Saw it recently: Here's a list of movies I've seen this year (2005). The list (by month) contains a short review, synopsis, commentary on each movie. Something like that. I subscribe to NetFlix, watch movies from my own collection, and sometimes get out to the theater. The movies from my collection are titled in italics. The rest (unless noted otherwise) are NetFlix rentals. I update this listing throughout the month. Hopefully you'll find a movie or two to watch after perusing my reviews. (See below for instructions on viewing last years movie reviews)

(Monthly numbers in parenthesis indicate sources as: NetFlix, my movies, seen in theater, and other sources (in that order). If there's only one number it's probably all NetFlix. Only two numbers? I probably didn't see any movies at the theater. My movies are in italics, and movies from Kim's queue are colored Green. Movies in Orange were watched on one of Comcast's free OnDemand channels. Series discs - Grey in color (The Office, Star Trek (The Original Series), count as one movie per episode. The movies with Red titles are selections from my movie of the month club. I won't be reviewing short movies (30 minutes or less), unless they deserve special attention.)

Movies seen/reviewed this year (2005)
[ Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec ]

Dec (21/5/5)

• The General: (Silent movie - 1927). Another movie from the silent era of cinema. Some of my friends would rather watch the recent slop served out by hollywood than take a chance on a movie with sub-titles, let alone a black and white, or god forbid - Silent movie! Well, I'm not afraid. This movie starring Buster Keaton is a great adventure flick. Rejected by the Confederate draft board, Keaton as railroad engineer is spurred by his love interest. Later his train is hijack along with his girl. As he pursues the two loves of his life, he battles union soldiers, evades pursuit, executes a rescue, recovery and helps the confederate forces thwart a planned union attack. Filled with slapstick humor, some pretty daring stunts and a very well written story. This movie deserves plenty of praise. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• Suicide Kings: Christopher Walken is the man. His acting (despite being bound to a chair) in this intense character based drama was great. A group of young rich guys kidnap a 'former' mobster in an effort to use his influence to pay off kidnapers who've abducted a sister. Walken's character stays relatively calm while he works a dual path - Catching the kidnapers (to recover the girl), while simultaneously attempting to make his kidnapers crack in order to facilitate his escape. In the end, Walken manages to talk his way out of his kidnapers clutches, tracks down the kidnapers (and the girl), and dispenses your typical mobster justice to the misguided morons. The directing was great, the music was good, and the supporting cast did a good job as well. Denis Leary was great as an enforcer, but I didn't care for Johnny Galecki as Ira. His acting seemed a bit pretentious and out of place. Almost like he was trying to make it seem like he was acting. In the end, it's the ending that pushes this one past the 3.0 mark. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• Deuce Bigalow - European Gigolo: Here's a good piece of advice. Don't watch this movie. It sucked. No original jokes. No original characters. No original plot. O.k. you want more details. Here's the plot. Deuce travels to Europe to help solve a murder mystery. T.J. becomes implicated in the murders, and Deuce goes back to Man-Whoring to help solve the crime. In an incredibly odd twist (Not!) it turns out that the murderer is actually the chief investigator dressed up like a woman! Oh how shocking, I never would have guessed that. Or at least I wouldn't have guessed that until 10 minutes into the movie. This movie sucked! I give it 1 out of 5. Somebody slap me for watching this crap.
• Garden State: A highly stylized drama. A light hearted romance about loss, love, moving on and coping. Written, directed, and starring Zach Braff. Co-starring Natalie Portman as the compulsive liar love interest. The lead character 'wakes up' one day to learn that his mother has died. Reluctantly, he leaves his zanax behind, returns home to his home town, and attempts to unravel his past so he can move on. While home he realizes many truths, falls in love, forgives himself and his father. The film was highly stylized and a bit pretentious, but I liked it a lot. The camera work was excellent. The pacing was great, the casting was terrific. There could have been less profanity, and I didn't care for the way that drug use was glorified. The writing was excellent and the music was fantastic. Sad, happy and sappy funny all at the same time. The ending was great. I loved it. 5 out of 5. I'm planning on buying a copy.
• High Fidelity: As pleasing as a newly pressed piece of vinyl. This movie was a tragic comedic love story. The kind that cast John Cusack in the role of romantic lead. A tribute to the music of the 80's. This movie hit a soft spot in my heart. The characters are quirky but real. Todd Louiso and Jack Black were both fantastic in two completely different ways. In an odd approach, the movie is Narrated to the audience by the main character as he attempts to unravel the romance mistakes that led him to his sad state of affairs. In the end we're left with a happy ending despite the lack of a conclusive closer. I give it a 5 out of 5.
• The Beast (of war): This movie is set in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. A rag-tag group of Afghan Rebels pursues the bloodthirsty commander of a Soviet tank crew (The Beast). Unfortunately it was filmed in English an Pashtu instead of Russian and Pashtu. I would have preferred it in Russian with English subtitles. The narrow theme of the movie allows the director to focus our attention on character related details, personal drama and some important themes. Very well directed, the acting was pretty good, and the pacing was excellent. There was some unfortunate racial stereotyping but the movie overcame those defects to score a 4 out of 5. I watched this movie using Comcast's OnDemand service.
• Star Trek - The original series - Vol. 12, episodes 23 & 24: [A Taste of Armageddon / Space Seed]: I've started viewing episodes of the original Star Trek series. I it as a kid wwatchedhen I was growing up (Yow! that makes me... old?), and I loved it back then. You know what? I still love it. My friends and I used to pretend to be members of the 'Starship Enterprise'. A taste of armageddon must have been the 'incident' that convinced the UFP to establish a 'Prime Directive'. Kirk is at his arrogant best. He comes to this planet - on a diplomatic mission to open peaceful relations with the inhabitants of this star system - He beams down to the surface despite the inhabitants insistence that they don't want them there, and proceeds to intentionally instigate a nuclear powered shooting war which will likely result in the total annihilation of the inhabitants, their culture, and the end of their civilization. Space seed was one of my all-time favorite original series episodes. With Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh, this episode was about the 'Eugenics Wars'. Khan and his crew are awakened from cryogenic sleep aboard the Botany Bay (named after a penal colony in Australia). The crew and it's leader immediately set out to conquer the Enterprise and implement their plans to reestablish a world dominating empire. Kirk will have none of it, defeats Khan, and banishes him and his crew to a remote planet as punishment. These characters are revisited several times in Star Trek history, and every episode tied to this one has been a smashing success.
• The Crow: A violent movie where a young rock star and his fiance are brutally murdered as part of some evil crime lords master plan. The story was ridiculous, the characters paper thin, and the acting mediocre. The best part of the movie was the film work. Excellent camera angles, and some outstanding work 'as the crow flies'. The use of a real crow, and the way the camera followed it in flight was awesome. The 'birds eye' camera shots were also outstanding. Aside from the great camera work, The music was pretty good, but the excessive violence, and lack of anything resembling thought in the story/plot prohibit me from giving this one anything higher than a 3 out of 5. I watched this movie using Comcast's OnDemand service.
• The trouble with Harry: A movie by Alfred Hitchcock. Supposedly, it was a dark comedy. A very dry, British humor sort of comedy, about a dead guy. I'm sorry, but I didn't get it. I just didn't laugh once. Perhaps I smiled on occasion, but I must admit, I didn't find it all that funny. Slightly humorous, but funny? No not really. The acting wasn't all that good (it was inconsistent across the actors), and the story wasn't that good either. The best part of the movie. The camera work. We're immediately put into the location, the establishment of the location was extremely well done, and there was one particular scene near the very beginning of the movie that was quite memorable. A small boy standing over the body of 'Harry'. The shot is from the ground looking up towards the small child as he stands near Harry's head. The result is a shot that looks like a small boy with the torso and legs of an adult man. This movie was plain boring, the story wasn't the least bit interesting, and I gave up on the movie with something like 20 minutes to go. I just couldn't take it any longer. Despite the boring nature of the film, the non-funny aspects of this 'comedy', and the "dragging on an on forever" pacing, I did like the camera work and the music. For that it gets a 2 out of 5.
• The 7th voyage of Sinbad: A fantastic tale. An adventure of Sinbad the sailor - citizen of Baghdad, swashbuckler, hero. This is a great movie. It's been quite some time since I've seen it, but I'm sure this movie had a big impact on the selection of my favorite pastime (Dungeons & Dragons). Made in 1958, this movie featured a bunch of no-name hack actors, and the direction wasn't all that good, but the story was fantastic. Featuring a Giant Cyclops, two-headed Roc's, an animate skeletal warrior, a Genie in a lamp, a miniature (shrunken) princess, a snake woman, a magician, a Dragon, and an island full of Harpies, this movie was chock full of early D&D influences. I was glued to the screen, waiting to see the next claymation monster. The music was pretty good to boot. This one gets a 4 out of 5. If only the acting were a little better.
• Assault at West Point - The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker: Wow, that's a long title for a movie. A historical drama. Another military courtroom drama. Made for TV this movie recounts the true to life events surrounding the court martial of Johnson Whittaker, one of the first African-American cadets admitted to West Point. Tied down and beaten by his fellow cadets, the Academy actually court-martialed Whittaker, claiming that he'd beaten himself up in order to avoid failing a course in philosophy. The acting by Samuel L. Jackson and John Glover on opposing sides of the case was great. Unfortunately, the acting by Sam Waterston wasn't that good. A well written screen-play revealed the true life hypocrisy of those who found whatever excuse they could to persecute others. Worth watching 4 out of 5.
