Director: Steve Pink (I've never seen his other 2 films but he directed the awesome looking Hot Tub Time Machine)
Stars: Justin Long (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Herbie Fully Loaded)
Jonah Hill (Superbad, Evan Almighty)
YesNoSoso: 1
I definitely went into this movie with the dread associated with a guaranteed YesNoSoso 0 but actually enjoyed myself. Lewis Black gives an expectably funny performance and I'll be darned if I don't just like Justin Long for an inexplicable reason. Accepted has its funny moments but I really give it props for being unashamedly critical of the American collegiate system and the process's required for acceptance.
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12/28/09
Street Kings (2008)
Director: David Ayer (the only other thing he's directed is something called Harsh Times)
Stars: Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, The Lake House)
Forrest Whittaker (Blown Away, First Daughter)
YesNoSoso: 0
I never in a million years would've thought I'd hate a movie based on a James Ellroy book as much as I hated Street Kings. I guess Keanu Reeves can do that to a movie where's he's not there to act like a shocked idiot. There are things constantly happening in this movie and yet its still boring as sh!t. The entire premise is stupid as hell, Keanu plays a reformed dirty cop who witnesses the murder of another cop. We all know how it ends and who did it and yet we have to wait 2 f@cking hours for Theodore Logan to figure it out. Dear G-d skip this crap.
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Wikipedia
Stars: Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, The Lake House)
Forrest Whittaker (Blown Away, First Daughter)
YesNoSoso: 0
I never in a million years would've thought I'd hate a movie based on a James Ellroy book as much as I hated Street Kings. I guess Keanu Reeves can do that to a movie where's he's not there to act like a shocked idiot. There are things constantly happening in this movie and yet its still boring as sh!t. The entire premise is stupid as hell, Keanu plays a reformed dirty cop who witnesses the murder of another cop. We all know how it ends and who did it and yet we have to wait 2 f@cking hours for Theodore Logan to figure it out. Dear G-d skip this crap.
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Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
Director: Christine Jeffs (Sylvia [but I didn't see it], and I didn't see anything else she directed])
Stars: Amy Adams (Catch Me if You Can, Enchanted)
Emily Blunt (Charlie Wilson's War, The Devil Wears Prada)
YesNoSoso: 1
A solid movie, just not spectacular. Adams, Blunt, Alan Arkin and the always awesome Steve Zahn deliver good performances in a relatively fresh idea, its just that the implementation is a little stale and predictable. Worth a look, but not much more.
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Stars: Amy Adams (Catch Me if You Can, Enchanted)
Emily Blunt (Charlie Wilson's War, The Devil Wears Prada)
YesNoSoso: 1
A solid movie, just not spectacular. Adams, Blunt, Alan Arkin and the always awesome Steve Zahn deliver good performances in a relatively fresh idea, its just that the implementation is a little stale and predictable. Worth a look, but not much more.
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Year One (2009)
Director: Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, Bedazzled)
Stars: Jack Black (Tropic Thunder, Shallow Hal)
Michael Cera (Superbad, "Arrested Development" [clearly awesome, he hasn't really been in anything bad that I've seen])
YesNoSoso: 1
This movie was a real surprise. I had heard so many horrible things about it, I may have enjoyed myself purely out of surprise, but I did. It had a lot of funny moments and a lot of tongue in cheek bible/geeky history jokes. The movie has a great cast including Black, Cera, David Cross (my personal messiah), Oliver Platt, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Paul Rudd, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Olivia Wilde, and Bill Hader. If you are in the mood for a dumb comedy thats not too dumb, check out Year One.
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Stars: Jack Black (Tropic Thunder, Shallow Hal)
Michael Cera (Superbad, "Arrested Development" [clearly awesome, he hasn't really been in anything bad that I've seen])
YesNoSoso: 1
This movie was a real surprise. I had heard so many horrible things about it, I may have enjoyed myself purely out of surprise, but I did. It had a lot of funny moments and a lot of tongue in cheek bible/geeky history jokes. The movie has a great cast including Black, Cera, David Cross (my personal messiah), Oliver Platt, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Paul Rudd, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Olivia Wilde, and Bill Hader. If you are in the mood for a dumb comedy thats not too dumb, check out Year One.
