Munich (2005) -- 8/10

I was excited to see this until I read on the sleeve that it is 2 hours, 45 minutes long... luckily, it is a fantastic movie and kept my attention the whole time. Great acting, good mix of action and suspense with backstory and the humanity side of things.

I agree with your review. some parts were a bit long but the overall was great.
7.5/10 for me. it's not a 8 just because there was some slow scenes.

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The Number 23 (2007)
Let me just say: when i saw the preview back in 2006, this looked like the must see movie of the year. but as the critics review came in, it looked more and more like a flop.

So i decided to check it out on dvd instead of at the cinema and it wasn't as bad as I thought. It's a good story: enough to me entertained through the 1st half or so. then it stopped being as good but nothing bad. I wont go in detail with the story because i don't want to ruin it. Just know that the preview really focuses on the #23 but this movie doesn't use it as much as you might think.

Overall, it's a great little thriller with a good twist that keeps the story not too complex and not too long.

My overall rating for this movie is: 7.5/10

Stardust 9/10
Wasn't what I expected, and I had no expectations. It was a nice modern twist to the prince coming of age mythos. Really enjoyed it alot. I recommend it.

Three Guys Named Mike 6/10

This was light and fun. We have such high expectations for films made today that I sometimes forget, for a moment, what made me a lover of films to begin with.

Shooter (2007)
Another one for tonight: This is a great shooter action movie with a good story and no romance to bring it down. Staring Marc Walhberg as the army expert sniper. The story is quite better than what the critics and preview said.

The action is over the top in some scene but it makes it seem like I'm watching a movie and not just a tv show. so in general, i was really satisfied with the story and action. The acting is probably the low point of the movie but not enough to kill it.

I would recommend you rent it if you want a good action movie and if you REALLY like action and storyline like The sentinel(shooter was better), then buy it. I'll probably watch it again someday.

My overall rating for this movie is: 7.8/10

Thank You For Smoking 8/10

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would at first. It seemed like it was going to be straight on satire that would get a little sa-tiresome. But it mutated into something else. Something that I can't quite put a word to yet. But it's really something when a movie gets you rooting for the cigarette guy, you know what I mean?

I think this was Aaron Eckhart's finest performance since his debut in The Company of Men. I give it an eight because there were a few loose ends and some elements that made some scenes fall a little flat for me. But overall I found it to be very enjoyable.

Friends With Money 7/10

Passable, though it petered out and didn't really have much of a point, aside from how everyone is miserable. Jennifer Aniston looks pretty hot in a French maid outfit.

I don't know I really like Alejandro González Iñárritu's movies a lot and Gael García Bernal is awesome, but I just couldn't get into this movie. The entire story line with the model just bugged me. Also, I can't stand the thought of dog fighting at all, which probably turned me off even more to the movie. I did like the story dealing with El Chivo I think it was. The stories really seemed to disjointed even for this type of a movie. I will give it a 5/10.

Transformers. 8.5/10

I thought this movie was great! One of the best movies I have seen for a while. Great acting, really good jokes, amazing CG. But it had way to many close ups and it got hard to see who was who. Also the Autobots kinda seemed like pussies.

I recommend this movie to everyone.

thanks for bringing it up! I think the reasons I liked the movie is because it seemed more real than anything. and yes, the model's story wasn't that good.
Sorry you didn't like it as much as I did.
and to anyone planning to watch it: yes, there is dog fights in the movie and yes, they look real and you see lot of blood in a few scenes.

Harsh Times (2006, Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez) 6/10

This movie had its moments, I love Bale as an actor and at times he had me laughing out loud. But overall this movie didn't really do anything for me. They talk with "hommie speak" the whole time and that REALLY gets on the nerves.

Little Children--I agree with Mixed that the characters were unlikeable but I found the story riveting. I also liked the addition of a documentary style narration throughout. Besides, I could watch Kate Winslet all day. 9/10.

Hairspray - 10

I loved it. This was great. There were times I forgot that Travolta was not female. Blonsky was fabulous.

Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag
If more IMAX cinemas had longer movies, they'd definitely fill up. tonight, we had 15people max!

The movie is like watching discovery channel for 1hr. it's good but not something I'd watch again. as far as all the Imax movies I've seen, this is just average for them. clocking at under 45min, it's also very very short!!

It follows the story of a red flag event in Vegas. it's a war game scenario with a few countries like canada, england, the states, and a couple more from europe. they explain some of the training but overall, it seemed fake.

If you can find it for less than 5$, go see it but any more than that is a fucking waste of money. they have this awesome setup of a screen and they can't give a better movie.

My rating for this movie is: 6.9/10

Heaven, with Giovani Ribisi and Cate Blanchet.

I give it at least an 8. It refuses to follow standard plotlines, and the final scene is perfect.