• Lord of illusions: Great acting, spectacular special effects, written and directed by the horror master Clive Barker, who could ask for more? This movie blends horror, the supernatural and visual effects in one of the best Clive Barker films I've seen. The acting was outstanding. Even the performance by Scott Bakula was above average. The performance by Daniel von Bargen was outstanding. In this exceedingly creepy film, the story begins with the murder of a cult leader in the Mojave desert. The members scatter, the founder is buried, and the survivors try to live a normal life. Unfortunately, one of the former cult members just won't let the dead rest. As the planned resurrection moves forward, things heat up and a deadly confrontation is imminent. This favorite gets a 5 out of 5.
• The Island: A sci-fi thriller that felt like the Matrix crossed with Minority report. A visually impressive movie. Featuring a great view of a not-to-distant future. The movie starts out great, and the chase scenes were gripping. Unfortunately, the story was paper thin, and the acting (by all the perfect people) lacked conviction. The acting by Steve Buscemi (Notably not a perfect person) was the only bright spot in that regard. Here's the plot: Bigtime pharmaceutical conglomerate makes clones for rich clients. Clones live in an underground controlled utopia. Safe from 'Contamination', they long to win the lottery, so they can go to 'The Island'. That's it. The rest you can fill in. There wasn't a single surprise in the entire movie. Once I knew the principal theme was 'Clones', I pretty much figured out everything else. Despite the fact that I loved the visual aspects of the movie, the action couldn't make up for the lackluster acting and paper thin story. 3 out of 5.
• The Office - Series 1: (British) A television series produced by BBC. I took a chance on this one, and it's paid off. A rather unusual sitcom. A paper company is facing lay-offs, and a film crew is making a documentary about the effect it's having on the workers. Some of the characters talk to the camera, some ignore it, and in the end I eventually forgot the premise of the documentary, and got mixed feelings about my role. At times I felt like part of the camera crew, at others I thought I might be one of the office workers, I even got the feeling that I might be an unseen eavesdropper. A totally dysfunctional social climate constitutes the stage where this drama takes place. The characters are absolutely fantastic. It's hard to believe that these are actors. Honestly, these must be non-actors simply culled from cubicles to play themselves. Great acting. The writing is witty, biting, funny and very close to the real thing. I've experienced many of the 'scenarios' enacted in this four episode disc. It's connecting, and I plan to watch the other shows. So far it's a 4 out of 5. A great start, but can it maintain it's unique flavor through ten more episodes? (I'm counting this disc (4 episodes) as four movies, just in case your curious).
• Valiant: Disney animation. Another movie I was forced to watch by my beloved wife. An incredibly boring story. Pigeons deliver secret messages during WWII. Hawks attack them. Hawks are Luftwaffe, Pigeons are RAF. What was the point of this movie? Where was I? Yawn... The bug eating scenes were disgusting and pointless. The animation was standard, the story crappy, and the voiceover lacked any conviction what-so-ever. What a terrible waste of time. Oh, I almost forgot. As justification for making this crappy movie, we're reminded - in closing credits - that many animals gave their lives during WWII. Crap! it gets a 1 out of 5.
• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: A trio of down-and-out Americans in Mexico strike out in search of gold. In the remote back country of Mexico, the group becomes friends quickly, but pretty soon greed gets the best of them. With paranoia and interlopers and bandits disturbing their dig, the group doesn't fare too well when it comes to fidelity, reserve and friendship. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston and Tim Holt, the acting was fantastic. The location, sets and costumes did much to make me feel at home in the mexican countryside. A terrific story and great directing capped this movie. I really liked it. This one gets a 5 out of 5.
• The Professionals: Another classic 'over-the-border' movie. Watching this movie just after The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was strictly a coincidence, but it certainly enhanced the experience for both movies. Here's a classic formula for an adventure movie. Wealthy railroad baron hires acclaimed adventurer to rescue a kidnapped trophy wife. Starring Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan and Burt Lancaster as a money motivated mercenary group. They set out across the dangerous landscape of post revolutionary mexico to rescue Claudia Cardinale (playing the feisty expatriate) from the ruthless revolutionary bandit played by Jack Palance. In this classic adventure template, all the characters are more than we bargained for. The ending is classic turnabout. The group releases the trophy wife to be with her true love, eschewing the obvious motivation for men such as they. Great action, great acting and great music. This one rates 4 out of 5.
• Shrek 2: A sequel to the 2001 hit by Dreamworks studio. A solid fairy tale story, with the same message as the first one. Unfortunately, they didn't tamper whatsoever with the formula. The result is technically perfect, but lacking in originality. All the same characters, plus a few new ones (much more humans), and a dull plot left me wondering what all the fuss is about. Story? Two ogres Shrek & Fiona return to the castle of Fiona's parents to celebrate their recent wedding. Apparently, the parents are surprised that both bride and groom are ogres. The the king (Fiona's father) attempts to undo the love of the newlyweds by trickery. Like I said earlier, this movie lacks originality. It's a rehash of the same characters, the same jokes, the same message. Thanks to production value and great animation, it gets a 3 out of 5.
• Serenity: First of all, yes I've seen the television series (FireFly). I thought it was rather well done. I liked the stories, the characters and the premise. The future can be a frontier, not all science fiction is porcelain coated stainless steel. This movie was great. Take away the pulse pounding action scenes, the astonishing special effects, the gritty post-apocalyptic environment, and all your left with is above par acting, fantastic writing and a great story. Mix in some outstanding music and rock solid directing and you've got yourself a winner. The involved story was something I couldn't predict, and the characters were far more complex than your typical Star-Trek cookie cutter crew. Not only did I love it, I'm gonna get a copy. This one gets 5 out of 5.
• The exorcism of Emily Rose: A horror movie/courtroom drama? Supposedly based on true events, this movie was made in bit of an odd format. Half the movie was a supernatural horror story featuring a possessed young woman (Emily Rose). It was scary spooky and eery. Jennifer Carpenter did a good job convincing me. Without too much CGI, I was convinced by her portrayal. The second half of the movie was a courtroom drama. The priest who attempted the exorcism is put on trial for murder! The court room drama was o.k. Starting with the ending, we keep switching back and forth from exorcism to court room drama. All in all, I think it would have been a better movie if they'd just stuck to the exorcism/horror aspect of the movie. They could've followed the movie with crawlers to tell people about the courtroom part. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• The Sentinel: A strange horror movie. A great cast, poor acting, a poor story, and somewhat wandering direction. This was one of those 70's movie where throwing a high paid cast at it didn't help the story. Aside from some old time classic actors like John Carradine, Jose Ferrer, Ava Gardner, Arthur Kennedy, Burgess Meredith and Sylvia Miles, there were some very early roles by Christopher Walken (dubbed?) and Jeff Goldblum in this movie. The story was strange indeed. A model finds a fantastic deal and moves into a creepy old apartment building. She immediately meets a group of misfit characters which are actually inhabitants of hell trying to get into our world. Eventually the lead character learns that because she attempted suicide she must become a nun/guardian for the rest of her life. Her job will be to keep the denizens of hell from getting into our world. Mix in some real 'freaks' as denizens of hell a bunch of nudity and a full frontal lesbian masturbation scene and you end up with a really strange story. This one gets a 2 out of 5.
• Freddy got fingered: Oh my god what a horrible movie! It was a recommendation from someone at work. Someone who I will no longer look to for movie recommendations. Tom Green, I guess you either like him or you don't. Well, I liked some of the skits in this movie, but there were some 'WAY OVER THE TOP' grotesque displays of vulgar behavior, which I can't characterize as humor. Completely lacking in any decency or humor. This movie was one of the worst I have ever seen. The movie itself was just a bunch of comedy sketches stitched together with a very weak common theme. A young illustrator (living in his parents basement) is trying to find someone to buy his artwork and give him a job. Some of the skits in this movie were extremely vulgar, crude, racist, sexist, violent, and disgusting. I wanted to turn it off, and intentionally left the room on several occasions (without pausing it). Afterwards, I wondered why I bothered watching the whole thing. Tom Green can be funny, but he needs some adult supervision. Unlike Roadtrip, this movie was all Tom Green. Written, directed and starring Tom Green. Someone gave him the money, they got what they deserved. I give this one a 1 out of 5. The good parts of the movie were completely destroyed by the horrible content of some skits. I would like a list of people who like this movie. So I can avoid them.
• The Ring Two: The American version of Ringu 2. This time the remake is directed by Hideo Nakata, the director of the first two Japanese movies (Ringu & Ringu 2). Hideo's movies are suspense thriller psychological horror. Not the American slasher chainsaw wielding horror. I prefer this type of horror to the simple violent stereotypes that I've seen in American film. I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. It wasn't as good as the Ring, but it was spooky. The story was a bit stale though. Because I already knew the entire back story. Thankfully the movie still had the creepy feel that Hideo is so good at. Unfortunately, the acting wasn't that good. David Dorfman did a crappy job in this role, if there's another Ring movie, I hope they don't cast him again. The 'Rings' short movie on the DVD was also pretty good. This one gets a 4 out of 5.
• The Bone Collector: A pretty good movie. A murder mystery detective thriller starring Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Luis Guzman and Ed O'Neill. The best acting actually came from Ed O'Neill and Angelina Jolie. Denzel Washington indulged his most arrogant personality in this movie, and I didn't like it one bit. The story was o.k. but there really weren't that many surprises. The use of a rookie cop to take on a murder case of this importance made no sense at all, and the other cops in the movie seemed helpless compared to rookie Jolie and the Brilliant Denzel. I think the egos got a little too big for this movie. The music and directing were excellent, they really established a creepy feel for this suspense thriller murder mystery. It gets a 3 out of 5.
