Director: Oliver Stone (Platoon, World Trade Center)
Stars: Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible, Cocktails)
Kyra Sedgewick (Singles, The Woodsman [I guess, this bitch has been in like 50 movies and I've heard of 3 of them, seen none of them])
YesNoSoso: 1
The more Oliver Stone movies I see the less I like him. Obviously I started out by watching his best (Wall Street, Any Given Sunday [fuck you that movie is awesome], Platoon) but the more I see his older less seen movies, and his newer shittier ones, the less I respect him. This movie is one of them. Good movie, don't get me wrong. As I always say on this blog and as the basis for my rating system, I enjoyed my 2 hours. Except this movie was three and a half hours long. So in actuality there were about 1.5 hours that I wasn't enjoying. But in the spirit of the rule, I am glad I saw this movie and it should def be seen.
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1/29/09
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Director: Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Blade II)
Stars: Ron Perlman ("Batman: The Animated Series", Police Academy: Mission to Moscow)
Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions, A Guy Thing)
YesNoSoso: 2
Sooooo cool. I will fully admit that if Guillermo hadn't directed this movie it would have probably been an emphatic 0, but he did, so its not. Imagine the same awesome effects seen in Pan's Labyrinth combined with a relatively interesting comic book Hero storyline and you have the Hellboy series. Del Toro is somehow able to tell a fairly complicated story laced with ludicrous characters without making it seem ludicrous.
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Stars: Ron Perlman ("Batman: The Animated Series", Police Academy: Mission to Moscow)
Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions, A Guy Thing)
YesNoSoso: 2
Sooooo cool. I will fully admit that if Guillermo hadn't directed this movie it would have probably been an emphatic 0, but he did, so its not. Imagine the same awesome effects seen in Pan's Labyrinth combined with a relatively interesting comic book Hero storyline and you have the Hellboy series. Del Toro is somehow able to tell a fairly complicated story laced with ludicrous characters without making it seem ludicrous.
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1/28/09
I'm Not There (2007)
Director: Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven [I've never seen anything else he's done, but hear this is good])
Stars: Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Reign of Fire)
Cate Blanchett (The Good German, The Gift)
YesNoSoso: 2
6 different actors play 6 different "aspects" of Bob Dylan's persona: the Poet (A British actor I've never heard of), the Musician (Christian Bale), the Troubadour (a little black kid), the Actor (Heath Ledger), The Drugged Out Counter Culturist (Cate Blanchett) and the Mystical Outlaw (Richard Gere). If that doesn't immediatly incite your desire to see this movie stop reading this blog. Seriously. YesNoSoso is no place for your damn negative attitude.
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Stars: Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Reign of Fire)
Cate Blanchett (The Good German, The Gift)
YesNoSoso: 2
6 different actors play 6 different "aspects" of Bob Dylan's persona: the Poet (A British actor I've never heard of), the Musician (Christian Bale), the Troubadour (a little black kid), the Actor (Heath Ledger), The Drugged Out Counter Culturist (Cate Blanchett) and the Mystical Outlaw (Richard Gere). If that doesn't immediatly incite your desire to see this movie stop reading this blog. Seriously. YesNoSoso is no place for your damn negative attitude.
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Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Director: Jake Kasdan (The TV Set, Orange County)
Stars: John C Reilly (Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm)
Jenna Fischer ("The Office", Blades of Glory)
YesNoSoso: 1
The movie doesn't exactly have a multitude of laughs, but it makes fun of the Oscar statue coupon that is the musician biopic (re: Ray, Walk the Line, etc) and has a number of other amusing aspects that make it a definite watch. The story is good enough and watching the menagerie of current stars play old musicians is awesome. Just to name a few: Jack White as Elvis, Frankie Munoz as Buddy Holly, and quartet of very famous actors playing The Beatles. Definitely check it out but don't expect to laugh your ass off.
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Stars: John C Reilly (Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm)
Jenna Fischer ("The Office", Blades of Glory)
YesNoSoso: 1
The movie doesn't exactly have a multitude of laughs, but it makes fun of the Oscar statue coupon that is the musician biopic (re: Ray, Walk the Line, etc) and has a number of other amusing aspects that make it a definite watch. The story is good enough and watching the menagerie of current stars play old musicians is awesome. Just to name a few: Jack White as Elvis, Frankie Munoz as Buddy Holly, and quartet of very famous actors playing The Beatles. Definitely check it out but don't expect to laugh your ass off.
