Reviewer Profile

Bryan Lienesch Movie Reviewer Profile


(View @bclienesch Now) 		  Website: http://sportsheadblog.blogspot.com
Reviewer Score:
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Reviews

Title Year Rating Rank Review
Green Book2018701
Deadpool2016971 - Just an incredibly fun time at the theaters!
Gleason2016952 - One of the best films of the year. 'Gleason' is everything that is real and genuine about humanity.
The Hateful Eight2016933 - Just an absolute blast of a time at the theater!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story2016924 - This is perhaps the farthest a Star Wars film has ventured away from the norm, but it can still hold its own with the others.
Bleed for This2016915 - Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart are nothing short of sensational!
Fences2016915 - Probably the best all-around acted film of the year.
Hidden Figures2016915 - Taraji P. Henson and Janelle Monae are nothing short of terrific while Octavia Spencer brings another solid performance.
Sully2016908 - An intense and fascinating story about how everyone -- even annointed heroes -- have their hills to climb.
Everybody Wants Some2016899 - Though I am not a particular fan of Linklater's stuff in general, I must admit Everybody Wants Some is probably my favorite film of his to date.
Jackie2016899 - Natalie Portman is nothing short of sensational.
La La Land2016899 - Here's the thing: I wanted to not like this movie. As seeming like nothing but pure Oscar bait, I want to loathe this film with every ounce of my soul. But I liked it. Dare I admit it, it's very good.
The Edge of Seventeen2016899 - Probably the best feel-good movie I've seen this year.
Don't Breathe20168813 - 'Don't Breathe' seems to almost toy with your senses as plot twist after plot twist ratchets up the tension!
Weiner20168813 - 'Weiner' is absolutely riveting for two reasons: one, no political figure is perhaps more polarizing, with such high upside and such low downside. Two, no documentary perhaps has had more raw, unfiltered access to a major political scandal as it unfolds.
Zero Days20168813 - The type of documentary that scares your pants off not with what it insinuates, but with what it proves. Alex Gibney approaches the subject with journalistic-like precision and delivers an early favorite for best documentary this year.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi20168716 - If it weren't for Michael Bay's over-directing, it'd probably be a near-perfect film.
Deepwater Horizon20168617 - Just a really, really well done movie. Probably no one could've told this story like Peter Berg did.
Suicide Squad20168617 - A thoroughly enjoyable counter-punch from the DC universe for all the success Marvel movies have enjoyed.
Star Trek Beyond20168519 - While not quite as good as the first two in this modern Star Trek trilogy, 'Beyond, this first edition without JJ Abrams having the con, flies just fine.
War Dogs20168519 - A fun, fascinating tale!
Captain Fantastic20168421 - One thing's for sure: it'll spark a reaction within you.
Grimsby20168421 - Outrageously funny. The perfect format for Sacha Baron Cohen.
Hell or High Water20168421 - No one performance is particularly weak, but they are all blown away by Ben Foster who is just sensational.
How to Be Single20168421 - Not only is it wonderfully funny, but it's whip smart, absolutely has the pulse of the modern generation, with progressively-driven characters that don't feel as though the film is standing on a soap box.
Imperium20168421 - Admittedly a little rough around the edges but the tension is palpable.
Jim: The James Foley Story20168421 - A thoughtful and introspective look at the man at the center of one of the most infamous stories of the century.
Manchester by the Sea20168421 - In the darkness that is 'Manchester by the Sea', there is a certain beauty. Emotionally-scarred characters learning to cope with tragedy once again. And bonds that otherwise may not have ever been made.
The Fundamentals of Caring20168421 - About as feel-good as a decidedly dark comedy like this can get.
We the People: The Market Basket Effect20168421 - In the age old question of is it better to be loved or feared, 'We The People' argues emphatically for the former.
13th20168330 - A deep and introspective look about how concepts of slavery carry on today through different institutions.
Green Room20168330 - So it turns out white supremacists manufacturing drugs under the watchful eye of a cult-like leader are not the most wonderful people. Who knew?
Hail, Caesar!20168330 - Quite possibly one of the Coen brothers' best ones yet!
Masterminds20168330 - Outrageously funny, but the real question on everyone's mind: just how much of this ridiculous story is true and how much is embellishment?
The Nice Guys20168330 - Crowe and Gosling are an unlikely comedy duo. But it works!
Triple 920168330 - As good as it was, it felt like it had a lot of room for improvement.
Captain America: Civil War20168236 - Another solid installation to the Avengers franchise, though it doesn't quite reach the bar set by 'The Winter Soldier'.
Passengers20168236 - The questions about humanity, its limits, and our philosophies give this far, far outer space thriller context.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot20168236 - Definitely a different take on the usual war flick.
Zootopia20168236 - It's amazing what a "kids" movie seems like it could teach adults today about seeing past each other's differences.
Demolition20168140 - A moving and genuine story about a man's struggle to properly grieve unbelievable loss.
Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates20168140 - Legitimately funny!
Moonlight20168140 - A thoughtful and methodical drama.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping20168140 - Like most satires, it tries too hard. It lands most of its comedic punches, but when it misses, it misses big.
Race20168140 - Pretty good, but, quite frankly, just doesn't do a guy like Jesse Owens justice.
Sausage Party20168140 - Equal parts hilarious and horrifying.
The Conjuring 220168140 - Can't quite live up to the original, but much better than 'Annabelle'.
Arrival20168047 - It's a good, not great, film. And beware of rave reviews. Those buying wholeheartedly in 'Arrival' are giving it credit for being smarter than it really is.
Free State of Jones20168047 - The one overarching nuisance to what was otherwise a pretty gripping period piece was McConaughey's Newton Knight. They didn't just make him morally superior to his fellow confederates, they practically made him beyond reproach. It all seems rather silly for a white man who grew up in the backwoods of Mississippi in the mid-19th Century.
Ghostbusters20168047 - A solid reincarnation of a beloved franchise.
The Magnificent Seven20168047 - A year after 'The Hateful Eight' we get 'The Magnificent Seven', where in place of classic cinema nostalgia we get big blockbuster vigor. To be perfectly honest, both have their merits.