• Anytown USA: My fifth movie from Filmmovement.com. This one is a documentary about local politics. I didn't care for it. It was well directed, but there wasn't much to it. O.k. a three way race for Mayor in a tiny po-dunk town. I expected there to be some low-level self-serving back-stabbing and there was. Nothing really surprising about this movie. Two of the characters were partially blind, and one had a yellow tint under his eyes, which led me to believe that he might have some type of liver ailment. He did, and his opponents used it to advance their campaigns. I had to stop half way through the movie. It was literally boring me to death. I picked it up again later, and watched it through to the end. The director managed to make a foregone conclusion into a tense ten minutes as we await the verdict. The incumbent was reelected by a landslide. Surprised? Neither was I. The direction and pacing were well done, but the subject matter just wasn't all that interesting - Actually, it was downright boring, painfully so. The addition of Juxtaposition with a local winning football team was worthless. A team where everyone pulls together (The local high school football team) is threatened by a team of back stabbing politicians who don't know the first thing about team work. Yeah it was a nice juxtaposition, but it didn't go anywhere. I give this one a 2 out of 5.
• The Hunt for Red October: An excellent movie. To bad it wasn't done by Russians in Russian. John McTiernan does a fine job directing an all-star cast in this taught action packed thriller. Starring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones and several others, the casting helps immensely. Despite the fact that the dialog was done primarily in English, I really liked the way they transitioned from the original Russian dialog (admittedly strained by Connery's accent) to English. There was some very good camera work here. The plot! What a fantastic story. Thank you Tom Clancy! Commander of the latest Soviet submarine decides to defect, taking a super-silent nuclear sub with him. How will he manage to evade the combined ire of the motherland and the cautionary nature of the American military? An invisible nuclear threat off the coast of Washington DC! Sound the klaxon, non-stop thrills ahead! Excellent movie. I give it a solid 5 out of 5.
• Blood & Black Lace: (Italian - Sei Donne Per L'Assassino) An Italian suspense thriller murder mystery where everyone's got a little black secret, and no one's above suspicion. A masked murderer is killing beautiful models, but we have no idea why? Not quite. The Masked murderer is probably masked because it's one of the main characters. The masked murderer never speaks. Probably because the dichotomy of voice with role (murderer) would give us a huge hint as to the murderers identity. I immediately sense that the murderer must be a woman. Despite the exhibited incongruity of the actors (male) strength opposed to the victims, I'm pretty much convinced that the killer is a woman. Guess what? The killer turns out to be a woman. This movie certainly contains some classic murder mystery elements. Elements which reappear time and again in American murder mystery thrillers. Unfortunately, the acting wasn't all that good, and I've seen the plot before - Even if this was an original exhibition of that particular twist. I wasn't all that impressed. The sound work on this DVD transfer was horrible, and the dialog wasn't properly synchronized with the video. I couldn't tell what the original language was? Was it Italian, English, Spanish? They all sounded abysmally poor. I have to give this one a 2 out of 5.
• Scratch: A documentary about Hip-Hop and the musical revolution which transformed the turntable into an instrument. A well done documentary about a relatively new form of music. The DJ becomes musician. Featuring some movers and shakers in the Hip Hop scene, this documentary has captured this new phenomenon on the crest of the wave. Well shot and well directed, told from the first person point of view, this documentary does an excellent job of evoking an adventurous spirit and an energetic enthusiasm about the subject at hand. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Movies seen/reviewed this year (2005)
[ Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec ]

Nov (19/9/1)

• La Strada: (Italian) 'The Circus'. An old black & white movie movie, dating from 1954, but it's timeless. A movie directed by the Italian master Federico Fellini. The characters in this movie are haunting and memorable. A tragic story about a wandering strongman and the woman who can't help but love him. It's tragic and moving. A movie packed full of emotion. I felt like I had been drawn into their personal lives, a participant and a victim. I was definitely touched by the power of this movie. No question 5 out of 5.
• Van Helsing: Crap - Spew from the hollywood. The cinematography was pretty good. The costumes were just a bit to hollywood. The writing was horrible. The story was a mix of all the hollywood monster movies. They tried to combine werewolves, vampires and Frankenstine's monster in to the same story. I think they were trying to make the Van Helsing character into something of a renaissance 'Ghost Buster'. The movie also stole elements from 'Men in Black'. There wasn't a single original theme in the entire movie. The acting was mediocre and the directing was weak. The special effects were terrible. Here's a couple of rules for special effects. Hollywood, I hope you're listening.

  • Special effects should never be a substitute for good writting
  • The audience shouldn't be able to tell that it's a special effect.
  • Special effects shouldn't look cartoonish in a live action movie.

  Basically, this movie sucked. The characters were paper-thin, and I really didn't care for the 'we must explain everything to the viewer' attitude of the writing. The only good thing about it was the cinematograhy - and that wasn't all that good either. 1 out of 5.
• Eyes wide shut: I'm sorry, but this is not that good of a movie. As a matter of fact, this is the second time I've seen it, and I'm downgrading it from 3 stars to 2. After seeing it again, I realize that there really isn't much of a story here. There are lots of good looking nudes, but you need more than nudes to make a good movie. Ever seen a porno? The story is lacking, and the mystery is still a mystery by the end of the movie. The two actors (Tom Cruise and Nicole Kiddman) seem to be sleepwalking through this movie. Add some downright depressing music, and some plunking piano tunes and the whole thing had a hypnotizing effect. After two and a half hours I was literally bored to tears. I forced myself to watch the whole thing, and I guess the best part of the movie was the last word uttered before the credits. What a disappointment from Stanley Kubrik. I'm sure he'd come back to make just one more, if he could. 2 out of 5.
• Undead: (Australian) Zombies, Aliens, and a viral outbreak, surely these themes go together? A movie shot in a style similar to the 'Dead Alive' flick that I saw last month. Unfortunately for this movie, the lines weren't as funny, the acting wasn't as good, and the writing was really poor. This half-hearted attempt at creating a campy zombie flick completely missed the mark. Instead of laughing, I spent most of my time groaning. I honestly thought that the lead character's eyes were going to pop out of her head at some point. I think she was some kind of mutant. Some of the characters were well depicted, but the movie overall just stank. I can't believe that someone had to tell them (the characters, and us) that aiming for the head would kill a zombie. Dhuh! everyone knows you have to "Hit 'em in the head". Oh wait, there was a plot twist. The zombies eventually revert to normal, after the Aliens have cured them of the extra-terrestrial virus that they're infected with... What?! A horrible movie. I give it a 1 out of 5.
• Master and Commander - The far side of the world: A terrific movie. Victorian naval warfare, and high seas adventure. Starring Russell Crowe, and directed by Peter Weir. This movie is well worth the money. Outstanding acting, powerful directing, a gripping musical score, and edge of your seat action. The scenes where canon shot rips through the rigging of the ship is astonishing. Very realistic. This is the sort of special effects that I enjoy. So realistic I thought it was real, until I watched some special feature footage. It fit the scene, it wasn't out of place, it wasn't 'over-the-top', and I had no idea that I was seeing a 'special-effect'. The level of detail in this movie was amazing. The costumes, sets and locations were all so authentic and gorgeous that the movie took me to 'the far side of the world' with the characters. Very well done. This one deserves a 5 out of 5.
• Star Trek - The original series - Vol. 11 [Tomorrow is yesterday / The return of the Archon's ]: I've started viewing episodes of the original Star Trek series. I watched it as a kid when I was growing up (Yow! that makes me... old?), and I loved it back then. You know what? I still love it. My friends and I used to pretend to be members of the 'Starship Enterprise'. In Tomorrow is yesterday, the crew of the Enterprise inadvertently travels back to 1960's Earth, and must correct damage they caused to the timeline. It's another time travel episode. I sure liked the time travel episodes. Looking back on this episode now, it's something of a time travel movie itself. The 60's costumes, the Air Force uniforms, the jets, everything seems like a period movie. When it was made it was cutting edge present. The ridiculous circular logic presented as a consequence of time travel may have helped me formulate my 'No Time/No Motion' theory. In 'The return of the Archon's', the crew of the Enterprise encounters a world controlled by an unseen leader. The unseen leader turns out to be a machine, which Kirk and Spock destroy in order to 'liberate' the citizens from it's stable but stale control. I believe this episode may have been the first to mention the 'Prime Directive'.
• Punk - Attitude (Bonus materials): This companion to a documentary contains additional documentaries and interviews. Narrower in scope than the feature, these bonus materials are nonetheless (is this English or German?) worth watching. I especially enjoyed the interview with Henry Rolins former front man for Black Flag. I rate the bonus material 3 out of 5.
• The 13th warrior: I own this, but I had no idea that it was a screen adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel. Based on the book "Eaters of the Dead". There are plenty of references to cannibalism in the movie, but I'll bet that the book focuses much more on cannibalism. After all, a movie about cannibalism would be quite shocking! Overall it was a pretty good movie. I enjoyed it immensely, the only drawback are the stereotypical depiction of an Arab by Antonio Banderas. His drinking 'Mead' - It's not made with grapes or wheat... His sleeping with a Viking woman? I liked the performance of the actor playing the lead viking (Vladimir Kulich). Stoic, strong, no-nonsense, willing to take a stand - to defend his people despite any personal danger. The plot, despite being based on Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead", was very much a "Beowulf" movie. The beast like enemy, the 'Wendel" are a fairly direct translation of the mysterious beast like "Grendel" that plagued the Scandinavian inhabitants of "Beowulf". The lead Norseman is named "Buliwyf", umm, sounds sort of like "Beowulf" to me.. It would have been better if the story was more original. Another problem was the use of language in the film. Switching from Arabic to Norse to English was definitely a challenge, but I don't think they pulled it off very well. In the beginning, the Norseman speaking 'Greek' was actually speaking 'Latin', and it was unrealistic to expect that the Arab prince learned the Norse language by listening to it for a few minutes. I liked the Norse burial ceremony, and it's use in the climactic conflict. The costumes, sets and locations made this movie feel like a Conan classic - and that's a good thing. That's why I own a copy, that's why I rate it 4 out of 5.
