Oh Oksana...

Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire Too(dir. Su Friedrich & Janet Baus)
Her worst film I've seen to date probably due to the fact she co-directed it and it probably was a documentary for TV. It has a real sterile and impersonal feel to it unlike her other films which feel incredibly personal and intimate like an entry in a diary or journal. The film's best moments are the interviews with individuals on the street about what they think the Lesbian Avengers are. Some are comical. Others are almost frightening to the degree of how uncomfortable they are about talking about anything concerning lesbians. It is much easier to accept what the Lesbian Avengers are trying to do with these interviews even though the biggest problem I had with the film is their approach. They seem to use tactics to make people so uncomfortable that they have to pretty much succumb to what they demand. That's not a horrible way to get the job done, but I feel that it is just going to make matters worse. All the members of the Lesbian Avengers that are interviewed seem to talk constantly about how they're lesbian and proud, which isn't a horrible thing, but I feel as a viewer I never come to relate to any of these people because they seem to define themselves by their sexuality and that's pretty much it. I'm sure these people have personalities and lives of their own, but you can't really tell with this film. Their marchs are almost the stereotype of "Gay Pride Parade" and the fact that some women take their tops off and start dancing around, while I'm not against it, just seems ridiculous and makes me the viewer uncomfortable and I'm not even there in person to experience this public display of nudity. When it reaches the point where you hear a woman recite a poem about her vagina and her lover's vagina, which was obviously influenced by The Vagina Monologues, you realize that they need to stop trying to personify vaginas and start personifying their cause. The Civil Rights movement of the 60's was successful mainly due to the cause having leaders who had strong personalites allowing individuals to put a human face to the cause. This film was thought-provoking even it was for the wrong reasons, which makes it still worthy of watching.
**1/2 out of ****
Flushed Away(dir. David Bowers and Sam Fell)
A relatively fun and light movie. I'll probably forget about it in a couple of days, but it's still better than most non-Pixar computer animated films.
**1/2 out of ****
Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
How do I describe this experience? Soul crushing? Maybe. Heart-breaking? Definately. It's a painful experience not in terms of how bad or idiotic the film is, but due to the events that occur. It's easy to see how some reviewers question what the point of the film was? What is the point of all this suffering? You could argue it is to show the viewers human trafficking and how a young girl can be lured into it. But I don't know, it seems too powerful a film to have such an "important" objective as exposing issues with society that audiences might not know about. In All Movie Guide's review, it says Dancer in the Dark is a good companion piece, which makes perfect sense because Dancer in the Dark could be viewed equally depressing while this film feels much more natural and damaging. Dancer in the Dark's material is melodramatic and while this is too, you give into it. At least, I did and this film scarred me even when I already knew everything that was going to happen due to someone "spoiling" the film in a message board I scimmed. There are flaws with the film. It definately aims to depress the hell out of you and I was able to fight off it's attempts to depress me and think about the film relatively objectively throughout most of the experience. Why does her mother leave her? One review said she's a mail order bride, which would explain it, but you still don't really understand why she would so freely abadon her child especially how the actress portrays her. She cries with her daughter as she's leaving, but doesn't seem to put up a fight. The girl turning to prostitution even though she could go to Social Services seem rather strange because if I was in that situation, I would gladly give myself up to Social Services instead of degrading myself in order to live on my own. The girl probably would much rather be with her friend and on her own than with Social Services so I guess it's not that much of a stretch. Some reviewers and individuals have talked about how the girl is basically an idiot and all the events that happen are pretty much her fault. One reviewer viciously said he understands how a mother can abadon her because she's such a "brat." I don't know. You have to be pretty heartless to hate this girl, but I had a similar experience with Thirteen probably due to the fact that the actress that played the character that the audience was supposed to sympathize with annoyed the fuck out of me and the whole peer pressure excuse for doing things that you don't want to just seems utterly ridiculous when you can easily avoid them. This film's protagonist who is played amazingly by a young Russian actress named Oskana Akinshina is in a situation where there really is no escape at least in the last parts. She is living by herself and she needs money so prostitution seems like a viable option so it makes sense, but the girl in Thirteen seems not to be enjoying taking drugs and seducing boys and just does it out of peer pressure. The girl in this film doesn't prostitute herself out of peer pressure, but as a way to survive and when she sniffs glue, she seems to actually enjoy it. The actress is amazing. Her smile is so infectious and brings innocence to a film that is in definate need of it after all the shit you experience. The film damaged me. Scarred me. I felt relatively emotionally unaffected until the end, which is probably the most devastating thing I've ever seen just due to the innocent viewpoint of the protagonist and the bleak outcome to her story. Some could easily write off the angelic images as ridiculous and sentimental, but there's something heart-breaking about a girl thinking of Heaven in such a simple and naive way. I could argue that the film might not work perfectly on intellectual grounds and that's the argument that some reviewers seem to take to bash the film. All I can say is that it effected me so deeply that I didn't even realize it was possible for a film to make me feel this way and to me, that makes this film a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Part 2 of A Personal Journal with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies(dir. Martin Scorsese & Michael Henry Wilson)
Informative to a point. You could find better educational material online and could just use the list of movie connections on IMDb and pretty much look all the movies and get even more information. He doesn't seem to spend a lot of time on one particular picture long enough to give the audience a sense of that film's artistic innovation or whatever. That has to be due to the massive nature of trying to sum up the history of American cinema in a couple hours or so and have it feel extensive. The best part was seeing movies that I have never heard of or have heard of and wanting to see them. Seeing directors like Andre De Toth and Fritz Lang talking about cinema was definately a treat for me. I'm probably not going to check out the other parts mainly due to the relatively uninformative nature of the film, but it's still probably worth watching if you catch it on TV like I did.
*** out of ****

Oh Dracula...

Billy the Kid vs. Dracula(dir. William Beaudine)
I actually thought this film worked. Sure, the whole concept is ridiculous, but somehow combining a horror movie with a typical Western setting isn't the worst idea in the world. John Carradine's Dracula was easily the most interesting character. All the other characters were faily lame and boring, but it works just because of how flamboyant Dracula seemed made him seem queer among the simple-minded townfolk. Some moments were laughable, but that just added to the sense of fun. A really fun movie.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Randy Scott...

Man in the Saddle(dir. Andre De Toth)
Charlie the crazy Mexican dude was a great character. Some scenes are imaginative like the pitch black shootout and the fight that causes a house to collapse. The film's biggest problem is that it felt it was doing too much with the story, which is a good thing and a bad thing because it makes the film feel a little overstuft. Good.
*** out of ****
Carson City(dir. Andre De Toth)
Slighty dull, but still entertaining enough to recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Stranger Wore a Gun(dir. Andre De Toth)
Same as above. Lee Marvin is UNDERUSED.
**1/2 out of ****
The Spoilers(dir. Ray Enright)
Dull and not entertaining enough to recommend. The conflict doesn't even feel like a conflict and isn't the least bit compelling. There is no chemistry between Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne. The attempts at humor using racial stereotypes was a little much especially the scene where Cherry's maid(?) thinks John Wayne in black face is a black man and starts coming on to him.
** out of ****

Oh Haji and Su...

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!(dir. Russ Meyer)
Is this a masterpiece of exploitation and cult cinema? Sort of. It is certainly a lot of fun and has some aspects that are definately trashy like the outfits the protagonists wear and the whole story around the father. I just felt it didn't quite meet the title of "trash" masterpiece as most viewers have touted the film to be. Some of the dialogue is actually quite ingenius in a campy sort of way, but most of the main actress's line deliveries were just shouting and kind of irritating. Even though, I know I shouldn't take the performances that seriously, I still feel that her performance is weak compared to other actresses. A fun-filled romp. Good for the whole family. Put this on the next DVD case.
***1/2 out of ****
The Ties That Bind(dir. Su Friedrich)
Another masterpiece. There are some aspects that are a little shaky like when she tries to compare the police handling of a feminine protest she attended to Nazi Germany, but I can understand her intentions in terms of trying to get the audience to comprehend how the Nazis were able to take power and how her mother and other Germans handled it. Germans that lived through the experience must have a certain sense of guilt just like their sons and grandsons probably do as well. An intelligent film that actually explores it's subject matter on a much more personal level than some Hollywood drivel like Schindler's List.
**** out of ****

Oh Samantha...

Morvern Callar(dir. Lynne Ramsay)
I can't really describe my experience with this film. Disaffected throughout most of it. It was strange and haunting and challenging to get into. It was easy to watch it and be amazed by the film's rhtyhm and images, but it all relied on the character. I got into it near the end when Morvern is by herself and you're able to take her in without all the noise and music distracting you. The end is rather oblique and is kind of frustrating. I might have to watch this again, but it definately makes me want to see Ratcatcher.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Christina Ricci...

Black Snake Moan(dir. Craig Brewer)
This was a moving experience, but when I started to think about the film afterwards, I was wondering why did it move me? The film feels false. The end brings up the question of whether Rae's "sickness" is truly cured. I don't really understand how a man could teach a woman about self-worth while she is chained to his radiater. There is a certain irony to the whole film and if the director would have indulged in this irony and pointed out that redemption is not as easy as coming across a wise black man and is a long and maybe even painful process. Sure, the characters show pain and are very emotional during their "life-chaging" process, but it all seems false. The whole idea of Rae's "sickness" being described as a "sickness" just seems utterly ridiculous. The film works when it comes down to the other relationships like Rae and Ronnie's and Lazarus and the pharmacist's. For that, the film works, but I wished the film would have not played it as straight-faced as it does especially with the end that is attached to the final product. When I think about the film, it starts to show that is an almost fatally flawed film.
**1/2 out of ****

Oh Poison...

D.O.A.(dir. Rudolph Mate)
It was exciting stuff. The basic concept is kind of gimmicky and ridiculous, but when the film picks up, you don't really think about it. The beginning kind of dragged even though most reviews talk about how amazing it is.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Marky Mark...