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Gran Torino (2008)
Director: Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Flags of Our Fathers)
Stars: Clint Eastwood (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Space Cowboys)
Bee Vang (first movie)
YesNoSoso: 1
I know I am shocked as you are by the rating. I love Clint Eastwood movies, well for the most part (fuck you Blood Work), but this movie simply had too many faults to be a great movie. Don't get me wrong. I thouroughly enjoyed my 2 hours and there is a possibility that I watch it again, but the movie's hilarity (who know Clint had comedic timing) does not outweigh a mediocre plot and Bee's terrible acting.
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Stars: Clint Eastwood (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Space Cowboys)
Bee Vang (first movie)
YesNoSoso: 1
I know I am shocked as you are by the rating. I love Clint Eastwood movies, well for the most part (fuck you Blood Work), but this movie simply had too many faults to be a great movie. Don't get me wrong. I thouroughly enjoyed my 2 hours and there is a possibility that I watch it again, but the movie's hilarity (who know Clint had comedic timing) does not outweigh a mediocre plot and Bee's terrible acting.
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1/26/09
Wall E (2008)
Director: Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life [I was luke warm on both of these])
Stars: Jeff Garlin ("Curb Your Enthusiasm", Daddy Day Care)
Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Galaxy Quest)
YesNoSoso: 2
As stated before, I love Pixar movies. And this movie instantly became my favorite. I'm not entirely ready to knock The Incredibles off the top spot, but Wall E is at least tied. How an animator can make a cartoon robot as cuddly and lovable as they did is beyond my realm of comprehension. There was a moment in the movie that I literally had to pause the movie I was laughing so hard. As a fun side note, the voice of Wall E, which doesn't have a whole lot of lines, was done by Ben Burtt, quite possibly the most famous Sound Technician of all time (he worked on Star Wars). And yes you did just witness another Emphatic 2...
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Stars: Jeff Garlin ("Curb Your Enthusiasm", Daddy Day Care)
Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Galaxy Quest)
YesNoSoso: 2
As stated before, I love Pixar movies. And this movie instantly became my favorite. I'm not entirely ready to knock The Incredibles off the top spot, but Wall E is at least tied. How an animator can make a cartoon robot as cuddly and lovable as they did is beyond my realm of comprehension. There was a moment in the movie that I literally had to pause the movie I was laughing so hard. As a fun side note, the voice of Wall E, which doesn't have a whole lot of lines, was done by Ben Burtt, quite possibly the most famous Sound Technician of all time (he worked on Star Wars). And yes you did just witness another Emphatic 2...
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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Director: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach)
Stars: Dev Patel (An Indian you've never heard of)
Freida Pinto (nothing you've ever heard of, but GD is she hot)
YesNoSoso: 1
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I had heard from a few reviews that if it hadn't been set in India, it would be the same pre-fab feel good bullsh!t that get regurgitated every Oscar season. Its not. It is an incredible movie with an amazing and thoroughly original story telling device. Well stylized with beautiful cinematography, I can honestly say, that despite my initial misgivings, this movie is as good as the hype. (ed After letting this movie sit for a while, I revising my rating to a 1. It was good, but it really was pre-fab feel good bullsh!t)
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Stars: Dev Patel (An Indian you've never heard of)
Freida Pinto (nothing you've ever heard of, but GD is she hot)
YesNoSoso: 1
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I had heard from a few reviews that if it hadn't been set in India, it would be the same pre-fab feel good bullsh!t that get regurgitated every Oscar season. Its not. It is an incredible movie with an amazing and thoroughly original story telling device. Well stylized with beautiful cinematography, I can honestly say, that despite my initial misgivings, this movie is as good as the hype. (ed After letting this movie sit for a while, I revising my rating to a 1. It was good, but it really was pre-fab feel good bullsh!t)
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The Wrestler (2008)
Director: Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Pi [both incredible])
Stars: Mickey Rourke (Sin City, Heaven's Gate)
Marisa Tomei (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Anger Management)
YesNoSoso: 2
I love Aronofsky and although The Wrestler omits alot of his previous works "gimmicky film school tactics" I still loved it. Alot of critics considered Requiem to contain too many stylized gimmicks to be a truly great film, whereas I think it displayed the perfect blend of edgy style and content. Regardless, The Wrestler signifies a departure from Aronofsky's earlier work. Largely a character study into an aging wrestler, the depth of emotion that is displayed in both Rourke and Tomei's character is truely overwhelming.