Simpsons 8/10

Laugh a minute and true to the Simpsons franchise. I, however, did not wish to see animated 2-D genitals. There are also flashes through the credits of various doings... Maggie speaks as well in the credits. Pan laughed so loud I wanted to gag him.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO SEE THIS MOVIE

There are several bouts of shit, damn and son of a bitch. Not to mention a naked... yeah.

I'm taking my eight year old to see it today. It certainly won't be the first time she's heard shit, damn and son of a bitch. :p

Simpsons- 3/10

Dull. The jokes bombed even with our less-than-intelligent audience. The legacy of mediocrity continues.

The Bourne Identity - 8/10
The Bourne Supremacy - 8/10
I was very satisfied by these two action movies. The chase scene in the tunnels of Berlin in Supremacy was particularly cool.

Did you like the style of movie of the 1st one better than the 2nd one? i personally hate the 2nd one's filming type. it was very hard to concentrate with the constant close ups and camera shakes. But the overall story line was great.

I definitely agree with that assessment. When I saw it in theaters, I nearly got sick from it... although it's not as bad on a smaller TV. The fight inside the other agent's house was definitely confusing since both were wearing dark clothes.

I'm pumped for the 3rd one. :)

The Simpsons Movie 7/10

Eh...While I enjoyed the film, it lacked the unforced charm of the series when it was in its prime. I wanted to see more of the ancillary characters that we know and love. Talking to my daughter's boyfriend about it last night, who is a true Simpsons aficionado, he agreed and made what I think is a very relevant point, (possibly a spoiler, maybe not, but just in case) Spoiler: "Alaska was a mistake, because it took you away from Springfield and the other characters."

I think overall they could have done better with the story, but it was an enjoyable 1 hr., 40-so min., it just wasn't up to the standards set by the show in its glory days. Even my 8-year-old was a little underwhelmed by it. I wanted it to be better.

hal hartley: fay grimm

somehow i missed hartley altogether, so this is the first of his films that i have seen. and it was great fun. parker posey at her Most Fabulous, excellent writing, interesting conceptually...lovely lovely. see it, but see henry fool first. you dont have to, but i think the film would work differently if you did the two in that order.

Sling Blade - 5/10

Good story and all, but way to drawn out for me.

The Number 23 - 9/10

I love movies like this. Really nothing too spectacular, but just wacky and cool.

You are the only other person I've met who's seen Henry Fool, lol. I love that film. You must check out The Unbelievable Truth and Trust, too.

Sunshine - 9.5/10

I absolutely loved this movie. The actors did a great job, the story was amazing, cinematography was up to par with Boyle movies and just overall one of the best sci-fi movies I've ever seen.

I have to admit that I'm a Danny Boyle fan to begin with, but I'm definitely seeing this movie again.

I was seriously weary after that fight scene in the last guy's apartment but other than that, #2 was very enjoyable

When introducing people to the ED movies now I tend to just skip the first and move straight on to ED2 then AoD. The camp value plus the humor of them can draw people in. I LOVE the original Evil Dead but it really is one of those movies that you can't expect alot of people to "get" basically for the reasons you said. It shouldn't be watched in a vacuum.

BTW If you ever get the chance to see Evil Dead: The Musical, do so. It's the most fun I've had at the theater in my life.

Munich - 4/10
Disappointed with this film. So much material to work with, and they missed the boat completely. I didn't like that the Mossad agents were portrayed as touchy-feely menschs trading cooking recipes, guffawing over family idiosyncracies, and celebrating the birth of newborns. They overdid it. These are hitmen goddammit, not Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau. And I also didn't like the half-baked throwaway attempt by the director to show the humanity of the terrorists and their supporters rooting for them back home. 10-15 seconds of camera time for propriety, to show them applauding or crying or mournfully embracing loved ones whatever, then scene over. This could have been a great movie.

The Godfather - 9/10
Now here's an honest, compelling, exciting movie portrayed with style and realism - the polar opposite to Munich. Where the former deals with suspense and murder and violence as if its a made-for-TV docudrama, this movie has no such reservations. Marlon Brando single-handedly makes this movie what it is...one of the best, most watchable, most enjoyable gangster movies ever made. By far the best of the series. It's interesting to watch the young, innocent, dashing Michael Corleone - college grad, war hero, civilian - actually turn out to be the coldest, most ruthless, most psychopathic Corleone of the bunch.

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - 9/10
Almost perfect mainstream American movie. Not only is Jack Nicholson phenomenal, but so is the rest of the cast. One the one hand, a heartbreaking, terrifying movie...on the other, a hilarious, life-affirming triumph of the human spirit. The fishing trip scene is 30 minutes of movie heaven. I've seen this movie many times, but I caught something hilarious for the first time, during the fishing trip: While McMurphy introduces all the other inmates to the dock boss as "Dr" he introduces Harding as "Mr." And Harding returns it with a dirty look. Hehe!