Shooter(dir. Antoine Fuqua)
A rather dull action drama. Mark Wahlberg's is quite boring in comparision to an action hero like John McClane. There's really no sense of fun to the action and the drama isn't that compelling. The protagonist never feels endangered at any point to really create a compelling experience.
** out of ***
Dogville(dir. Lars von Trier)
This viewing experience was quite unpleasant due to the actions that happen on screen to the protagonist and the actions the protagonist intiate. Grace's change of heart is bewildering and puzzling probably due to how Nicole Kidman plays her. Her reasoning seems relatively logical, but the way she acts seems to contradict and make her change of heart feel contrived and unnatural. Her actions create a thematic richness. The final moments of the film could be von Trier critiquing America for milking 9/11 and using it as a rationale for going to Iraq. America switching roles from victim to victimizer much like Grace. The images during the credits show poor people who have been oppressed by society. The actions the characters inflict on Grace is oppression and it's not very faltering. This could be von Trier critiquing America for not looking out for the welfare of the poor since all the characters are all selfish and never think of the emotional damage they are causing Grace. The town itself is oppressed since it is alone and secluded. Grace allows the town to free their frustrations and oppress some other being. With all this thematic richness, you would expect an equal amount of emotional richness, but it doesn't. Or it did until Grace's final actions since Grace is the only sympathetic character in the film and then she becomes as dog-like as the other characters. Her actions are more justified, but they still feel off-putting and out of place. It all comes down to Kidman's performance and I feel if she handled the character's final moments better, this would have been really good or even great, but as it is, it gets
*** out of ****

Oh Frank White...

King of New York(dir. Abel Ferrara)
A celebration of violence and smut? You bet. It's easy to see how some people might not like it since it's morality is kind of twisted and bizarre, but I believe that's what makes it such a compelling film. Individuals looking for a straight-faced crime drama will probably be disappointed because this plays more like a John Woo movie than a Martin Scorsese one. Frank White is an utterly interesting character due to his contradictory nature. He wants to help people, but in order for him to do that, he has to kill some and sell some drugs to raise money to help them. Robin Hood selling crack? You bet. He's not a heroic character. You connect with him for just being himself. He claims what he does is to raise money for a hospital, but is it really? To me, it seems like an excuse for him to partake in violent and immoral acts. When he starts killing cops, you feel it was justified, but when you think about it some more, you start questioning his behavior and rationale. It's thought-provoking action cinema.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Forest...

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Le Samourai mixed with Branded to Kill and directed by Jim Jarmusch has masterpiece written all over it, but it never fulfills that potential. If the movie was more focused on Forest and didn't have the other moments that focused on the gangsters, this would have been really good or great, but as it is, it's some uneven masterpiece. Ghost Dog performs his job with such skill that Melville would be proud, but Jarmusch's view of the criminal underworld is less flattering. I understand that's the point to show this super intense guy kicking ass compared to these dumb gangsters, but the characters are alittle too over the top. There are some moments that are forgiveable like a gangster singing along to Flava Flav. Another viewing might convince me that it's not just an uneven masterpiece, but a bonafide masterpiece. For now it gets
*** out of ****
Letters from Iwo Jima(dir. Clint Eastwood)
A much better film than Flags of Our Fathers, but it also shares some of that film's heavy-handed trappings. I enjoyed this film's unsentimental look at war to ritual suicide with grenades and the killing of prisoners of war. There is a certain bleak madness to it, but hope glimmers beneath the surface. Some moments seem to be designed to manipulate audience's emotions like Nichi giving all the medicine to an American soldier and ending up getting wounded. Most of the soldier's flashbacks were clearly designed to create some tears. The gimmick of going back to the present time to show the letters from Iwo Jima was pretty ridiculous, but the biggest flaw this film had had to deal with Ken Watanbe's favoritism of the main character. It seems utterly appalling and ridiculous to me that a man of authority would allow a soldier to not partake in a battle because he has a wife and kids. Sure, that seems reasonable, but we never see Ken Watanbe's character ask any of the other soldiers if they had a family. This film had some sublime moments and some cringe-inducing moments.
*** out of ****

Oh Terence...

The Limey(dir. Steven Soderbergh)
It feels like an interesting experiment not reaching it's full potential. Most of the conversations are intercut with future or past conversations creating a sense of unity that is strange and bewildering. The film never dwells on the supporting characters that much adding a sense of mystery and paranoia. The film's biggest problem is that it feels it is attempting to be Point Blank, but doesn't have Lee Marvin to add emotional weight to a fairly sadistic man. Point Blank has a sense of humor about it's story, which deals with a man who (almost?) singlehandlely takes down a syndicate for a lousy $60,000. Lee Marvin's Walker's mission had some reasoning since he is bent on revenge for being betrayed by his wife and best friend in a robbery. Terence Stamp's Wilson, however, doesn't have a clear drive. Sure, his daughter died and he wants to find out more, but he seems so bent on the idea that Peter Fonda's character killed her that he fantasizes about killing him in front of a room full of guests. There is a certain sadism to his character that is compelling, but leaves the viewer feeling distant from him. The best scene in the film is when he goes back into a garage and shoots three men in daylight. The shootings are never shown and is quite chilling. The ending brings you closer to the character, but Point Blank is a better movie that has a similar story and themes. This movie was still really good.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Yippy Kay Yay Mother...

Live Free or Die Hard(dir. Len Wiseman)
I don't understand why more action movies aren't getting made and released. This film feels neutured. The blood and gore is rather restrainted while explosions are left and right. The most ridiculously entertaining part was the fight between John and the woman. I wish there were more scenes like that. The parts with no action kind of drag and the antagonist isn't very threatening. These are minor flaws compared to the censoring of John's signature one-liner: yippy kay yay motherfucker. That is unforgiveable because that's such a staple of the series and is usually the pay off to all these outlandish action scenes. I have to give it credit for going over the top with some of the scenes. The bloodless deaths just kind of took me out of the experience and most of the action scenes are cartoonish so it is hard to feel suspensful even though they were ridiculously entertaining. It was definately a fun, but flawed film.
*** out of ****

Oh Dangle...

Reno 911!: Miami[Unrated](dir. Ben Garant)
I'm not a huge fan of the show. There are some bits that are funny, but the whole mockumentary angle has been overused and not that funny or original anymore. The one thing that the TV series has an edge on this movie is that there are few moments of politically incorrect humor dealing with race, religion, or whatever. This film was amusing. It's hard to defend it because a lot of the jokes fall flat, but the ending put a smile on my face. That's probably because Terry is the funniest part of the show and seeing Paul Reubens as his dad was extremely amusing. The masturbation scene is ridiculous to the max and the star cameos were quite amusing like seeing The Rock blow himself up with his own nade and Paul Rudd doing a horrible Tony Montana impression. The first 60 minutes or so would have made a sub-par episode, but the last 20 minutes or so would have made an amazing episode.
**1/2 out of ****
25th Hour(dir. Spike Lee)
Before the club, the movie was really good. After, it turned into this pity party. I understand that the character's reactions to Monty's situation is supposed to be fueled by 9/11, but it felt alittle over dramatic. Sure, the guy is going away for 7 years, but there's something puzzling about a father willing to drive his son out west and never see him again in order for him to be free for those 7 years. It is almost touching because of the sacrifice and love the father displays, but it would make more sense if the son had a much longer sentence. When the film takes place in the club, it starts to drag and decline in quality. There is something that goes missing from the film. Probably the sense of doom and gloom that is found in the pessimistic conversation between Frank and Jake in Frank's apartment. The film seems to place a lot of focus on who ratted out Monty. It almost tries to play it off as the thing that propelled the story, but it doesn't get a lot of focus until the person is pointed out. I could probably stomach the over dramatic quality the film has if it was shot in a similar way to Do the Right Thing with overly bright colors. I understand the film is shot in a grim way because it is supposed to be a reaction to 9/11, but I can't help that the film's presentation is trying to make the film seem more low-key than it really is.
*** out of ****

Oh Edie...

Trust(dir. Hal Hartley)
Edie Falco was looking good in this. The version I saw had 8 minutes missing according to IMDb, but I don't think those 8 minutes would strongly change my opinion of this movie. It's a film wrapped in artificiality with moments of "truth." These moments are much more effective because of this. The plot is melodramatic and seems almost too crazy, but the core romance is, well, romantic and quite beautiful. It's a film that doesn't depend on stereotypical ideals of romantic love unlike chick flicks to create a feeling of romance and it feels more honest and fresh because of it. It's easy to see how some people might be turned off by this film because the delivery of the lines is unusual and the conversations sound more like interrogations than conversations. The story is melodramatic, but the film's look and performances openly admit the artificiality of it unlike some other movies with melodramatic plots (Babel? Crash?). If you are able to accept these stylistic traits, you'll be easily rewarded. I loved it.
**** out of ****

Oh Richard Dreyfuss...

Jaws(dir. Steven Spielberg)
This movie was amazingly bland. The characters were bland. The cinematography was fairly bland. Even the shark attacks were bland except for Quinn's. The acting was laughable at some points. The most amusing part was the guy in the boat saying, "Hey fellas" and then quickly getting eaten. I know this film is historically significant in terms of cinematic history, but does that automatically make it a great movie or even a good one? I don't think so and most point out that it created this whole blockbuster mentality that still plagues cinema to this day. Is that a good thing? It is unfair to blaim Jaws or even Star Wars for that, I would probably say blame the directors that became so full of theirselves and decided to make these huge budget movies that nobody wanted to see and nobody really enjoyed. I don't know. I guess I should see Popeye and Heaven's Gate before blaming them entirely.
** out of ****

Oh Su...

Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[rewatch]
*** out of ****
Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[2nd rewatch]
*** out of ****
Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[3rd rewatch]
I feel the portion at the hotel and the romance between Inez and Anthony is the best part of the movie, but when you come to accept Dignan as he is, the 2nd half doesn't feel as disappointing. The 2nd half never felt horrible by any means, but you start to miss the whimsical nature of the portion set at the hotel. Much like Taxi Driver, this film relies on your acceptance of the character for ultimate enjoyment. Maybe Rushmore is the same and maybe I should rewatch that film again down the line.
***1/2 out of ****
Munich(dir. Steven Spielberg)
Spielberg's most mature "mature" film? Probably. It doesn't try to entertain or offer a fairly sentimental view on a historical event, which makes it one of his best works. The running time seems quite excessive especially during the middle portion of it and it seems to hammer the message that killing doesn't solve anything. Holds up suprisingly well as a rewatch.
*** out of ****
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow(dev. Konami)
The film is addictive at first but quickly becomes tiresome. The whole soul collection aspect of the game seems like it would be addicting and a lot of fun, but you'll quickly realize that most of the souls are useless and you should stick to a handful of souls. The level design is surprisingly bland for a Castlevania game. Playing Julius mode quickly reminded me of how much better the pre-SOTN Castlevania games were mainly due to the relatively the fast-paced nature and focus on action. Now the series's focus is on collection of items and exploring. The boss fights are the best part of this game mainly due to the old-school nature of the battles, which force you to remember patterns and exploit weaknesses.
*** out of ****
Elite Beat Agents(dev. Inis?)
I haven't completed the game so my opinion might change, but right now, this game is charming and hilarious. The cut-scenes are ridiculous and the premise is genius and alittle insane. The humor might wear off on me and the game might not seem as enticing as it did, but this game is easily one of the best rhythm-based games I've played due to it's challenging and brief nature of it's songs. The one thing that struck me as particularly frustrating with a game like Guitar Hero is that you could easily mess up halfway through a relatively long song. This game never becomes frustrating because the songs last for only a couple of minutes and the cut-scenes add an incentive to keep going and complete the songs. Best DS game I've played so far.
**** out of ****
There Will Be Blood Teaser Trailer
Don't usually review trailers, but this one is easily one of the best I've seen just because it offers a sense of possibility that most trailers and teaser trailers wish they were able to offer. You get a real sense that this film could do anything and could possibly be the greatest film on the face of the planet. It's unusual nature with it's soundtrack and Daniel Day Lewis's(sic?) menacing voice over adds a sense of dread and evil to the picture. The images shown are both beautiful and haunting. Some have said the film gives off a Terrence Malick vibe, which is easy to see due to the voice over narration and beautiful cinematography, but Malick never provides the sense of horror and ugliness that this trailer provides. I can't wait to see this.
**** out of ****
Damned if You Don't(dir. Su Friedrich)
Excruciating and compelling? This type of personal film-making could easily not resonate with some people. It almost plays like a diary entry. Maybe not as much as the next film being reviewed, but yeah. The deconstruction of Black Narcissus in the beginning seemed relatively pretentious until the ending occurs. The ending redeems all the boredom and ennui that this viewer felt during the experience. The film deals with the sexual longing that a Catholic upbringing can create. Most Catholic teachings tell you that sex is bad unless married. This film offers the argument that sex should be viewed as ultimately spiritual thing. There is a sense of release you feel at the end mainly due to the repressive nature the film has before it. You also feel that the nun character feels spiritual enlightenment due to giving into her temptations. It's hard not to be hot and bothered by the ending being a heterosexual male, but it is ultimately cathartic and outstanding on more than a sexual level.
**** out of ****
Rules of the Road(dir. Su Friedrich)
A sense of longing is felt in this picture as well, but more of a romantic kind than a strictly sexual kind. Plays like a love letter for cars and a therapy session for the filmmaker. The ending much like the film above is cathartic and offers a sense of release. It might not be as artistically successful as the film above, but it makes up with it's amusing combination of love songs and images of station wagons in various scenes.
**** out of ****
First Comes Love(dir. Su Friedrich)
Then comes marriage? The film is quite ambigious at first and plays like a mixture of Frederick Wiseman and Kenneth Anger(think Matrimony Rising) with it's stark documentary footage and use of a pop soundtrack. The film has a fairly romantic view of marriage which makes perfect sense given the film's message. The filmmaker calls for a legalization of homosexual marriage and thankfully, the filmmaker doesn't decide to offer this message in an allegorical fashion. It is upfront and literally written out for the audience. The list of countries that do not provide legal homosexual marriage is amazingly drawn out and provides a valid argument for the film's cause. The only footage is of weddings and with the use of love songs, becomes something beautiful and sacred that it almost changes my opinion on marriage and weddings. If a film forces me to question my beliefs, it obviously is a great one.
**** out of ****

Oh George...

Ocean's Eleven(dir. Steven Soderbergh)
One word: FUN. Some of the attempts at humor fall flat, but it is still a highly enjoyable film.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh William...

Network(dir. Sidney Lumet)
First hour was grand. Second hour not so much. Mostly due to the fact that the satire becomes just as extreme as Howard's banter on his show. It's got the passion of a fire and brimstone preacher, but it also got the mind of a schizophrenic screaming it's head off about how the apocalypse is coming. While I'm not a huge fan of television, I can't help, but feel that this film's hatred toward that medium and how it even can be deadly is preposterous. This is almost the equivalent of Jack Thompson's crusade against violent videogames that he claims to be conditioning and training children to become killers. This is clearly a creation of a group of men that don't understand the medium of television so they decide to create this fiery sermon about the evils of it. They do hit some points of criticism that stick like Faye Dunaway's character's affair with William Holden's Max. Easily, the most effective part of the film simply because it's so tragic and serene, but this turns into a crazed rant about television much like the rest of the film. William Holden's performance, however, lends a sense of gravity to this story to keep it from spiraling out of control. He loves her, but she doesn't love him because she was raised on television and he was raised on life. There's a depressing quality to Max telling her, "I want you to love me." A cry from the writer that is out of touch with a society that is in love with television. This should have been the focus point of the film not Howard or even the network. This is supposedly Paul Thomas Anderson's favorite movie. In the making of documentary about Magnolia, he even shows it to the cast and crew. It is easy to see why since Magnolia has a similar "message", but concerning the movies. His film is far more subtle and you care for pretty much all the characters(except for maybe Stanley since I felt he was contrived). While Howard, you can't really care for him. You admire him for his passion, but you can't help to think that he is too extreme much like this film. The end was probably aiming to be tragic, but it registers with a thud. Howard is so out of a touch that he almost seems to be living on a totally different plane of existence so what happens to him isn't as tragic as it could have been. A flawed, but still good film.
*** out of ****

Oh Marisa...

In the Bedroom(dir. Todd Field)
The first hour and 20 minutes are practically perfect. After that, not so much. It still remains good, but I can't help shake the notion that it took a dive in quality, which is disappointing. When it becomes a thriller near the end, the shift feels iffy. I guess you can say it has some of the same problems as Dancer in the Dark in that the material is good at first and gradually gets worse, but unlike that film, you never feel the actions on screen are implausible. It it is still kind of unsatisfying. Good movie.
*** out of ****

Oh Faires?...

Pan's Labyrinth(dir. Guillermo Del Toro)
Don't believe the hype? You better believe it. It's not a bad movie by any means, but the amount of praise it received is puzzling. The film is fairly shallow and superficial. I think of it as a cross pollination between Dancer in the Dark and Star Wars. The morality is as shallow as you can possibly get with Vidal being evil and sadistic and the rebels being the guys the audience is supposed to be rooting for. The scenes in the fantasy world and real world don't connect very well. The film almost feels like two seperate movies instead of an organic whole. The fantasy world also doesn't feel like an escape for the little girl due to it's sense of danger and horror. Why escape a real world that is brutal and cruel to a world of your imagination almost as brutal and cruel? The use of a historical backdrop is frustrating because it makes no commentary on these historical events other than a stereotypical "fascism is bad." The ending was moving because it hinted at a spirituality that was lacking from the film that it would have greatly benefited from. I feel like I would have been less harsh towards this film if it wasn't for the amount of praise it has received. It annoys me that this film is the #1 rated film on Metacritic with Killer of Sheep, which is probably the most beautiful and poetic film I have ever seen in my entire life, taking the #2 spot. Overrated, but still decent.
**1/2 out of ****

Oh Seth...

Knocked Up(dir. Judd Apatow)
Heartwarming and raunchy.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Bogie Again...

The Barefoot Contessa(dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
The best aspect of this film is that it takes it's material seriously even though it should be taking it not so seriously. The worst aspect of this film is that it thinks it is a representation of life, when it clearly is not. The story is as artificial as you can get. A woman becomes a movie star then the expensive plaything of a South American millionaire then the Cinderella to an Italian count. The count's confession to his new bride is amusing just because of the dialogue and the straight-faced delivery of it. The ending is about as trashy as you can get. Another film called Duel in the Sun also had trashy material, but unlike the material in this film, was amusing by itself and didn't have to depend on a straight-faced delivery. The more I think about that particular film, the more I think it's a masterpiece mainly due to the fact it had moments of true beauty and it was wildly excessive in terms of acting and cinematography to match the overblown and trashy nature of it's script. This film, however, is just an amazingly amusing directing miscalculation.
*** out of ****

Oh Yellow!...

Gunstar Super Heroes(dev. Treasure)
This was a fun game. The story was unnecessary and the bosses were ripped straight out of the original Gunstar Heroes. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Bjork...

Dancer in the Dark(dir. Lars von Trier)
The directing for this movie is good, but the material sucks. The whole central event that sets everything in motion seems something out of a bad TV movie. Her stubborness to not reveal Bill's secret is frustrating and makes absolutely no sense? Why would you keep your promise to someone if they betray you? Especially in the situation she's in? Bjork's performance would have been heart-wrenching in a better film. Peter Stormare's performance is probably the one that got me the most because the love he displays to Selma. That part of the plot is quite effective and quite depressing. Her relationship with the prison guard was quite touching as well. The musical parts seemed to go on alittle too long, but that's how I feel about a lot of the musicals I've seen. They are a breath of fresh air from the bleak reality of the film. I was really loving this movie when she broke out in the song when the train rides by. I wished it retained that level of brilliance. Too bad. It's still decent mainly due to the performances and von Trier's directing.
**1/2 out of ****

Oh Kate...

Little Children(dir. Todd Field)
It was a very visceral experience and I'm still trying to come up with an intrepretation that makes sense of it all. The film's greatest point is that it points out the phoniness not in just some of the character's actions on screen, but also the phoniness that is inherent of cinema. This is most obvious in a couple of scenes especially the whole ending segment and the narrator. The narrator delivers his lines in such a tongue in cheek way and most of his lines are pretty much bold faced lies. He describes Kate Winslet's character as "boyish" in a dry objective tone. Many critics have criticized this point because they most likely find Winslet attractive. I would definately not call her "boyish", but I would also not call her a "knockout." The narrator also describes a football game in the usual dry and objective tone that makes the whole scene seem like a satire of all those movies about football that try to inspire its audience with stories of perserverance(sic?) and hardship. It is easy to poke fun at this scene cuz these men are grown men living in suburbia playing football and taking it alittle too seriously. The narrator's false lines comes heavily in play at the end. You could pretty much say the film explodes in a similar way as a film like Magnolia explodes. The melodrama and emotion is set extremely high. The stories are "resolved." I say "resolved" mainly because you realize that nothing is truly "resolved" especially for Ronnie. How do we know everything is "resolved?" The narrator tells us. The characters' conflicts could not be resolved in such a short amount of time and could possibly never be resolved. The scenes that show the characters acting on their desires are probably the most disturbing in the bunch, but in a sense, liberating except Ronnie's concluding his date by masturbating. You could say the scene is exploitative, but it is easy to see why Field kept it in the film. If that scene was not in the film, his character would seem harmless and misunderstood. The scene where Ronnie goes to the pool for a swim is also a scene pointing out cinema's phoniness. Slant Magazine compares the scene to Jaws, which makes perfect sense. The tension is high during this scene, but why? It is broad daylight and parents are all around the pool. Could Ronnie possibly abduct a child or do something possibly worse? The only scene that rings false and not false in the way that these other scenes do is Kate Winslet's character showing up at Brad's game to root for him and the make-out sesh afterwards. The whole scene seems to undermine Winslet's character's intelligence and just seems absurd. Other than that, this movie is great.
**** out of ****

Oh Denzel?...