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Stars: Mickey Rourke (Sin City, Heaven's Gate)
Marisa Tomei (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Anger Management)
YesNoSoso: 2
I love Aronofsky and although The Wrestler omits alot of his previous works "gimmicky film school tactics" I still loved it. Alot of critics considered Requiem to contain too many stylized gimmicks to be a truly great film, whereas I think it displayed the perfect blend of edgy style and content. Regardless, The Wrestler signifies a departure from Aronofsky's earlier work. Largely a character study into an aging wrestler, the depth of emotion that is displayed in both Rourke and Tomei's character is truely overwhelming.
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1/21/09
The Golden Compass (2007)
Director: Chris Weitz (American Pie (uncredited), Down to Earth)
Stars: Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, I Dreamed of Africa)
Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut, The Stepford Wives)
YesNoSoso: 0
This marks one of the few times in my life that I have actually stopped a movie before it was over. If I start a movie I generally stick it out til the end, but this movie was so bad, and I've heard from so many people that the books are incredible that I turned it off about thirty minutes in to save myself for the books. So unless the movie totally redeems itself in the final 1.5 hours, it simply sucks. Perhaps if you had read the books you would find some entertainment value at seeing it on the big screen. But I doubt it.
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Stars: Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, I Dreamed of Africa)
Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut, The Stepford Wives)
YesNoSoso: 0
This marks one of the few times in my life that I have actually stopped a movie before it was over. If I start a movie I generally stick it out til the end, but this movie was so bad, and I've heard from so many people that the books are incredible that I turned it off about thirty minutes in to save myself for the books. So unless the movie totally redeems itself in the final 1.5 hours, it simply sucks. Perhaps if you had read the books you would find some entertainment value at seeing it on the big screen. But I doubt it.
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Art School Confidential (2006)
Director: Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World, Bad Santa [both great films])
Stars: Max Minghella (Syriana [its the only thing I've seen of his and it was a minor role, his father directed the English Patient])
John Malkovitch (Being John Malkovitch, Johnny English)
YesNoSoso: 2
I didn't even know Zwigoff existed until a few weeks ago and his is instantly making a case to be one of my favorite directors. I loved Bad Santa but didn't recognize any of his other works until I saw Ghost World, which I thought was great. Art School Confidential, like Ghost World, was originally a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, and I'm not sure if I like the writing or the direction better, but either way it makes an incredible end product. I had read that Art School Confidential was worse than Ghost World, which is entirely untrue. They do have extremely similar feels, but while I liked Ghost World, I loved Art School Confidential. I'm even toying with giving this movie the exclusive Emphatic 2 tag, which effectively highlights my issues with the Rotten Tomatoes aggregator. RT gave ATC a 37%.
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Stars: Max Minghella (Syriana [its the only thing I've seen of his and it was a minor role, his father directed the English Patient])
John Malkovitch (Being John Malkovitch, Johnny English)
YesNoSoso: 2
I didn't even know Zwigoff existed until a few weeks ago and his is instantly making a case to be one of my favorite directors. I loved Bad Santa but didn't recognize any of his other works until I saw Ghost World, which I thought was great. Art School Confidential, like Ghost World, was originally a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, and I'm not sure if I like the writing or the direction better, but either way it makes an incredible end product. I had read that Art School Confidential was worse than Ghost World, which is entirely untrue. They do have extremely similar feels, but while I liked Ghost World, I loved Art School Confidential. I'm even toying with giving this movie the exclusive Emphatic 2 tag, which effectively highlights my issues with the Rotten Tomatoes aggregator. RT gave ATC a 37%.
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1/16/09
Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Director: Preston Sturges (Never heard of anything else he's done)
Stars: Joel McCrea (Never heard of anything else he's done)
Veronica Lake (Surprise! Never heard of anything else she's done)
YesNoSoso: 2
One of the many movies on one of the AFI 100 lists that I was convinced I was going to hate prior to viewing that ended up really liking. Other than this movie being in black and white, there's no difference than if it had been released 50 years later. Its more endearing, entertaining and funny then 90% of the rom coms that come out now. Even if the plot has been stolen a thousand times over.