The Astronaut Farmer
This is an interesting movie with a super basic story. Billy Bob Thornton is a good actor in this movie which is a complete change on his other recent films. The kids on the other hand are horrible actors and i didn't feel like it was a real family. The concept of the movie is great and fun to watch and the ending is a bit too "Feel good" but the opposite would have been too much to take for most people.

My overall rating for this movie is: 7/10 Good family rental.

The hills have eyes 2
even before I started the movie, i knew what it was gonna be. so i can't be too hard on it. If you haven't seen the 1st one, you wont miss much except that the bad guys(mutants) are not explained what so ever. it's simply, they're just bad guys for no reason. So the story is the basic same as the 1st movie and the acting is just as bad as any horror movie.

If you want a simple brutal horror movie, then check it out. Rental no more.
My overall rating for this movie is: 6/10

Hot Fuzz
I don't get why this movie was so popular. I watched it and thought it was just a generic police movie. nothing special especially not the predictable storyline.

Its the same way i felt after seeing Shawn of the dead. It's not that it's a bad movie but theres nothing GREAT about it that makes it stand out. The acting is allright, the story is allright, it's an overall allright movie; nothing more.

Don't expect a comedy because it's really not funny. It's also not a crazy mad action movie like the american movies do it. if you liked shawn of the dead, then you might really like this one but I can't recommend it.

My overall rating for this movie is: 6.5/10

Just watched Babel on DVD last night... I give it a 6 out of 10. Interesting ideas, but not a whole lot of cohesion going for it. Maybe that was the point, but I experience strange languages being thrown at me daily, with family in five countries... so that part didn't really affect me. I think the attempted complexity of the film could have been done much better, somehow.

I also disliked how all the 3rd-world people were made to appear rather stupid/non-thinking, that we were supposed to feel bad for them just because of their decisions? I wasn't particularly impressed by the big-name American stars, either... Brad and Cate's characters could have been played equally well by any random people, and Gael Garcia Bernal had a horrible part.

However, I did like how clearly the film illustrated the stupidity of the "terrorism" label, and how asinine it is to value one life over everyone else's, just because that life happens to carry an American passport. Seeing all the fuss over Cate's character, while life in the village went on as normal (and people died every day, for lack of a doctor and proper medical facilities)... I found that to be very powerful, maybe because I've seen it happen first-hand in rural Zambia as well. (The only doctor there was a veterinarian, as well.)

Oh, and why didn't Brad and Cate's characters take the damn bus to the hospital, a few hours away? She could have lain on the floor of the bus and been there quickly, rather than stuck in that town for what seemed like a week.

Transformers 7/10

I didn't like the inability to distinguish which bad guy was which, they all looked the same to me. But was still a fun movie to watch...

The Woodsman 6/10

Just strange because Kevin Bacon plays a rehabilitated pedophile.

I actually thought that was an interesting movie, particularly since the character was neither good nor evil. Kevin Bacon always surprises me with his range. I would give that one a 7.5/10 for good character development.

The Dead Girl--really an all star cast which included Toni Collette, Giovanni Ribisi and Britney Murphy. Another many stories connected to one event type film, a la Crash, but really well done and to me, quite riveting. I watched it twice, which is unusual for me. If you see it at the video store its worth the 5 bucks--8.5/10.

Bourne Ultimatum - 9/10

This movie outdid its self and the previous two by far. It brought peace to the trilogy, resolved a lot of plots, and was simply kick-ass the whole way through it.

Sadly the entire series butchered the books, but whatever. The movies at least were good.


Just to inform you, it is back in the third. They did improve on it some though, not nearly as bad. But it is still definitely there.

To Live And Die in LA
7/10

I didn't realize that this was the precursor to things like NYPD Blue and The Shield wherein the good guy bends and breaks laws to make the bust he so desperately wanted to. Classic 80's movie from the music to the big hair.

The Sting - 9/10
This is a helluva enjoyable movie. Set in 1930s Chicago (lots of art-deco ornamentation for fans of the genre), big shot NYC gangster is lured into an elaborate gambling scheme by Chicago street grifters Paul Newman & his protege Robert Redford, who both put on an acting clinic. A veritable cavalcade of top notch character actors, plot twists and genuine surprises. Fast paced, gritty, witty, intelligent and funny dialogue. I don't know who played Irish Doyle Lonnegan (the gangster), but he was awesome. My first time seeing this movie, wasn't expecting much. Stayed up til 4am watching it. A very pleasant surprise.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - 8/10
1958 version with Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. I enjoyed this movie a lot. All about family power politics: favoritism, dysfunctionality, alcoholism, success, failure - you name it its probably here. Elizabeth Taylor oozes charm, beauty and cunning in his one. I couldn't take my eyes off her when she was onscreen. The bitter father-son relationship between family patriach Burl Ives and Paul Newman is quite intense and poignant.