Deja Vu(dir. Tony Scott)
Preposterous and cheesy. Got kind of exciting near the end and ended perdictably. Denzel's wierd facial expressions were gold. It was OK.
** out of ****

Oh Bogie...

In a Lonely Place(dir. Nicholas Ray)
I feel this is Bogart's best performance. He seems better suited to a weathered cynical bastard then an "attractive" cynical bastard. One of the problems with The Big Sleep and one of the most interesting parts about it is how pretty much all the women in the film threw themselves at Bogart, who is definately not the most attractive guy around. Went on for too long. It's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****

Oh Jingfan Hu...

Springtime in a Small Town(dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang)
A lovely movie. The two actresses easily steal the show. The scene where Liyan dresses his wife's hand wound is unbelievably beautiful. It is a tad too long and some scenes drag, but it is amazing nonetheless.
**** out of ****

Oh Barbara...

Wanda(dir. Barbara Loden)
Brilliant.
**** out of ****

Oh Maborosi...

Maborosi(dir. Hirokazu Koreeda)
I really enjoy non-narrative films like these. I absolutely adored All About Lily Chou-Chou until the last half hour or so of the film. This film has a very mysterious quality to it that makes it particularly intriguing, but when it loses its mysteriousness in some scenes, it becomes a little too obvious. The scenes are when her friend that takes care of the kids and cleans her house asks why did her husband kill himself and her in the end asking why did he kill himself. I don't know. Her at the end kind of demystified the experience because you go through the whole film without really knowing how she feels about her husband's death, which allows you to create your intrepretation of what she is thinking and feeling. Still a really good movie.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Quentin...

Reservoir Dogs(dir. Quentin Tarantino)
What impressed me in Jr. High, now looks immature and dated. His dialogue sounds like something a teenager would write to impress his friends. It could be that this film isn't in a hyper sylized world like his other films that could be the problem, but still all the violence just comes off as disgusting and unentertaining. The scene with Mr. Pink running away from the job was actually exciting, but the scenes in the warehouse, which is the majority of the movie, are dull and uninteresting.
** out of ****

Oh James...

Spider-man 3(dir. Sam Raimi)
It was a mess and it's attempts at camp just come off as silly and unentertaining. There were moments like Harry and MJ cooking an omelette that made me crack a smile, but the rest of it was surpisingly boring. James Franco was the best part. It was dumb.
** out of ****

Oh Padre...

Star Wars(dir. George Lucas)
Pure entertainment in its purest form.
**** out of ****

Oh David Jaffe...

I accidentally double-posted my review for Bobby so I decided to talk about David Jaffe's response to the reviews to Calling All Cars!, which looks pretty fun to me. Biggest problem with his "review of reviews" is that he thinks the Gamespot review is unfair because they criticized the game's single-player not be longer. Jaffe's defense is that the game was not intended to be a single-player, but to be a party game for friends to talk trash onto eachother. I guess that is fine, but lack of content in a $10 game is a problem. Only 4 maps. OK. I can understand the single-player being short and if there was a ton of content for multiplayer having the score seem unfair, but only 4 maps? That is pretty shitty in terms of multiplayer. I could easily understand if the game was only $5, but $10 can get you a full fledged PC game. Hell, you could buy Age of Mythology or Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth for that amount of money. The game still looks really good to me because I'm a big Twisted Metal nut and it reminds me of that and it especially reminds me of Rogue Trip. The responses to his blog post are even worse with people saying Gamespot suxxxx and that they're basically a piece of shit. I have a ton of respect for sites like Gamespot because they can be harsh where all the other sites are not so when a game gets a good review from them, usually that means it's an actual good game unlike IGN's extremely high scores to games that were hyped to the X-treme. I also know that not all their reviews are right. Their reviews after all and your opinion should really come into play when you're playing a game. Jet Moto is a perfect example. Best racer on PS1 and they gave it a 6 or maybe even lower. They also gave the NES TMNT a 2.7, which seems harsh. I also have the same problem with Slant Magazine. They give out a lot of bad reviews for a lot of movies, but when they do give a good review, it seems to me more meaningful than some other film criticism site. Yeah... Long POST.

Oh Emilio...

Bobby(dir. Emilio Estevez)
Dull and boring. It picks up at the end when RFK comes into the picture through the use of documentary footage, but Emilio milks his assassination to build sympathy for his characters. His characters are his own creation while RFK was a real human being. Some moments were just flat-out bad to the point that it was almost painful to watch like the scene where Laurence Fishburne(sp?) tells Freddy Rodriguez that he is a king and the whole acid trip with Asthon Kutcher. I have to say the whole acid storyline was actually entertaining, but in the context of the film, it is trying to be historically accurate with a very stereotypical idea that a lot of people were dropping acid in the '60s. I was also annoyed by the constant referencing to movies at the time in the beginning like The Graduate and Bonnie & Clyde. It was bad.
*1/2 out of ****

Oh Iran...

Color of Paradise(dir. Majid Majidi)
I really liked it, but some of the techniques seemed unnecessary like the use of slow motion in some scenes and all the music used for dramatic effect. The little girls were adorable.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Feeny...

The Graduate(dir. Mike Nichols)
I was really liking it for the first hour or so, but the last 45 minutes is built on such a filmsy foundation, that it is easy to see how it falters. Ben and Elaine went on one date. Maybe they went on more than one date, but to my knowledge, it seemed like they only went on one date. How do you fall in love with someone so badly to go through all the stuff Ben goes through from one date? Sure, it seemed like a real nice date after the whole strip club incident, but still. The whole idea that she thought he raped her mother and she didn't think to report to the authorties, even though the story is false, is insulting. The soundtrack is nice at first, but it became increasingly repetitive just played one or two songs over and over. The ending made me LOL. It was just completely ridiculous to see him tackle some people at a wedding and start swinging around a golden cross to keep them away. No wonder why Wayne's World 2 parodied it. You also grow to dislike Ben while the movie goes along. He goes to Berkley and basically terrorizes Elaine the whole time. The whole relationship after the first date and the fact that she took him back while he was basically annoying the hell out of her was unbelievable. Feeny and Mr. Roeper were in it, so that's always a plus. The first hour was really good and the final 45 minutes had some moments, but was pretty awful.
** out of ****

Oh Klaus...

Aguirre: The Wrath of God(dir. Werner Herzog)
Amazing. I greatly admired this film from my first viewing, but I can't honestly say that I was in love with it. This movie was much better this time around maybe it had to do with the theater setting or maybe I'm just used to his style. I don't know.
**** out of ****

Oh Marilyn...

The Asphalt Jungle(dir. John Huston)
It pales in comparsion to other capers, but still remains enjoyable. The robbery scene wasn't particularly exciting which is usually the most exciting scene in other movies. The movie seems to hit its stride after the robbery in a way. The characters other than the German Doctor and Sterling Hayden's character are given barely enough screen time to make a dent. Marilyn Monroe is probably the highlight of the movie just because she has so much screen presence. Sterling Hayden essentially plays the same character as the character from The Killing except he had more a sense of honor in that film that made him likeable. Two moments that stood out where when the German Doctor sits down and watches a girl dance to a tune on a jukebox and Sterling's character's death around the horses. I recommend it.
*** out of ****

Oh Kirk...

Ace in the Hole(dir. Billy Wilder)
A film noir with a conscience? A review I read just a couple of seconds ago talks about how the character's transformation seems clunky and contrived. I can easily see how someone can feel that way, but in my opinion, the picture wouldn't have had any impact if he had no conscience. He thought he had control of the situation, but when he starts to realize that he doesn't have control of the complete situation, he starts looking like a human being. One of the most delicate moments in the film comes from a family that we follow throughout the film. They have come to see all the hoopla about Leo being caved in. You naturally despise them since people like them are what propel Chuck to do what he does, but there's a moment after Leo dies, that is just so moving and you see these people aren't stupid for participating in this media circus, they're just human beings. The wife cries and it struck me in a very emotional way. I almost started to cry such a beautiful moment in cinema. Such a moment frustrates me because the ending played off as some sort of sick joke. I still highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Jennifer...

Duel in the Sun(dir. King Vidor)
I've been interested in King Vidor lately since I read an article that lumped him with John Ford and Howard Hawks. I'm sure, that nobody will say this film is his masterpiece or anything since I've read that David O. Selznick couldn't stop meddling with the picture. This is one grand epic soap opera with some scenes that are just completely ridiculous and some scenes that are just completely brilliant. The whole dispute over the train and all the men riding on horses was compelling in its grandness. The dance in town is also another moment that had me in awe over the grand scale of it. This western probably has the best production values of any western I've ever seen probably due to the fact it was one of the most expensive films of its time. Best scene in the film is actually not grand at all, but small and personal. It is between the Senator and his wife. She is dying and their relationship has been in a rut. She thinks he hates her and he professes his love to her. It such a small touching moment that could easily get lost in all the grand operatic scenes. Theres also scenes that are just laugh out loud bad like when Jennifer Jones's character wants to go with Gregory Peck's character and starts screaming and clinging to his leg to take her with him. The ending is in a way brilliant and completely presposterous. Allmovie says, "It's still good fun to watch, especially the riotous ending." I have to agree with that. Probably one of the most fascinating endings in it's sheer craziness and originality. I wouldn't say the end really works, but it still makes an interesting watch. There are moments that are just kind of dull and bland as well, but they are very uncommon. The lighting in some of the scenes are out of this world. I would label this movie as a flawed masterpiece.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Ida...