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Stars: Joel McCrea (Never heard of anything else he's done)
Veronica Lake (Surprise! Never heard of anything else she's done)
YesNoSoso: 2
One of the many movies on one of the AFI 100 lists that I was convinced I was going to hate prior to viewing that ended up really liking. Other than this movie being in black and white, there's no difference than if it had been released 50 years later. Its more endearing, entertaining and funny then 90% of the rom coms that come out now. Even if the plot has been stolen a thousand times over.
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Fistful of Dynamite (1971)
Director: Sergio Leone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West [both movies very solid])
Stars: James Coburn (The Magnificent Seven, Snow Dogs)
Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night, The Specialist)
YesNoSoso: 2
This barely got a YesNoSoso 2 even with the unacknowledged bias towards Sergio Leone's awesomeness. It is very similar to Leone's Man with No Name Trilogy, except you have to suffer through two great actors doing equally terrible accents and the absence of Clint Eastwood. If you're a Leone fan, check it out, if not, skip it.
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Stars: James Coburn (The Magnificent Seven, Snow Dogs)
Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night, The Specialist)
YesNoSoso: 2
This barely got a YesNoSoso 2 even with the unacknowledged bias towards Sergio Leone's awesomeness. It is very similar to Leone's Man with No Name Trilogy, except you have to suffer through two great actors doing equally terrible accents and the absence of Clint Eastwood. If you're a Leone fan, check it out, if not, skip it.
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1/15/09
Intolerance (1916)
Director: D.W. Griffith (Birth of a Nation [his most famous work and it still sucks ass, fuck D.W. Griffith])
Stars: Some ugly ass 1916 people who are dead
YesNoSoso: 0
Ever seen the Fountain? If not, just imagine one of the most confusing and intricate movie you've ever seen and try to imagine understanding it without sound. That's what its like to see Intolerance. It is literally intolerable (ZING!) and my rant pertaining to The Jazz Singer applies doubly to Intolerance. The fact that this steaming pile of walrus shit was added to the AFI 100 and Fargo was taken off is an injustice on par with Titanic winning the Best Picture in 1997.
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Stars: Some ugly ass 1916 people who are dead
YesNoSoso: 0
Ever seen the Fountain? If not, just imagine one of the most confusing and intricate movie you've ever seen and try to imagine understanding it without sound. That's what its like to see Intolerance. It is literally intolerable (ZING!) and my rant pertaining to The Jazz Singer applies doubly to Intolerance. The fact that this steaming pile of walrus shit was added to the AFI 100 and Fargo was taken off is an injustice on par with Titanic winning the Best Picture in 1997.
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Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Director: Michael Davis (100 Girls which sucks and some other stuff I've never seen)
Stars: Clive Owen (Children of Men, The Pink Panther)
Paul Giamatti (American Splendor, Fred Claus)
YesNoSoso: 1
Check it out, but it just simply missed. I have nothing but respect for a filmmaker who takes an obvious risk in trying to deliver a truly original piece, but this just isn't very good. Plus, I trust Clive Owen's judgment in movies so much I will watch ANYTHING he acts in. Seriously, look at his IMDB page. If it wasn't for his uncredited role in The Pink Panther, there's not a single bad movie in the bunch, I would've had to go with King Arthur or Inside Man, and both of those were SOLID YesNoSoso 1's if not YesNoSoso 2's. Shoot 'Em Up has a ludicrously sensational plot and several elaborate gunfights. Combine that with Monica Belucci and its certainly worth a look.
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Stars: Clive Owen (Children of Men, The Pink Panther)
Paul Giamatti (American Splendor, Fred Claus)
YesNoSoso: 1
Check it out, but it just simply missed. I have nothing but respect for a filmmaker who takes an obvious risk in trying to deliver a truly original piece, but this just isn't very good. Plus, I trust Clive Owen's judgment in movies so much I will watch ANYTHING he acts in. Seriously, look at his IMDB page. If it wasn't for his uncredited role in The Pink Panther, there's not a single bad movie in the bunch, I would've had to go with King Arthur or Inside Man, and both of those were SOLID YesNoSoso 1's if not YesNoSoso 2's. Shoot 'Em Up has a ludicrously sensational plot and several elaborate gunfights. Combine that with Monica Belucci and its certainly worth a look.