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Avatar (2009)
Director: James Cameron (True Lies, Aliens [I don't care what you think, that movie is terrible])
Stars: Sam Worthington (I really don't think he's been in a good movie, Terminator: Salvation)
Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Heartbreakers)
YesNoSoso: 2
Believe it or not I actually waffled on what to give this movie as I was watching it in Imax 3D. It was easily the coolest graphics I've ever seen and the story was actually really good, but the dialogue was terrible in many a spot and I don't really have any desire to see it again. However, Avatar's moniker as a "game-changer" is well deserved. I hope that in the near future all movies look as awesome as Avatar. Do yourself a favor and see this movie in IMAX 3D.
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Stars: Sam Worthington (I really don't think he's been in a good movie, Terminator: Salvation)
Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Heartbreakers)
YesNoSoso: 2
Believe it or not I actually waffled on what to give this movie as I was watching it in Imax 3D. It was easily the coolest graphics I've ever seen and the story was actually really good, but the dialogue was terrible in many a spot and I don't really have any desire to see it again. However, Avatar's moniker as a "game-changer" is well deserved. I hope that in the near future all movies look as awesome as Avatar. Do yourself a favor and see this movie in IMAX 3D.
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Extract (2009)
Director: Mike Judge (Idiocracy, "King of the Hill")
Stars: Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development", Teen Wolf Too)
Kristin Wiig (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Semi-Pro)
YesNoSoso: 2
Mike Judge does an amazing job of capturing the essence of unintelligent. From Beavis & Butthead, to everybody in Idiocracy to the factory workers in Extract, Judge is incredible at painting hilariously stupid but very frustrating characters. The critics didn't love Extract, but I did. The phenomenal cast of Bateman, Wiig, Judge, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Gene Simmons and the wildly underrated J.K. Simmons and David Koechner all give great performances and I believe Extract is Judge's most complete script.
IMDB
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Stars: Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development", Teen Wolf Too)
Kristin Wiig (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Semi-Pro)
YesNoSoso: 2
Mike Judge does an amazing job of capturing the essence of unintelligent. From Beavis & Butthead, to everybody in Idiocracy to the factory workers in Extract, Judge is incredible at painting hilariously stupid but very frustrating characters. The critics didn't love Extract, but I did. The phenomenal cast of Bateman, Wiig, Judge, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Gene Simmons and the wildly underrated J.K. Simmons and David Koechner all give great performances and I believe Extract is Judge's most complete script.
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12/27/09
Waiting...(2005)
Director: Rob McKittrick (directorial debut and hasn't (wisely) been given another chance)
Stars: Justin Long (Idiocracy, Alvin and the Chipmunks)
Ryan Reynolds (Dick, Blade: Trinity [soooo many choices...])
YesNoSoso: 0
Writing about YesNoSoso 0's is always one of two scenarios: either I don't have enough space to say all the things about the movie that pissed me off or I have nothing to say at all. This is of the latter. I didn't hate Waiting... and perhaps that's why I don't have much to say about it. I just wish I hadn't watched it. The cast is actually pretty good, besides the anti-chris...I mean Dane Cook. The solid cast of Long, Reynolds (who I love but hate most of the movies he's in), Luis Guzman, David Koechner and Anna Farris aren't enough to save this horrible movie.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Justin Long (Idiocracy, Alvin and the Chipmunks)
Ryan Reynolds (Dick, Blade: Trinity [soooo many choices...])
YesNoSoso: 0
Writing about YesNoSoso 0's is always one of two scenarios: either I don't have enough space to say all the things about the movie that pissed me off or I have nothing to say at all. This is of the latter. I didn't hate Waiting... and perhaps that's why I don't have much to say about it. I just wish I hadn't watched it. The cast is actually pretty good, besides the anti-chris...I mean Dane Cook. The solid cast of Long, Reynolds (who I love but hate most of the movies he's in), Luis Guzman, David Koechner and Anna Farris aren't enough to save this horrible movie.