The Secret Life of Pets20168047 - A cute little family flick.
Train to Busan20168047 - The end product is a solid, if not occasionally overacted, addition to the zombie genre.
Allied20167953 - In a year unusually devoid of spy thrillers, 'Allied' sticks out.
Jason Bourne20167953 - Greengrass returns to the franchise, and all the pieces are there, but it's just not the same.
The Infiltrator20167953 - It's definitely good, just not must-see-again good.
The Purge: Election Year20167953 - The best 'Purge' yet.
Central Intelligence20167857 - Par for the course with Kevin Hart flicks these days.
Into the Forest20167857 - Slow moving, thoughtful, and methodical, this is not your average post-apocalyptic flick, if one can even call it that.
Money Monster20167857 - I guess the question is whether or not this is supposed to just be a standalone thriller with no social commentary or is it a message on Wall Street? Because if it is the latter, while it definitely rides the wave of populist anger, it doesn't seem so sure as to who to blame for the mess. Is it the television shtick-heavy hack? Or is it the corrupt businessman? Or perhaps it's just the system in general? Ironically, the one man the movie never tries to blame is the guy with the gun.
The Founder20167857 - A story that reminds us there is a fine line between the American Dream and the American Nightmare.
Undecided: The Movie20167857 - A side-splitting mockumentary that spoofs not only our presidential candidates but some of the sillier arguments behind today's political issues.
10 Cloverfield Lane20167762 - Inside the fallout shelter lay a wonderfully thrilling story. Psychological in a cabin fever sort of way, clostrophobic as three virtual strangers are forced into confinement with one another, and eerily twisted like a Hitchcock great. Then she pops the lid, runs from aliens, and everything we go through suddenly feels a bit more silly.
Midnight Special20167762 - Definitely a different kind of thriller. Somewhere in between real life and sci-fi lies 'Midnight Special'.
Nocturnal Animals20167762 - Honestly, had the film only been of the story in the manuscript itself, it would have been better. The superficial characters of the 'real world' bring nothing to the table and even Edward Sheffield, who we only see in flashbacks, ends us with a reminder that he's not much better, either.
Sing Street20167762 - Cute little coming-of-age movie, if you can call it that.
Criminal20167666 - A high-end espionage sci-fi thriller.
Finding Dory20167666 - It's a cute enough movie, but this franchise has run its course.
Inferno20167666 - It's definitely different than the first two, but all the key ingredients -- the gripping thriller elements, the puzzle-piece plot, the historical hide-and-seek -- are all there. If you liked the first two, you're going to like this one just fine.
Keeping Up with the Joneses20167666 - A typical action comedy. But it leaves you with a good taste in your mouth.
Office Christmas Party20167666 - It's basically your average debauchery-filled party movie with a Christmas twist.
Bad Santa 220167571 - The laughs are down in the sequel as well as its redeeming charm.
Fastball20167571 - An interesting look at baseball's most famous pitch.
Hannibal Takes Edinburgh20167571 - An authentic and candid look at the life of a travelling comic.
The Accountant20167571 - For about three quarters of its runtime it's a fairly smart, engaging, intriguing thriller. And then it devolves into cliche and tacky plot developments and the eye rolls begin.
Hacksaw Ridge20167475 - A frustrating film. With such high positives and low negatives, it's hard to decide where 'Hacksaw Ridge' should truly sit amongst this year's films.
Independence Day: Resurgence20167475 - It fails to successfully build on the nostalgia fans had for the original film, primarily because most would argue a sequel without Will Smith is a sequel simply not worth making.
Joshy20167475 - On the one hand, no "comedy" should be this genuinely upsetting. But on the other, and maybe you have to be a guy to identify with it, there are some real notes of sincerity in the writing. We're guys. We're okay until we're not okay. And we can't talk about it on cue, but it ends up coming out anyway. Maybe "Joshy" doesn't express this theme as eloquently as it could, but you get the message anyway.
The Finest Hours20167475 - A survival tale unlike any other. The only main drawback here is how heavy it relies on action CGI visuals that border on the ludicrous. Especially for a film set in the early 1950's.
Keanu20167379 - The problem with these comedies than come from great sketch writers (you can rope this movie into the same boat as the SNL ones) is always the same: evolving from minutes-long sketches, the movies always feel a bit long.
The Ivory Game20167379 - An in-depth look at not just the poaching epidemic, but the global market that fuels it.
Dirty Grandpa20167281 - A predictable and cliche journey with some good laughs along the way. If you were hoping for much more that's on you.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back20167281 - Definitely a disappointment compared to the first one.
Now You See Me 220167281 - As with the first, 'Now You See Me 2', like a magician, wows you with flash and pizzazz. It all makes for an exciting spectacle. But when you peek behind the curtains, you realize there really isn't much to it.
Amanda Knox20167184 - Perhaps the most amazing thing the documentary reveals is each party -- from the prosecutor that thinks he's smarter than he really is, to the headline-hungry media, to even Knox herself -- and their total unwillingness to own their own share of the blame for the debacle.
Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland20167184 - Whereas the writing and direction of the actual show was sharp and clever, 'The Rise of Thadland' is sadly just another college party flick.
Get a Job20167184 - What it lacks in polish it makes up for in heart.
Kevin Hart: What Now?20167184 - It's funny, just now super funny.
The Girl on the Train20167184 - It's about as good as the book. Which is, to say, a bit overrated.
3120167089 - Not Rob Zombie's best, but definitely not his worst.
Eye in the Sky20167089 - For something that wants to be a relevant and topical film, it sure uses sci-fi like technology to push its story along.
Loving20167089 - It probably could've been the film it deserved to be had the writing and direction brought the level of gravitas to the story that it needed.
The 5th Wave20167089 - Like 'The Maze Runner' franchise, the story's underlying agenda of focusing on children in these post apocalyptic worlds is obvious. There's no big, bad authority coming for young adults, just money-hungry producers.
The Do-Over20167089 - I feel like Sandler and Co. could crank these sort of B-list slapstick comedies out in their sleep now.
The Shallows20167089 - For every moment where 'The Shallows' comes off as a smart, true-to-form survivalist tale there's another moment where it reaches for the incredulous.