Disturbia:
Stop with the remakes!! It wasn't overly bad but it was soooo predictable that I was almost falling asleep in some parts. If you've seen the simpsons episode about the pool, then you know this movie.

I liked the overall cast and the setting was good but the acting was a bit off for some. For a popcorn flick, this is good but don't expect an oscar worthy movie.

It's an OK thriller just good enough for a rental or possibly wait for it on HBO.
My overall Rating for this movie is: 6/10

I've watched a few movies over the last couple of weeks:

The Aviator 8/10
I expected to be left underwhelmed by this movie but actually found it to be quite entertaining. Leonardo DiCaprio does an outstanding job of portraying this very complex and inscrutable figure in the American parade of eccentric characters.

The Stepford Wives 6/10
I was hanging with this movie for a while. I loved the whole campy, schticky feel of it. But about halfway in it started to lose me. There are huge, gaping plot holes and it just lost the sparkle it had in the first half. But the bit where Roger Bart whispers 'She's fabulous!' during Glenn Close's big Norma Desmond scene was, well, fabulous! Otherwise, I really disliked the ending. I'm not sure how the original book ended, but it just seemed gratuitous and really, really Hollywood.

The Million Dollar Hotel 7/10
I hoped to like this movie better, but...eh. Normally I'm a big fan of Wim Wenders' films but this one just didn't move me much. Probably Milla Jovovich's best acting performance, though. Good music.

300 7/10
I gave this film a much higher score when I saw it in the theater, but unless you have a ginormous high def tv and sound system then, sorry folks, you missed it.

Short Cuts 10/10
I've watched this movie many times and I just love it. A Robert Altman film that is possibly the first of the latter day star-studded films with multi-adjacent plot lines (a la, Traffic, Crash, Babel, etc.). P had never seen it before so I wanted to watch it with him. He found it depressing and I suppose it is...depending on your outlook on life. Me, not so much. There's a lot of comedy in the film. P found it a plus to see Madeleine Stowe completely naked and Julianne Moore walking around arguing with her husband with no clothes on from the waist down - and yes, I mean NO clothes on. But it's real, for the situation, you know? That's one thing I really love about this film - it has a very natural, uncinematic quality to it that makes it very immediate. A few of the stories do end in various stages of tragedy, but that is very real, too. Plus, Tom Waits is in it which is worth 2-3 stars alone in my book. I highly recommend this film if you haven't seen it. It is a little lengthy - about 3 hours, I think, but it's worth it.

Apocalypto 8/10
I truly didn't know what to expect from this one. #1 - it is a great film and I admire Mel Gibson for making it. It is a "huge" film made without grandeur or epic proportions. The performances are very believable yet bold. My only criticism is that I didn't get to know the main characters well enough to invest a lot of empathy in them. Not that it didn't stir up my emotions - quite to the contrary the village invasion scene was incredibly disturbing to me. I almost couldn't continue to watch it. P loves this film (he had seen it before) and it puzzles me why he found Short Cuts depressing but not this one, lol. (I'm still pondering that one - perhaps because the people in Short Cuts are modern day folks like us...but I am digressing..) There were a few other things that irked me a little in this film, but they're not worth going into. As far as filmcraft goes, I thought it was stellar. I recommend it.

the beaver trilogy.

just brilliant.
a documentary film-maker meets a guy named larry from beaver utah who is hanging around the parking lot of a local tv station. he really wants to be on tv. he does impersonations or "impersonations" depending on your view of things. among the impersonations is olivia newton john. larry loves olivia. so you travel to beaver and watch a show larry organizes that culminates in olivia. then you watch two remakes of the film, the first starring sean penn, the second starring crispin glover. it is painful and hilarious and quite smart and if you can find this film (it hasnt been released officially on dvd so is only available as either a vhs or via digitla bootleg) watch it. fucking brilliant.

here's a snippet not a spoiler just a snippet of crispin glover impersonating sean penn impersonating larry impersonating olivia newton john:



amateur: hal hartley

i've been on a hal binge of late. this is a smart tight little film featuring the fabulous isabelle huppert. it is a good addition to the long list of amnesia films. the writing is very good, very funny and in the end quite sad. did i mention that isabelle huppert is in this?

the last movie i saw was Loving Annabelle

& i rate it "true love's first kiss" - or (for those of y'all who ain't seen The Princess Bride) 10 outta 10.

i enjoyed this one too. would give a little higher rating (9/10) but that could be because i'm a smoker :)

I Think I Love My Wife - 2/5

It was decent, had a few laughs but pretty meh overall.