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The Jazz Singer (1927)
Director: Al Crosland (Some old shit you've never heard of)
Stars: Al Jolson (More of a singer than an actor, And some old shit you've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 0
Technically the first movie with sound, because there's some terrible mumbling sounds while Al sings, but the whole thing is more or less silent. It sucks, it sucks as bad as any movie I've ever seen. Its long as a Catholic church service and even more boring. Why do we insist on putting these movies on Top 100 lists? When people are compiling the 100 best paintings of all time, do they include Ugg's blood drawing of a stick figure on the cave wall? Then why include this archaic piece of shit?
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Stars: Al Jolson (More of a singer than an actor, And some old shit you've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 0
Technically the first movie with sound, because there's some terrible mumbling sounds while Al sings, but the whole thing is more or less silent. It sucks, it sucks as bad as any movie I've ever seen. Its long as a Catholic church service and even more boring. Why do we insist on putting these movies on Top 100 lists? When people are compiling the 100 best paintings of all time, do they include Ugg's blood drawing of a stick figure on the cave wall? Then why include this archaic piece of shit?
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Death Proof (2007)
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill [Both simply fucking amazing])
Stars: Kurt Russell (Big Trouble in Little China, Overboard)
Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Josie and the Pussycats)
YesNoSoso: 2
I WILL (and this is a big deal) that this is Tarantino's worst movie, but it is still fucking awesome. Excellent, though juvenile, dialogue surrounding a truly entertaining plot. Plus a classic Tarantino 'music video' with an ridiculous song by The Coasters. Movie does require the slightly suspension of logicality, but well worth it in the end. Plus it has Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who makes Sydney Poitier look like Sidney Poitier.
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Stars: Kurt Russell (Big Trouble in Little China, Overboard)
Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Josie and the Pussycats)
YesNoSoso: 2
I WILL (and this is a big deal) that this is Tarantino's worst movie, but it is still fucking awesome. Excellent, though juvenile, dialogue surrounding a truly entertaining plot. Plus a classic Tarantino 'music video' with an ridiculous song by The Coasters. Movie does require the slightly suspension of logicality, but well worth it in the end. Plus it has Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who makes Sydney Poitier look like Sidney Poitier.
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Planet Terror (2007)
Director: Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Spy Kids)
Stars: Rose McGowen (Bio-Dome, Monkeybone [Bio-Dome is a stretch])
Freddy Rodriguez ("Six Feet Under", Lady in the Water)
YesNoSoso: 2
I usually have a tough a stomach for movies (except "embarrassment" humor like "Curb Your Enthusiasm), but even I had to look away a few times during my viewing of this movie. Still I'm a sucker for over-the-top craziness and this is the most over-the-top over-the-top movie of all time, at least as far as gross-out scenes. If you don't mind the violence this movie is pretty damn entertaining.
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Stars: Rose McGowen (Bio-Dome, Monkeybone [Bio-Dome is a stretch])
Freddy Rodriguez ("Six Feet Under", Lady in the Water)
YesNoSoso: 2
I usually have a tough a stomach for movies (except "embarrassment" humor like "Curb Your Enthusiasm), but even I had to look away a few times during my viewing of this movie. Still I'm a sucker for over-the-top craziness and this is the most over-the-top over-the-top movie of all time, at least as far as gross-out scenes. If you don't mind the violence this movie is pretty damn entertaining.
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1/13/09
30 Days of Night (2008)
Director: David Slade (Hard Candy [though I've never seen it])
Stars: Josh Hartnett (Sin City, 40 Days and 40 Nights)
Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma, The Punisher)
YesNoSoso: 1
This was a strange one, there were times when it was an emphatic zero and times it was an emphatic two. There were some awesomely stylized shots and some genuinely scary scenes, but the "bad guys" were wholly unbelievable and the ending was pretty stupid. I will say that the set up to the story is one of the best I'd ever heard, although that may include my anticipation of an explanation of which there was none. Basically its a horror movie that takes place Barrow, Alaska. The northern most town of the United States that experiences 30 days of night where the majority of the town leaves. And then some scary shit happens. Ben Foster turns in another truly talented performance (I've recently loved him in 3:10 to Yuma and "Freaks and Geeks"), but not enough to carry the movie. Plus he disappears rather abruptly. Just bad execution all around.