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True Lies (1994)
Director: James Cameron (Terminator 2, Titanic)
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Total Recall, Batman & Robin)
Jamie Lee Curtis (Trading Places, Freaky Friday)
YesNoSoso: 2
True Lies is the movie I always forget when I'm blasting James Cameron. This movie is absolutely incredible and really one of a kind. Its almost as if Cameron tricked Schwarzenegger into doing this movie. True Lies is essentially a satire of Arnold's movies, but its also (in my opinion) his best one. It pulls off the ultra-rare feat of trying to satirize a specific genre of movie, being successful and also making a great movie WITHIN the genre it was trying to satirize. I would imagine if I told 1000 people that I believe James Cameron has only one Emphatic 2, I'd get a whole lot of Terminator 2's, some Aliens, a few Titanics and an Abyss or 2, but not a single True Lies. (BTW if your curious T2 is a begrudged 2 (I don't think its stood the test of time), Aliens and Titanic are f-ing zeros and I don't remember the Abyss enough to give it a rating [not a good sign]).
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Wikipedia
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Total Recall, Batman & Robin)
Jamie Lee Curtis (Trading Places, Freaky Friday)
YesNoSoso: 2
True Lies is the movie I always forget when I'm blasting James Cameron. This movie is absolutely incredible and really one of a kind. Its almost as if Cameron tricked Schwarzenegger into doing this movie. True Lies is essentially a satire of Arnold's movies, but its also (in my opinion) his best one. It pulls off the ultra-rare feat of trying to satirize a specific genre of movie, being successful and also making a great movie WITHIN the genre it was trying to satirize. I would imagine if I told 1000 people that I believe James Cameron has only one Emphatic 2, I'd get a whole lot of Terminator 2's, some Aliens, a few Titanics and an Abyss or 2, but not a single True Lies. (BTW if your curious T2 is a begrudged 2 (I don't think its stood the test of time), Aliens and Titanic are f-ing zeros and I don't remember the Abyss enough to give it a rating [not a good sign]).
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Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Death Proof [which I still think is pretty f-ing awesome])
Stars: Brad Pitt (12 Monkeys, Seven Years in Tibet [which was still decent])
Christoph Waltz (some German films I've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie was freakin amazing. I honestly (and foolishly) thought that it was going to be Tarantino's take on the classic World War II genre, but Tarantino filmed this much more as a western set in World War II. The results are incredible (I love westerns, especially those with a Tarantino twist). I've debated putting this in here, because one of the tenements of YesNoSoso is quick descriptions of movies that give as little away as possible, but I really feel this next point is a huge part of this movies greatness. So here's you're prerequisite "spoiler alert": One of the things that I loved most about this movie was that for most of the it I was under the assumption that the events transpiring were happening during the real time line of World War II and the movie was just revealing an "unknown" storyline of World War II. Because of this assumption, I was watching under the pretense that the Basterds plan was doomed for failure. Because of this misdirection the climax was a true surprise (a rarity at this stage in my movie watching).
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Brad Pitt (12 Monkeys, Seven Years in Tibet [which was still decent])
Christoph Waltz (some German films I've never heard of)
YesNoSoso: 2
This movie was freakin amazing. I honestly (and foolishly) thought that it was going to be Tarantino's take on the classic World War II genre, but Tarantino filmed this much more as a western set in World War II. The results are incredible (I love westerns, especially those with a Tarantino twist). I've debated putting this in here, because one of the tenements of YesNoSoso is quick descriptions of movies that give as little away as possible, but I really feel this next point is a huge part of this movies greatness. So here's you're prerequisite "spoiler alert": One of the things that I loved most about this movie was that for most of the it I was under the assumption that the events transpiring were happening during the real time line of World War II and the movie was just revealing an "unknown" storyline of World War II. Because of this assumption, I was watching under the pretense that the Basterds plan was doomed for failure. Because of this misdirection the climax was a true surprise (a rarity at this stage in my movie watching).