Hot Fuzz - 5/5

Absolutely fucking hilarious and good action.

hedwig and the angry inch

i think i must be the last person on earth to see this film.
it was great. i enjoyed all of it and everything therein. even the cheesy expressions of faith in the redemptive power of rock-n-roll, which usually makes me laugh, was strangely compelling. i almost wanted to believe. then the film ended.

naaaah. I'm going to be last. I still haven't seen it, and heard great things.

The Last Mimzy

7/10

cute movie, really one of the best parts of the movie is early on...
the look on the little girl's face when she says, "What chopped up cow?"

Stranger Than Fiction 10/10

Every once in a while I sit down to watch a movie that I figure will be just another enjoyable, funny flick and I get something else entirely. Something much more meaningful and significantly benevolent to my heart. About Schimdt was one of those films. And this is another one. I LOVED this film. Everything about it. Why pick it apart and fritter around with cinematic details. It's like a Charlie Kaufman story with less ego and much more heart. Emma Thompson was incredible. Will Ferrell was unaffected and played a totally accessible, vulnerable character. Dustin Hoffman was Dustin Hoffman. :) I loved this film. I LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT.

Stardust - 9/10. It was preeeeeeettyyyyyyyy.

SiCKO - 5/10. Kinda boring, but opened my eyes on the wonders of the US healthcare system.

Bourne Ultimatum - 9/10
The best one yet. Very satisfying action flick.

The Simpsons Movie - 9/10
Hilarious and heartfelt.

The Host - 6/10
A cool up-close and personal monster movie, but the bad acting, slow storytelling and disjointed plot make it only bearable.

Racist.

unfortunately, I have been on a crappy girl movie kick so that my wife will watch them with me :)

so....

Mean Girls - 5/10. Not horrible, but eh..

Gawd, my boyfriend and I tried sitting through this one. It wasn't even good enough to make a MST3K episode out of. We turned it off. Boo.

We also watched this weekend...

Frequency 7/10
eh, it was alright...a little too earnest for my tastes, though

Norma Rae 10/10
I love this film. I have a very subjective taste in films, I'll admit that. I saw this movie back in the day (late '70s) in the theater and it has remained one of my favorite movies. Sally Field is an adorable, feisty, firecracker no bigger than a puff of smoke. Plus she has this great scene in which, while reacting to her husband's claims about her unionizing activities taking up all her time, she utters one of my all-time favorite film lines (in her inimitable southern accent) 'you want ironin'....you got ironin'...you wanna make love...then come around here behind me and lift up my nightie and we'll make love...'

ahhhhhhh, classic :)

Music and Lyrics -/10

I can't really rate this movie because I only watched parts of it. Hugh Grant had some good dry humor, but it was an offensively pat movie otherwise.

So, we saw Live Free or Die Hard a few weeks ago.

In all of my brilliance, I decided to watch all three of the other ones.
Die Hard... pretty damn entertaining, actually. I like it even despite the cheese, knowing that that was partly the intent. I'd go with a 7/10 for entertainment value and shit blowing up... which I love.

Die Hard 2...the jokes were a teeny bit more worn, but the sense of timing and the plot twist were just enough to keep me entertained. I enjoyed that one on its own merit, actually. 7/10 as well.

Die Hard with a Vengance... dude, the series was over. If I EVER have to hear the damn Saints Marching In song again, it will be too soon. the only reason it didn't get turned off were A) Samuel L Jackson, who goes on my sexy people list, and B) I was not quitting until I heard "Yippe-kai-ay Motherfucker" in this one. Ugh. Even Jeremy Irons should be embarrassed. 4/10

Just for the record, Live Free or Die Hard is freaking genius. Apple is going to make a fortune. But it was hilarious and entertaining. I'm kinda glad I saw it first, to be able to appreciate the cheesiness that is the Die Hard series.

Shooter was better. 8/10 by the way. Plus, Marky Mark's got better abs and a waaaay better jawline when portraying angst.

Rush hour 3 - 7/10

Essentially the same plot as the first one, but oh so so much funnier. Would have got 9/10 if it had a more creative plot twist. Definatly recommended. One of the few sets of movies where the sequels actually get better.

Kill Bill v.1
I've seen it so many times but I just watched it with my gf for the 1st time and she actually liked it!
It's one of those movies where you'll either love it or hate it.
I found the 1st half to be extremely awesome and then the middle was good but as soon as she gets to the hotel and starts to duel with the crazy 88, it gets very long and boring. cutting down the fight in half would have made so much more sense!

I recommend watching this movie if you're a fan of the old fashion movies or anything asian(martial arts or samurai swords). Or if you just want to see a good revenge movie, definitely check this one out. but make sure you keep an open mind. some parts do get very graphic so it's not for kids!! Also don't forget to watch Volume 2 shortly after vol.1 because they go together!

