Dear Frankie (2004)

A nice British film worth checking out. Cute story that avoids getting too sappy.

Rating: C+

Dance of the Dead (2008)

An uneven high school zombie flick that bounces between both good and bad scenes. I see potential from the director. Will do in a pinch when The Walking Dead leaves you wanting more, as it did with me tonight.

Rating: C

Gangs of New York (2002)

What a brutal and gritty movie. It's important to mention Daniel Day Lewis' performance right away--absolutely brilliant. DiCaprio held his own too. Great performances all around.

Sets, costumes, music, and special f/x are all top notch. A lot of money was put into this film, and you can see it. An epic not to be missed.

Rating: A-

The 5th Quarter (2010)

Was this a Lifetime movie? I could barely make it through the first 30 minutes which was 90% crying. A lot of bad acting, especially from Andie MacDowell. Just terrible. Things got so sappy I had to push stop and return it to Red Box where some other poor sap will fall victim. Hopefully they read this review first.

Rating: F

American Gangster (2007)

Solid film all around. Packed with top of the line actors. Plus you have Ridley behind the camera, so everyone looks great. The big budget enables a very authentic setting and art direction. Not one of my favorite mob/gangster movies, but a good one.

Rating: C+

Skateland (2010)

Similar to Adventureland, but centered around a skating rink. Nothing special.

Rating: C

Runaway Jury (2003)

Pretty good movie with plenty of star power. Not quite The Rainmaker, but better than The Firm or The Client.

Rating: C+

Maxed Out (2006)

A really good documentary is one that can take a boring subject and make it come alive. Such is the case with Maxed Out and the subject of debt and credit. Informative and entertaining at the same time. I feel like I learned a lot.

Rating: B-

Dogtown and Z-Boys (2002)

Original skate documentary that brings the casual viewer into the roots of the skating movement without making him feel like a poser.

Rating: C+

Hesher (2010)

Totally F-ed up. Gordon-Levitt is a freaking genius and one of the greatest actors of our time. It’s a miracle considering his Third Rock From The Sun upbringing.

Hesher is a true indie film. Someone’s vision come to life on camera. No test audience or producer meddling. That doesn’t necessarily translate into movie magic, but it does produce something real and interesting to watch.

Hesher is a fantastic character. I could see him in his own graphic novel. Better yet, I’d love to see Hesher parachuted into multiple sequels, like a twisted superhero arriving to save the day, while simultaneously destroying it.

Devin Brochu, playing the kid, did a terrific job too. The movie is a trip, and it didn’t take me where I thought I was going, but that’s ok. Loved hearing the old school Metallica—back when they were relevant.

Rating: B

Slither (2006)

I thought it would be more camp than scary, but it turned out to be more straight-forward than I expected. Plenty gross with a few laughs. You could do worse.

Rating: C

Win Win (2009)

Imagine if The Blindside was a good movie. That's Win Win.

No pandering to the audience or America’s Sweetheart single-handedly trying to smooth over the collective guilt of all Southern women for slavery. Just a simple story, well told with realistic characters who aren’t being prodded into over-acting.

Rating: B

Two Weeks Notice (2002)

Sandra Bullock looks absolutely TERRIBLE in this movie! She produced this romantic drivel, you'd think she'd at least make herself look halfway decent. Nothing special except for some cute scenes here and there.

Rating: D+

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

I feel like every Diablo Cody film I see now is desperately trying to recapture the former glory of Juno, and failing miserably. This wasn’t a terrible movie, but it certainly wasn’t memorable either. It’s a clichéd horror film with wittier banter.

Rating: D+

Orgazmo (1998)

It's ridiculous that this received an NC-17 rating. The content is right on par with the average Rated R movie. Perhaps a bit tamer. Alas, the content is sub par when it comes to laughs. Matt and Trey's obsession with Mormons has come a long way since this release. I haven't seen The Book of Mormon play yet, but I imagine it's a lot funnier than this movie.

Rating: D+

Everything Must Go (2010)

Most pure comedians can’t do drama. It’s impossible for the audience to take them seriously. I just saw Will Arnett in Jonah Hex playing it straight, and I kept waiting for the punch line. Not the case with Will Farrell. He was superb in Stranger Than Fiction. He was quite good in this film too. It’s a small movie with a simple plot. I liked it.

Rating: C+

Swordfish (2001)

Computer hacker action movies have to work double time to impress me, and this one didn't impress. Plot was flimsy and John Travolta was annoying. I could have done without seeing Halle Berry's Statue of Liberty sized nipples as well. She's gross.

Rating: D

Jonah Hex (2010)

The first third of the film isn’t bad. The last two thirds are. The story unravels and plausibility goes out the window. And yet Megan Fox is super hot, so there’s that. Reminded me of Wild Wild West, a film you don’t want to be compared to. I did enjoy John Malkovich playing an over-the-top villain. Will Arnett was terribly miscast in a non funny role.

Rating: D+

Farmingville: POV (2004)

Interesting and informative documentary on the illegal immigrant situation in Farmingville, NY. The film really helps one to see both sides of the argument, and does so rather impartially. But, no matter how unbiased one may be, you can't help but hate that fat bitch and crazy white dude in the hat who show up at every rally and are clearly psychotic.

Rating: B-

Meek’s Cutoff (2010)

Incredibly slow moving. Like watching prairie grass grow. Wagons roll through the same Utah landscape for days. People rarely talk. An Indian shows up. Credits roll. How did this thing get funded? If you can make it through the entire film without fast forwarding, having an energy drink, or falling asleep, you deserve a medal.

Rating: F

Traffic (2000)

This was an interesting portrayal of drug culture in today's world. The film had a real gritty, realistic mood to it, and the various characters slowly blend together into a complete story. The best thing about the picture was the solid cast of actors.

Rating: B

Contagion (2011)

A far superior outbreak film than what’s come before, including “Outbreak”. A lot of questions are raised about what we, as citizens, would do in this type of situation, but also our governments, military, and global neighbors. It was an interesting depiction of one scenario that hopefully will help us to address some of these issues now instead of when it’s too late.

The film also reminded me of a zombie movie, since it essentially breaks down to the same thing: Infected vs. Survivors. Your Zombie Apocalypse Plan would probably work in this case as well.

Rating: B

The Woodsman (2004)

Kevin Bacon is fantastic in this. The story is pretty dark, along the lines of "Storytelling", for those who saw it. I liked the fact that the filmmakers took a major leap in tackling material that normally doesn't make it to the screen. It was handled very well.

Rating: B-

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)

The whole production felt amateurish. There were no compelling characters or plot lines. It was more like an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer… essentially a watered down version of HBO’s True Blood for those who don’t know any better.

Rating: D

Dark Days (2000)

Gritty documentary about the trials and tribulations of the homeless living in a tunnel underneath the streets of NYC. Quite interesting to see the community that developed on the fringe of society and then how they came to reunite with it.

The DVD extras are great.

Rating: B-