky continues and I have to be honest, I like it. Very 80s and they managed to up the stakes yet again by having him go up against the Russians. Very indicative of the Regan years both in its politics and in the way it capitalizes on the action genre of the day. I do think it was a little overdone with the speech at the end though. And hey, I never thought I'd see a Rocky movie shot in Vancouver. 17. Rocky V (✩✩✩) - Netflix - I sort of saw this movie years ago because the TV was on but it feels fresh so I'm adding it to my list as a new-ish movie. So, where can they go after defeating the Soviet Union? Back to Rocky's roots, both in terms of story and style. Yeah, they dialed back the 80s action/blockbuster thing quite a bit and went back to doing a more dramatic piece. I didn't like that the character had to go where he did or how it happened but I came to appreciate the idea somewhat. What followed was a weak and meandering story culminating in a fight that I both love and hate. I loved where it took place because it reflected his refusal to enter boxing again but at the same time, I didn't quite love it because it felt underwhelming. I also found Rocky V to be a nice cap to the series despite what critics say. 18. Rocky Balboa (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix - This movie is appropriately titled since it's more of an addendum to the series rather than a "part 6". It also doesn't work as a standalone film but as a revisit to an enduring and iconic series, it's excellent right up to the way they ended it. I was deeply moved when it ended. All in all, a good series that had humble beginnings just like it's lead character and evolved in a similar fashion over it's 30 years, reaching great heights and going back to where it began. From what I've read though, we haven't seen the last of Rocky Balboa. I look forward to seeing him in Creed. Stallone still has it even after 40 years. Netflix: 10 Live TV: 1 Download: 7
January Rundown (18 Movies) 5 Stars None 4½ Stars None 4 Stars Pain & Gain - Download Rocky Balboa - Netflix The Manor - Live TV 3½ Stars Drive - Netflix Rocky II - Netflix Rocky IV - Netflix The Spectacular Now - Download 3 Stars Blue Jasmine - Download Byzantium - Netflix Carrie (2013) - Download Our Idiot Brother - Netflix Rocky - Netflix Rocky III - Netflix Rocky V - Netflix Runner Runner - Download 2½ Stars The Roommate - Netflix 2 Stars Battle of the Year - Download 1½ Stars Closed Circuit - Download 1 Star None ½ Star None 0 Stars None
Captain Phillips ★★★ - nothing special. Terrible acting outside of he two leads. Elysium ★★ - It's no District 9. Jodie Foster is sleepwalking with a terrible accent Rush ★★★ - It's technically proficient and I liked the main performances, but it just falls flat everywhere else. In A World ★★ 1/2 - I started off really enjoying this movie, but the first half of the script is much better than the cheesy second.
Having some work done at the house, so took myself to see two films yesterday - one I've been looking forward to all year and one I saw on a complete whim: Inside Llewyn Davis - Every time I see a new Coen brothers film I want to go back and rewatch all of the others. Barring The Ladykillers I have enjoyed each of their previous films (in differing degrees and for differing reasons) and I love the shifts they make between quiet drama, bust-through-the-screen comedy and dark, grim thrillers. They are my favourite modern American film makers. Inside fits into their meloncholia-of-the-normal-man style, akin to A Serious Man and The Man Who Wasn't There, a soft, gently rolling film that seemingly has no particular plot or point to it, other than to expose the hubris of a man who people would love, if he let them. Llweyn is a hugely complex character, full of talent and cavernous flaws, and he was a heck of a lot easier to watch and even empathise for than I expected. Lovely film, beautifully played all round, and with lush music, of a style that I typically abhor. Not their finest, but finer than most films out there. 8/10 Lone Survivor - geo-politics is oddly territorial when it comes to soldiers deaths in the current theaters of war. Being British I knew nothing about the incident detailed in this film, yet I have no doubt it was covered by the US new channels. And so it should have been. A remarkable story of men under fire. Still, missing a few pieces to be grand and important. I enjoy Peter Berg's general style. Floating, dischordant, pretty naturalistic and it felt wonderful on Friday Night Lights (movie and TV), yet he is always encumbered with a half finished/doctored script, so he rarely brings anything unique to the audience. In this case, a group of fairly non-descript heroes and even less-so villains, get dragged through hell for a few hours leaving me feeling almost "there's more, surely" at the end. A failure on the production staff who let such a thin and ragged script through to be filmed. Yet, Aicht Eee double-hockey sticks has rarely been captured so viscerally or brutally here. Not since Saving Private Ryan have I gawped and winced in equal measure. The filming of the 1-hour long fire fight second Act, that is wrapped in thread-bear "here are our heroes" and "there are other heroes too" first and third acts, is phenomenal. Filmed with a barrage of shaky AND dolly cameras you get a real feeling of geography and strategy amidst the chaos and insanity. Berg is, no doubt, an action director to contend with. A pity then that the central thrust of the film, the reason for all of the mayhem, is only sparingly explored, with four Navy Seals making a decision that would spare their honour