Disturbia (2007)
LaBoeuf is a talent. If the neighbor was a little bit cuter, they might have really had something here. The horribly vicious car accidents at the beginning accident seem a bit dramatic if they only served as a plot point to keep him in the house.
Full Review
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
Like a Christopher Guest film, only this one takes the fringe subject matter seriously. Or does it? Reviews suggest the film is “hilarious”. If these gamers are in fact real people, I wonder how they feel about everyone laughing at them. Either way, it’s interesting, entertaining, and well-made. Mitchell and…
Full Review
The Out-of-Towners (1999)
About 1/10 the wit of the original. Martin’s makeup-to-humor ratio has risen exponentially every year since 1991, unfortunately.
Full Review
7 Plus Seven (1970)
What’s interesting in the second film of the series is that, at 14, the kids have already taken a huge step forward in intelligence but are now just starting to realize that life sucks. While all of them were more or less equally lively and optimistic as young children, they…
Full Review
Seven Up! (1964)
A interesting slice of daily life for kids in the 60’s. I bet it’s only being recognized as valuable now and that it was mostly dismissed back when it was made. Now, it’s a treasure. All new parents should watch it. Probably the last generation of kids to be uncorrupted…
Full Review
The Wiz (1978)
Campy horribleness. Instead of Scarecrow, I think Michael Jackson really wants to be Diana Ross. Is this the beginning of his public obsession with kids?
Full Review
Eastern Promises (2007)
Boring. Took six attempts to finally get through it. While I like Cassel, I’m not much of a Viggo fan, particularly when he’s naked. Have to admit that they both pull off the Russian thing pretty well, though.
Full Review
The Pink Panther (2006)
Kids from this generation just aren’t into the Pink Panther, and it’s not smart enough for adults who used to be. So it’s stuck in no man’s land. A movie without an audience. The hamburger scene is pretty good, but it will take more than that to save this one.
Full Review
U2 3D (2007)
A very personal performance. You can tell they still care about what they do and have fun doing it. The only thing that would have made it more personal was if they had played to the camera a bit more. For the most part, they were oblivious. Had they known…
Full Review
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)
DeMornay is pretty sinister. Do hot women who play evil bitches really well early on ruin their careers by doing so? Can they ever become a lovable movie stars?
Full Review
Igby Goes Down (2002)
Hardly dramatic. The protagonist (Igby) was annoying, complaining about nothing and wising off at every opportunity. The characters on screen were ineffective; I begged for the chance to kick his ass myself before the credits rolled. Trendy music, wannabe wit, horribly scripted dialogue. Unrealistic elitism doesn’t make us think kids…
Full Review
The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
Might have been an interesting idea, but the execution is off. Acting is a bit stale.
Full Review
Notting Hill (1999)
A nice little story, even if it would never happen in a million years. Some of the humor, especially during the birthday dinner, borders on scripted and hokey, but the film coasts along on charm. Hugh Grant is effortlessly witty, Julia Roberts is simply radiant.
Full Review
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
More of the same. Damon continues to be moderately cool. One pretty good car chase and one pretty good fight scene.
Full Review
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The drama is there, and the tension is built wonderfully. But why, if he is so smart, has he not made anything of his life up to this point? And why is seeing a businessman get out of a fancy car enough to motivate this broke man to work an…
Full Review
Breach (2007)
Not bad. A bit more insight into what drove Hanssen to do what he did, instead of just focusing on his takedown, would have built character and helped the story.
Full Review
Fast Food Nation (2006)
Interesting. Documentary-style, but with a great cast of actors showing up. Linklater is turning into an interesting filmmaker. Graphic imagery from the meat-processing plant turned me off of meat for about 12 hours.
Full Review
Rambo (2008)
I feel like I watched half a movie. Not nearly enough story, and the 93 minute running time doesn’t help. The end left me wondering what the heck was accomplished. Stallone, a grunting pile of muscle, is pretty cool. But I wanted to see more bow and arrow. You can’t…
Full Review
Made in America (1993)
Cheesy dumb, with a “daring” race angle. Common for movies of this time.
Full Review
Kiss of Death (1995)
An amazing cast for a pretty amateurish story. It’s so hard to take Caruso seriously with his poofy red hair.
Full Review
Music and Lyrics (2007)
Surprisingly touching and unannoying. Nice music. Grant’s such a charmer, isn’t he?
Full Review
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006)
Decent effects but boring. Unfortunate that Murray had to associate himself with such mediocre work.
Full Review
Atonement (2007)
Another Oscar-ish English period piece, and a good one. McAvoy delivers a wonderful performance. He’s the next big thing. The various actresses playing Briony do a fantastic job.
Full Review
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Just not into musicals. What can I say? Great photography, and wonderfully gruesome effects.
Full Review
Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic (1986)
Way too much reenacted myth crap. Would have preferred a more scientific look at the falls. A few nice shots.
Full Review
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
McAvoy is fantastic, delivering a believable, Ewan MacGregor-esque performance. Whitaker’s wonderful, too.