X-Men: Apocalypse20167089 - Whether it be Star Wars or The Hobbit or now X-Men, the decision is unanimous: these prequel trilogies never break out of the shadow of the originals.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising20166996 - Nothing kills a silly comedy faster than an overload of SJW commentary.
The Boss20166996 - We've seen recent McCarthy comedies with varying levels of success. This one is more 'Tammy' than it is 'Spy'.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice20166898 - It doesn't even stand up on its own let alone in the shadow of Christopher Nolan's magnificent trilogy.
Miles Ahead20166898 - We've seen this sort of biopic a lot recently where the story focuses on the post-peak-of-fame years. I, for one, do not get the appeal.
The Birth of a Nation20166898 - While it deserves credit for honesty and not shying away from the truth, it is a story truly lacking any kind of protagonist.
Our Kind of Traitor201667101 - It's about what you'd expect from a movie starring a few notables in a straight-to-DVD drama.
Eddie the Eagle201665102 - A great underdog story needs a glaring obstacle. Rudy's size. TC Williams High School Football overcoming race and integration. Eddie's only obstacle is that he's weird.
The Jungle Book201665102 - What is the point of a live action movie when all but one character are CGI?
Zoolander 2201665102 - Ultimately forgettable.
Equity201664105 - Its SJW plot and commentary is completely at odds with every female character as they're made out to be naive, threatened, and overly-emotional wafflers.
Mechanic: Resurrection201664105 - If the script were as good as the action sequences, it might've had a puncher's chance at being a great movie.
Mascots201661107 - In the range of what could've been reasonably expected from 'Mascots', it's on the low end.
Mr. Right201661107 - A disappointing project for Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell to have their names forever tied to.
The True Memoirs of an International Assassin201661107 - About what you'd expect from a Kevin James Netflix flick.
Fire at Sea201660110 - The juxtaposition of life in the Western world and life as a refugee is palpable, but the film's snail-like pace just kills any momentum it tries to muster.
Man Down201660110 - Just about the darkest movie I have ever seen.
The Phenom201658112 - First of all, the movie is called 'The Phenom' when the protagonist (Hopper Gibson) is the third highest-rated prospect in his class. The supposed 'phenom' isn't even a once-in-a-year talent let alone once-in-a-generation. And the idiosyncrasies only amass from there.
Bad Moms201657113 - Ironically, in trying to tear down the stereotypes of what makes a good mom, it judges plenty.
Swiss Army Man201656114 - I can honestly say I don't know what the hell I just watched.
Kubo and the Two Strings201654115 - Ultimately, it's forgettable.
Ride Along 2201651116 - If you came into 'Ride Along 2' with even remotely high expectations, that's on you.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows201650117 - I don't think one movie has done more to undermine the love and nostalgia I have for superhero characters I grew up with.
Holidays201646118 - I could actually get behind its anthological design, but it's just poorly executed.
Ben-Hur201643119 - The original novel was an influential literary piece about a man whose interactions with one religion's lord and savior convinced him to choose forgiveness over revenge. Here, it's been twisted into a storyless canvass for brutish war scenes.
Hardcore Henry201643119 - All shtick, no substance.
London Has Fallen201636121 - It's actually WORSE than you fear it will be.
Cabin Fever201624122 - Practically a shot-for-shot regurgitation of a good-not-great horror flick that is only 13 years old. Utterly useless.
Spotlight2015931 - For all the talking heads, half-truths, and sensationalism that dominates the so-called "news channels" these days, we needed this film. Not only to remind us what passionate people can still do, but what journalism, true journalism, can still be.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens2015932 - The truly brilliant thing that the film does is that it establishes an era of the canon that is squarely after Return of the Jedi. It doesn't start a new chapter so much as the next book, so to speak. And J.J. Abrams and the writers deserve all the credit in the world for that.
Sicario2015903 - A 'Traffic' for the 'Call of Duty' generation.
Spy2015903 - I find it hard to believe we'll see a funnier movie this year.
The Visit2015903 - From the director branded by his famous plot twists and showing us things that aren't what they really seem, how's this for a twist? An underdog film from a household name director that's been in a slump recently that is genuinely unsettling yet riveting, creepy yet human, and terrifying yet sincere.
Every Last Child2015896 - 'Every Last Child' is a fascinating documentary about a problem I would venture to say about 90% of the world is unaware of.
Room2015896 - Both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time for the duration.
Trumbo2015896 - Given how much the themes of communism, the first amendment, and vitriol towards those we disagree with pops up in today's political rhetoric, this is an incredibly important film for our time. For those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Being Evel2015889 - An amazing and unfiltered look into a pop culture icon's life.
Everest2015889 - Absolutely exhilarating!
Freeheld2015889 - In the war for equality for the LGBT community, this is a beautiful dramatization of a critical battle won.
The Big Short2015889 - Adam McKay's first 'serious' film is a palpable entry.
The Hunting Ground2015889 - Though it gets a bit "preachy", there is no denying the power and voice it brings to silent side of an overlooked issue.
The Martian2015889 - It's rare that a cast of this level of notoriety is also so well used. 'The Martian', both in development and in execution, tells you it takes an army to truly save one man.
Trainwreck2015889 - It's refreshing when a comedy is so much more than cheap laughter.
Black Mass20158616 - A very-well executed rendition of an unbelievable story.
Get Hard20158616 - A raunchy riot!
Mad Max: Fury Road20158616 - Stylistically, it's unlike anything you've seen before.
Straight Outta Compton20158616 - There's been a lot of artist/band biopics and documentaries this year, but 'Straight Outta Compton' might just be the best.
The Program20158616 - Out of nowhere this undersold, underhyped, and ultimately underrated biopic comes out of nowhere to tell one of the greatest scandals in sports history in tremendous fashion.
The Revenant20158616 - Tremendously well-acted. Beautiful and brutally unfiltered cinematography. If it was about a half-hour shorter and trimmed some of the fat it would be a darn near perfect movie.
Truth20158616 - Truth's biggest sin is coming out right alongside Spotlight, for Venus Williams probably garners a lot more fame if she never had Serena as a sister.