My Overall rating for this movie after more than 5 viewing is still: 9/10

Wild Hogs 9.5/10

I laughed so hard I almost peed... This is one of those rare movies I actually WANT to have a sequel!

This is one of my all-time faves. It was filmed in this area, and I had the opportunity to meet Ron Leibman. The hotel in the film still exists, and at the time was called The Golden Cherry. My grandfather was an extra in two scenes. He stands behind Sally Field at the funeral, and is also in the union scenes at the end. Another local girl was given the part of Sally's daughter, but her mother pulled her out after she read the script. She thought the language was bad. Just a few tidbits that I recall right now.

Stardust. !0/10

Brick 9/10

Great Film about a high school kid that investigates the murder of his xgf who got caught up in the drug scene. The best thing about this film is that sll of the characters are spittin gangsta slang from the 40's. Very Noir, a moderage Maltese Falcon.

Kill Bill v.2
Another great movie but totally different than the 1st movie. This is my 3rd or 4th viewing and I still feel like they made the movie a bit too slow compared to the 1st one.
The overall movie feels a lot better in terms of characters this time around because you see a bit of the prequel of their lives a bit more.
And the narative is also improved.
If you saw the 1st movie but didn't want to finish it because you thought it was too brutal/gory, then i recommend finishing the movie with kill bill 2. You'll see the movie is still great but doesn't go in the fake blood or crazy 100 vs 1 scenes.

My overall rating for this movie is: 8.5/10

Blood Diamond
Literally finished it two minutes ago. Since I was watching it on the computer, I thought I'd comment. I hate diamonds. They've always felt cold to me. Now I know otherwise and it just makes my blood cold. You hear all about "conflict diamonds", but the face they put to it... I'm a bit speechless. It is one of the most emotionally charged movies I've seen in a long time. It simply tells a story. Yes, there is a moral and a story... but I'm affected by it and that doesn't happen often. 9.5/10

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. I love it, too. :)

And I love the title song by Jennifer Warnes...

The Machinist - 6.5/10
It was good, but so formulaic. You feel like you've seen it before.

Sideways - 7/10
A very nice story. I enjoyed the characters, but could have gone for a better ending. As strange as it sounds, it seems like it needs a sequel.

You know I found it to be the same movie as Swingers... and I preferred Swingers much much more, then again, I don't get the wine scene at all, but the LA Scene I got through Swingers. That party they all went to and each person drove their own car... only in LA.

I guess it does need a sequel or at least a different ending.

recently saw

Inland Empire - 7/10
i'm not sure what to say about this one, as so much of the movie was confusing ... much more than any of Lynch's previous features. i need a study guide of some sort. great atmosphere though, & it really freaked me out for a few seconds (i didn't think a film could have that effect).

The Passenger - 7.5/10
a bit slow at times, and the dull transfer i saw needed restoration. but there is a lot going on beneath the surface in this one ... stuff to look back on and ponder ... so it was worth it.

BlowUp - 8/10
first time i actually watched the whole film, i've seen the first 2/3 many times. so i was watching with the commentary on ... surprisingly it probably has the worst commentary of any DVD ! but the movie has great shots and impressive use of color ... and it's very cool of course.

tetsuo the iron man.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096251/

totally insane. strangely beautiful. totally insane. excellent animation, fabulous cinematography. totally insane. i dont know how to describe this any better. amazing, exhausting, disturbed and disturbing.

i would recommend this film. yes i would.
just...uh.....well be forewarned.
dont blame poor roachboy if you cant take this film, if you feel like you are being beat up by it.
rather, think of roachboy as standing behind you, laughing.
because that's the kind of boy he is.

just saw Superbad, and laughed my ass off. Be very prepared for familiarity with male genetalia.

The Ice Harvest 5/10
Everyone seems to be in this movie, Harold Raimis directed and John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Ned Bellamy, Oliver Platt, Randy Quaid, yet no one of any real consequence.

I wanted it to be a better anti-hero swindling the other guy movie ala The Sting, Shallow Grave, the Last Seduction. But it wasn't.

Snake on a Plane 7/10

Samuel L. Jackson and snakes on a god damn mutha fuckin' plane.

what more to say? Okay probably would have been to go with friends at the theater for those oooh aaaah moments. Girl gets bit on the nipple, another dude right on the johnson. Those would have elicited some gasps from the audience.

house of sand and fog

despite the truly wretched and unnecessary music, a good film. a tragedy no less, in the classical sense. except for the tragic hero. a clash of claims to ownership framed in mutually exclusive arguments. the hubris comes from the colonel. the outcome is jolting. a hollywood film, though. but a good one.

007 Casino Royale. It was alright. 7/10.

The Fountain

I'd give it an 8/10...minus 1 because nothing is perfect, minus 1 because Aranofsky made this film just a wee bit cliched. Not bad, just a bit, and he's better than that.