Full Review
Ong-bak (2003)
Jaa can move like a monkey, and I like the shots of the same action from different angles. But the story is lacking and the score came out of a $6 Casio synthesizer. Why are all the Aussies in these Southeast Asian kung foo movies all so damn goofy?
Full Review
The Alamo (2004)
Great historical story, but were the characters developed enough? Wonderful casting, after checking out historical photos of these characters.
Full Review
Toy Soldiers (1991)
Like Red Dawn, some sort of foreign threat uses guns to take over rebellious high school students. A movie like this would never be made today, maybe never again. A lot of familiar faces late 80’s and early 90’s. Astin’s a good lead, but Gossett’s performance seems a little scripted.…
Full Review
Nighthawks (1981)
Pretty awful. Was there a movie made in the early 80’s that wasn’t pretty awful?
Full Review
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
A poor showing all around, but then again, most movies of the early 80’s have a certain kind of awkwardness to them. Even Spielberg’s segment seems like a rookie effort. Miller’s segment is best (thought the same as a kid). Overall, it’s heavily scripted, poorly acted. Te exception is Lithgow,…
Full Review
I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA (2007)
Interesting lady, and interesting perspectives on PETA. Impossible to watch some of the horrendous animal footage. Almost enough to make me a vegetarian.
Full Review
The Break-Up (2006)
Vaughn’s got skills. I wonder how much of his dialogue was improvised. The comedy is nicely mixed with some real drama. Hard to watch if you’re having relationship problems.
Full Review
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Great battle scenes, on par with Saving Private Ryan, but the story is lacking. It’s all about a photo. Characters and acting are lackluster.
Full Review
Sicko (2007)
Moore has a way with words and once again demonstrates his ability to highlight the dark side of the American way. Well-researched and playfully edited, as usual. What do anti-Moore people have to say?
Full Review
Ned Kelly (2003)
Not bad. If there was a bit more drama in his life, there would have been a bit more drama in the movie. Ledger does a pretty good job as Ned.
Full Review
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
A depressing downward spiral. What are we supposed to get from this? That divorce sucks? Duh. A kid finding the courage to go to an aquarium is supposed to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Daniels plays an interesting character. Benger is awesome.
Full Review
Hyperspace (2001)
Thin content, with awkward, punchless endings in each episode. Neill is a competent script reader, but the script lapses into cheesy “wow” moments which are at best alarmist and at worst dangerously close to fiction. Not nearly as poignant as Sagan’s Cosmos. Some good effects mixed with some cheesy ones.…
Full Review
Legend (1985)
A badly told story wrapped in an acid trip. Is this where Forrest Gump got his name?
Full Review
Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
Really well-made. Shots, music, acting, and dialog are all polished. Wood’s odd natural appearance really helps set the mood, and Hutz is magical. A spiritual Little Miss Sunshine.
Full Review
Bill Cosby: Himself (1983)
Watching it now, it just doesn’t seem that funny. Cosby’s comic timing his a bit off, and all his drug humor is just childish. Was he really a riot back then?
Full Review
Miami Vice (2006)
Foxx pulls it off. Farrell does not. The film has a good feel, but the story isn’t interesting enough. Maybe coolness alone can’t carry a feature-length movie the way it could carry a TV show in the 80’s. Sweet footage of the tank gun shooting into cars.
Full Review
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
What a cast. A nicely balanced, dialogue-driven ensemble piece. But like a lot of Mamet stuff, many of the scenes feel heavily scripted and gratuitously profane, even with these talented actors.
Full Review
Aimee & Jaguar (1999)
Really takes you back. Make-up, costuming, and set-design are top-notch. All very authentic. Itís hard to tell when the movie was made, which is the sign of a successful period piece. Another thing that takes you back is seeing mediocre-looking women playing confident, desirable characters. The present-day standard is to…
Full Review
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Being the first one Iíve seen all the way through, and not having read any of the books, there is obviously a lot of back story which I’m missing. Which is fine. I wouldnít expect each of the 7 movies to reintroduce all of the characters. There are obviously a…
Full Review
Into the Blue (2005)
Beautiful people, beautiful locations, and a surprisingly decent story. Some really nice underwater photography, helped by crystal clear water.
Full Review
Body of Evidence (1993)
Not sure if Madonna’ s a shitty actress, or if she picks shitty scripts. Either way, this is shitty. A hastily assembled replica of Basic Instinct. Madonna’s not as attractive as she thinks she is.
Full Review
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Another film which doesn’t hold up quite as well as others from the mid 80’s. I remember enjoying it much more when it originally came out. All the same characters, plus an annoying girl. Decent story, if a bit topical and preachy. Save the whales!