and their humanity, but not their lives. Couple that with a jingoistic third act which almost feels like an afterthought, when in fact it was the actions of Afghanis whom the soldiers expected so little of of who allowed the tale to even be told. A more integral part of the farmer who came to central characters aid would have led some real credence to the point I thought Berg was aiming for: The Afghans are fighting the Taliban too, whenever and however they can. It is a film about "brotherhood" and I was hoping that would stretch beyond the American-brotherhood. Only a photograph at the end truly reveals the bond between an American and his Afghani friend. A more powerful film is probably out there in the ether (in a script on or an editing room floor), fleshing out the Afghani farmers, their plight and their own ideals of honour, sadly likely stripped away to allow for greater focus on the four American soldiers who made a brave decision and paid for it. Still, it's an interesting film, technically exceptionally well made, and finer than many of the modern war films raced to the screen since 2001. But it lacks either a philosophy (like The Thin Red Line or Apocalypse Now), or a real level of balanced meaning (like The Killing Fields or Born on the Fourth of July) to be a truly great war film. Worth a watch, and recommended with caveats - 6.5/10 Current rundown: Frank & Robot - 6/10 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - 6.5/10 American Hustle - 5.5/10 12 Years a Slave - 7.5/10 Inside Llewyn Davis - 8/10 Lone Survivor - 6.5/10 Cinema - 5 DVD - 1 Hugo - If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it's a folk song
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 19. In a World… (✩✩✩½) - Download - Gotta love that title. This is a slice of life independent film about voice-over announcers vying for a job. Stars Lake Bell. It's also a good commentary on how women struggle in male dominated professions. It's not a bad little piece. Netflix: 10 Live TV: 1 Download: 8
Television Broadcasts Cinema DVDs 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.
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+) Saw this for a second time with a friend who hadn't seen it yet; since, though I think Gravity is the likely winner, this is still a contender for BP, I wanted to firm up my opinion on it. The second viewing doesn't change things too much for me -- the movie isn't as over-soundtracked as I thought at first, and Adams' work is even better than I first thought. She's not going to beat Blanchett, but I wouldn't mind if she did. Also, Robert DeNiro's cameo is his most un-DeNiro-y performance in a long time, even though he's playing a mobster, which is quite a feat. The movie is held back by a story that I don't think ever quite rises above becoming a series of pleasurable character interactions. Cinema: 5 (+1) DVD: 0 Computer: 2
Spoiler: 2010 viewed movies I didn't start in the thread till August that year, partial list Piranha 3D: C+ Book of Eli: B Lethal Weapon: A Lethal Weapon 2: A- Lethal Weapon 3: B Lethal Weapon 4: C+ The Crow: A Clash of the Titans: B+ Prince of Persia: B The Fountain: D Resident Evil: A- Resident Evil: Apocalypse: B Resident Evil: Extinction: B- Resident Evil: Afterlife: B Resident Evil: Degeneration(animated): B Bad Boys: B+ Zombieland: B The Evil Dead: B- R.E.D.: B 30 Days of Night: Dark Days: B+ Conviction: A- Crazies(2010): A- Paranormal Activity: A+ Paranormal Activity 2: A Shutter Island: B- Gamer: F Last House on the Left(orig): D+ Thirst(asian film): C- The Hills Have Eyes: B When In Rome: B- Dr.Horrible Sing-A-Long: A Expelled No Intelligence Allowed(doc): B Zombie Strippers: D Mammoth: D+ Everyone Else: D Dark Ages(doc): A Batman vs Dracula(anim): A- Independence Day: A Robin Hood(2010-Crowe): B Taken: A Only You: B- Momma Mia: C High Plains Drifter: C Joe Kid: A- Tron Legacy: B Voyage of the DawnTreader: B+ Tourist: B Duchess: B Blade Runner: B+ Men In Black: A Jumper: B- Interview with the Vampire: A- Brideshead Revisted: B Wizard of Oz: A Gone With the Wind: A 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 I didn't know what to expect with this film. I only knew it was about falling in and out of love. I thought it would be about the couple falling back into love as the film was progressing, but it isn't. Once I realized that wasn't likely I started thinking the film could go somewhere really dark, glad it didn't. The story follows a couple(Gosling & Williams) Dean & Cindy in present time as their relationship is 6-8yrs in(based on the child) cause they got married when she got pregnant. Things are not good. The film inter-splices back to their courtship and how they fell into love. In the present day we realize that Cindy is cheating on Dean. Now while Dean seems cognizant that he's not been perfect he still clearly loves Cindy and tries to romance her in the ways he knows, she's not having any of it. Cindy works in a doctors office where the Doctor is moving his practice and wants Cindy to come. He propositions her and here is where Cindy is disgusted and uses the "I'm married" card. Married when you need to be huh, Cindy? I'd heard great things about the film and while it is acted great, shot and framed well with a narrative that is easy to discern I'm not a fan of open ended films to the degree this was. I could say, ok, they are getting divorced. However, the dynamics of Cindy and what she did by calling it off with her lover and losing her job could make Dean the only "stable" thing going for her. Good film, should be watched for certain. I just can't call it great cause of the non-ending.