• Dark Water: (Japanese - Honogurai mizu no soko kara) A very frightening horror flick from that Japanese master director, Hideo Nakata. Just slightly off mark. This movie contained all the necessary elements to scare me out of my wits, but it didn't hit head on. The music was eery, but could have been done a little better, it seemed slightly off cue. The pacing was right, but it was missing some crucial close ups. This movie was great. It created a very creepy feeling of dread that seemed to ooze out of every corner. Well directed, excellent acting and a great score. Hideo keeps getting better. I can't wait to see his next movie. This one gets a 4 out of 5.
• A midnight clear: A movie about WWII. They're getting a bit rarer these days, but they're still getting made. This movie is about the insanity of war - The cruel reality of it, the parasites that make it their home, and the personal consequences of it. The human side of war. Set in the Ardennes forest as the Americans are rolling towards Berlin. A group of American soldiers is bivouacked in an abandoned mansion, where they're supposed to report on any enemy activity in their sector. Strange things start happening while they're there, and eventually they encounter a group of German soldiers (Old men and teenaged boys) who want to surrender in the face of their nations impending defeat. An intricate plan is devised, but as you can imagine. It doesn't work out quite the way they planned. Fantastic acting with a terrific set and location. Excellent directing, pacing and writing. I give this one a 5 out of 5.
• The Haunting: A movie about a haunted house. This one could have been much better. The cinematography was awesome. The house was an excellent set, the location was downright chilling and the music helped create a drenching feeling of dread. Unfortunately, some of the acting was horrible, the directing was very poor, and I didn't care for the monologues. The stretching door effect was quite creepy, given the fact that this black and white movie was released in 1963. Sure I said it was black & white. I'd like to correct that. It was shot in richly saturated monochrome shades of dread. An excellent DVD transfer. Aside from the poor acting and directing, the music was slightly off queue and this timing problem helped dampen a movie that could have been much more suspenseful. This one gets a 3 out of 5.
• Conspiracy theory: A spy thriller murder mystery romance. The story was pretty good. A conspiracy theory to be sure. The plot is a bit unbelievable, but given the subject matter (title), I gave it the benefit of suspending my disbelief. The action was believable - if not a bit too violent, and the pacing was thrilling. The acting by Patric Stewart was great as the heavy, but Mel Gibson played his slightly off center 'crazy cop' persona - which didn't help any. Julia Roberts' performance was a little flat. The directing was well done and the music was great. I admit that I'm a sucker for a good conspiracy theory, and this movie pulls a point for sitting in that spot. 4 out of 5.
• Hang 'Em High: A Clint Eastwood western in the tradition of the Sergio Leonne. While this western wasn't directed by Sergio Leonne , it certainly seemed like it was written for him. Apparently, he was busy working on 'Once upon a time in the west'. The lead character is the classic western loner. Trying to survive on his wits and his guns when he runs in to a lynch mob who think he's a cattle rustler and a murderer - A fatally tragic case of mistaken identities. The version I watched was aired on TV, and several scenes were missing. My DVD copy runs 115 minutes. Obviously, the TV edit had to be shortened to accommodate commercials. The missing footage moves the story forward too quickly and we lose some essential character development when those extra scenes are dumped on the cutting room floor. The judge is a hanging judge, and the protagonist uses the law to exact vengeance on those who wronged him. The west was a harsh place. Nowhere near as clean and clear cut as the Lone Ranger would have you believe. The directing was pretty good, and the soundtrack was well done. I really liked the signature staccato sound effects that punctuated the movie. The TV version gets a 3 out of 5, but the full version gets 4 out of 5.
• The Gold Rush: A silent era Charlie Chaplin movie. Shot in the 1920's, the DVD restoration is fantastic. I've seen some bad transfer from films shot in the 80's, but this transfer was excellent. Charles Chaplin wrote, directed, and starred in this movie. So far I've only seen three of his movies, but it's very apparent that he was a genius when it came to cinema. This movie puts the tramp in Alaska, where he endures the harsh climate, a handful of despicable characters, starvation and forsaken love. Truly a master of comedy, I found myself laughing raucously at many of the preposterous situations in which the Tramp found himself. The scene where he uses forks and dinner rolls to perform a dance number was incredible. The version that I saw had some narration done by Charlie Chaplin (added in 1942). The narration was extremely well done. Right on queue, minimalist, highly succinct. I felt that it actually added to the movie. If you want, you can also watch it without the voice over narration. This one gets a 5 out of 5.
• The Conversation: Starring Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford, John Cazale, and an uncredited appearance by Robert Duvall. This movie is a conspiracy buffs dream. A tense suspense thriller murder mystery like no other. Keeps you guessing, gasping and clenching the edge of your seat. Gene Hackman plays a paranoid surveillance specialist who's reached a point in his career where he can no longer remain disinterested in the subjects he spies on. A great cast, superb writing and direction by Francis Ford Coppola, music that fit the movie like a glove, and a thoroughly engrossing story. I really loved the way that the movie kept you guessing, and we weren't subjected to unnecessary violence or plot revelation. Coppola made this movie between the Godfather and Godfather II, and it didn't get a lot of promotion by the production studios, so it's no surprise that so few people have heard of/or seen this movie. Once you've seen it, you'll recommend it to others – I'm sure of it. This one gets a 5 out of 5.
• Winchester '73 : A movie about a rifle? Not hardly. This classic western tale is a story about good and evil with a couple of twists. The lead character is played by James Stewart, but I thought 'B-Actor' Stephen McNally as the heavy, gave a better performance. He was more believable in his role, and it's a shame he wasn't more recognized during his career. John McIntire playing the 'Indian Trader' also gave an outstanding performance. It was somewhat amusing to see Rock Hudson playing an Indian Chief, but this cast was just a bit too big for this movie. As early westerns go, this was a pretty good movie. It forsook the usual white hat character and provided us with a more complicated tale of the west. Unfortunately, a few societal stereotypes dragged the movie down. The American Indians were depicted as bloodthirsty savages bent on revenge and destruction, the dance hall gal was marked as damaged goods, and the Indian trader got his 'just rewards'. Oh yeah, the characters had to meet in a town where 'Wyatt Earp' was the law... I give it a 3 out of 5.
• Charlie & the Chocolate Factory: This one was on Kim's list, and I couldn't resist. Despite the juvenile theme of the movie, it was directed by Tim Burton, starred Johnny Depp, and featured music by Danny Elfman. A combination I'm quite pleased with. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. Remaking such a classic was certainly a risky proposition, but Tim Burton did a pretty good job. Like most Tim Burton films, this one features beautiful imagery, crazy characters, and gut busting laughs. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka was wonderful. The character certainly reminded me of Michael Jackson though; what with the gloves, the pale skin, the gaunt face, the company of children, the 'wonderland' factory. Talk about a kooky character.. The Oompa Loompas were o.k. I didn't care for the fact that they were all the same, and they were just a bit too small. I give the movie a 4 out of 5.
• Schindler's List: There are some people who don't like this movie, because it focused too much on the strife of the Jew's. I've got news for those people; That's what the movie is about! It's about how the Jewish people survived the Holocaust. A fantastic movie. Moving, powerful, unforgettable. Crafted with the utmost respect and care. The performances (by Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsle and Ralph Fiennes (among others)) were great, the directing (by Steven Spielberg) sublime. The music permeated the movie giving it a life all of it's own. I can imagine watching this movie with only the soundtrack playing. The locations, sets and costumes were as authentic as they could have been. An epic film where the real world melted away, and I was consumed by a struggle to survive. This one gets top notch billing. 5 out of 5 - We must never forget.
• Bread & Tulips: (Italian - Pane e tulipani) This one probably wouldn't have made my NetFlix queue if it wasn't for my friends recommendation - Thanks Kim. Set in Italy (Mostly Venice), this charming romantic dramedy (Drama/Comedy) reminded me a lot of Italy (My wife (another Kim) and I spent seven years in southern Italy). The acting was a bit sophomorish; covered by the comedic aspects of the film, and the only actor I was familiar with was Bruno Ganz. He actually had a speaking role in the remake of the Manchurian Candidate. The directing was very good, and the music was good as well. An Italian house-wife decides she's had enough of the stereotypical Italian woman's life. She rebels against her husband, leaves her spoiled teenage children to fend for themselves, and does what 'She' wants to do. What would have been a vacation becomes a self-actualizing journey. Great characters, sets, locations and music. This movie left a smile on my face. I give it a 5 out of 5.
• Ikiru: (Japan - Living) Another movie from my favorite director - Akira Kurosawa. Set in post WWII Japan. The protagonist of the movie is a mid level bureaucrat who has just about run his course. Stuck in a dead end job, waiting for his retirement, pension and old age. On a rare occasion he visits the hospital where he is diagnosed with a 'mild ulcer'. Convinced that he has cancer, and only six months to live, Watanabe-San starts off in a melancholy mood, is redirected by a struggling artist, re-discovers love, finds purpose, struggles against insurmountable odds (the bureaucracy of city government and his own illness), and leaves behind a legacy in more than one form. The movie includes a considerable amount of narration, more so than any other Kurosawa films (that I've seen), and there is a vivid split in the middle of the movie. The division in the center of the movie helps to focus our attentions on what we might do if we we're placed in Watanabe-San's position. The ending scene with Watanabe singing on a swing was fantastic. The only low mark on this movie was the poor transfer and inadequate translation. Made in 1952, some of the sound and color (It was black & white. We could discuss color in a black and white movie. But you'll know what I mean if you've seen enough 'black & white' movies) was lacking in the transfer. This one gets a 4 out of 5. A better transfer and translation could easily make this into a five star movie.