While the City Sleeps(dir. Fritz Lang)
I liked the core story concerning the mystery around who the killer is, even though we, the audience, already know since they showed him in the beginning and throughout the experience before the other characters know. I wouldn't really say that finding out his identity is the point of the movie since we know, but how the other characters find out the identity of the man. There are some subplots that are given a lot of focus within its last ten or so minutes that I wasn't particurlarly fond of, but other than those subplots, I really had no problem with the movie. Ida Lupino is easily the best part of the movie.
***1/2 out of ****
The Lady from Shanghai(dir. Orson Welles)
My DVR cut off recording it right before the end. I read the script so I know what he says in his narration at the end. I'll just assume he walks away from the amusement park narrating. His style seemed to fit with this story a lot more to me than say Citizen Kane. It is more narrative-driven while Kane is more character-driven. His acting works well with this film while with Kane, he just seemed unlikeable. All the actors play the roles at a certain intensity and the style of the film is about as intense. The scenes in the aquarium and the crazy house were pretty awesome. The guy who played George was particurlarly memorable. Rita is definately better looking than Ida, but how Ida just exudes sexiness with her performance. I loved it.
**** out of ****

Oh Richard...

The Blue Gardenia(dir. Fritz Lang)
I was liking this alot until the twist near the end, but I guess you should have expected it since Richard Conte and her were becoming something of a couple, which felt really forced.
*** out of ****

Oh Lee...

The Good Shepherd(dir. Robert De Niro)
It was kind of dull mainly because Matt Damon's character isn't all that interesting, but the confusing narrative added a sense of mystery to it, which made it interesting.
*** out of ****
Vive L'Amour(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
I was really really enjoying this and the end happened. It just doesn't work. I'm sure some people found it moving, but it felt extremely forced and doesn't really go well with his style or rest of the picture. Still worth seeing.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Will...

Pursuit of Happyness(dir. Gabriele Muccino)
It was designed in such a way to make the audience feel sorry for Will Smith's character. Some scenes were just utterly ridiculous like the scene dealing with the Rubic's cube and the rich white people in the convertible driving past a homeless shelter laughing. All the characters other than him and his son were shallow. I'll admit I was touched by the scene where he receives the news that he got the job because Will Smith plays the scene perfectly. If it wasn't for that scene, I would be giving this *1/2, but because of it, this movie gets
** out of ****

Oh Oil...

Lessons of Darkness(dir. Werner Herzog)
Some of the most beautiful images I've ever seen. I didn't know it was possible to make fire, oil, and sand look so good. This film is like poetry for the eyes. The music of the film is very beautiful. Herzog's narration is unsettling and quite relaxing. The interviews were depressing, but opens your mind about how soldiers treat civilians in wars. The most haunting scene is when the workers blow up the oil well and it starts raining oil. That was insane. This movie is amazing. This is his best movie I've seen so far.
**** out of ****

Oh Gene...

Bonnie and Clyde(dir. Arthur Penn)
One word: fun. It doesn't remain fun the whole time, but it's still pretty fun until the end.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh "Charlie"...

The Naked Kiss(dir. Samuel Fuller)
Utterly cinematic. Great moments throughout. The scene where we find out the secret to her fiance is extremely haunting and actually handled amazingly well by Fuller, who steers to almost camp with other situations similar to this one. "Charlie" gives an especially nuanced performance. It kind of gets clunky near the end, but it still remained highly compelling.
**** out of ****
Happy Feet(dir. George Miller)
Too long. Animation shouldn't run this long because the stories are usually very simple and can't really last an almost two hour running time. It had moments that were nice and the political message was quite refreshing in an animated film. If it was shorter, it would have been way more enjoyable.
**1/2 out of ****

Oh Some British Actor/Actress...

Wonderland(dir. Michael Winterbottom)
I was hungry and now I'm convinced that if I'm hungry, my brain doesn't function at maximum capacity and that means I won't be able to get into a movie. After I ate some food, I started getting into this. I had a similar thing with Children of Men with eating food and getting into the movie. Maybe it's only with movies with British actors. I don't know. I thought the ending was pretty much perfect in its simplicity. I'll probably rewatch it, but I don't think my opinion will change that much.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Clive...

Children of Men(dir. Alfonso Cuaron)
It was slow in the first hour, but had some moments of brilliance like the beginning with the building blowing up and the scene in the car. It definately picks up during its final 45-50 minutes. I think it is insane that this movie didn't win Best Cinematography just for the Steadicam work during the battle in the town alone. The illegal immigration aspect of it was interesting because I could see that possibly happening down the line. I could picture liking this even more on a second viewing, but for now it gets a
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Chris...

The United States of Leland(dir. Matthew Ryan Hodge)
This movie reminds of Babel because it has all these elements in its narrative that it could easily make a statement about, but doesn't deliver. The difference between this and Babel is that even though didn't say really anything, it still had a somewhat compelling narrative. The character of Leland is pretty dull with his constant philosophical musings that sound like they're deep, but are utterly pointless. That's how the film is as a whole. The most compelling aspect was Chris Klein's performance and his revenge subplot. You could see the director striving for something that he couldn't quite grasp. It would have probably been a better picture if the film had a judgemental view of Leland and focused on the family's grief. His act was senseless since he goes on and on about how he hates seeing sadness in the world yet he creates it by killing a child which creates suffering for basically everyone around him. It was quite flawed.
** out of ****

Oh Gloria...

El Dorado(dir. Howard Hawks)
Has its moments. Wanna check out Rio Bravo now.
*** out of ****
Crossfire(dir. Edward Dmytryk)
Becomes kind of preachy when the detective starts talking about hate and why its bad, but I guess you have to expect that for the first Hollywood movie dealing with anti-semitism. Robert Ryan gave the best performance and Gloria Grahame, while gorgeous, just feels out of place in this movie. It started to pick up alot towards the end. The scene where Genny's husband started playing mindgames with Mitch was brilliant. It was quite compelling stuff.
***1/2 out of ****

Oh Ratings...

New Rating System
****-Great
***1/2-Really good
***-Good
**1/2-Decent
**-Average
*1/2-Bad
*-Really Bad
I realized I need to be more specific because I end up giving movies *** that really deserve higher and I give **** to movies that deserve lower.
---
Rashoman(dir. Akira Kurosawa)
Overacting. Overacting. Overacting. The one thing that has distanced me away from Kurosawa. This movie is definately marred by overacting from Toshiro Mifune and the woman that played the wife. The ending completely redeemed it from being a total waste of time since it was rather touching. Maybe I should see Ikiru because the actor that plays the woodcutter is in that and he seems to be the only actor I feel sympathetic towards in the movies I've seen by Kurosawa. It would have gotten a **, but because of the ending it gets a
*** out of ****

Oh Daniel...

Casino Royale(dir. Martin Campbell)
Is he the best Bond ever? Not sure. Definately better than Pierce Bronson. Agree with most of the critics about how its too long, which seems to be its biggest problem especially the whole section that was like a mini chick flick or something. I liked it.
*** out of ****
When a Women Ascends the Stairs(dir. Mikio Naruse)
I've been curious to Naruse since there has been no releases of his films pretty much anywhere and he is often compared to Ozu and Mizoguchi. This film was somewhat underwhelming. Sure, I probably liked it more than any of the previously named director's works that I have seen(feel like I need to rewatch Tokyo Story and Late Spring), but I guess I was expecting alot more. This, however, doesn't mean this film was bad or even just good. It was really good, but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be.
**** out of ****

Oh Josh...

Mean Creek(dir. Jacob Aaron Estes)
I was reading Roger Ebert's review on this movie and he was talking about how the MPAA shouldn't have rated it R so people the characters' age could watch this movie and be educated on what peer pressure can do. I thought that seemed rather silly cuz it would basically write this movie off as some after-school special similar to Thirteen, which I still to this day utterly despise. This movie has moments of peer pressure that seem kind of preachy in some way with Josh Peck's character, but seem natural enough. It kind of explains why this movie got only *** from him if he's viewing it in that light and probably why he gave Thirteen ***1/2 because it definately tries to preach something, but the problem with Thirteen was just how it treated its audience and expected the audience to feel bad for this idiotic girl that did things that she didn't want to just out of peer pressure. The peer pressure is different and more believable. Probably my biggest complaint about this film was Josh Peck's character. He probably did as good of a job I could imagine an actor from Drake & Josh doing and I was probably most impressed with his performance because he was able to be an asshole and sympathetic, but the problem was that he felt like some kind of split-personality. For me, I couldn't feel sympathy for him when he was trying to piss off Marty about his father commiting suicide. Sure, kids can be decent and cruel, but that seems over the line. His shifts seemed natural, but somethings just felt off about his character. Everything after the "incident" was pretty much perfect. Rory Culkin isn't the greatest actor and everybody else pretty much steal the show especially the girl. I can't help being reminded of George Washington because it has a similar tone, treats its young characters as practically adults, and had a similar situation, but George Washington is a much more haunting and poetic because nobody ever reports the incident in the film and it just lingers in the audience's minds afterwards. Also, the character that died in that film was likeable and it just seemed to come out of nowhere when it happened. Other than my complaints, I liked this movie alot.
**** out of ****

Oh Sterling...

The Killing(dir. Stanley Kubrick)
A great caper film. Sterling Hayden and the woman who played Sherry were particularly noteworthy. Liked the aftermath of the heist alot. I loved it.
**** out of ****

Oh Alain...

White Dog(dir. Samuel Fuller)
I was surprised by how good this was. I wanted to see it pretty much for how ridiculous the concept seemed, but I was surprised by how effective this was as a drama. I remember reading the Great Directors for Fuller on Senses of Cinema and I believe someone said he makes poetry out of ridiculousness. This is the perfect example of this. It was actually intellectual especially the end. I can see theories that the dog represents society, which makes the most sense to me. This could be his best film.
**** out of ****
Le Cercle Rouge(dir. Jean-Pierre Melville)
Watching Heat, I wanted to see another caper film and the fact that Michael Mann is obviously influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville, I decided to put this near the top of the Blockbuster Online queue. Not sure if this is better than Heat, but this is clearly his best film. What amazes me about his films is just the level of detail like how the inspector has a lot of cats and the whole robbery sequence was quite compelling. The ending was kind of a letdown, but thats one of the only flaws I can see with this nearly flawless film. The scenes in the bar were quite astonishing. I loved it.
**** out of ****

Oh Zachary...

The Southerner(dir. Jean Renoir)
Definately not as good as The Grand Illusion or Rules of the Game. In a way, I was pleased throughout the film and never got bored, but in a way, it just seemed generic and forgettable in some way. The scene where his friend starts throwing rocks at a bar window was pretty amazing. I liked it.
*** out of ****

Oh Edward...

