Manufactured Landscapes (2006) — 9/10

This is a documentary about manufacturing—mostly in China—about the world that humanity creates for itself and about the lives that people live in this world. The film starts with a long, slow pan along a factory floor that seems to last for kilometers. It is equal parts horrifying to think of how people can live and work in places like this and awe-inspiring to think what gigantic structures man has created. The documentary also acknowledges its own... [More]

Joe vs. the Volcano (1990) — 8/10

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star in a movie that starts off like Brazil, depicting the life of a wage-slave—an empty, meaningless and mind-numbingly boring life. The kind of life that probably more rather than fewer people live today than in 1990 when the film was made. The entrance to the company where Joe works—which manufactures rectal probes and lube (really subtle)—is a jagged, winding path cut into what looks like volcanic, blasted terrain. The atrium... [More]

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009/se) — 8/10
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) — 6/10
3. Paprika (2006) — 9/10
4. Your Highness (2011) — 2/10
5. Into Eternity: A Film for the Future (2010) — 7/10
6. Waiting for Armageddon (2009) — 8/10
7. C.S.A. – The Confederate States of America (2004) — 8/10
8. Casino Jack (2010) — 6/10
9. The Expendables 2 (2012) — 7/10
10. Get Shorty (1995) — 8/10
11. Battleship (2012) — 4/10
12. Ted (2012) — 8/10
13. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)... [More]

Johnny English Reborn (2011) — 8/10

A surprisingly amusing and refreshingly good sequel to the original Johnny English. This one drew the line farther from slapstick than the original—and skirting entirely the scatological humor that induced squirms. The story was decebt and the cast was good (Gillian Anderson and Rosamund Pike were both very welcome additions). English, as played by Rowan Atkinson, is even more skilled than in the first film, though he still swings between utterly... [More]

1. Crank (2006) — 6/10
2. Crank: High Voltage (2009) — 5/10
3. Hudson Hawk (1991) — 6/10
4. Franklyn (2008) — 6/10
5. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) — 7/10
6. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) — 5/10
7. Casa de mi Padre (2012) — 5/10
8. Green Lantern (2011) — 5/10
9. I Am Comic (2010) — 6/10
10. Aliens (1986) — 8/10
11. 2081 (2009) — 7/10
12. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States E01 (2012) — 10/10
13. Prometheus (2012) — 7/10
14. Tower Heist (2011) — 7/10
15. Nosferatu, eine... [More]

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) — 5/10

This sequel, worse than the original, is, on top of it all, showing its age. This time, Max cynically helps a settlement try to get petrol while the forces of Humungus (the evil, Bane-like leader of the marauders) try to destroy them and steal all of their supplies. Everything is very post-apocalyptic and the final half of the film is an interminable truck chase across the Australian wastelands. Not really recommended; watch the first one instead.... [More]

1. Contraband (2012) — 5/10
2. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) — 7/10
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) — 7/10
4. The Planet of the Apes (2001) — 5/10
5. The Avengers (2012) — 8/10
6. Young Adult (2011) — 6/10
7. Intouchables (2011) (fr) — 8/10
8. Der Verdingbub (2011) (ch-de) — 8/10
9. The Quest (1996) — 6/10
10. Avatar (2009) — 8/10
11. The Number 23 (2007) — 6/10
12. The Big Bang Theory (TV series, 2007-2012) — 7/10
13. Louie (2010-2012) — 10/10
14. Paranormal Activity 2 (2009) — 3/10
15. The... [More]

The Adjustment Bureau (2009) — 7/10

Matt Damon stars as a congressman from Brooklyn whose future is bright. On the eve of his first election bid, though, he stumbles and loses to a stronger opponent. The woman who inspires his offbeat concession speech disappears soon after. He spends years looking for her as he ramps up his next campaign. It turns out that neither their initial meeting nor her subsequent disappearance were determined by fate. They were determined by the Adjustment Bureau.... [More]

Observe and Report (2009) — 2/10

Seth Rogan stars as a bipolar mall cop. It’s as bad as it sounds. Written and directed by someone named Jody Hill, it’s hard to believe that the ordinarily quite genial Rogan was in this movie for any reason other than that he lost a bet. None of Rogan’s fellow mall cops are in any way endearing. His quote-girlfriend-unquote is appalling and nothing recommends this film.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011) — 5/10

Daniel Craig stars as an alien abductee from the old... [More]

1. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) — 9/10
2. The Wolfman (2010) — 6/10
3. Lonely Hearts (2006) — 7/10
4. OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d’espions (2006) (fr) — 7/10
5. Brooklyn’s Finest (2009) — 8/10
6. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) — 8/10
7. There Will be Blood (2007) — 6/10
8. Nothing But the Truth (2008) — 8/10
9. Dogville (2003) — 9/10
10. Antichrist (2009) — 8/10
11. La Belle Noiseuse (1991) (fr) — 7/10
12. Invictus (2009) — 7/10
13. You Don’t Know Jack (2010)... [More]

Machete (2010) — 6/10

This movie is—and I never thought I’d use this phrase—a Danny Trejo vehicle directed by Robert Rodriguez (of Once Upon a Time in Mexico fame), so it’s got lots of blood, lots of flying appendages and lots of buxom, armed babes. Machete continues Rodriguez’s homage to Russ Meyers and proves relatively entertaining, no thanks to Jessica Alba’s wooden acting. Good thing Lindsey Lohan was also in the flick or Alba might have looked bad. Lohan plays a tweaking daughter... [More]

Talking Funny (2011) — 8/10

A four-person round table about comedy starring Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Louis C.K. Lots of laughs and some interesting points made—though Gervais seemed to be far ahead of the others in pure erudition, trying to delve deeper into the philosophical and perhaps philological implications of humor and what it means to say that something’s funny. The others seemed more into gut feeling that something was funny and weren’t too interested in... [More]

My Life in Ruins (2008) — 6/10

A cute comedy about tour guides in Greece. Almost totally formulaic but still somehow entertaining.

Crimson Tide (1995) — 8/10

An excellent submarine thriller with Denzel Washington as Captain Gene Hackman’s executive officer as their sub heads toward a showdown with Russian rebels with their fingers on the nuclear trigger. Viggo Mortenson is excellent as well, and James Gandolfini plays a small-minded kowtower so well that one wonders whether he’s acting at... [More]

Changeling (2008) — 8/10

Angelina Jolie directed by Clint Eastwood about a woman’s struggle to find her abducted child. However, the struggle is more against a patriarchal and corrupt LA police department, who cover up their ineptitude by returning to her the wrong child and then commit her to an insane asylum when she refuses to accept that the child is hers. She was clearly suffering from “the vapors”. Dark, infuriating and very well done.

Black Dog (1998) — 4/10

Patrick Swayze is a... [More]

1. Fireflies in the Garden (2008) — 8/10
2. Inglourious Basterds (2008) — 9/10
3. After.Life (2009) — 4/10
4. Management (2008) — 5/10
5. Despicable Me (2010) — 7/10
6. Megamind (2010) — 8/10
7. My Best Friend’s Girl (2008) — 7/10
8. Double Jeopardy (1999) — 6/10
9. Cry-Baby (1990) — 6/10
10. Paycheck (2003) — 6/10
11. Coco Avant Chanel (2009) — 4/10
12. Eagle Eye (2008) — 2/10
13. Les rivières pourpres (2000) — 5/10
14. Vanilla Sky — 6/10
15. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World — 6/10
16. Max... [More]

Salt (2010) — 6/10

Angelina Jolie (or what’s left of her after what seems like an exceedingly strict diet) stars opposite Liev Schreiber as a deep-cover Soviet/Russian agent. It meanders along predictably, jolts you with a couple of neat plot twists and then ends predictably (with a mini plot-twist right at the end again). It’s a pretty uneven movie overall, with a lot of gung-ho bravado and idiocy as well as seemingly pathetic aim on the parts of the antagonists (read: police, naturally).... [More]

1. Goodfellas (1990) — 8/10
2. Cop Out (2010) — 5/10
3. Cloverfield (2008) — 3/10
4. The Joneses (2009) — 6/10
5. A Serious Man (2009) — 8/10
6. Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) — 8/10
7. Fitzcarraldo (1982) — 9/10
8. Eraserhead (1976) — 7/10
9. Blue Velvet (1986) — 8/10
10. Dazed & Confused (1993) — 7/10
11. Wild At Heart (1990) — 8/10
12. Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) — 6/10
13. Factotum (2005) — 7/10
14. Broken Flowers (2005) — 7/10
15. Lost Highway (1997) — 8/10
16. Mulholland Drive (2001) — 8/10

Goodfellas... [More]

Late December/early January are what I call “guy movie month” here because the wife is away.

Inception (2010) — 9/10

Fantastic film from start to finish with an exceedingly interesting storyline and well-put-together concept. Excellent effects, excellent cast and challenging material make for a film that you’ll want to watch again.

Zombieland (2009) — 8/10

Woody Harrelson is always entertaining, but the kid doing the Michael Cera schtick of being absolutely pathetic and neurotic got old... [More]