• The Big Chill: A great drama. This movie came out in the 80's. It's a reunion movie. A buddy movie. A comedic drama. A dramedy. It seems like I've been watching a lot of dramedies lately. A group of people get together ten years after their college days. They get together because one of their friends killed himself. In the week that follows, they examine themselves, their motives, their values and their regrets. If you didn't grow up during the 60's - 70's, you might have a hard time believing the characters. Great acting, fantastic music, terrific directing and an all-star cast make this a gem of a movie. Adult version of 'Breakfast Club'. The only drawback is the talking. There's just way too much of it. This one gets a 4 out of 5.
• The Professional: (French - Léon) Another great movie by Luc Besson. Starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Danny Aiello. Watch the uncut version if you can, if you're not 'disturbed' by the implications of the additional scenes. This movie is an action flick and comedic love story. Jean Reno stars as the steely hit man, Natalie Portman is an orphaned girl who's wreaked by the violence of her world. When Leon sees the damage inflicted on her, he breaks down and allows her into his heart. Oldman plays a truly despicable crooked cop who doesn't care about the little people that get in his way. The three together play great in this fantastically directed movie. 5 out of 5.
• Spare Parts: (Slovenia - Rezervni deli) My fourth movie from Filmmovement.com. Another character based drama. The movie is about two smugglers. They smuggle illegal immigrants across the border from Croatia to Italy. It's a cold harsh look at life in Slovenia. Industrial pollution, the dark side of romance, abuse of power, life in the gutter of society. The characters are struggling to remain human, to be loved and to stay above the high tide line in their cesspool of existence. Some manage, some don't. Some surrender, some become numb. It was very well acted and directed. I was caught up in their petty lives, hoping they'd do what was right, hoping they'd find a life line. The bad guys in this movie were the good guys. We really felt bad for them despite the fact that they were responsible for some pretty despicable things. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• La Femme Nikita: (French - Nikita) Brilliant - A masterpiece. A work of art. Directed by Luc Besson. This 80's action flick created an entire genre of action movies, an American remake (Point of no return with Bridget Fonda), and a television series. Starring Anne Parillaud, Tchéky Karyo and Jean Reno. The movie cruises along at a quickening pace, and your pulse never lets up. The action is non-stop, but this isn't a one-sided movie. There's plenty of drama and emotion as well. The plots, characters, and world that they live in are truly believable - Not like some 'Action' movies. The characters are well developed, and the acting is top notch. The music is great, well suited to the moods and properly paced as well. The direction is fantastic. Luc Besson really knows how to make it seem like the characters live in the movie, that they belong in the setting. He blends the setting, characters and story together to create a believable, wholly functioning world. The ending of this movie is beautiful and fitting. 5 out of 5.
• The man with the screaming brain: Written, directed, and starring Bruce Campbell, who did a very good job in the 'Evil Dead' series (He didn't write or direct that though). I really like Campbell, I think he's a good character actor; He's done some good work, but I can't recommend this movie (even if you are a Bruce Campbell fan) under any circumstances. Unfortunately, the best part of this movie is the title. An absolutely abysmal movie. It was supposed to be funny, but I can't recall laughing at all. There was nothing original in the plot what so ever - The setting in Bulgaria was the only original aspect of this movie. The overuse of Bruce Campbell's 'Good self vs Evil self' bit from the 'Evil Dead' series was egregious and poorly done. A slapstick B-Movie where the laughs were flat and the B-Movie science was lame. The pacing was poor, the acting, script and sound work were terrible. The best acting came from a little known Bulgarian actor - Vladimir Kolev, who's character dies twenty minutes into the movie. There were a couple of scenes that were well scored, but it felt like two different companies produced this movie. It was painful to watch, it wasn't recommended by NetFlix, but I'm a Bruce Campbell fan, so I stuck it out. When the movie ended I breathed a sigh of relief. This one gets a 1 out of 5.
• The Caine mutiny: An early color movie made in 1954. This movie is a military courtroom drama, preceded by a naval adventure onboard the 'USS Caine'. The Caine is a minesweeper on duty during WWII in the Pacific, and it's crew is faced with a strictly 'by the book' commander who endangers the crew with his "I'm in charge!" attitude. There was some really good acting in this movie, and my viewing of it comes at a time when I can clearly see the dilemma that the crew had in their Captain (but that's not for this review). Starring Humphrey Bogart, Fred MacMurray, Van Johnson and José Ferrer. This movie was a joy to watch. A taught feeling of dread carries the crew forward after the crew meets their new Captain. A series of ridiculous disciplinary incidents leads to a nearly destructive storm where the crew mutinies to prevent the ship from capsizing. After the mutiny occurs the movie moves to a courtroom drama format where the outcome is anything but certain. Bogart's performance was excellent. All in all it was a well done movie that lacked a good musical score. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• Kingdom of Heaven: This one showed up on Kim's list before mine. Her queue is significantly shorter. Directed by Ridley Scott, this is by far the best movie I have ever seen about the crusades. A peasant blacksmith, by way of royal inheritance becomes a knight, a lord, a defender of Jerusalem and a man in this visually stunning epic film. Great direction, acting, action, music, sets, locations, costumes, film-work and a story as old as the Holy land. I'm certainly no historian, but I'll bet it wasn't just a few bad Christians that caused all the Holy wars. Pretty much all the Muslim's were depicted as refined, sophisticated and tolerant. While most of the Christians were depicted as brutish slobs, religious fanatics, bloodthirsty murderers. Not a very even depiction. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I'll leave the political debate to historians.
• With a friend like Harry: (French - Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien) As a suspense thriller this movie delivers a disturbing scenario of obsession and murder. A dark, twisted little psycho-drama. The acting was great. The setting/sets, and costumes were all unpretentious and believable. The story was very well written and very well directed. The movie starts out innocently enough with a chance meeting in a rest-stop bathroom, but it doesn't stay that way for long. By the end of the movie there are four dead bodies, and no one's crying... This one rates 5 out of 5.
• The Cable Guy: A dark comedy with a great cast - Jim Carey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann and Jack Black. I really like this dark, tragic comedy. I had no idea it was directed by Ben Stiller! He did a surprisingly good job. This movie is a bold and striking tale of dramatic tragedy. Jim Carey dared to play a dark disturbed individual with a twisted sense of humor. I think he pulled it off perfectly. The movie did an excellent job of blending bitter and sweet, creating a dark chocolate cinematic confection with just the right bitter bite for a Saturday night. The music was great, there were plenty of fan favorite cameo appearance (Jeneane Garofalo - as a serving wench, Ben Stiller - as twin murderer/victim, Andy Dick - as MC of Medieval Times, and Owen Wilson - as an abused boyfriend), and I can't imagine anyone other than Carey playing the role of the socially mal-adjusted cable guy. I could care less for Matthew Broderick. I find all his performances whiny, lacking in substance, a little bit patronizing and slightly sophomoric. Despite his bumbling 'loveable charm' cast-type acting, this movie gets a 5 out of 5.

Movies seen/reviewed this year (2005)
[ Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec ]

Oct (18/6/-/3)

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid: Released in 1969, this is a classic genre defining movie. What genre? you may be thinking. Buddy movies. A comedic western where the two characters are very close friends. These two bandits would do anything for each other. The pairing was not only character based but actor based as well. Robert Redford and Paul Newman worked wonderfully together. Combine the casting with great writing, some absolutely gorgeous locations, and a winning sound track and you've got a hit. The story wasn't momentous, it wasn't an earth shaking epic, but it was a very entertaining movie. "Who are those guys?" I give it a 4 out of 5.
• White Noise: I like Michael Keaton, but this movie stank. A great premise. Something original. EVP - Electronic Voice Phenomenon. The dead communicating through off-tuned electronic devices. Unfortunately, the writers didn't do anything worthwhile with this movie. The sound effects were o.k. but I expected them to be paired with a good sound track - They weren't. This was supposed to be a horror movie? It was more drama and less suspense than I was hoping for. The previews were better than the movie. The botched ending was anti-climactic, predictable and unsatisfying. I give it a 2 out of 5.
• Bad day at black rock: Ripe for a remake. Made in the mid 50's, I'm surprised by the political content of this movie. Released in the midst of the McCarthy era, most of Hollywood was hiding under a rock, trying to avoid the tribunals and black listing. Yet here's a movie that dares to call Americans racists! It points out the hypocrisy of nationalistic fervor and reminds us what patriotism is really about. A great drama set in the forgotten western town of 'Black Rock', a one-armed stranger steps off the Slipstream and straight into the frying pan. A taught mystery, this drama didn't leave much to the imagination, but there certainly is potential for a remake. A great cast (Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin) was held back by period directing and writing I give this excellent transfer a 4 out of 5.
• Alexander Nevsky: (Russian - Александр Невский) This is one serious piece of propaganda. Made in the Soviet Union during the height of Stalin's reign, this film was directed by one of the greats (Sergei Eisenstein). Produced as a warning to the Third Reich, parts of this film were brilliant despite the narrow confines the director was forced to work within. This movie is supposed to be about Alexander Nevksy defending Russia from an invading Teutonic army. In truth it's actually a heavy duty propaganda film. It portrays the Teutonic Knights (Read German officers) as evil conquerors. In one scene a leader of the Teutonic Knights is shown throwing defenseless (naked) and crying children into a fire! The Russians are portrayed in larger than life idealized roles. In some scenes the German troops are played by children against the Russian actors in order to make the Germans seem small and frail in comparison. In a romantic? sub-plot the Russian man (two suitors vie for the same maiden) who displays the greatest valor in combat, is promised to a beautiful virgin. The invaders are depicted as being led by a holier-than-thou group of priests. Some of the battle scenes are remarkable given the resources available to the director. There was a lot of large scale combat with numerous extras. The final battle takes place on a frozen Russian lake, and a large portion of the invading army drowns to death amongst flailing bodies, thrashing horses, and bobbing chunks of broken ice. The musical score by Sergei Prokofiev was excellent. The acting was stage like and forced at times. The costumes were great. The sets were excellent, and the locations great. Unfortunately all of the long camera shots were poorly framed, and we were often left wondering what we were looking at as an army marches ant like way off in the distance. A great movie diminished only by a poor transfer, some ill advised camera shots and a poor translation. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• Layer Cake: (British - L4yer Cake) A fantastic mobster movie with pulse pounding pacing and ruthless double-crossing, down-right rotten characters. Set in England, the main character (with no name) is the leader of a small-time gang peddling cocaine. As the movie progresses, the main character (and his crew) gets played by bigger and bigger gangsters. As he desperately tries to get out from under their thumb (and retire), he ends up getting deeper and deeper into the shit. Eventually, he ends up as the big fish in the pond. The ending is poetically tragic and a fantastic climax to the movie. Daniel Craig plays the main character and the casting, characters, and acting were all outstanding. The writing brilliant and the plot was as convoluted as the twist tie on my loaf of bread! There's a lot of layers here, and it was pure joy watching the director peel them back one at a time. Despite the excessive violence, this was a very well told story. I give it a 5 out of 5.