Woman in the Window(dir. Fritz Lang)
Not one of his best. I really liked the beginning between Edward G. Robinson and the "Woman in the Window." I spread this over two days. I have a feeling that was part of my problem with the movie because I was generally not interested it today. Its still good. Better than Scarlet Street.
*** out of ****

Oh Randolph...

Seven Men From Now(dir. Budd Boetticher)
This film is his most polished and poetic film. The biggest reason is that it seems like the supporting actors can actually act in this one. I liked this alot.
**** out of ****

Oh Woody...

A Scanner Darkly(dir. Richard Linklater)
More stylistic than Fast Food Nation, but not as good. The moments between Keanu, Robert, and Woody were the best parts. Just them haning out and talking about nonsense. Kind of some paranoid Dazed & Confused or something. When it hit the 80 minute mark, it tried to pretty much sum up the whole reason why Keanu was undercover and infilitrating these guys. I don't know. I liked it alot up until that point. Maybe I should see Waking Life.
*** out of ****

Oh Val...

Heat(dir. Michael Mann)
I have to say this is his best movie and maybe the best movie ever. I loved it.
**** out of ****
The Big Sleep(dir. Howard Hawks)
Definately an improvement over Red River. I'll admit that I was restless in the beginning. It started to pick up during it's last 40 minutes or so. Best moments in the film were between Bacall and Bogart. I liked it a lot.
**** out of ****

Oh Bibi...

The Seventh Seal(dir. Ingmar Bergman)
I think I'm starting to understand him. I loved this.
**** out of ****

Oh Christina...

Buffalo '66(dir. Vincent Gallo)
In the beginning, I didn't like Billy that much until the scene in the restaurant with the girl he supposedly dated. The dinner scene was pretty amusing, but I wouldn't say it was that great. I was actually enjoying it quite a bit and would have given this **** if it wasn't for what happens alittle bit before the end. He makes the audience believe the story goes in a certain direction and then reveals that it actually didn't go that way. It seemed like just a cheap trick. Some of his visual techniques like the spotlight effect on his father, the man Ben Gazzara, singing or Layla tapdancing and how the flashbacks started small and ended up getting big on the screen was alittle off-putting. The scene before the ending ruined it for me. If that was out of the picture, I would have enjoyed this alot better. It is still a good film though.
*** out of ****

Oh Poop...

Half Nelson(dir. Ryan Fleck and Anna Bodom)
The scene that really made it for me was when Dan goes to buy some crack and ends up buying it off of Drey. Its such a little scene, but seems to show the dilemma they both face in the film. The ending was very optimistic and makes the audience believe we can truly change and redeem ourselves. The most problematic scenes were the teaching scenes. Sure, you have to show his job somewhat, but overall, they really had nothing to do with the grand scheme of things. They are also portrayed in a fairly stereotypicaly cinematic way where the teachers seem to hold a discussion instead of just lecturing the kids. Sure, this style of teaching can happen, but its not very likely in a junior high setting. I liked this alot.
**** out of ****
Fast Food Nation(dir. Richard Linklater)
This movie just reminds me of Babel even though Linklater has been dealing with this type of narrative genre years before Babel, Crash, or even Magnolia came out. This movie is definately more messy than Babel, but the biggest difference is that Fast Food Nation actually has message behind. Actually, numerous messages. The border crossing aspect in both film's offers easy comparision. The border crossing in this film is much more thought-provoking than Babel's. Maybe because Babel's border crossing wasn't really about people illegally immigrating even though the nanny was in the US illegally. Babel basically throws this aspect of its narrative out there expecting audiences to think about it, but Fast Food Nation really dwells on this aspect. You watch this and you kind of say who gives a shit that these individuals are in our country illegally since they basically suffer immensely while living here. You feel sympathy for the individuals and it makes it much more thought-provoking than anything in Babel and this is just one of the stories. You got Greg Kinnear's character dealing with corporate marketing and covering up the fact that there is shit in hamburger meat. You got young people trying to make change, but basically realizing the problem is out of their hands. This story is probably the least effective because of the simple view that these young people have on the situation, but the film, thankfully, debunks their naive view. The best (and most unpleasant) in the film is when you finally see the killing floor in the meat packing factory. The scene is so effective because it not only shows what they do to the cows to make our meat, but also how it affects the individuals that have to do this work. You see a woman is just as horrified and disturbed by what she sees as the audience is. You see her cry and realize that what those people do is horrific, but almost heroic. While this movie does have its flaws, it is still one of the best movies of 2006.
**** out of ****

Oh Paris...

Branded to Kill(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
This movie is pretty much insane. Any movie that has a hero that gets turned on by the smell of hot rice is awesome in my book. Any movie that has the hero's love interest living in a house full of dead butterflies is also awesome in my book. I wouldn't say it is quite as good as Tokyo Drifter, but it's pretty close. Way way way better than Youth of the Beast.
**** out of ****
Double Indemnity(dir. Billy Wilder)
Is this the greatest film noir ever made? Not quite. Edward G. Robinson's character is quite awesome. The murder seemed sort of rushed because the guy did not seem like he knew the woman at all and was willing to kill her husband for her. This is a minor complaint, but yeah. Not quite as good as some of Fritz Lang's noirs or Kiss Me Deadly, but still really good.
**** out of ****
Brick(dir. Rian Johnson)
Stylish. Probably the best way to describe the whole experience. Transporting film noir into a high school is pretty unique even if it feels kind of strange. I can see how someone can despise this movie. I, however, liked it alot.
**** out of ****

Oh Anna...

Two Rode Together(dir. John Ford)
Probably the worst film I've seen by him, that's not as bad as it seems. It seems extremely uneven between comedy and serious social commentary. It brings up an interesting point about how the individuals in the town view on Indians is just as uncivilized as they claim the Indians to be. First movie I've seen by Ford that didn't have John Wayne or Henry Fonda in it. I don't find James Stewart a particularly convincing cowboy. It seemed to get alittle heavy handed at the end of it when it started to make the social commentary because everything leading up to it was pretty light and unserious. Decent.
*** out of ****
The Wild(dir. Steve "Spaz" Williams)
Better than Over the Hedge, but that is not saying much. Would have been better if it was only an hour, but as it is, it has pretty shallow story that quickly becomes dull.
** out of ****
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio(dir. Jane Anderson)
Biggest issue with this movie is its portrayal of Woody Harrelson's character. He does some really stupid actions and I can easily understand how some of the characters in the picture do not view him in a very positive light, but he means well. He seems to throw tandrums, but you never see him really meaning to cause harm to his family or his wife. The only instance he does harm his wife, he seems to have an emotional breakdown and you almost feel more for him than his wife. The film's insistance to paint him as the "bad guy" in the narrative just makes it seem strange. The bits where it seems to making fun of 50's/60's consumerism just seemed out of place. Overall, a decent movie.
*** out of ****
Mermaids(dir. IDK)
Bob Hoskins is in it. A light comedic movie. Don't have anything really intelligent to say about it.
*** out of ****

Oh Donald...

Tropical Malady(dir. some Thai guy)
Strange. Mysterious. Unusual. Original. Spellbinding. Bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
This movie is one of the strangest movies I've ever seen. I didn't really have an emotional response to it because I haven't really grasped it mentally. Unlike anything I've ever seen.
**** out of ****
Letter from an Unknown Woman(dir. Max Ophuls)
This movie was like the delicate white rose Stefan gives Lisa in it. I liked it alot and I will surely check out more of his work.
**** out of ****

Oh Rosie...

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon(dir. John Ford)
Dragged on at the end.
*** out of ****
All the Real Girls(dir. David Gordon Green)
Reminded me of my emotions towards Fat City, it obviously isn't the greatest movie in the world, but has a lot of heart. Not nearly as beautiful or grand as George Washington, but more intimate.
**** out of ****

Oh Wombo Post...