Updates in Bold: Black Rain (7) Fairy Tail The Movie: The Phoenix Priestess (8) Heat (1995) (8) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (9) Kick Ass 2 (8) Lone Survivor (8) Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (7) Tales From Earthsea (5) Wolf Children (8) Running Total: 9
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 - I wanted to watch a movie with Pilip Seymour Hoffman and found this. It also stars Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Mark Ivanir and Imogen Poots. It's about one member of a string quartet being diagnosed with a debilitating illness which then causes the lives of the other members to unravel as other issues surface. I'm glad I found this movie. It's actually quite good and worth watching. It's also nice to have a decent color palette in a movie as opposed to the usual orange/teal. 22. Justice League: War (✩✩✩½) - Download - I liked this take on Wonder Woman and the meeting between Superman and Batman looked like it'll be hard to top come Man of Steel 2. 23. ATM (✩✩✩✩) - Download - Three people are trapped in an ATM booth in the middle of a parking lot at night because there's a dangerous man outside playing cat & mouse with them. Alice Eve is one of the three. It didn't get great reviews because of the supposed implausibility of some of what happened but I found this to be a pretty entertaining thriller. Netflix: 11 Live TV: 1 Download: 11
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 - A documentary about the familiar faces you see in shows and movies but who's name you don't always know. Among them are Xander Berkley and Bruce Davison. It's very informative. They talk about their difficulties and how hard it is to find work. Showbiz is hard and they're not as happy or as well off as people would ike to think. 25. Cleanflix (✩✩✩½) - Netflix - A documentary about the rise and fall of CleanFlicks, the video rental company in Utah that altered movies by taking out the nudity and violence. I wasn't familiar with the story so the revelation near the end came as a surprise. 26. Side by Side (✩✩✩✩) - Netflix - Keanu Reeves hosts a documentary about how the film industry is making the transition to digital. I wasn't much of a believer in digital over film but the digital side made its argument quite well. Sure you have the pixel problem but the lack of processing time, the compactness of the cameras and the lower costs do make digital sound more appealing. And it looks like we're headed there regardless of what some directors want. Film cameras are no longer being manufactured. Netflix: 14 Live TV: 1 Download: 11
1) Her (2013) - A 2) Saving Mr. Banks (2013) - B+ 3) The Dallas Buyers Club (2013) - B 4) Frozen (2013) - A 5) Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - B I think I've now seen all the films I need to see to have an opinion on the Best Picture winner this year. If Philomania or Nebraska wins the award, than I will seek those out but I really doubt it. Wolf of Wall St. was the last film I really had an interest in seeing, but I had waited because that run time of 3 hours was really intimidating. Leo does a great job with the role, and I really wish they would give him the award. Everything else about the movie was decent, but I don't think it needed to be 3 hours long. Hell, there was a scene in the movie where He and Jonah Hill's character kind of overdosed on a drug and I think that scene felt 20 minutes long and started to wear out it's welcome as it went on. It's editing like that which kind of brought the film down for me. At the end of the film you forget about what happened at the start, and it's probably why I was shocked when I saw Mcconaughey was in it. Despite that though, it was really good with a great performance. I think they did a great job nailing stock fraud and the stuff that goes on behind the scenes on Wall Street. I just wish it was shorter. Netflix Theater: 5 (+1) Itunes Blu Ray/DVD/TV
1) Her (2013) - A 2) Saving Mr. Banks (2013) - B+ 3) The Dallas Buyers Club (2013) - B 4) Frozen (2013) - A 5) Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - B 6) Rush (2013) - B+ This was a great adrinaline film, with some very well done visual effects. Really liked both characters, James Hunt and Nikki Lauda and the scene of the crash was really jarring. Just watching Lauda engulfed in Flames was harrowing, and Daniel Brühl did a great job playing him. I think he should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor over Bradley Cooper, who I thought just played his Silver Linings character in American Hustle. The racing scenes were really top notch too. Netflix Theater: 5 Itunes 1 (+1) Blu Ray/DVD/TV