Woman in Gold20158616 - It's rare that a legal drama has a character as colorful as what Helen Mirren brings to the table here.
A War20158424 - First with 'Kilo Two Bravo' and now with 'A War', we've seen the US definitely doesn't have the market cornered on tremendous, gripping war films.
Above and Beyond20158424 - A fascinating look at a far too overlooked moment in history.
All Things Must Pass20158424 - 'All Things Must Pass' focuses primarily on the nostalgia everyone -- from average joes to celebrities -- had for Tower Records.
Bridge of Spies20158424 - At its core, 'Bridge of Spies' is not a thriller about a few prisoners. No, it is a dissection of what made the 'Cold War' a terrifying and tense time.
Brooklyn20158424 - A pretty beautiful romantic drama.
Creed20158424 - There are boxing sequences that have you dipping and diving with every punch, whether or not you are watching it in 3D.
Deep Web20158424 - The only nitpicky gripe here is that 'Deep Web' loses its focus. It wants to become another essay on the dangers of "Big Brother". Don't. The story of Ulbricht and the hidden aspects of the internet are fascinating enough.
Ex Machina20158424 - It's fascinating how such a seemingly simple story can evoke such complex themes.
Faults20158424 - It's very rare in this day and age that a film throws an ending as unexpected and as brilliant as 'Faults' does.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief20158424 - The upshot shouldn't be all that surprising: another case of a religion taking advantage of the inherent innocence of people and exploiting it in the form of all kinds of abuse.
Goodnight Mommy20158424 - One of the most disturbing films I've ever seen.
McFarland USA20158424 - It's the sort of sappy Disney sports chronicle that makes you believe everything is possible and the world is full of rainbows and unicorns.
Monkey Kingdom20158424 - Though Tina Fey provides some very Disney-ish narration to give it some family-friendly charm, where 'Monkey Kingdom' really earns it's keep is with some tremendous wildlife footage.
Our Brand Is Crisis20158424 - While it doesn't carry the gravitas of a story that would happen in a country more embedded in our frame of reference, it does have this sort of kooky, underdog charm about it.
Remember20158424 - It is, at once, painfully tedious and unbearably gripping. An enigma in and of itself.
Southpaw20158424 - Jake Gyllenhaal, as his character is in the ring, is the real star here with a truly dynamic performance!
The Gift (Edgerton / Bateman)20158424 - It's a gripping suspense-driven drama.
The Second Mother20158424 - An intricately and beautifully woven story about motherhood, love, and varying definitions of success.
Avengers: Age of Ultron20158342 - An improvement over the first one. 'Age of Ultron' stays much truer to the comics.
Jurassic World20158342 - Easily the best of the 'Jurassic Park' franchise since the original.
Minions20158342 - A cute, funny family flick.
Concussion20158245 - Easily one of the best performances of Smith's career.
A Hologram for the King20158146 - The supporting cast is so charming and genuine they feel right up there with Hanks.
Love & Mercy20158146 - A dark but appreciable biopic.
Secret in Their Eyes20158146 - Your convential crime thriller.
A Walk in the Woods20158049 - Redford and Nolte bring enough to make it worth your time.
Can We Take a Joke?20158049 - Raises some legitimate concerns about the rise sensitivity to speech. Furthermore, it reminds us, while examining others, we must also always be examining ourselves.
I Saw the Light20158049 - Hiddleston is absolutely sensational.
Suffragette20158049 - You'd think a story about women fighting to earn their right to vote would be uplifting, but 'Suffragette' is decidedly dark.
The Night Before20158049 - Not as good as 'Neighbors', but definitely better than 'The Interview'.
Z for Zachariah20158049 - It seems like it is moving methodically, with intention. Building to a crescendo. But 'Z For Zachariah' does not go out with a bang, but a whimper.
Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World20157955 - Short of a documentary about a puppy that cures cancer, I'm not sure a more feel-good move in the non-fiction category is possible.
Beasts of No Nation20157955 - In a world of manipulation, exploitation, war, rape, and rampant drug abuse, it's not really that hard to imagine the innocence of one little boy is swallowed whole.
Grizzly20157955 - As far as apex predator horror/thriller flicks go, there are far worse renditions out there.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation20157955 - 'Rogue Nation' brings some new things to the table, but it's largely the same song just on a different album.
Sisters20157955 - I equate it sort of to The Beatles' 'Let It Be'. It's good, sure, but we've had so much better from these stars in the past.
Sleeping with Other People20157955 - Despite it's convoluted ending (no spoilers!), it's a pretty smart rom-com for the modern generation.
Burnt20157861 - It's no Burger King but it's no Michelin Star restaurant, either.
A LEGO Brickumentary20157762 - What starts out as a gimmicky and sophomoric adolescent's educational video eventually finds the it's niche and begins to work as an all-encompassing documentary about the world a single toy has spawned.
Fantastic Four20157762 - It's a solid attempt to bring back the Fantastic Four franchise. The real question is did we need this film just eight years after the last one?
Spectre20157762 - 'Spectre' marks the second straight time in the Daniel Craig era of the James Bond franchise that Bond is out only to be brought back in it for one more go 'round. At some point, we're going to have to accuse him of being the superspy who cried wolf.
The End of the Tour20157762 - A sweet yet sad story of nostalgia, loneliness, and what it truly means to connect with someone.
The Lazarus Effect20157762 - I enjoyed it and didn't even need DMT. So sue me.
Dope20157667 - Rick Famuyiwa is intent on mashing everything together here: stereotypes, genres, characters. The works. And while something new and refreshing, it's also a tad bit messy.
Inside Out20157667 - It's a cute little film for the family.
Rock the Kasbah20157667 - Quarky with interment knee-slapping laughter. This is the stuff Bill Murray movies are made of.
Staten Island Summer20157667 - It's a semi-funny, semi-heartwarming, semi-original, semi-successful comedy.
The 3320157667 - At times feels more like a telenovela rather than a real story of surviving disaster.
Unfinished Business20157667 - I'm not sure why 'Unfinished Business' tries to be both a raunchy romp and a feel-good family comedy, but the two themes clash with one another. My opinion? Stick to the ludeness. It was working a lot better.