Stardust - 9/10
Very enchanting... filled with jokes and overall good stuff.

Breach - 7.5/10
Good movie, if a little slow. Watch it if you like mind games.

Orgazmo - 6/10
Exactly what I'd thought it wough be... cheesey, funny, and horrible. The only problem I really had with it was the fact it was NC-17. It seems like if it did deserve NC-17, it JUST crossed the line. If they were going to go with that rating, they could have made it a lot more... NC-17

Blades of Glory 7/10

Absolutely hillarious! Pan and I laughed until we were crying. I do have to agree with him though, it was a lot like the movie The Cutting Edge.

We just watched The Royal Tennenbaums, and Both Ally and I loved it, 10/10.

Following that we watched Fur, with Nichole Kidman. It was wierd, but I liked it. My wife did not.

Becoming Jane 8/10 great scenery, entertaining if not a little full of itself dialogue. I now have a James McAvoy crush. But definitely not a waste of time.

Children of Men 9/10 Interesting concept, given that concept, extremely well done. They even got the "fugee" accents done all proper like. I enjoyed it. And, I cried, dangit. It's not even a sad movie.

Stranger than Fiction 9/10 Even more interesting concept. More than that, even, a concept that *gasp* hasn't truly been done in mainstream cinema that I can remember. Reminds me a bit of what they were able to accomplish with Endless Sunshine. Just when I thought I was going to become annoyed by cheesy-ness, it warped into something else. I really liked it. This one is going on my list. Even though that man's eyeball-spacing freaks me out!

Balls of Fury 5/10 Not too shabby. Way better than I expected. I found myself laughing out loud often enough to excuse $10.

Stardust: 8/10
Excellent movie. The only complaints I have are a few abrupt scene changes and bad end title music.

Dead Ringers: 9/10
I have yet to dislike a David Cronenberg movie. Jeremy Irons deserved at least an Oscar nomination for his performance(s) here (although, perhaps not the win since that year it went to Dustin Hoffman for Rainman). I have difficulty ranking the Cronenberg movies I've seen, but this one is definitely near the top.

And two I apparently forgot earlier...

Videodrome: 8.5/10
Another David Cronenberg mind trip. This time with James Woods.

The Fountain: 9.5/10
Captivating visuals, extraordinary music (as usual) by Clint Mansell, excellent performances, and an effective handling of some of the most basic Buddhist principles (whether or not Aronofsky intended it this way). I'm looking forward to his take on Noah's Ark.

I'm only halfway through the documentary Jesus Camp and it's already blowing my mind.

Wow. Just...wow.

If there were such a thing as a top 10 bizarre movies that I love. This one would be near the top. It's truly a great film.

Yeah, I'd actually rate this one 6/10. It was entertaining enough, but it's very overrated.

Employee of the Month - 6.5/10
It had its moments, but not too many of them.

American Psycho - 9/10
Christian Bale is an amazing actor.

Pink Flamingos...I've made it 35 years having never seen this film...

WTF/10

<----- see my avatar for my reaction to this film.

:)

Balls of Fury - 6.5/10
Very funny and Maggie Q is worth the price of admission. It is also very dumb with absolutely no apologies for the lack of plot.

Rush Hour 3 - 6.5/10

I'll admit that my expectations going into this film weren't terribly high; after all, it's a Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker franchise film. It is a good summer movie, with lots of action and car chases, but the plot is pretty thin (I had the villain pegged within the first few minutes of him being on-screen, despite the fact that I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a surprise twist). Still, as long as you walk into this film knowing what you're going to get it's a fun little summer romp.

Hustle and Flow = 2/10
That anyone mentioned this movie and Oscar in the same sentence while not making a joke is beyond me. Terrance clearly has never met a pimp, and has no clue how to play one. The whole thing reminds me of Scarface: decent actor, worst movie he'll probably ever make, massively overrated.

Superbad = 10/10

Hot Fuzz 8/10

If you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead, then you will enjoy this film just because it made fun of all the cop films, but it was an excellent story with excellent character development.

The Lookout 8/10
I liked the story because it was about a kid who was in a car accident and now has trouble sequencing events due to a brain injury (caused by the car accident) and met a few people who are taking advantage of his situation and want to rob the bank where he works.

The Hitcher (1986) vs. The Hitcher (2007)
I thought the original was pretty bad just because the characters or the acting was cheesy or maybe I didn't like the main character, he seemed like a bit whiny. Although, I would be whiny if a hitchhiker tried to kill me. I watched the original so I can compare the remake, which followed the same path as the 1986 version, but a few things were changed. And Sophia Bush is a hottie.

Carrie (1976) (6/10)

Most Stephen King films are a bit weird, which I enjoy most of the time, but this was was a bit weak. After watching Heroes (season 1), I was expecting Carrie to have better control of her powers, but I thought it was an average story. I recommend watching the first 10 minutes because you get to see a bunch of women naked! Hurray!

