NEW!

August 14th, 2015
Late Phases@@@@ (4 Stars)Late Phases is a new, old-school movie. The lead is the savior of sensibility, leading us to the conclusion like our father. Builds and builds and builds until a great climax.

May 5th, 2015
Avengers: Age of Ultron©©©©©© (6 Stars)This movie met all my expectations and then some. SPOILERS: The Vision was a half surprise. Didn't realize he was gonna be in this thing. He was hela-cool. I remember having his Marvel OverPower card, so... Hell yeah! Thought James Spader as Ultron was a great choice. Intelligent and calculating. I love that subtle moment at the beginning of the end battle where Tony Stark confronts him and says something like "Protecting Earth was the mission... Didja forget?" The delivery of that line gets me. It's like he's talking to a wayward son that he caused to go wayward, if that makes sense. Like everyone else, I loved the hammer contest scene and when Vision picks it up, that tells you all you need to know about him. Overall, it was a great ride and just makes me hungry for more Marvel Cinematic Universe material. Will Daredevil be in Civil War or Avengers 3/4? Can't forget Spidey entering soon! Should be good...

April 6th, 2014
In Time This movie's premise is pretty unique and interesting. Instead of living 70-80 years and dying like in real life, the people of this world live until 25 at which point they are given a year to live and use to purchase anything they need. Instead of money, you use time which is shown in neon green on your left forearm, years, weeks, days, minutes and seconds. If a person works, they are given a time credit. If you somehow manage to get more time, a lot more time, you can live forever, barring physical harm. Of course, the rich all have like a million years and the poor in the slums are living day to day, always a few hours away from death. You stay 25 years old physically as well so this movie gets into a weird area like "Is that your daughter or your sister or your wife or your mother?" It's a decent ride, you don't have to think too much. I'd be down for a sequel.

April 5th, 2014
To kick things off after my five year hiatus, here's some of the blockbusters that have come out as well as a few horror movies that have become favorites.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Peter Jackson proves he's still got it and makes a great first entry into the adaptation of The Hobbit. All the things you want to see are here and more (except what comes next but at least it's only a year between each entry). Martin Freeman is a perfect Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves are all unique if not fleshed out enough. The scene with Gollum is the center of this movie, if not the whole book and it's pulled off professionally.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Ups the ante in every way. It just sped by in the theater and has the power to leave you breathless and begging for more. Smaug is terrifying and Legolas is unnecessary. Evangeline Lilly makes a great elf. Can't wait for part 3, the conclusion, then we can all have two day viewing parties of The Hobbit and LOTR trilogies.
The Amazing Spider-Man This series is heading in the right direction, in my opinion. This is a decent attempt at a reboot after the mixed reviews (mostly negative...) of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3. This series has promise and we'll find out if it has staying power when the sequel hits theaters in less than a month.
X-Men: First Class This movie is pretty damn good. Might be the best X-Men film yet (Days of Future Past comes out in less than two months so we'll see). The only thing I feel could have been better would be the characters. They wasted so many good ones in the older X-Men movies that we are left with third stringers like Havok and... Darwin. If the series had stayed true to the comics a bit more up until this film, we could have seen a First Class of Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Iceman and Marvel Girl. If that was the case... Well... It's not. The villians are decent but just as arbitrary as the first class of X-Men. I could go on and on about how I wish the films were closer to the comics (just put them in costumes resembling the comic book ones... Spider-Man did it. Avengers did it. Come on!) but I've said enough. Watch this flick if you like superhero films, it's got depth and great talent behind it.
The Avengers Marvel knows how to make comic book movies! This movie is proof Hollywood can get it right. The concept is genius and the marketing (especially the after-credits teasers) made this one of the most profitable movies ever made. Mark Ruffalo replacing Edward Norton was something I was dissatisfied with but he comes out on top, making Bruce Banner a key player in the game. I expect great things from this franchise and I don't think I'll be dissappointed.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World I had no idea this movie existed until after it was released on Blu-Ray. It quickly became a favorite. The characters and special effects are top-notch. Michael Cera does what he does best. The music and video game cues add a great flavor to the film.
Rosemary's Baby Carefully crafted to take you on a journey into madness. If you want a horror film that is also high art, check this one out with the lights on.
Fright Night (1985) This is another party I was invited to late. This movie is 80s popcorn horror at its best. The cast is stellar. The atmosphere is adequately moody. The music is 80s, so it rocks. Evil Ed is awesome. Special effects by the same group that did Ghostbusters a year earlier. Definitely see this next Halloween, it'll put you in the holiday spirit.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Jason Segal and Mila Kunis are great together. This is one of those movies that derives humor from really awkward situations. Lots of bit parts by the Apatow crew.
Iron Man 2 Decent sequel to the movie that showed comic book movies are here to stay.
Iron Man 3 Decent sequel with a lot of flash and bang. Would have been awesome to have a cameo from another Avenger (in action and in costume).
Thor Thor's initial outing is worth watching so you know what's up in Avengers.
Thor: The Dark World Great sequel. Better than the first.
Captain America: The First Avenger Classic origin story. I only wish Cap was a bit more hardcore and showed that he is equal to his Avenger team-mates and able to lead them to victory.
Man of Steel Probably the best Superman movie out there, although I never read much of the comics so yeah... Surprised to see Kevin Costner.
The Stuff This movie is classic 80s horror. I've watched it on two consecutive Halloweens and I'm gonna watch it again next year. Shows how people can get caught up in a fad and this one's dangerous. Fatally dangerous.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch The odd sheep of the Halloween series and it's my favorite entry. Did that last station stop broadcasting? OMG! It has nothing to do with Michael Myers and that's a good thing. A man is trying to stop a conspiracy that threatens America's youth. A lethal threat.