Vacation20157667 - There are those that will tear 'Vacation' a new one, but they're expecting something more, something elegant. They want that trip to Paris when they should be plenty satisified with (another) hijinx-filled trip to Wally World.
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom20157667 - It reminds me a lot of 'The Square' (also Netflix-backed) of last year. It's on the frontlines, capturing unfiltered footage, but to what end?
Meru20157575 - Visually, it may get you punch-drunk, say, if you see it in IMAX. But the rea dizzying effect is the way the story meanders on and off topic, back and forward through time, on and off tangents.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension20157575 - Some wooden acting and obvious 3D gimmicks aside, it's a palpable addition to the popular franchise.
Pixels20157575 - It's unapologetically goofy, but the nostalgia 'Scott Pilgrim' captured for early millenials, 'Pixels' captures for the generation of video game lovers that came before them.
Search for General Tso, The20157575 - It's a neat little documentary but it's really more about America's growing fascination with Chinese food and the Americanization of the food more than anything else.
Ant-Man20157479 - The obvious obstacle for the film is getting over an obstacle that sounds a bit looney. Even Corey Stoll's character alludes to how silly 'Ant-Man' sounds. And while some comedy and SHIELD-tie in's coax it along, I'm not sure the silliness ever really goes away.
Chappie20157479 - 'Chappie' is a story about exploitation, which is ironic because the film itself exploits our sympathy, taking a hunkof metal and making it behave like an innocent puppy.
Digging for Fire20157381 - Definitely not the film you're first expecting. Even for Swanberg, this one is different.
Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, The20157381 - Easily the weakest of the quadrilogy. It is impossible not to notice the franchise's steady decline since Francis Lawrence took over.
Misery Loves Comedy20157381 - Sadder than it is funny, really.
Teacher of the Year20157381 - Many times being both a drama and a comedy works. This is not one of those times.
Cartel Land20157285 - Where 'Cartel Land' is at its best is not when it's following a few dead beat Arizonans, but when it's on the frontlines in Mexico as events are playing out.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl20157285 - What starts out as a sharp, funny take on the traditional high school film fades into a dull, depressing teen dramedy.
Point Break20157285 - The whole thing feels like a music video in IMAX: a plethora of breathtaking, wide angle shots with not a whole hell of a lot of plot in between.
The Gunman20157285 - Your standard international, sort-of-Bond-but-not-really-Bond thriller.
Amy20157189 - A sad starlet story that feels all too familiar.
Area 5120157189 - It's not as bad as some might instinctively fear, but it's also no 'Paranormal Activity'.
Run All Night20157189 - Very well could have just been called 'Taken 4'.
The Voices20157189 - Is it comedy? Is it a thriller? Is it a drama? I honestly don't know. But more importantly, I don't think the cast and crew do, either.
Clown20157093 - Similar to 'Krampus' in that it spins its horror yarn off old world folk tales while splashing some comedy on the horror subject, 'Clown' is a satisfactory product.
Goosebumps20157093 - Capturing the nostalgia some of us have for the 'Goosebumps' books buys it some good will but it's not enough to overlook the fact much of the films shtick is sorely overplayed.
Grandma20157093 - It's a nice little indie dramedy, but it's like a flower still in bulb form: it hasn't been given the time or attention it needs to make it what it really could be.
Krampus20157093 - A horror/comedy that also tries to tug on the heart strings can only work so well.
Man Up20157093 - It's fresh enough that you don't get a horrible sense of deja vu while watching it, but it doesn't "wow" you either. It's a little, mildly charming indie rom-com.
Tangerine20157093 - I'll say this: it's definitely a twist on the typical holiday film.
The Bronze20157093 - It is, at once, a sports comedy and a satire about live in middle America. But it's all just only 'chuckle funny'. No real, genuine laughs here.
True Story20157093 - What starts out as a brick and mortar true crime story devolves into some attempt at an altered realty mental thriller and that's where it will lose people.
Unfriended20157093 - While it gets points for originality, it just doesn't really work.
Best of Enemies201569102 - Where 'The Best of Enemies' was really on to something was documenting a birthpoint of superficial news content that now dominates the cable network. But rather than focus on this relevant notion, it's a footnote to much less interesting, much less important concepts.
Focus201569102 - Margot Robbie and Will Smith are madly in love except they're not. They're both surehanded, cold, calculating con artists except they aren't. They're both always playing the angle except they're not. This movie needs to make up its mind already.
He Named Me Malala201569102 - It's the sort of artsy documentary the smells of Oscar bait.
Hyena Road201569102 - 'Kilo Two Bravo' or 'Kajaki' showed us that Americans definitely don't have a monopoly on gripping war films set in Afghanistan, but 'Hyena Road' is no 'Kilo Two Bravo'.
Infinitely Polar Bear201569102 - Being eccentric just for the sake of being eccentric isn't endearing, it's distracting.
Pawn Sacrifice201569102 - 'Pawn Sacrifice' is like a roughly-molded piece of clays: while the makings of a decent biopic are there, it's lacking a lot.
Poltergeist201569102 - While it ups the horror ante from the original, it is almost a story point by story point facsimile of the original. Which begs the obvious question...why would you not just watch the original?
What Happened, Miss Simone?201569102 - I think, like a piece of art, 'What Happened, Miss Simone?' is going to mean something different to everyone. To me, the biopic doc is a tragic account of a wonderfully talented woman ultimately consumed by anger.
Experimenter201568110 - Stanley Milgram's findings were interesting, but you can't help but to wonder if the story of his experiments would be better told in documentary form than this overly artsy drama.
Southbound201568110 - It feels like a desert-bound installment of the 'V/H/S' franchise, though not quite as well done.
Steve Jobs201568110 - Unlike 'Jobs' where Kutcher played the Apple god, 'Steve Jobs' commits the vast majority of the story and its emotional pull to the personal life of the man. But a movie about Jobs' personal life is sort of like making a movie about the Kardashians' business acumen.
The Lobster201568110 - The problem is, far too often, as 'The Lobster' hits its stride, it goes even whackier and seems to lose the context of its allegorical intentions.
The Stanford Prison Experiment201568110 - It's dark and brutal in its own little implausible way, but the bigger sin is that it feels like it enjoys showing us human punishment just a little too much.