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Stars: Josh Hartnett (Sin City, 40 Days and 40 Nights)
Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma, The Punisher)
YesNoSoso: 1
This was a strange one, there were times when it was an emphatic zero and times it was an emphatic two. There were some awesomely stylized shots and some genuinely scary scenes, but the "bad guys" were wholly unbelievable and the ending was pretty stupid. I will say that the set up to the story is one of the best I'd ever heard, although that may include my anticipation of an explanation of which there was none. Basically its a horror movie that takes place Barrow, Alaska. The northern most town of the United States that experiences 30 days of night where the majority of the town leaves. And then some scary shit happens. Ben Foster turns in another truly talented performance (I've recently loved him in 3:10 to Yuma and "Freaks and Geeks"), but not enough to carry the movie. Plus he disappears rather abruptly. Just bad execution all around.
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1/12/09
Next (2007)
Director: Lee Tamahori (Mulholland Falls (kinda sucked), xXx: State of the Union)
Stars: Nicholas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, Ghostrider)
Julianne Moore (Children of Men, The Ladies Man)
YesNoSoso: 2
I know, I know I thought this movie would suck too, but I kind of enjoyed the whole idea. Loosely based on a Phillip K Dick short story (Blade Runner, Minority Report) revolves around a man who can see 2 minutes into his future. And Lee Tamahori executes it rather well, sometimes its tough to visually show futuristic theories like that. I am going to catch alot of flack for this, but I would re-watch this movie.
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Stars: Nicholas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, Ghostrider)
Julianne Moore (Children of Men, The Ladies Man)
YesNoSoso: 2
I know, I know I thought this movie would suck too, but I kind of enjoyed the whole idea. Loosely based on a Phillip K Dick short story (Blade Runner, Minority Report) revolves around a man who can see 2 minutes into his future. And Lee Tamahori executes it rather well, sometimes its tough to visually show futuristic theories like that. I am going to catch alot of flack for this, but I would re-watch this movie.
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Short Cuts (1993)
Director: Robert Altman (The Player, Popeye)
Stars: Tim Robbins (The Player, Antitrust)
Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, Eagle Eye)
YesNoSoso: 2
Just as an homage to the amazing casts that Altman has assembled I will try to list every famous person in this movie: Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr., Madeline Stowe, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Lori Singer, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry and Huey Lewis. Pretty fucking amazing eh? The downside to this movie: its three and a half hours long. But I swear to God its entertaining from start to finish. Give it a shot, just make sure you block out an entire night for it.
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Stars: Tim Robbins (The Player, Antitrust)
Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, Eagle Eye)
YesNoSoso: 2
Just as an homage to the amazing casts that Altman has assembled I will try to list every famous person in this movie: Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr., Madeline Stowe, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Lori Singer, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry and Huey Lewis. Pretty fucking amazing eh? The downside to this movie: its three and a half hours long. But I swear to God its entertaining from start to finish. Give it a shot, just make sure you block out an entire night for it.
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1/7/09
In Bruges (2008)
Director: Martin McDonagh (Only directed something called Six Shooter that I've never heard of)
Stars: Colin Farrell (Minority Report, S.W.A.T.)
Brian Gleeson (Gangs of New York, Lake Placid)
YesNoSoso: 2
An entirely original English gangster movie. Not as highly stylized as Snatch, but with an extremely inventive storyline. Colin Farrell and Brian Gleeson play hitmen hiding out in the Belgium city of Bruges. After a hit Farrell was ordered to commit goes wrong both characters have to deal with their hyperactive boss, Ralph Fiennes, and their inner demons. I know that sounds relatively standard, but you're just going to have to trust that I left things out to keep it fresh. I'm just sweet like that.
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Stars: Colin Farrell (Minority Report, S.W.A.T.)
Brian Gleeson (Gangs of New York, Lake Placid)
YesNoSoso: 2
An entirely original English gangster movie. Not as highly stylized as Snatch, but with an extremely inventive storyline. Colin Farrell and Brian Gleeson play hitmen hiding out in the Belgium city of Bruges. After a hit Farrell was ordered to commit goes wrong both characters have to deal with their hyperactive boss, Ralph Fiennes, and their inner demons. I know that sounds relatively standard, but you're just going to have to trust that I left things out to keep it fresh. I'm just sweet like that.