Lancelot of the Lake(dir. Robert Bresson)
I'm not sure what this movie was trying to say. All violence is senseless? I guess that could be it. Anyways, I liked it a lot.
**** out of ****
Snakes on a Plane(dir. Not sure)
This movie could have been so much more entertaining. The biggest problem is that it took itself seriously, but there were still corny parts like when Samuel L. Jackson says, "All Praises to the Playstation." The ending is one of the most beautiful endings I've ever seen.
*** out of ****
Terror in a Texas Town(dir. Joseph H. Lewis)
This movie really deserves a ** because the acting was pretty much horrible and the story wasn't all that exciting. The ending, however, makes it all worthwhile. Seeing a guy get harpooned in the chest in a gunfight redeems the movie completely.
*** out of ****
The Black Dahlia(dir. Brian De Palma)
This movie obviously has its flaws, but the type of critical beating it took wasn't really necessary. I actually liked the ending, which is what most of the critics complained about. Josh Harnett's relationship with Aaron Eckhart wasn't all that interesting in the beginning until you learn about Aaron Eckhart's character more after his demise. I liked it a lot more than The Untouchables.
*** out of ****
L'Enfant(dir. Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne)
I don't know what to say about this movie. It definitely deserved to win the Palm D'or, but my biggest problem is the believability of the character's actions that set up the whole conflict for the story. Even when I didn't find the actions that believable, the ending was absolutely heart-wrenching and worked much better with this film than Bresson's Pickpocket. One of the best films of last year.
**** out of ****
The River(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
Easily his bleakest film. I wouldn't say this was exactly one of my favorite films by him, but it is still really good.
**** out of ****
Samaritan Girl(dir. Kim Ki-duk)
This took me by surprise. I decided to DVR this because DVDBeaver had a review of it. I loved how upfront it was about dealing with the issue at hand. I remember reading one review where it says this movie is basically black and white on the issue of prostitution, but in my eyes, the whole movie is one big shade of grey for the audience. You get two differing viewpoints in the film, the daughter's naive outlook on prostitution as some Samaritan act and the father's harsh outlook on prostitution. The daughter doesn't anything as drastic as her father, which makes it thought provoking. Can murder really solve this problem? It makes you wonder what is the correct way of dealing with realizing that your daughter is a prostitute. The ending is probably one of the most depressing endings I've ever seen. I loved this movie.
**** out of ****
Rosetta(dir. Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne)
This movie was really good until the end, which rubbed me the wrong way. It makes it seem like a redemption for the character that truly doesn't need redeeming. You could say Rosetta learns that the world wasn't against her all along, but why use a character that has every right to be mad at Rosetta to show this. It should be Rosetta's redemption, but it ends up feeling like a redemption for the character that doesn't need the redeeming.
*** out of ****
Sweet Smell of Success(dir. Alexander Mackendrick)
Film noir works wonders where it inhabits a world with its own set of morals and characters that can easily fit into this world. This film does exactly that. I loved it.
**** out of ****
The Big Gundown(dir. Sergio Sollima)
I wanted to see this just because John Zorn's album of covers of Ennio Morricone's songs is called The Big Gundown. It is quite corny in its datedness, but that’s probably what makes it so appealing. It is ultimately one of the most entertaining spaghetti westerns I've seen and the fact that it has Lee Van Cleef as the hero makes it even better. It is not exactly deep, but its a hell of alot fun.
**** out of ****
Hiroshima, mon amour(dir. Alain Resnais)
The first twenty minutes of this movie are probably the best I have ever seen. As the story progresses, it starts to falter and become repetitive. The ending is amazing which completely redeems all the problems I had with it during the middle.
**** out of ****
George Washington(dir. David Gordon Green)
Poetic and beautiful. Its obvious that he owes alot of his style to Terrence Malick, but you never see Terrence Malick making broken down cars look beautiful. Some could easily write this off as a director trying to make Days of Heaven, but in all honesty, it could quite possibly be better than that film.
**** out of ****
The Hole(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
This film contains probably his most romantic endings ever. The musical parts seemed kind of off until the ending, which makes the musical parts seem completely necessary to show that the romantic fantasies of the characters have been achieved. Could be my favorite film by him.
**** out of ****
The Great Silence(dir. Sergio Corbucci)
It is like Werner Herzog directed a spaghetti western. The film kind of drags at parts, but the ending makes up for these instances of ennui. Ennio Morricone's score for this film is probably his best.
**** out of ****
3-Iron(dir. Kim Ki-duk)
He comes up with some of the strangest situations. The idea of people breaking into houses to have a place to stay and show their gratitude by cleaning is unusual and unique. The metaphysical qualities of the last half hour makes it very interesting. While not as thought provoking as Samaritan Girl, it is still a great movie.
**** out of ****
Bad Guy(dir. Kim Ki-duk)
Another strange situation. What if a girl that a man forces into prostitution falls in love with the man? This movie has a more gritty quality to it compared to 3-Iron and Samaritan Girl. The film is extremely well-done until the ending, which is insulting and almost completely ruins the whole movie.
*** out of ****
Paris, Texas(dir. Wim Wenders)
The best quality of this film is how the situation in the beginning seems implausible at first and quickly becomes more and more understandable. The main character, Travis, has been gone for four years and seems to have lost the ability to talk. He quickly readjusts to a seemingly normal lifestyle with his brother and sister-in-law, who take care of his son, Hunter. The scene where Travis goes and talks to his wife on the phone a second time is one of the greatest scenes of all of cinema. This is easily one of the greatests films I've ever seen. I loved it.
**** out of ****
The Sweet Hereafter(dir. Atom Egoyan(sp?))
Everything about this movie seems practically perfect and I find it hard to believe that some people might not like it. I don't know. I can't really picture the movies being any better than it is.
**** out of ****
Singin' in the Rain(dir. Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly)
Is this the third greatest American film ever? Probably not. It is one of the most entertaining movies you'll see, but is it deep? Not really, but you shouldn't expect that with a musical. It definately puts a smile on your face.
**** out of ****
Ride Lonesome(dir. Budd Boetticher)
Third time is a charm. Probably what makes this film better than his others is the fact that the people the protagonist spends most of his time with are not the antagonists of the story. I have real issues with those type of set-ups where the characters spend alot of time with individuals they shouldn't be spending time with. Lee Van Cleef is also in this, which makes it even better.
**** out of ****
Youth of the Beast(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
His style in this film seems to go all over the place. One person said the movie feels very dated and maybe thats why I couldn't really connect to it. The style is kind of impressive, but the movie is quite dull and boring.
** out of ****
All About Lily Chou-Chou(dir. Forgot)
I loved this film at first. This could have easily been one of my favorite movies if it wasn't for the ending which basically ruins it. Other instances like the rape of one of the characters seemed kind of mean-spirited and just there to be controversial and seem "honest" about teenage life. The visuals were startling beautiful and the most memorable scenes are the ones with the characters just basically hanging out and having good times.
*** out of ****
High Noon(dir. Fred Zinneman)
I'll be honest, I was kind of restless during the first hour or so, but once you see the montage of all the faces with the train whistle blowing in the background, you start to truly understand why Gary Cooper's character stayed in the first place. Without that montage, the film would have seemed like an utter waste of time.
**** out of ****
Fat City(dir. John Huston)
The simplicity of this film and lack of polish makes me love it. It has so much spirit that you canpretty much ignore its obvious flaws.
**** out of ****
The Proposition(dir. Forgot)
The violent and gritty nature makes it one of the greatest revisionist westerns ever. The ending to it is as perfect as an ending can get. One of the best films from last year.
**** out of ****
Open City(dir. Roberto Rosselini)
The best neo-realistic film I've ever seen.
**** out of ****
A Lawless Street(dir. Joseph H. Lewis)
The simplicity made it quite interesting at first, but as the plot progressed, it started become more dull.
*** out of ****
Marie Antoinette(dir. Sofia Coppola)
You can easily understand the character's actions throughout the film. She uses shopping as a way to cope with her problems. The most beautiful scene in the film is after her birthday party where her and some of her friends watch the sun rise. You can almost sense that is gonna be the last time they have a moment like that together. One of the best movies of last year. Could quite possibly be the best.
**** out of ****
Death of a Cyclist(dir. Not sure)
I thought it was pretentious at first until you reach the scene at the party where you can feel the tension and fear the characters feel if it was exposed that they are having an affair. I kind of wished it ended with the man walking away from his student.
**** out of ****
Wings of Desire(dir. Wim Wenders)
Not nearly as impressive as Paris, Texas, but Peter Falk is the man.
**** out of ****
Drums Along the Mohawk(dir. John Ford)
First hour was kind of a drag, but once the characters get settled in and you start to get the townsfolk more, it became alot more enjoyable. The scene with the woman forcing the Indians to take her and the bed out of the room that they set on fire was amazing.
*** out of ****
The Prestige(dir. Christopher Nolan)
Needed more Scarlet Johansson(sp?) and the ending was alittle far-fetched.
*** out of ****
Human Desire(dir. Fritz Lang)
Wasn't that great, but the ending was nice and simplistic.
*** out of ****
La Strada(dir. Federico Fellini)
Once Federico's wife left the picture, it started to drag, but the ending was quite optimistic and showed hope for the other character.
*** out of ****
Mouchette(dir. Robert Bresson)
The scene with the bumper cars was quite jarring and beautiful. Rosetta was obviously influenced by this film, but unlike Rosetta, this character has a reason to hate the world around her. Possibly the best Bresson I've seen.
**** out of ****
T-Men(dir. Anthony Mann)
I liked this alot when I saw it, but the more I think about it, the less I like it. The movie seems kind of superficial, but still worth a look.
*** out of ****
Babel(dir. Alejandro...)
Best picture of 2006? Not quite. None of the stories in the film really effected me other than the Japanese story, which seems like the most far-fetched in terms of connections to the central story. The strange thing about the film is that the central story with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett seems to get the least amount of time. The stories that seems to get the most focus is the Japanese and Mexican stories, which seems rather odd. How some of the people are stereotypical like Cheiko's friends who seem to be giggling constantly and the Moroccan characters are stereotypically portrayed as poor. The movie has a self-important quality to it, but doesn't really say anything at all. You can see where it could be commenting on some situations like gun control and how the American government label every attack by a person from a third world country as a terrorist, but it really never focuses on one of these situations at all to make it seem like it is commenting on it. The actions in the film are also pretty stupid. Kids shooting a rifle at a bus is stupid. Runinning away from border control and leaving your aunt and someone else's children in the desert is stupid. It is an obviously flawed film, but it is still worth checking out.
*** out of ****
Le Jour Se Leve(dir. the guy that directed Children of Paradise, Marcel Carne?)
A nice simple movie.
*** out of ****
Man of the Year(dir. Barry Levinson)
The concept of a comedian being president is an interesting one, but this film is really about that. Its more about the concept of eletronic voting being inaccurate and most of the movie, you are supposed to wonder if he is really president. Ultimately, this movie could have been decent if it stuck with the concept of a comedian as president, but as it is, it is quite dull.
** out of ****
Flags of Our Fathers(dir. Clint Eastwood)
I'm surprised by how good this movie was. It played like an eulogy for all the soldiers that fought on Iwo Jima. One of the best films from last year.
**** out of ****
The Departed(dir. Martin Scorsese)
Best picture of 2006? Maybe. It is easily one of his most entertaining movies. What makes it great to me is how it feels like its willing to do anything to keep the story from becoming dull. Maybe this was an attribute that was taken from the original film as well, which I want to check out now because of this film. I'm glad it won the best picture. One of the best films of last year.
**** out of ****
You Only Live Once(dir. Fritz Lang)
Fritz Lang + Henry Fonda + Gorgeous co-star = Great film
I loved it.
**** out of ****
The 400 Blows(dir. Francois Truffaut)[3rd viewing]
First viewing, I didn't like it that much. Second viewing, I loved it. Third viewing, I don't like it that much. I don't like the characters that much and I don't think its that impressive on a cinematic level. It has its moments like the amusement park ride and when he rides away in the jail car(is that what they are called?). Its decent, but I wouldn't say its exactly the must-see film that people claim it to be.
*** out of ****
Stranger than Fiction(dir. Don't know)
The ending kind of ruins the most interesting concept about it. What if someone willingly dies for a work of art? Instead of going with that concept any further, the writer makes it so he survives, which is probably the screenwriter saying humanity is more important than any work of art, but is that really a unique concept? Just like how the Dustin Hoffman character says her story is now just ok instead of it being great is kind of how I feel towards the film except it was just good instead of great.
*** out of ****
The Pawnbroker(dir. Sidney Lumet)
The greatest film I've ever seen on the effects of the Holocaust. The scene where he has a flashback of being forced to watch the rape of his wife by a Nazi was one of the most gut-wrenching scenes I've ever seen. What makes this movie great is how it shows a seemingly unlikeable and cold character and humanize him and make it understandable why he acts the way he does. I loved it.
**** out of ****
Damnation(dir. Bela Tarr)
I watched this in one sitting. Why say that? I feel thats how you should watch his films except maybe Satantango cuz watching that in 7 and a half hours would be alittle bit too much. I still wonder why he keeps some of his shots so long, but you get the feeling of epicness and it makes his films feel like a journey. The highlight of the film is when the woman from Almanac of the Fall comes to the main character and starts reciting the Old Testament in the rain. The ending isn't as good as Werckmeister Harmonies, which I need to rewatch. I feel like I'm understanding his style more.
**** out of ****
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance(dir. John Ford)
Lee Marvin is in it. Favorite scene: Vera Miles putting the cactus flowers on John Wayne's casket. I loved it.
**** out of ****
The Naked City(dir. Jules Dassin)
Have pretty same feelings towards this as I do for T-Men.
*** out of ****
Zodiac(dir. David Fincher)
Walked out of the theater thinking it was too long, but when I honestly think about it, I wouldn't take anything out to make it shorter. The restlessness the audience feels is probably how the same restlessness the characters in the film felt.
**** out of ****
Borat(dir. Larry Charles)
The most beautiful and tasteful film I've seen in awhile.
**** out of ****
Kiss Me Deadly(dir. Robert Aldrich)
Amazing.
**** out of ****
The Ladykillers(dir. Alexander Mackendrick)
Amusing, but not as funny as it could have been.
*** out of ****
Rocco and his Brothers(dir. Luchino Visconti)
Way better than the American version of The Leopard.
**** out of ****
The Descent(dir. I don't know)
Reminded me of Aliens and I liked the atmoshpere a lot.
**** out of ****