[these are all french movies. not the american remake that was complete shit.
Taxi 1:
This is a great movie!! it even spawned an american remake that failed because it didn't capture the feeling of the original movie.
It's all about a taxi driver and a cop. It's pretty funny on most part and the story never gets too slow. definitely recommended!
My overall rating for this movie is: 9/10

Taxi 2:
Following the 1st movie's story line. It's not too hard to get into this one because the characters are explained well enough. Another great french movie. In this one, it gets a bit crazy with the flying taxi but still pretty good.
My overall rating for this movie is: 8.5/10


Taxi 3:
It took me a very long time to watch this one because it's not available on dvd anywhere. I was a bit dissapointed in this movie because it gave almost no character development. so its assumed that you saw the 2 previous movies before you see this one. it also starts pretty rough. still recommended if you've seen the other ones.
My overall rating for this movie is: 7/10

Taxi 4:
This is where the serie should never go. They changed the taxi, made the driver(main character) seem pretty useless apart for 1 scene. they didn't have lily(his gf-she's hot!) in the whole movie, but instead they added some kids which really didn't need to be. overall, it's a weak story with almost no point to it. not recommended.
My overall rating for this movie is: 6.5/10

Stardust: 9/10

Reminded me of Princess Bride. In fact, I told the wife and kids on the way home that we were going to have to watch that movie and Ella Enchanted all over again just because of Stardust.

Michelle Pfeiffer looks great, and the other actors did a great job with their roles.

Apocalypse Now -- 8/10

It's breathtaking in scope and ambition, even though it falls short in certain places. This was the first time I made it all the way through; I had tried several times previously.

I just recently watched The Lady in the Water by M. Night Shamalan. It was not bad but a bit too whimsical for me. I couldn't get over how much people bought into a "narf" being real without much prodding. All 9in all not bad but I wouldn't push it ahead of anything in your queue.

hostel
6/10 - hot euro chicks could push it to 7/10

Skogafoss wanted to see it because it starred an Icelander as one of the main stars, she didn't know it was a horror movie in the vein of Saw.

i'm a cyborg but that's ok
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497137/

what a strange but lovely little film.
i watched it twice, the second time with the sound and subtitles off because i wanted to look at the set design and lighting, which are fabulous.
but a deeply curious film---i wont try to explain the plot line because in a way it is the least interesting dimension of it.
but the game is about viewpoint. who is telling the story, from whose perspective the camera works. pay attention to the initial sequence after the titles. that is all.
but see it.
park chan-wook is a fascinating director.

Just watched Hot Fuzz a couple days ago. 8/10 seems about right.I've never actually seen Carrie, but I have seen the beginning. In fact, I was eating lunch in my college's student center and cafeteria and the TVs were tuned to the college movie station. TVs that were spread throughout not only the cafeteria area, but other much more publicly accessible areas of the student center. I've always wondered if someone got in trouble for that :p

Balls of Fury 6/10 Cheesy comedy with a few good laughs

Brokeback Mountain
What was all the fuss about? It's a decent albeit a tad boring movie...and I'm a freak about continuity; "Innis", visiting the parents of his 'friend', goes to his boyhood room and finds these shirts he'd worn, plaid underneath, denim over it. He hugs them, cries just a little bit, then takes them with the mother's silent approval. At the end of the movie, he's in his shabby little trailer, opens a closet door and there on a hanger are the shirts. Reversed.
(maybe he was saying 'goddammit' because he got them wrong?) anyway-7/10.

Dale
I had to watch this and I am so glad I did. Even non-racing fans should see it.
It's an excellent documentary of someone determined to succeed, even at the cost of friends and family, but in the end, those are what mattered most.
9/10

Zodiac - 6 / 10. It was OK. Started out great, but just kept dragging on and on and on and on and on... well you get the idea. For the amount of stuff that actually happened this movie could easily have been an hour shorter.

Shooter - 7 / 10. It was decent. It was about what I was expecting, didn't disappoint, but didn't impress either. Follows the standard recipe for political action movies.

The Ex - 8/10
Had me laughing throughout the entire movie, and I think Zach Braff is hilarious.
Oldboy - 8/10
Good movie, somewhat strange plot. The corridor fight scene was definitely one of the highlights of the movie.

The Nanny Diaries - VERY deceptive title stuck on a pretty good movie. I was dreading Princess Diaries meets Supernanny, but it was never either of those. I really enjoyed it. Scarlett Johannsen pouts a lot (which is NOT a bad thing), and Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney are positively brilliant in forcing you to hate their guts. Alicia Keys kind of mumbles and squints her way through her few scenes, but overall I liked it a lot.

I'm sorry, I think instead of "somewhat strange" you meant to say "terribly scarring".