June 4th, 2009
Alvin and the Chipmunks Jason Lee and David Cross make this movie slightly watchable. A decent kid's flick, if anything.
*batteries not included A decent feel good movie with cool little ufo guys.
Brazil Terry Gilliam's adult imagination movie. It speaks to that repressed bit of the id that gets trampled when looking at how bureaucratic and impersonal the world can be. The special effects are amazing. It's 1980's angel sequences blow away anything in X-Men 3. Highly recommended to all dreamers.
Cocoon Even at 25 years, the fear of old age has me by the balls. This movie makes me hope that aliens will come and save me in the nick of time, too. Hah, just a great feel great movie about what it means to grow old.
Cocoon 2 Not as good as the Cocoon but worth watching if you enjoyed the first one.
Dan in Real Life A more mellow Steve Carrell makes for some great laughs. Heartwarming feel good movie.
Day the Earth Stood Still, The An interesting, yet sometimes heavy-handed, look at the way humanity treats each other and the Earth. Keanu Reeve's trademark drawl works here as he's meant to be a distant alien.
Deception Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor and Rachel Weisz headline this great thriller about -what else?- "deception."
Dragonball Evolution Shenlong was not strong with this movie, unfortunately. For the love of Dragonball, it's okay but nothing close to what I'd hoped a DBZ movie might be like when I was in high school.
Dune This is one bad ass sci-fi flick. The book is better, as is usually the case but the director took some liberties that I think make this adaptation stand out in a good way. Sting makes for a bad ass Feyd-Rautha. The space navagator is wicked and fucked up looking, as it should be. Harkonnen's face! What the fuck? That's what is substantially great about this film, it literally feels other-worldly. It takes you someplace you have NEVER been: DUNE.
Fanboys A hilarious flick about some dudes trying to ensure their friend sees Star Wars Episode 1 before he dies. Each character grows up a bit, too. There's a feel good thread amongst the dick and fart and nerd jokes that makes this superior to say "Road Trip."
I Love You, Man Another great Apatow crew movie. Lots of laughs.
Last Starfighter, The An okay 80s sci-fi movie about a kid who plays this arcade game that's actually a test for space fighting prowess. Neat idea. I'd go see a remake of this. A piss poor Ender's Game.
Madagascar 2 A decent follow-up to the first. The voice cast is all back for more. I like the main story, a boy trying to prove he's a man to his father.
My Bloody Valentine 3D Don't waste your time on this movie unless you can somehow see it in theaters in 3D. Even then... eh... if you love 3D it's worth watching, I guess.
My Science Project A great 80s sci-fi flick. Dennis Hopper is in it.
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist Michael Cera and a cute hottie in a comedy of errors. Feels like a warm summer night on the town.
Observe and Report A bit more vulgar than necessary but still a laugh a minute with Seth Rogan and friends.
Patriot, The Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger give great performances in a Revolutionary War movie that feels very modern.
Paul Blart Mall cop Kevin James as the King of Queens in a mall Die Hard.
Powder A feel good movie about being different, very different. Jeff Goldblum as the with-it positive-influence teacher.
Role Models Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott in another great Apatow crew production. See it for the great portrayal of LARPers, at least. Lots of laughs. KISS fans, this movie brings it to you.
Spiderwick Chronicles, The A colofully dark children's movie. Fun. All about magic and magical creatures and family, too.
Star Trek (2009) A fresh reboot to Star Trek that makes it sexy and cool. Great cast and special effects.
Wall E An amazingly beautiful film. There's no dialogue in half the thing but it still manages to pull at your heart strings all along. A great message, too. A perfect kid's movie.
Watchmen A nearly perfect adaptation of the most beloved graphic novel of our time. What I love is how it looks exactly like the comic. More comic book films should be like it in that respect.
Valkyrie A look at a side of World War II you don't see in movies very often, the German's who were opposed to Hitler.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine I still wanna see that damn yellow suit brought to the screen somehow. All the classic costumes, dammit! A pretty cool adaptation of the Wolverine origin story. Looking forward to a sequal. Continues the tradition of throwing away sweet characters: Gambit. He throws cards two times... What the fuck?