IMDB
Wikipedia
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Director: Julian Schnabel (Basquiat, only other movie is Before Night Falls which I've never seen)
Stars: Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace [which I haven't seen but heard bad things about], a bunch of french films I've never heard of)
Max Von Sydow (The Seventh Seal, Rush Hour 3)
YesNoSoso: 1
Another "Oscar-worthy" movie that I thought was totally overrated. The effects and style used in the beginning to portray Bouby's "locked-in syndrome" are both fascinating and terrifying. But the movie as a whole is incredibly formulaic. Guy is on top of the world. Guy is an a$$hole. Guy gets in terrible accident. Guy loses everything. Guy initially gives up. Guy eventually learns to live again. Guy becomes a better person. Seen it.
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Wikipedia
Stars: Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace [which I haven't seen but heard bad things about], a bunch of french films I've never heard of)
Max Von Sydow (The Seventh Seal, Rush Hour 3)
YesNoSoso: 1
Another "Oscar-worthy" movie that I thought was totally overrated. The effects and style used in the beginning to portray Bouby's "locked-in syndrome" are both fascinating and terrifying. But the movie as a whole is incredibly formulaic. Guy is on top of the world. Guy is an a$$hole. Guy gets in terrible accident. Guy loses everything. Guy initially gives up. Guy eventually learns to live again. Guy becomes a better person. Seen it.
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Wikipedia
Harold & Kumar Escape from Gauntanamo Bay (2008)
Director: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg (directorial debut, they wrote this as well as the original)
Stars: John Cho (Better Luck Tomorrow, In Good Company)
Kal Penn (Van Wilder [a...decent movie], Son of the Mask)
YesNoSoso: 1
I really wrestled with this rating, cause I thought the movie was a huge disappointment, but then I wised up and realized I was just comparing it to the original, which I loved. I finally arrived at the fact that I enjoyed the 2 hours and was just being stubborn. Heck I could watch Rob Corddry make funny faces for 2 hours and be entertained. Overall though, this sequel is just too haphazard for my tastes. Nothing really makes sense and things are way too convenient, even for a absurd comedy such as this.
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Stars: John Cho (Better Luck Tomorrow, In Good Company)
Kal Penn (Van Wilder [a...decent movie], Son of the Mask)
YesNoSoso: 1
I really wrestled with this rating, cause I thought the movie was a huge disappointment, but then I wised up and realized I was just comparing it to the original, which I loved. I finally arrived at the fact that I enjoyed the 2 hours and was just being stubborn. Heck I could watch Rob Corddry make funny faces for 2 hours and be entertained. Overall though, this sequel is just too haphazard for my tastes. Nothing really makes sense and things are way too convenient, even for a absurd comedy such as this.
IMDB
Wikipedia
12/26/09
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Director: David Fincher (Fight Club, Panic Room [which I actually liked])
Stars: Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds, Cool World)
Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There, nothing I've ever seen of hers has really been that bad)
YesNoSoso: 1
I didn't think this movie was bad and perhaps I'm just overreacting to all the positive hype that surrounded this movie, but I didn't think it was anything special. As the YesNoSoso mantra dictates for a 1, I enjoyed my 2 hours (or rather 2 hours and 46 minutes) but wouldn't go back for a second helping. Maybe the ridiculous length had something to do with it (I saw no reason for this movie to be so long), but I also just didn't find the premise to be all that interesting and didn't really identify with the titular character at all. I suppose it was just me, but I simply didn't think The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was all that great. As a fun side-game, look at Brad Pitt's IMDB page and see how far back you have to go before you find a truly bad movie. Some would argue that he doesn't even really have one, and has been in 62 movies plus 25 more in production. Hot damn he's awesome.