• Brazil: (British) This one was on my radar for a long time, and I finally got around to watching it. Directed by Terry Gilliam (Of Monty Python fame). Reminiscent of 1984, the characters in this movie are trapped in a constricting retro-futuristic society. The main character falls in love while trying to correct an administrative error. The penalties for bucking the system can be quite extreme! A strange otherworldly movie filled with social commentary. Very current despite it's release date. Today's society is beginning to look a lot like the paranoid paralyzed and distracted populace of 'Brazil'. With the fear of terrorists around every corner, we've pretty much given up on individual freedom or expression. This movie portrays a dark picture of what tomorrow could look like. Robert DeNiro does a really good job playing a rogue repairman; an enemy of the state who refuses to fill out paperwork! Jonathan Pryce did a bang-up job as a Ministry of Information officer who's so good at his job that it threatens the establishment. Full of crazy visuals, social commentary, and a pretty good sound track. This one gets a 4 out of 5.
• Taxi: Why oh why did I let Kim talk me into watching this? Starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon, this second rate movie had me groaning from the the opening sequence. O.k. here's the plot: Wanna-be Nascar driver (Queen Latifah) quits her bicycle courier job in order to become a cab driver (what a great career move). Misfit police officer (Jimmy Fallon) has his license taken away after one too many department embarrassing accidents. They team up when Fallon's character commandeers Latifah's cab. From then on out they pursue a gang of - Get this - Brazilian Super-Model bank robbers. Oh my god! I can't take it any more. Just writing about this movie is painful. I give it a 1 out of 5.
• Timeline: (Canadian) This movie (borrowed from a friend) is based on a Michael Crichton novel (which I read). Unfortunately, like most Crichton adaptations, it sucks. The movie didn't follow the book (which I liked) very closely, and the writing wasn't very good at all. The acting was also poor. It was a time travel movie, which is a theme that I enjoy, but I'm not sure why they bothered. They used the 'Time Travel' theme as a weak excuse to make a typical action/romance movie. There wasn't much passion in the acting and the pacing was way to fast. The dialog was pathetic, and there wasn't much science in this science fiction movie. It reminded me a lot of the new 'Time Machine'. I give it a 1 out of 5.
• Dungeons and Dragons - Wrath of the Dragon god: A direct to DVD release that aired on the Sci-Fi channel (I recorded it and watched it later). It wasn't really a sequel (Bruce Payne does return in a bad guy role), but it is another D&D movie. The first one sucked, and this one wasn't much better. The characters were simple stereotypes, but lacked the comic relief style of the original movie. The acting (for the most part) was horrible, the writing ridiculously linear and unimaginative. The plot? Evil guy obtains orb which controls slumbering bad-ass evil dragon. Dragon will wake up soon unless the good guys get the orb back. Dragon wakes up, starts wrecking havoc, and in the end the good guys manage to save the day with another orb. The writers spent to much time explaining things to the audience. Wouldn't be better if they just concentrated on making a 'good' movie? Most of the people who'll watch this movie already know what D&D is, or they've played it at some point. Here's another movie that makes D&D seem like a badly written comic book. I give it a 2 out of 5.
• Star Trek - The original series - Vol. 10 [Arena / The alternative factor]: I've started viewing episodes of the original Star Trek series. I watched it as a kid when I was growing up (Yow! that makes me... old?), and I loved it back then. You know what? I still love it. My friends and I used to pretend to be members of the 'Starship Enterprise'. Arena is easily one of my all time favorite Star Trek episodes. First it's got great music, second it pits Kirk against the 'Gorn'. The reptilian commander of an alien space ship. Kirk's first instinct is to kill the lizard man, and he builds a canon out of raw materials in order to carry out his blood-thirsty plan. The alternative factor features some classic over the top acting by Robert Brown, and very cheesy special effects. The story isn't all that good, and I count this as one of the worst original series episodes. Of note: I'm fairly certain the 'simultaneously coexisting universes' explored in this episode must have been an influence in my 'No Time/No Motion' theory.
• High Tension: (French - Haute tension) A well done (but extremely violent) horror flick. This psychological thriller features some really good camera work, some fine acting and a great sound track with really creepy sound effects. The direction is also top notch. What's the problem with this movie? Aside from the ultra-violent murders and incredibly gory special effects? The plot twist; yeah, it blew me away, but it didn't make any sense. No sense at all. There were holes as big as the Titanic in the plot. It made the ending a complete reversal on the good work done by the director and camera work. The disc also had some technical problems. It starts out in a default dubbed version - Yuck! and the subtitles aren't the best. Be sure to watch it in French. I give it 3 out of 5.
• Ringu 2: (Japanese) A sequel like other sequels. It didn't impress me, and it won't go on my 'Must buy' list. The music was great, and the combination of camera work and direction made for a very suspenseful horror flick. Unfortunately, this sequel fell into the 'explanation' trap. They felt that they had to explain everything that happened in the original movie. That, plus a meandering unfocussed plot left me somewhat confused. This one doesn't carry the scary the way the first one did. Too much explanation, too much trying to tie complete fantasy to some sort of paranormal plausibility. I give this one a 2 out of 5.
• Rules of Engagement: Politically charged, military justice, courtroom drama, action film. I'll admit that my views are biased by 20 years in the military, but I really liked this movie. The casting was great. Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson did a good job in this movie, Ben Kingsley was great as the weak self serving Ambassador, Bruce Greenwood played a truly amoral National Security Advisor, and the performance of Anne Archer as the Ambassador's wife was probably the best in the movie. This movie was definitely full of politically charged content. How U.S. soldiers treat the civilian population (regardless of location) will always be the subject of political debate and heated passions on all sides. I tried to focus on the military justice aspects of the movie. Soldiers are always considered expendable in combat, in peacetime they're seen as potential liabilities. Our military (The U.S.) has a strong judicial system that treats the soldier fairly, and for that I am very grateful. Hopefully that judicial process will never become compromised by political convenience. The writers treated this movie as if it were some sort of historical depiction. Especially noteworthy was the epilogue at the end of the film, where the fate of the characters (after the events depicted in the movie) are revealed. The only real drawback for me was the stereotypical and negative light cast on all the Arabs in the film. I give this one a 4 out of 5.
• The Jack Bull: This movie (borrowed from a friend) was an HBO original based on a novel. It was a pretty good western starring John Cusack and John Goodman. John Cusak plays a horse trader in the Wyoming territory. When he's denied justice by a corrupt system, he goes vigilante to exact revenge. The movie was highly formulatic, and there were no surprises or plot twists to speak of. The best part of the movie was the ending - Very fitting. The locations were spectacular, but a few plot twists and some ambiguity in the characters would have helped this movie. It was too black and white. I give it a 3 out of 5.
• Batman Begins: (It came up in Kim's queue before mine) A darker Batman. A tale of corruption and redemption. Another comic book made into a movie. It was very well done. Mixing romance, drama, and action. Christian Bale plays Batman, but I thought Val Kilmer was better in the role (See Batman Forever). Liam Neeson was great as the villain. The action was well choreographed and the 'Tumbler' chase scenes were spectacular. The direction was very good, and this movie is damn good entertainment. I give it 4 of 5.
• A soldiers story: A fantastic tale. Another military themed movie. This one is more than that. It's an exploration of the black soldier's experience at the onset of WWII and pre-integration of the military. Here the characters are complex and though provoking. Much time was spent on character development and the result sets the stage for some excellent acting by a fantastic cast. A murder mystery military investigation where the suspects are suspect. This movie had a great back story, excellent directing and it earns a 5 out of 5 for it's candor, authenticity, and complex plot.
• Punk - Attitude: A documentary about the origins of Punk. I lived it and as a result, I loved this movie. The Punk/New Wave scene was something spawned during my formative years. Late 70's through the 80's. It did a great job of chronicling the origins of this counter-culture musical movement. With lots of stage footage, interviews and video clips, this movie was a Kick-Ass tribute to the bands who kicked Rock-N-Roll in the groin and gave it a whole new point of view. Henry Rolins (former front man for Black Flag) has an outstanding screen presence and needs to be involved in more motion picture projects. I give this documentary a 4 out of 5.
• Drifters: (Chinese - Ed Di) My second Filmmovement.com movie. Produced in Hong-Kong, this is something of a propaganda movie. A movie about a young man who's deported from the U.S. He had a child while he was there, and now he's unhappy back home in China. His son returns to China and is staying with his mother's parents. He tries to see the boy, but the grandparents do their best to keep him away. Slow moving during the first half of the movie, the pace doesn't pick up until the Er Di (Little (or Younger) Brother) learns that his son has been brought to China. The acting was pretty good, but the main characters melancholy mood was a bit too much. It's an interesting film, a human drama about traditional Chinese values and the desires of its younger generation. A complicated thing. Well done, but less than satisfying. I give it a 3 out of 5.