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1/5/09
Persepolis (2007)
Director: Vincent Paronnaud (Something called Raging Blues that I've never heard of and nothing else, Marjane Satrapi also gets a credit, cause writing a graphic novel does most of the work for a director, especially of an animated movie)
Stars: Chiara Mastroianni (A bunch of French shit I've never heard of)
Catherine Deneuve (Repulsion, Dancer in the Dark [both these movies are sweet, but almost everything else is french, plus I dig her style so fuck off])
YesNoSoso: 2
Awesome. The more movies I see the more I appreciate the genre of animation. This doesn't mean that there aren't assloads of terrible animated features, but I am very comfortable stating that the overall quality of a randomnly selected animated film is higher than its live-action counterpart. The plot is rather original and the stylistic animation is not only aesthetically mesmerizing but also like nothing I've ever seen. Plus watching cartoons do drugs is hilarious.
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Stars: Chiara Mastroianni (A bunch of French shit I've never heard of)
Catherine Deneuve (Repulsion, Dancer in the Dark [both these movies are sweet, but almost everything else is french, plus I dig her style so fuck off])
YesNoSoso: 2
Awesome. The more movies I see the more I appreciate the genre of animation. This doesn't mean that there aren't assloads of terrible animated features, but I am very comfortable stating that the overall quality of a randomnly selected animated film is higher than its live-action counterpart. The plot is rather original and the stylistic animation is not only aesthetically mesmerizing but also like nothing I've ever seen. Plus watching cartoons do drugs is hilarious.
IMDB
Wikipedia
1/2/09
1408 (2007)
Director: Mikael Hafstrom (Derailed and some foreign shit, his name has that 'a' thing with a circle over it and the o has 2 dots over it, so he's probably Scandinavian or Klingon)
Stars: John Cusack (High Fidelity, Must Love Dogs)
Samuel L Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Deep Blue Sea)
YesNoSoso: 0
I don't get it. This movie got respectable ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. One reviewer said it was one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King (its his short story). I thought it sucked. A shitload. I like John Cusack, well I like it when he doesn't do generic hollywood crap (which has been with an ever increasing rarity) but frankly this movie is beyond him. He's pretty much forced to single handedly carry the movie through its frights and derangment and simply doesn't have the chops.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: John Cusack (High Fidelity, Must Love Dogs)
Samuel L Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Deep Blue Sea)
YesNoSoso: 0
I don't get it. This movie got respectable ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. One reviewer said it was one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King (its his short story). I thought it sucked. A shitload. I like John Cusack, well I like it when he doesn't do generic hollywood crap (which has been with an ever increasing rarity) but frankly this movie is beyond him. He's pretty much forced to single handedly carry the movie through its frights and derangment and simply doesn't have the chops.
IMDB
Wikipedia
12 Angry Men (1957)
Director: Sidney Lumet (Network, Gloria)
Stars: Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West, Midway)
Lee J Cobb (The Exorcist, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (never seen it, but man, what a title])
YesNoSoso
I rewatched this movie on a flight back to Chicago and it was as enthralling and entertaining as it was the first time I saw it. This movie has sparked me to start an emphatic 2 tag (To compliment the already established emphatic 0). It will at some point be joined by the likes of Pulp Fiction, Requiem for a Dream and Godfather. The star studded cast spends all but 1 scene in a cramped jury room discussing and arguing the innocence of a young boy accused of murder. The viewer feels like he is stuck in that room as well. It maintains an astonishingly amount of applicability and and even greater amount of entertainment value.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West, Midway)
Lee J Cobb (The Exorcist, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (never seen it, but man, what a title])
YesNoSoso
I rewatched this movie on a flight back to Chicago and it was as enthralling and entertaining as it was the first time I saw it. This movie has sparked me to start an emphatic 2 tag (To compliment the already established emphatic 0). It will at some point be joined by the likes of Pulp Fiction, Requiem for a Dream and Godfather. The star studded cast spends all but 1 scene in a cramped jury room discussing and arguing the innocence of a young boy accused of murder. The viewer feels like he is stuck in that room as well. It maintains an astonishingly amount of applicability and and even greater amount of entertainment value.