Full Review
Edmond (2005)
Kind of interesting to follow his downward spiral, but then you get a bit bored. What’s the point of this movie? Gratuitously violent and preachy, seemingly for no good reason. An exposed role for Macy, which he plays without hesitation. Does he take acting seriously? Overly scripted dialogue or bad…
Full Review
Wit (2001)
Depressing, almost too depressing. There’s more to drama than watching somebody suffer. A bit of humor might have actually made it more touching. Thompson is excellent as a cancer patient. She’s definitely fun to listen to, but she comes across as a bit elitist. Which, of course, makes me care…
Full Review
The Fountain (2006)
Beautiful to look at, with brown and copper filling the frame with luxurious emotion. The droning score complements the visuals perfectly, bringing it all to life. Even the credits are hauntingly beautiful. Solaris was similarly successful. Aronofsky gives us a thoughtful mind-stretcher. He’s certainly coming into his own. How’d he…
Full Review
Just Like Heaven (2005)
Mostly dumb, but the whole revival sequence was almost touching. Witherspoon’s cute as usual. Nice covers and remixes in the soundtrack.
Full Review
Imagine Me & You (2005)
Despite Perabo’s punchable, plastic smile, it’s decent. Is Matthew Goode the next Hugh Grant?
Full Review
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Dull at first, but it grew on me. Very successful documentary imitation, and crisp performances by minor actors, especially Willard. Some really great musical performances. The fact that they wrote and performed all these songs for the film makes real folk artists a little less impressive. Could they already play,…
Full Review
The Woman in Red (1984)
A comedy made in a time when real stories could be told without the shackles of superficial humor and before every line had to set up a joke. Unfortunately, the comedy that IS there isn’t funny enough. Wilder is tolerable but not magnetic. LeBrock is smashing. Would have liked to…
Full Review
Weird Science (1985)
I still remember deciding to go see Real Genius rather than this one at the theater. Was probably a mistake. Good stuff from Hughes, but probably would have liked it more if I had seen it back in the day. Hall had it. And LeBrock really had something. Looks, confidence,…
Full Review
Brooklyn Dodgers: The Ghosts of Flatbush (2007)
Nice. Much in the style of Ken Burns’ Baseball, only this is a much more specific chapter of baseball history.
Full Review
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
OK, but kind of hollow. Not much to it. Hathaway’s pretty cute.
Full Review
Saving Silverman (2001)
Not bad. Peet is hot, but there’s just something about her… Black is an unobtrusive, mildly funny sidekick. Zahn is magical. Will he ever be given a lead role?
Full Review
La Dolce Vita (1960)
A celebration of celebrity and the high life, but lacking an emotional story. Marcello is very cool. Anouk Aimée is striking. Dijon, as Frankie Stout, is one of the freakiest-looking dudes in the history of film. Wonderful framing and lighting in every shot.
Full Review
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Great editing, but not much else. Pegg, who looks better with a goatee, certainly has sense of comic timing, but the movie stoops to the level of Reno 911. The Timothy Dalton spiking effect was exceptional.
Full Review
The Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl (2006)
Interesting background. Amanpour’s delivery gets annoying, though.
Full Review
Transformers (2007)
Well done, for the most part. Only a little Bay cheese and silliness. Nice effects, and a slight attempt to stay somewhat faithful to the original material. Shia does a pretty good job in the lead. He’s definitely likable, and he’s definitely got charisma. Megan Fox is smoking hot, but…
Full Review
All the Right Moves (1983)
Cruise has a presence, I suppose, but it’s not a wonderful role. Pretty tame story. Fun seeing a young Cruise, Penn, and Thompson.
Full Review
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Great thriller, seriously creepy and nicely shot. I guess the 80’s were when it was finally OK to tell a story about adultery. Lyne’s definitely got a very specific niche. Douglas nails it with a great performance, only he is upstaged by Close. Close is scary and scary good, Oscar-worthy.…
Full Review
Wide Awake (2006)
Kind of interesting. Fantastic footage and editing. Berliner is likable.
Full Review
Ghost (1990)
Although some of the effects are a bit dated, it works. Touching story. Zucker, huh? Swayze seems a bit goofy, but he pulls it off. Moore used to be cute.
Full Review
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
Even if I could stay awake, I think I would have had a hard time keeping the story straight. Depp’s character and any potential drama is lost to a convoluted, confusing plot. Easily, the worst of the three.
Full Review
Knocked Up (2007)
You have a drama dealing with some pretty serious issues and seriously tormented characters. You see not 1, not 2, but 3 shots of a baby emerging from a vagina. And it’s supposed to be a comedy, too? The mix doesn’t work. John Hughes is one of the only people…
Full Review
Blood Diamond (2006)
A well-made film and a touching story. Zwick has really fine-tuned his art. DiCaprio nails it. A completely believable character. Hounsou turns in a strong performance as well.
Full Review
Another Day in Paradise (1998)
Drugs and violence without much character development. Feels like it was made by a film student. Wagner is spunky and cute.
Full Review
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
I tried and tried and tried, but I could not get into the story. Didn’t care about any of the characters.
Full ReviewAbout Me
I'm a photographer, web developer, travel enthusiast, and movie buff living in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.In the summer of 1993, I started writing reviews for every movie I saw and haven't looked back. I'm up to 2,363 reviews now. This makes me cool or a complete dork, depending on your perspective.
Some of these reviews contain spoilers, so if that bothers you, don't read!
Recent Comments