• Sneakers: One of my favorites. A light hearted spy thriller with a great cast. Starring Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell, Donal Logue, James Craven, Ben Kingsley and James Earl Jones, this movie was a great spy thriller about computers, cryptography and the government (with a small amount of political commentary). A misfit group of 'security experts' make a living testing bank security until they're contacted by the 'NSA' to recover a 'Black-Box'. From then on it's a twisted tale of deception, danger and espionage where you don't know who to trust. The writing is fantastic, the technical details are great and the pacing is perfect. The acting is a bit lighthearted and there are no explosions or scenes of gushing blood. The director did a bang-up job, and this movie is a joy to watch. I give it a 5 out of 5.
• The Big Blue: (French - Grand Bleu, Le) Stunning, an intense story, a beautifully shot adventure. Writen and directed by Luc Besson, this movie is pure pleasure. I have two versions of this movie. The theatrical release, and the directors cut. The theatrical version is actually a better version to watch. The cinematography is fantastic. The music, locations, sets, costumes and casting were perfect. The performances by Jean Reno, Jean-Marc Barr and Rosanna Arquette were outstanding. Watching this movie is like being transported to a magical world across the sea. I only wish my television was bigger - So big that it wrapped all the way around my living room. The characters are unforgettable, life like, utterly convincing and genuine. This movie gets a 5 out of 5.
• Sharpe's company: (British - English) This was my second helping of a British television series. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as the original series opener. The acting wasn't as good, and the production value was off. There wasn't anything special about the plot. As a movie it was disappointing, as a t.v. series it wasn't too bad. A period piece set during the British struggle against Napoleon (this episode is set in Portugal). The character development is contrived and somewhat shallow. The costumes, music and sets were well done and the action sequences were well done. I give it a 3 out of 5, but I won't be watching any more of this series. It needs to rise above a 3 to compel my attention. Another negative was the DVD production value. Notably irritating was the lack of an English subtitle track.
• Bewitched: Why do I torture myself so? Surely it's for love alone. This was another one of Kim's picks. It wasn't on my list, and you'd have to pay me to watch it again. The writing was weak. They couldn't come up with an actual plot, so the movie was about the movie. Yeah, it was that lame. O.k. they were remaking the series, and didn't want to redo the series, so instead they came up with the worst possible alternative. A movie about the making of a movie based on an old t.v. series. The casting of Will Ferrell as Jack Wyatt/Darrin was a huge mistake. I kept thinking 'Why is he trying to do Jim Carrey'? Surely this role was meant for someone else... I actually had to stop watching it about half way through. Had to stop mind you, we had an appointment to go to. Thankfully, my wife didn't force me to watch the rest of it. The acting was lacking and the direction was missing. No one seemed to care whether they were believable. Nicole Kidman was embarrassing in her role, and the whole thing stank. I give it a 1 out of 5.
• Dead Alive: (New Zealand - aka Braindead) I didn't even know they made movies in New Zealand. This one was made in 1992, but it's a period piece, depicting a viral induced zombie outbreak that occurred in the 50's? The costumes, locations and sets were great. The acting was 'Over the top, tongue in cheek campy". The special effects were abysmal but effective. This was definitely the most egregious slasher splatter gore-fest I've ever seen. The story is plausible, if not a bit thin. Sumatran rat monkey is infected with some sort of disease, bites someone's mother, she turns into a zombie (after someone symptoms develop), and then the twist comes in. Instead of immediately destroying her, or her infecting the rest of the town, the lead character tries to hide her in his basement. She bites others and the situation spirals out of control. The giant 'Mother Zombie' in the climactic battle reminds me of the 'Mother Alien' from the 'Alien' series of movies. Buckets of blood, undead zombies, and campy acting. The characters were delightfully stereotyped, and the lines delivered were pretty good. I especially liked the 'Kung-Fu minister'. His line of "I kick ass for the Lord" and supernatural Kung-fu moves were hysterical. It. Another memorable scene is the main character coming through the front door of the house with a lawn mower strapped to his chest. He says "Party's over", starts the lawnmower, and becomes a human Cuisinart blending up an 'Undead daiquiri". If this movie wasn't so funny it would have been a disaster. Heavily influenced by 'Evil Dead' and 'Army of Darkness' movies. I give it 4 out of 5.
• I'm not scared: (Italian - Io non ho paura) Directed by Gabriele Salvatores, this suspenseful thriller features some great child actors, and a lush environment. In an idyllic Italian countryside, the lead character discovers a child imprisoned in a hole in the ground. The story is told through the eyes of children, and it was very well done. The music was great, but it wasn't suspenseful enough. It didn't match the mood of the events unfolding on the screen. While the title was "I'm not scared", the main character should've been. If he knew what was good for him. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• Anchorman: Will Ferrell at his funiest.What a laugh fest. Written by Adam McKay & Will Ferrel, Directed by Adam McKay. I thought it was just going to be another one of those extended 'Saturday Night Live' skits. You know, some yucks, and a 'little' story. Well, it was much more. A LOT of laughs, and a little story. Seriously though, the story was thin at best. I could care less about 'Ron Burgundy', he was just a good reason to poke fun at the 70's, ourselves and goofy anchormen. 'Great Odin's beard' this was a funny movie. Everyone in the movie was funny. The news team fight scene was awesome. The soundtrack was great. This movie gets a 5 out of 5.
• Campfire: (Israel - Medurat Hashevet) My third movie from Filmmovement.com - This one came on time. It's November's selection, but the movies are supposed to be shipped half way through the previous month. A splendid drama filmed in Israel. Fantastic directing and acting in a story about a young mother who's trying to restart her life a year after the death of her husband. Can she fall in love for the first time? Will she be able to provide safety and parenting to her two young daughters? At the same time her two daughters are learning about love, friendship and sex? Will her community accept a single mother as a peer? Examines several critical themes in a male dominated society. Very well done. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Movies seen/reviewed this year (2005)
[ Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec ]

Sep (20/1/1)

• Napoleon Dynamite: Sheer delight. Geeks rule! This movie chronicles one geeks journey through a week of high school hell. It brought back a lot of memories for me, the characters were full of flavor. Quirky and real, tragic and truthful. Yeah it was funny, but is was also satirical and dramatic. The pacing and directing were fantastic. The music and characters transported me back to 1982 (just like one of the characters in the movie). I graduated in 1982, and this movie was my time machine. Gets better with repeat viewings. A 5 out of 5.
• The station agent: Far better than I anticipated. At first I shied away from this movie because of it's main actor. I thought - A Dwarf in the lead role? Surely it's just a gimmick to get you to watch it. Not so! Peter Dinklage does an absolutely fantastic job, and the movie isn't a parody or joke. It's a serious character based drama. A romantic idealization of life's miseries. Peter Dinklage plays the inheritor of a train depot. With his best friend dead, and no other prospects, he packs up his bag and walks to his new 'home', where he takes up residence as the 'Station Agent'. This one gets a 5 out of 5. A recommendation from someone who rode in the back seat during this years World Forum.
• Kontroll: (Hungarian) Wow! I was blown away. What a great movie! A character based drama, with a little romance and a murder mystery mixed in. Filmed on location in the subways of Budapest and starring complete unknowns (to American audiences); the main characters are subway 'Control' officers. Their job, eject the freeloaders and control the flow. The subways are a place where all the cities citizens converge. It's a melting pot of drama where the characters range the gamut from mundane to murderous. I found myself riveted to the screen as this subterranean cinema careened past my retinas. A 5 out of 5 for sure.
• Once upon a time in the west: (Italian - C'era una volta il West) A movie by the legendary Sergio Leone (Director of the original spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood). The characters are all misfits, renegades, murderers and opportunists. Out to make a buck off their fellow man, the characters lie, cheat, steal, and kill in order to stay one step ahead of the next guy. In the end, even the cold-blooded are seeking redemption of some sort or another, unfortunately - redemption comes at a very heavy price. Some great acting (Henry Fonda as a heavy was great casting), excellent directing, and best of all was the camera work. The movie was a bit long and drawn out at times, but overall it was a joy to watch. The character intros at the beginning of the film were great, and the music by Ennio Morricone was perfectly suited to this fable of the west. This flick earns 4 out of 5.
• The night of the generals: (British) Not yet released on DVD (and I can see why), this movie lacked any compelling performances. It moved slowly, and it was difficult watching Peter O'Toole as a Nazi general. Listening to a German officer with a heavy British accent was a real mood killer for me. It starts out o.k. but it fails to reach it's potential. A narrated movie set in WWII and the 1960's, this movie jumped back and forth with no transition pieces. Sometimes I lost track of the era as the film style, coloring and costumes were nearly identical from one setting to the next. What could have been a pretty good murder mystery, ends up as a movie about a plot to kill Hitler. It ended up feeling more like a History Channel special than a dramatic suspense mystery. The only redeaming part of this movie were the sets, locations and costumes, which were authentic, realistic and thouroughly researched. I give it a 2 out of 5. I watched this movie using Comcast's OnDemand service.
• THX 1138: George Lucas' first feature length film. This is a dark vision of the future. Living in an underground city, the citizens are treated more like inmates and machinery than individuals. Sex and free thought are strictly controlled, monitored and regulated with drugs and psycho therapy. The main character (Robert Duval) rebels against this rigorous structure, and is thrown into a 'prison' with other malcontents and social delinquents. The language, sets and costumes create a truly alternative view of our future. Visionary and daring, this movie deserves more attention. 4 out of 5.