IMDB
Wikipedia
The Dreamers (1993)
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris, Little Buddha [I kinda like this one but it's the only other movie I know])
Stars: Micheal Pitt (Finding Forrester, The Village)
Eva Green (Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven)
YesNoSoso: 1
If it wasn't for Eva Green being naked/in the throws of passion for three quarters of this movie I would've liked it significantly less. This movie really challenged me to choose between 1 and 2. I definitely enjoyed it, but I ended up giving it a 1 because the only thing causing me to want to watch this movie again was Eva Green's titties. They are awesome.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Micheal Pitt (Finding Forrester, The Village)
Eva Green (Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven)
YesNoSoso: 1
If it wasn't for Eva Green being naked/in the throws of passion for three quarters of this movie I would've liked it significantly less. This movie really challenged me to choose between 1 and 2. I definitely enjoyed it, but I ended up giving it a 1 because the only thing causing me to want to watch this movie again was Eva Green's titties. They are awesome.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Director: Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell 2, some other Japanese shit I've never heard of)
Stars: Its animation and I don't recognize anyone
YesNoSoso: 2
I was, I repeat was, one of those anti-Anime snobs who classified those who enjoyed the artform as super nerds on par with Star Trek (ed: only the trek is for losers, JEDI's 4EVA!). I softened my stance on it when I was exposed to the potential awesomeness of it in Kill Bill. The only other full length Anime I've ever seen was Spirited Away, which I thought was incredible, so I don't have much to compare it too. This movie was much more story than the child wonderment of Spirited Away. It was still very visually appealing, but with more of a plot.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Its animation and I don't recognize anyone
YesNoSoso: 2
I was, I repeat was, one of those anti-Anime snobs who classified those who enjoyed the artform as super nerds on par with Star Trek (ed: only the trek is for losers, JEDI's 4EVA!). I softened my stance on it when I was exposed to the potential awesomeness of it in Kill Bill. The only other full length Anime I've ever seen was Spirited Away, which I thought was incredible, so I don't have much to compare it too. This movie was much more story than the child wonderment of Spirited Away. It was still very visually appealing, but with more of a plot.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Step Brothers (2008)
Director: Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talledega Nights) [both pretty good]
Stars: Will Ferrell (Old School, Stranger than Fiction)
John C. Reilly (Gangs of New York, Anger Management)
YesNoSoso: 2
I try to go into every movie as fresh as possible, but unfortunately for Step Brothers (and most Will Ferrell movies) that was impossible. Everybody I know who saw this movie was either largely disappointed in it or just plain hated it. Maybe it was the low expectations, but I actually liked the movie. It is beyond stupid, but I actually laughed pretty consistently throughout the whole thing.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Will Ferrell (Old School, Stranger than Fiction)
John C. Reilly (Gangs of New York, Anger Management)
YesNoSoso: 2
I try to go into every movie as fresh as possible, but unfortunately for Step Brothers (and most Will Ferrell movies) that was impossible. Everybody I know who saw this movie was either largely disappointed in it or just plain hated it. Maybe it was the low expectations, but I actually liked the movie. It is beyond stupid, but I actually laughed pretty consistently throughout the whole thing.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Eagle Eye (2008)
Director: D.J. Caruso (Two for the Money [yeah he sucks])
Stars: Shia LeBeouf (I, Robot, Constantine)
Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor)
YesNoSoso: 1
If there was ever a movie that actually WAS a non-stop thrill ride, it would be Eagle Eye. From start to finish it is adreniline pounding cut scenes and car explosions. Unfortunately that's about all it has. There were a number of relativley important revelations at the end that aren't really explained. I don't hate Shia with the same passion that most movie nuts do, but irregardless, he was pretty lame in this movie. Watch it once if you want an action flick and the ability to turn your brain off for 2 hours.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Shia LeBeouf (I, Robot, Constantine)
Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor)
YesNoSoso: 1
If there was ever a movie that actually WAS a non-stop thrill ride, it would be Eagle Eye. From start to finish it is adreniline pounding cut scenes and car explosions. Unfortunately that's about all it has. There were a number of relativley important revelations at the end that aren't really explained. I don't hate Shia with the same passion that most movie nuts do, but irregardless, he was pretty lame in this movie. Watch it once if you want an action flick and the ability to turn your brain off for 2 hours.
IMDB
Wikipedia
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