Oh Boy...

Nostalgia(dir. Hollis Frampton)
Much better than Zorn's Lemma.
**** out of ****
Comanche Station(dir. Budd Boetticher)
I liked how simplistic the ending was.
*** out of ****
World Trade Center(dir. Oliver Stone)
I definately had issues with the movie. United 93 is way better, but this is still pretty good.
*** out of ****
Broken Blossoms(dir. D.W. Griffith)
I liked the scenes with the "yellow man" and the girl alot. The rest of the film dragged. I could have possibly been in the wrong mood or something while watching it. So I'll probably give it another try in the future.
*** out of ****
Six Feet Under: Season 2(TV)
This season was a good improvement on the first one. It eliminated some stories that weren't that great like Claire's boyfriend and the rivalry between their funeral home and a big corperate one. The show definately improved because of this tweaking.
**** out of ****

Oh Quick Reviews...

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer(dir. ?)
*** out of ****
Lifeboat(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
*** out of ****
Six Feet Under: Season 1(TV)
*** out of ****

Oh Law and Order...

Law and Order(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
Great film about law enforcement in the 1960's.
**** out of ****

Oh Big and Tall..,

The Tall T(dir. Budd Boetticher)
I usually like the more subtle moments in westerns, but action also helps too. There wasn't many subtle moments or action. I have the same sort of feeling I did with The Naked Spur and Winchester '73, but I appreciate this movie more. It is probably because the story is so simple and straightforward. The film is only about 75 minutes, but I feel it could have used more time to develop the characters. I'll definately check out more of this director's work. I'll probably check out Seven Men from Now.
*** out of ****
The Big Heat(dir. Fritz Lang)
This kind of took me by surprise because of how underwhelmed I was by Scarlet Street. In Scarlet Street, the characters seemed to be pretty much stereotypes and the film lacked subtlety. This film has some of the same qualities, but it simply works. It works amazingly well.
**** out of ****

Oh Elephant...

Elephant(dir. Gus Van Sant)
In all honesty, I don't feel like I was in the right mood to watch it. I didn't find it boring or thought it was bad in any way, shape, or form, it is just that I felt the inability to truly connect with it. This is definately one of those movies I'll try to rewatch in the future. How I feel at the moment though:
*** out of ****

Oh Sand and Steel...

The Steel Helmet(dir. Samuel Fuller)
One of the best war movies I've ever seen.
**** out of ****
Woman in the Dunes(dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara)
One of the best movies I've ever seen.
**** out of ****

Oh Memory...

Almanac of Fall(dir. Bela Tarr)
In my eyes, this is the best film I've seen by him. Sure, there aren't really any moments that are simply breathtaking like in some of his later work, but the pacing is much better. It kind of gets repetitive with the fighting between the characters in the film, but otherwise, this is his best work.
**** out of ****
Mona Lisa(dir. Neil Jordan)
Possibly my favorite British movie.
**** out of ****

Oh Red River...

Scarlet Street(dir. Fritz Lang)
It kind of dragged at parts.
*** out of ****
High School(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
I didn't quite grasp it. It felt really jagged and rough at times, but had its moments.
*** out of ****
Red River(dir. Howard Hawks)
I don't know. I definately don't think this is the best western ever. Some talk about how the build-up is amazing and the ending is bad. I kind of have to agree to a point. I didn't think the build-up was that great, but this movie was still pretty worthwhile.
*** out of ****
The Butcher(dir. Claude Chabrol)
I liked it, but I'm not in love with it.
*** out of ****

Oh Superman...

Superman Returns(dir. Bryan Singer)
Slightly amusing, but also dull.
** out of ****
Badlands(dir. Terrence Malick)
Some of the character's actions are just off, but for some reason, I find it compelling.
**** out of ****
Gun Crazy(dir. Joseph H. Lewis)
It was crazy good.
**** out of ****
Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)
The plot was pretty much a mess, but I enjoyed its style.
*** out of ****
An Inconveniant Truth(dir. ?)
It was interesting, but slightly boring.
*** out of ****

Oh Reviews...

Over the Hedge(dir. ?)
I have the same feelings towards this movie as I do with Wedding Crashers. It's not horrible, it's just not that good either.
** out of ****
Ten on Ten(dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Dug it.
*** out of ****
The Skywalk is Gone(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)
The closing shot of the clouds was alittle much.
*** out of ****

Another Motherload...

Mirror(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
Second time is a charm.
**** out of ****
Stalker(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
**** out of ****
A Prarie Home Companion(dir. Robert Altman)
It started off pretty slow, but when it reached the point where you discover who the woman in the white trenchcoat is, everything seemed to fall in place. Definately not his best, but still good.
*** out of ****
The Man From Laramie(dir. Anthony Mann)
Definately better than The Naked Spur and Winchester '73. Quite possible be my favorite western.
**** out of ****
Rio Grande(dir. John Ford)
*** out of ****
The Searchers(dir. John Ford)
**** out of ****
Hondo(dir. John Farrow)
**** out of ****
Ten(dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
I absolutely loved this movie.
**** out of ****
A Better Tomorrow(dir. John Woo)
The plot is pretty bad. Theres not that much action. It's still a decent movie just for its style.
*** out of ****
Notre Musique(dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
I didn't really understand what it was trying to convey. I read other reviews of it and they talk about the idea of how being the victim in a war is better than being the victor. That makes sense and the film definately goes over that, but it was not that interesting. The best parts were the Hell portion where he uses footage from movie and creates a bizarre and somewhat scary view of war and his speech on shot and reverse shot.
** out of ****
Three Times(dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien)
This movie is extremely uneven. The first "time" is the best portion of the film. It had an innocent romantic charm that worked well with it, while the others just pretty much fall flat. The second "time" is interesting because its silent, but this stylistic choice is basically a gimmick. The third "time" is sort of interesting. The characters seem like those "dark" people on LiveJournal where they make up poems and other artistic things to show how intelligent and creative they are. Just like those people, I could care less about the characters in this part.
** out of ****
Rebels of a Neon God(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)
**** out of ****
The Wrong Man(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
*** out of ****
Winter Light(dir. Ingmar Bergman)
The first Bergman that I actually enjoyed.
**** out of ****
What Time is it There?(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)
I absolutely loved it.
**** out of ****
Goodbye, Dragon Inn(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)
It came together at the end.
**** out of ****
Days of Being Wild(dir. Wong Kar-Wai)
It was good, but the ending was pretty bad. He could have ended it probably three times before the ending and I would have been happy. It is interesting how different this film feels from his later ones.
*** out of ****

Motherload...

Afterglow(dir. Alan Rudolph)
*** out of ****
Zorn's Lemma(dir. Hollis Frampton)
** out of ****
United 93(dir. Peter Greengrass?)
**** out of ****
Harlan County USA(dir. Barbara Kopple)
**** out of ****
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul(dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
*** out of ****
La Jetee(dir. Chris Marker)
**** out of ****
The Scarecrow(dir. Buster Keaton)
**** out of ****
Not sure(dir. Buster Keaton)
*** out of ****
Gates of Heaven(dir. Errol Morris)
**** out of ****
Diary of a Country Priest(dir. Robert Bresson)
**** out of ****
Harakiri(dir. Masaki Kobayashi)
Better than any Kurosawa I've seen.
**** out of ****
Cafe Lumiere(dir. Hou-Hsian Hsiang?)
Loved it.
**** out of ****
Killing of a Chinese Bookie[78 cut](dir. John Cassavetes)
**** out of ****
Shadows(dir. John Cassavetes)
**** out of ****
Down by Law(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
**** out of ****
The Marriage of Maria Braun(dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
**** out of ****

Oh Boy...

Millenium Mambo(dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
Poetic and much less detached than the last film I've seen by him. A Woman Under the Influence done by a Taiwanese director.
**** out of ****
Licensed to Kill(dir. Arthur Dong)
Watch this in my English class. Interesting interviews make this bearable. Lack of direction and stupid decisions make this a pretty average documentary with interviews and subject matter that could have done alot better.
** out of ****
Hearts of Darkness(dir. ?)
Listening to Francis Ford Coppola flip out on the phone is pretty entertaining. I didn't really learn much from this film, but it flowed very nicely. It also has behind the scenes footage of one of my favorite films. This might even be better than Apocalypse Now.
**** out of ****
Band of Outsiders(dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
People say this is a good starting point for Godard, but I don't think so. Thats not to say its not accessible because it certainly is, but it feels like all style and no substance. His other films I've seen, the style is the substance, but this one was still enjoyable. Definately not as good as Masculin Feminin.
*** out of ****
Titicut Follies(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
This could possibly be my favorite documentary. It certainly is disturbing since its footage the director caught of inmates in a asylum. There pretty much is no story to this film, but simply raw moments of inmates that helps create a human picture to insanity and asylum life. Simply amazing.
**** out of ****