Wedding Ringer, The201568110 - Pure stupidity, but we all know there's a place for it at movie theaters.
A Man Called Ove201567116 - When we meet parvaneh, a character so strong she eclipses the lot of weaker souls, you just sort of wish the movie had focused on her to begin with.
Mississippi Grind201567116 - Ryan Reynolds' charisma isn't enough to elevate a mediocre film.
Regression201567116 - I guess we weren't supposed to see the obvious twist coming?
Chi-Raq201566119 - 'Chi-Raq' is frustrating because it had so much potential to be a wildly important film, but far too often becomes overly artsy, gimmicky, and, at times, just downright goofy satire.
In the Heart of the Sea201565120 - Trying to successfully piggyback on a literary classic is a fool's proposition.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl201565120 - It's definitely bold and unrestricted in where it will go, but I ask you this: if we tear modern-day slasher films for being unnecessarily explicit, what's the difference between them and this exercise in displaying what is, by its own admission, pedophilia?
The Witch201565120 - Humanity's capacity for paranoia is the real villain here.
Dark Places201559123 - If you're expecting a second 'Gone Girl', prepare to be disappointed.
Hotel Transylvania 2201559123 - It's your conventional modern day family animated film.
Glass Chin201557125 - I've been waiting for a great film that can finally harness the underrated abilities of Corey Stoll. And after 'Glass Chin', I'm still waiting.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials201556126 - It's better than the first, but that's not saying much.
The Intern201556126 - The real frustration here is Robert DeNiro's character. He's an implausibly perfect shapeshifter. He goes from quiet loner, to weird intern, to popular intern, to the CEO's personal confidant, to pep talk sister soldier. He's literally everybody's saving grace. If he's that perfect, Jules Ostin (Hathaway) should hand thecompany over to him while simultaneously marrying him and kicking her old husband to the curb. Sheesh.
The Walk201553128 - Though the actual scenes walking between the two towers themselves are breathtaking, everything leading up to it is a painful lesson in how not to handle a biopic.
Kingsman: The Secret Service201552129 - What ends up being a halfway decent reimagining of the British superspy flick for the first three quarters of its runtime eventually devolves into something needlessly explicit, offensive, and lude. Yes, the last quarter or so of 'Kingsman' is "zero f**ks given" filmmaking at its best (or worst).
Peace Officer201552129 - Some of what 'Peace Officer' uncovers is troubling, but two take a few unconnected cases that were arguably poorly handled and paint the vast majority of law enforcement with the same broad strokes is both naive and irresponsible.
Pitch Perfect 2201552129 - It's just more of the same, really.
Blackhat201551132 - While I'm sure hackers and coders everywhere appreciate being portrayed as Bond-like international men of mystery, it makes for a pretty silly story here.
The D Train201551132 - It's more bizarre than it is anything else.
The Green Inferno201551132 - Quite frankly, this is a bit of a disappointment coming out from Eli Roth.
Aloha201550135 - It's just a lot of touchy-feely stuff that you never quite grow to care about.
Fifty Shades of Grey201549136 - It's sort of like if 'American Psycho' had kinky sex with a 25-cent romance novel.
Good Kill201549136 - The political messaging in this "drama" is so shamelessly one-sided, I've seen propoganda pieces that are more objective.
Insidious Chapter 3201549136 - Definitely weaker than the first two.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2201549136 - Somehow, inexplicably, this sequel was made.
Terminator Genisys201549136 - When Arnold Schwarzenegger gets beaten down by his younger CGI self towards the beginning, it's actually a perfect metaphor as to how 'Genisys' stacks up to earlier 'Terminator' versions.
Taken 3201547141 - Doesn't have an original bone in its body.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.201547141 - Henry Cavill seems to play a pompous robot while Armie Hammer displays the emotional maturity of a manchild. It just doesn't W.O.R.K.
Where to Invade Next201546143 - While some of Moore's points on other nations' cultures are well made, the overall tone of the film is not just jarringly arrogant, but dangerously naive.
The Ridiculous 6201545144 - Ridiculous is right.
Furious 7201543145 - I guess were supposed to look on 'Furious 7' with kind eyes given that Paul Walker passed away before its release, but I, for one, can't do it. This is probably the worst film in the franchise to date.
Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine201542146 - As agenda-driven, judgmental, and hypocritical as it tries to make Steve Jobs out to be. I'm not even a particularly big fan of Apple products and the documentary had me coming to the man's defense.
Wolf Totem201542146 - What a shame such beautiful footage of wolves was wasted on this morbid and bizarre film.
San Andreas201541148 - It's not '2012' bad, but it's close. Very close.
Daddy's Home201539149 - Far too often the film takes the comedy out of the capable hands of Ferrell and Buress and puts it in the hands of the postproduction for cheap, gimmicky laughs.
Shaun the Sheep Movie201528150 - A film where the only dialogue is incomprehensible chicken scratch, sheep are disowned by an amnesiac owner, and a city employee tries to kill the lot, including a man. The Brits have a funny idea of what constitutes a family film.
Woodlawn201528150 - Not only is it extremely condescending to anyone not Christian, it steals just about every sports movie cliche in the book.
Interstellar2014961 - For those that didn't follow Nolan's work prior to the Dark Knight trilogy, this is what separates him from other filmmakers. Quite frankly, this is him at his best.
Chef2014933 - It's been a long time since Favreau has not only come out from behind the camera but taken center stage. What a treat!
The Theory of Everything2014933 - For the truly talented actors and actresses, there comes a role and a performance that forever puts them on the map. For Mr. Redmayne, this is that film.
Fury2014925 - Perhaps the best World War II film since 'Saving Private Ryan'. The battle sequences, however, in a class by themselves.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier2014906 - One of the best Marvel movies ever!
As the Palaces Burn2014897 - This, dare I say it, is one of the most important documentaries of our time. The shredding of guitars cannot compare to the shredding of stereotypes in our world about the genesis of violence and the complete misunderstanding of a music genre in our world.
Danny Collins2014897 - It may be too sappy to point out how art and life can parrallel one another, but just as "Danny Collins" reinvents himself in the film, Pacino is a different man, perhaps the best we've seen him in years.