• The Machinist: (Spanish - Maquinista, El) This one surprised me. First of all, the performance by Christian Bale, was awesome. (I can't believe he lost all that weight to take this role) I thought it was just another serial killer murder mystery where the lead character ends up being the murderer. The lead character hasn't slept in over a year. Is his amnesia causing him to do things he wouldn't do otherwise, or - does he have amnesia because of the things he's done? Filled with powerful imagery and intriguing plot twists, I was very surprised by the ending and the significant hidden plot. I though I'd seen it all, but this was definitely a first. I've never seen a movie with this 'theme' before. A powerful story, masterfully told. Suspenseful throughout. This is one of those few movies that I can honestly say 'I never saw it coming'. Great characters, sets, locations and sound work. The ending actually ties up all the lose ends in a graceful climax that leaves you stunned. A recommendation from a friend prompted me to move this one up on my list, and I'm glad I did. 5 out of 5.
• Crash: I liked the casting, I loved the direction, the music was excellent, the characters were great, but I hated the story. I despise the disjointed multiple stories equals a story concept. I don't buy it. A recent trend, let's just take a bunch of disconnected characters, tie them together through scripting connections and we'll make a movie out of it. It's almost as if someone bought up the rights to a bunch of unfinished stories, and rather than develop one of them, they simply connected them together with some connect-the-dot writing. What was the plot? Umm, there were something like eight plots... The premise? Something that unites all these movies? The world is full of racist shit bags, and people who hate everyone including themselves. There's really nothing new or special about this movie. As a matter of fact, I wish I hadn't seen it. It's just another waste of time and talent. I give it a 2 out of 5.
• Gunner Palace: A documentary. A well done documentary that focused on the soldiers point of view. Shot on location in Uday Husein's bombed out pleasure palace. A view of Iraq as a post modern shell crater. Non-pretentious, but avoiding any real danger. A little bit controversial, it felt like the soldiers were holding back their true feelings. How would I know? I served 20 years in the military. Excellent camera work, editing and direction. I give it 3 out of 5.
• Star Trek - The original series - Vol. 9 [Shore Leave / The squire of Gothos ]: I've started viewing episodes of the original Star Trek series. I watched it as a kid when I was growing up (Yow! that makes me... old?), and I loved it back then. You know what? I still love it. My friends and I used to pretend to be members of the 'Starship Enterprise'. Shore Leave features more of the Star Trek lovelies. One crew member gives Kirk a back massage on the bridge, two others accompany the away team to the planet. Speaking of the back massage on the bridge, it's amazing how unacceptable that sort of behavior is in today's military. As a mater any physical contact is shunned. Is it just today's military, or is our society now unwilling to allow us to touch each other? The locations in this episode are truly beautiful. The squire includes an exceptional performance by William Campbell as Trelane an alien child who appears to be much older than he is (a common theme in TOS). This is a pretty good episode, it seems to set the stage for the 'Q' character of later Star Trek series.
• Henry & June: A very sensual film with a great cast. A character based drama/romance. The characters are writers and lovers. Infidelity seems to have no bearing on the conscience of the characters, and they find themselves in each others beds quite often. The main character is discovering her sexuality in the arms of some experientialists - Those who believe that life is best when you have more 'experiences' than the next person. A story based on the true life diaries of someone who 'knew' the American novelist Henry Miller. While the movie was well directed, the dialog was agonizingly like a novel - No one would actually talk like that. There didn't seem to be any real plot, and the movie suffered from that. Despite the exploratory risk taking treatise of the movie, the movie took no risks, and it failed to achieve the artistic expression it was reaching for. I give it a 3 out of 5.
• 12 Angry Men: Shot in black & white, this 1957 release is the quintessential courtroom drama. A magnificent piece of writing, directing and acting. Outstanding performances by an all-star cast (Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Ed Binns, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, Robert Webber). A triumphant film. No special effects, pure drama - movie making with a purpose. The plot? Twelve men are sequestered in a death sentence murder case. The initial vote shows an eleven to one bias for guilty. What will the outcome be? Guilty or Innocent? A man's life hangs in the balance. This one gets a 5 out of 5.
• I Heart Huckabees: (aka I Love Huckabees) This movie seems to be modeled after the Wes Anderson style of direction. A crazy film which explores several philosophical views. The characters are angst ridden cogs, dripping with uncertainty, insecurities and inner conflict, they seek the assistance of a group of existential investigators in an effort to see the 'Big Picture'. With some funny moments, quirky characters, and deep thought, this movie fails to deliver a polished product. The cast was great, and enjoyed the movie, but in the end it was a pale reflection of a Wes Anderson movie. I give it 3 out of 5.
• For a few dollars more: (Italian - Per qualche dollaro in più) Directed by Sergio Leone , starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef, this is another classic 'Spaghetti Western'. The dialog is great, the music (by Ennio Morricone) is absolutely fantastic. The story is worthy of any classic western, and the movie drips with atmosphere. The sets, locations and costumes create an authentic feeling that never fails to satisfy. The introspective close-ups and flashbacks add immeasurably to the drama, and the performances are genre casting. I give it a 5 out o5.
• The Great Dictator: A black and white gem from the early age of cinema. I thought this was going to be a silent film, but I was pleasantly surprised to find Charles Chaplin has a voice. Not only does Chaplin take on several roles in this movie. He also wrote, directed, and produced the film. This movie was one of only two American movies to ridicule/condemn Hitler prior to U.S. involvement in WWII. The dialog is fantastic, creating a sociopolitical statement with imagery and some very sparse lines, while maintaining a lighthearted comedic edge. I give it a 4 out of 5.
• Donovan's Reef: Movie released in 1963. Directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne and Lee Marvin. Horrific writing, poor acting, great locations, sets and costumes. This knock-about comedy was a ridiculous half hearted attempt to place the cast together. Ten minutes worth of actual plot development, followed by an hour and 20 minutes of filler (singing, dancing, badly staged brawling, and stereotyped characters). Continuity and plot holes big enough to drive a Destroyer through, and a horrid sound track. It seems as if this movie might have been one of those 'I wrote it on a paper napkin' scripts. The last movie John Wayne did with John Ford - Thank god! John Wayne simply walked through this movie, exerting no effort, producing no performances whatsoever. I give it a 1 out of 5.
• Nói the Albino: (Icelandic - Nói albínói) A charming character based drama. The best part was the locations, the costumes and the characters. Hmmm, that's about right. The plot? Teenage boy is a misunderstood savant trying to cope in a boring backwater village. Teen angst Icelandic style. Acting by the lead wasn't bad. A bit depressing at times. The landscape, cinematography and colors really helped establish a mood of listlessness and despair. I give it a 3 out of 5.
• Sin City: O.k. I admit it. I broke one of my rules, and I paid for it. This movie was on my 'must watch' list, but I bumped it to 'must buy' based on reviews and comments from friends. I made a mistake. While this movie was well done. I liked the Film Noir detective style, I liked the colors, I liked the characters, I liked the casting, the music was fantastic and the directing was great. What didn't I like? What was wrong with this movie? Violence. That's it - The plot? I have no idea, maybe the plot was violence. That must have been it. Violence in 'Sin City'. All the stories were dripping in violence. The other thing I didn't like about the movie? The story. There wasn't one. Not one but several. It was another one of those 'several stories equals one story' movies. Take a bunch of separate stories and tie them together. It's a recently resurrected trend, and I don't care for it at all. Despite all the things I liked about this movie, I give it a 3 out of 5. The violence was really repulsive.
• Closer: A character based drama. A chick flick. A same old story love story. Four people decieve themselves and each other. In the end it's a wash. Two people find love, two people end up unhappy. It's a tie. The writting was excellent, the sets locations and costumes were right on target, the casting and acting were great, the directing felt forced and artificial. I never really believed in the situations or characters. I know it was based on a play, but it shouldn't have been shot like a play. Way, way, way to much talking! Constant dialog pretty much ruined what could have been a great movie. There wasn't anything new here, and the opportunity to make a moving drama about love and betrayal was wasted. I give it a 3 out of 5.
• Zatôichi: (Japanese) Written, directed, produced, and starring - Shintarô Katsu as Zatoichi the blind swordsman. The origin of dozens of movies, this is the original blind swordsman movie. A great action flick. Fantastic choreography, an epic film with social context and powerful images. The locations, sets and costumes were all authentic. The casting, acting and writing were excellent. An aging blind man wanders the country side in search of? Viewers are left wondering about the main characters background, but his motives and morals are clear - A powerful proponent of the Bushido code. With a lightning fast fighting style, Zatoichi remains warm and loving despite the harsh arrogance of a world ruled by Yakuza and corrupt politicians. This movie is a compilation of various Zatoichi movies, edited and updated in 1989, it's a masterful work. The music (including a live Japanese performance of traditional ethnic music) is great. Many of the camera shots are memorable, and the action is non-stop. I give it 4 out of 5.
• Open City: (Italian - Roma, città aperta) Written (in part) by Federico Fellini and directed by Roberto Rossellini. This black and white movie was made in 1945. The embers of WWII were still hot when it was made, and the wounds had barely begun to heal. When it was released in theaters, this movie was as current as the rubble on the side of the road. A drama set in Nazi occupied Italy. Partisan's risked their lives to liberate Italy, to restore some semblance of order, and unite a humiliated nation. The casting and acting were pretty good. The sets, locations and costumes were as genuine as it gets. A powerful movie about pain, suffering, hope and resolve. Set a year earlier than it was shot, the movie focused on the Nazi capture of a resistance leader. The production quality wasn't that good, and the film suffered from a horrible translation (subtitles) job. There were long stretches of conversation (in Italian (or German)) that either weren't translated at all, or they were reduced to a single sentence. Thankfully; having spent seven years in Italy, I was able to follow some of the Italian, despite the atrocious subtitling. A great movie that deserves a better restoration. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Movies seen/reviewed this year (2005)
[ Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec ]

Aug (22/9)