War Machine (2017)

A movie about the pointlessness of war. If you already felt war was mostly a complete waste of time and expense, this film will preach to your choir. If you think war is a necessary evil and that the U.S. does a damn fine job at it, you’ll hate this film and believe it was made by a bunch of left wing hippies.

Personally I believe war is a means for politicians to distract the populace from their massive shortcomings, to line the pockets of everyone involved, and to secure the resources of other nations for their own.

Rating: C

The Dark Knight (2008)

I saw this on opening day so I could avoid reviews and opinions before forming my own. By now everybody knows that this is a much darker film than Nolan's first. I don't see this as a positive or negative. It just is. More importantly, the sequel is focused, free from the burden of telling an origin story.

Subsequently, the villainous plot is allowed to unfold evenly, using the entire length of the film to unmask its gritty particulars. Ledger as the Joker is as good as he was rumored to be. An Oscar nomination would be less a tribute to his memory, as it would be a richly deserved accolade for a brilliant performance, regardless of his mortality.

Perhaps the monetary success, in addition to critical, will encourage Hollywood to hand the reins of major franchises over to more indie directors in the future.

Rating: B+

The Dead Zone (2002)

I watched both of them, the original with Christopher Walken and the 2002 version with Anthony Michael Hall. I liked the newer one better, as the story was more original and logical. I watched these in preparation for the USA show by the same name, which was pretty good.

Rating Old: C

Rating New: C+ 

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

I think this was my third viewing, but it's been a long time. I enjoyed seeing Tim Burton's vision after viewing decades of his work. He was a master craftsman from the start. This was such an original movie when it came out, and it holds up well over time. Very funny, touching, and unique.

Rating: A-

The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

Samuel L. Jackson stars in a pretty strange thriller. The movie has a different feel to it than most. Sort of a "The Fisher King" meets "Shine" meets "8mm". A Sundance film worth checking out.

Rating: C+