The Normal Heart2014897 - Not only is the entire cast just sensational, there is a hidden brilliance to them: some of them are gay and some of them are not. And with the whole cast side by side, without knowing better, it's impossible to tell. And, really, isn't that as powerful as anything else 'The Normal Heart' is trying to say?
Neighbors20148810 - This is Andrew J. Cohen's and Brendon O'Brien's coming out party. Two men who have worked in the shadows of past great comedies and now have written an absolute winner of a gut buster themselves.
Point and Shoot20148810 - Just a sensational story!
Selma20148810 - Very dark but very, very powerful!
Top Five20148810 - It feels like Rock's version of Apatow's 'Funny People'. But to put the two movies in the same boat is grossly unfair, for 'Top Five' is so much more poignant, pragmatic, and heartfelt. Not to mention incredibly funny!
Lone Survivor20148714 - Dare I say it, Peter Berg's best film since Friday Night Lights.
A Most Violent Year20148615 - A truly tense and unsettling drama.
Happy Valley20148615 - What
Happy Valley20148615 - What 'Happy Valley' does best is give you unfettered access to the events as they are happening. This, combined with testimony and commentary from all sides of the issue, captures just what an emotional maelstrom the whole scandal was. And is.
Ivory Tower20148615 - So often documentaries take place after the fact. A study of what HAS happened. 'Ivory Tower' is a study of what IS happening and the forecast is scary.
Monuments Men, The20148615 - Maybe it doesn't hold its own against the greats like Saving Private Ryan, but that's beside the point. There's never been a story -- TRUE story, that is -- quite so fascinating, where absolute professionals -- the Tom Brady's and Peyton Manning's of the art world -- are pitted as underdogs as they venture into a world that is very much out of their comfort zone.
St. Vincent20148615 - Bill Murray is terrific in this oddball, feel-good little comedy.
Whiplash20148615 - Together Damien Chazelle, J.K. Simmons, and Miles Teller have created a film here that redefines the word "intensity".
American Sniper20148522 - It's amazing how a story so visceral, gripping, and emotional can be ruined by one damn fake baby.
LEGO Movie, The20148522 - This is not a movie for men or for children, but for man-children everywhere. Absolutely has something for everyone.
Million Dollar Arm20148522 - Million Dollar Arm IS very good...for what it is. And what it is is your made-to-order modern Disney movie. Maximum inspiration and healthy goofiness, minimal pain and hurt. I look at a movie like 'Sugar' to what the tone of this movie, if told more honestly, should have been. But ever since they killed Mufasa, Disney hasn't been keen on making kids -- big and small alike -- feel bad at the theaters.
A Long Way Down20148425 - It's cute in it's little, dark way.
Art and Craft20148425 - It's the most perplexing little tale. Somewhere between 'White Collar' and 'Rain Man' we get this just unbelievable tale.
Begin Again20148425 - It's Indie (the music scene, anyway) without being pretentious, rebellious without being obstructive.
Cesar Chavez20148425 - As a biopic, it's very good. I just can't help but to wonder how much farther it could have gone though.
Dinosaur 1320148425 - It's uncanny how the characters involved in this little real-life story fit so snuggly into caricature-like attributes of themselves. From the never-say-die protagonist, to the agenda-driven government. By the time the English and sophisticated Sotheby's auctioneer makes his way into the story, you can only shake your head in amazement.
Gone Girl20148425 - David Fincher is successful in his effort to make a story that was so compelling in novel-form as compelling when transferred to the big screen.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit20148425 - Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit has the unenviable task of being the first "legacy" film following the passing of Tom Clancy. And it works -- mostly -- but one can't help to feel that Chris Pine is too little "Jack Ryan" and too much "James Bond".
Kill the Messenger20148425 - Though the title has very little (if anything) to do with the film, it is a compelling, intellectual thriller. Viewers who thought it was the B-Action movie it's poster art tries to sell it as will likely be disappointed.
Still Alice20148425 - Both dark and uplifting, 'Still Alice' doesn't hold anything back emotionally.
Unbroken20148425 - This film should be regarded as a coming out party for Jack O'Connell not unlike 'Short Term 12' was for Brie Larson a year before.
Virunga20148425 - Equal parts heartwrenching drama and nail-biting thriller, 'Virunga' is a tribute to the few good men who do not compromise in a land rife with exploitation.
Black Sea20148336 - A gripping submarine thriller.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes20148336 - Captivating, yes, but also painfully formulaic. I felt like I knew the story before it was told.
Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, The20148336 - It's just about as solid as the first two, but I would be remissed if I did not admit this third installment is a step backwards (albeit a small one) from the first two.
Kajaki20148336 - There are no epic shootouts or thrilling dogfights, but 'Kilo Two Bravo' is just as tense and exhilarating. Not with full scale battles, but the slightest footstep or rolling rock.
Blue Ruin20148240 - It's a gripping little tale of revenge.
Boyhood20148240 - Richard Linklater deserves all the credit in the world for his industry-changing work here.
Grand Budapest Hotel, The20148240 - One of Wes Anderson's best works yet.
Next Goal Wins20148240 - A nice story about victories both large and small.
Non-Stop20148240 - If we're being completely honest, it's the next 'Taken' sequel. But, more importantly, there's nothing really wrong with that.
The Good Lie20148240 - For as much buzz as there is surrounding 'Wild', Witherspoon is just as good here.
The Two Faces of January20148240 - What makes Hosseini Amini's film fun is the twists do not come in the plot but rather the motivation of its characters.
A Million Ways to Die in the West20148147 - One of the funnier parodies in recent memory.
Guardians of the Galaxy20148147 - Marvel in its franchising has sort of fashioned themselves the ultimate conspiracy theorists in the sense that everything is connected. So, while elements of 'Guardians' feel rather old (an unlikely band of outlaws and misfits save the world? how original), there is enough material that is genuinely fresh that it feels like a new chapter of a story rather than an old book we've already read.
Horrible Bosses 220148147 - Sean Anders proves to be the right man for the job to have this sequel bring the funny once again.
Korengal20148147 - A no-frills, honest-to-god illustration of life for a U.S. soldier in the Korengal Valley.