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Wikipedia
Stars: Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds, Cool World)
Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There, nothing I've ever seen of hers has really been that bad)
YesNoSoso: 1
I didn't think this movie was bad and perhaps I'm just overreacting to all the positive hype that surrounded this movie, but I didn't think it was anything special. As the YesNoSoso mantra dictates for a 1, I enjoyed my 2 hours (or rather 2 hours and 46 minutes) but wouldn't go back for a second helping. Maybe the ridiculous length had something to do with it (I saw no reason for this movie to be so long), but I also just didn't find the premise to be all that interesting and didn't really identify with the titular character at all. I suppose it was just me, but I simply didn't think The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was all that great. As a fun side-game, look at Brad Pitt's IMDB page and see how far back you have to go before you find a truly bad movie. Some would argue that he doesn't even really have one, and has been in 62 movies plus 25 more in production. Hot damn he's awesome.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Man on Wire (2008)
Director: James Marsh (The King [never saw it, heard it was good], nothing else I've ever heard of)
Stars: Phillipe Petit (the movie doesn't contain actors, its a documentary)
YesNoSoso: 2
An extrodinary documentary about Phillipe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974. When I first heard of this documentary it was accompanied by lots of hype but I was skeptical. How could a movie about a high-wire act entertain me for two entire hours? But Man on Wire is stylized as more of a caper documentary than anything else. Highly entertaining and beautifully shot.
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Wikipedia
Stars: Phillipe Petit (the movie doesn't contain actors, its a documentary)
YesNoSoso: 2
An extrodinary documentary about Phillipe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974. When I first heard of this documentary it was accompanied by lots of hype but I was skeptical. How could a movie about a high-wire act entertain me for two entire hours? But Man on Wire is stylized as more of a caper documentary than anything else. Highly entertaining and beautifully shot.
IMDB
Wikipedia
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
Director: Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette [never saw it, but heard it was good])
Stars: Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman II, Spiderman III)
James Woods (Casino, Scary Movie 2)
YesNoSoso: 2
I believe this is Sofia Coppola's best movie, although I've never fully forgiven her for ruining Godfather III and I don't think Lost in Translation was the beautiful piece of art that everybody else seems to think [it is a YesNoSoso 1]. This movie has a very good cast including Dunst, Woods, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito and Josh Hartnett and is actually contains a very compelling story (unlike say...Lost in Translation). A very under appreciated movie.
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Stars: Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman II, Spiderman III)
James Woods (Casino, Scary Movie 2)
YesNoSoso: 2
I believe this is Sofia Coppola's best movie, although I've never fully forgiven her for ruining Godfather III and I don't think Lost in Translation was the beautiful piece of art that everybody else seems to think [it is a YesNoSoso 1]. This movie has a very good cast including Dunst, Woods, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito and Josh Hartnett and is actually contains a very compelling story (unlike say...Lost in Translation). A very under appreciated movie.
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Wikipedia
Primer (2004)
Director: Shane Carruth (literally nothing else)
Stars: Shane Carruth (see above)
David Sullivan (nothing of consequence)
YesNoSoso: 2
I found this on a list of movies that originated at Sundance and went on to have cult followings. It was the only movie on the list that I didn't love, mostly because I'd never heard of it. It followed suit with its fellow Sundance alumni. Primer received a YesNoSoso 2 on a purely "it was so confusing I have to watch it again" basis, but I enjoy that in a movie. Check out the IMDB page: this movie is as pure of an autueristic vision as I've ever seen. The director/writer/actor/sound composer/etc Shane Carruth, an engineer by trade, wanted to make a new type of time travel movie and didn't want to dumb it down at all. What you get is an extremely technical but thoroughly entertaining time travel movie that is like nothing you've ever seen before. Don't go in thinking your gonna see Time Cop 2, but also don't expect one viewing to be enough to fully grasp its plot.
IMDB
Wikipedia
Stars: Shane Carruth (see above)
David Sullivan (nothing of consequence)
YesNoSoso: 2
I found this on a list of movies that originated at Sundance and went on to have cult followings. It was the only movie on the list that I didn't love, mostly because I'd never heard of it. It followed suit with its fellow Sundance alumni. Primer received a YesNoSoso 2 on a purely "it was so confusing I have to watch it again" basis, but I enjoy that in a movie. Check out the IMDB page: this movie is as pure of an autueristic vision as I've ever seen. The director/writer/actor/sound composer/etc Shane Carruth, an engineer by trade, wanted to make a new type of time travel movie and didn't want to dumb it down at all. What you get is an extremely technical but thoroughly entertaining time travel movie that is like nothing you've ever seen before. Don't go in thinking your gonna see Time Cop 2, but also don't expect one viewing to be enough to fully grasp its plot.
IMDB
Wikipedia
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