What We Do in the Shadows20148147 - A very, very funny mockumentary!
Big Men20148052 - The underlying disparity here is not between the "haves" and "have-nots", but between developed and undeveloped nations, as what 'Big Men' does best is highlight the difference in the avenues of opportunity between the United States and Ghana.
Cake20148052 - It's a story about empathy. About finding the impossible feelings you feel in another.
Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers20148052 - It is what it is: a real-crime narrative made for television.
Life Itself20148052 - The unfettered access of the documentary is unsettling, but that's the point. Still, one can only wonder if it could have gone farther.
Pride20148052 - 'Pride', with its punk-like angst, is probably more stick-it-to-the-man than is historically accurate, but who cares? Sometimes a revolution needs a little edge to its rememberance.
Red Army20148052 - Dissects the methodology and history of the Soviet hockey program with Ken Burns-esque thoroughness.
The Imitation Game20148052 - The tension of the moment is cut only by the film's inisistence on being both a biopic and a World War II era period piece. In truth, had it stuck to one, it probably would've gone a lot further.
Doc of the Dead20147959 - Silly and tacky at times, but it's all forgivable. To the modern nerd, this is like taking a great party that has lasted decades and going back and reliving all the highlights.
Happy Christmas20147959 - Joe Swanberg has without a doubt created a definite style, placing a signature on his works that is wholly unique.
The One I Love20147959 - Apparently the Duplass brothers thought a whole bunch of people were going around thinking, "it's about time they turned 'Inception' into a rom-com."
Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger20147959 - An unsettling account of crime in America.
Who Took Johnny20147959 - If you've enjoyed the recent string of true crime documentaries and docu-series, this is probably right up your alley.
E-Team20147864 - It's as much an exposition on the lives of the team members themselves as it is a piece on the work they do.
Gimme Shelter20147864 - It's Precious LITE. All the elements are there, just not with the same vigor for the former Best Picture nominee.
It Follows20147864 - Genuinely unsettling.
Nightcrawler20147864 - 'Nightcrawler' essentially sets out to villify anyone and everyone associated with television news. And painting in such broad strokes will be off-putting to many.
RoboCop20147864 - The commentary on the ever-increasing use of drone warfare, television news programs that are overtly subjective, and a shrinking level of personal privacy makes this an action blockbuster packing a surprising potent political punch.
Search Party20147864 - It's a poor man's 'Hangover', but there's something endearing about the cast's underdog spirit.
The Fault in Our Stars20147864 - Discussing very adult issues with just enough teenage naivety, it is 100% a young adult novel that's been adapted to film.
The Purge: Anarchy20147864 - Far and away better than the original.
Wild20147864 - It's a story of finding one's self, of wiping the slate clean, and constantly being paranoid that your about to be sexually assaulted in a wilderness filled with men.
7120147773 - It should serve as a reminder to everyone that religious and cultural strife is just as integral a part of the western world as it is the east.
Edge of Tomorrow20147773 - It's 'Starship Troopers' meets 'Groundhog Day'. Don't worry, though, it's not quite as absurd as it sounds.
Get On Up20147773 - In telling Brown's story, 'Get On Up' seems equally intent in trying to sell you on a less-than-glamorous image of the man.
Someone Marry Barry20147773 - It's funny, yes, but very little about 'Someone Marry Barry' feels fresh.
The Captive20147773 - Despite writer/director Atom Egoyan's belief that no one is apparently truly damaged by massively traumatic events, his thriller works. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. Even if all three don't deliver the emotional notes they should.
Video Games: The Movie20147773 - The nostalgic documentary at times feels like a PowerPoint presentation more than a film, but there should be some appreciation for the methodically laid out piece.
Bears20147679 - It's interesting and insightful, but the movie discusses cubs nearly drowning, impending starvation, and constant attack from predators. It really flirts with surpassing Bambi as the most soul-crushing, happiness-stealing movie of a kid's childhood.
Losing LeBron20147679 - Though the little documentary has a nasty knack of losing focus throughout its short runtime, there's no denying that it successfully captures the bitter spirit of a city that had Lucy pull the football out from underneath them once again.
No No: A Dockumentary20147679 - More than a just about Ellis' LSD no-hitter, 'No-No' is a biography of the man's life both before baseball and after.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)20147679 - Your standard-issue superhero flick.
The Judge20147679 - It'd be a lot better if everything outside of the legal drama aspect of the story didn't feel so generic.
Birdman20147584 - 'Birdman' is like a three-ring circus. While it's both wonderous and amazing, there's also a little too much going on.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.520147584 - It's hard to place judgment on what basically amounts to an "Extra Features Special Feature". That being said, it is very, very entertaining. A nice little peek behind the curtains.
The Battered Bastards of Baseball20147584 - The nostalgia-centric documentary captures much of the underdog, fun-over-success attitude that endeared 'Bull Durham' to so many people. Sadly, I guess some fictional stories are just better than the true ones.
Felony20147487 - Perhaps in Australia, audiences haven't seen quite the number of police thrillers we have here in the states. That's about the only way 'Felony' doesn't come across as astonishingly formulaic.
Serena20147487 - Kudos to the cast and crew for making a film as good as this that doesn't go to the usual subjects of the time period.
The Interview20147487 - The best thing that ever happened to 'The Interview' is it temporarily being killed. That generated a lot of buzz. Buzz that, on its own merits, 'The Interview' could've never created.
This Is Where I Leave You20147487 - The whole dysfunctional family dramedy has been so overdone at this point, that you really need to bring something special to make an impression. For 'This Is Where I Leave You', that something special is Tina Fey.
Creep20147391 - It's a fun little bare-bones horror, but let's be honest: Mark Duplass is not your serial killer. While he brings the only star power that will attract you to the movie, he himself belongs nowhere near a movie entitled 'Creep'.
Cut Bank20147391 - Take away most of the Farrelly brothers understated sense of humor in 'Fargo', throw that film into the warm summer months, and add one exceptionally odd character, and you've got 'Cut Bank'.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones20147391 - Does it have all the pieces it needs? Yeah, sure, fine. But this is the first installment where even I, fan boy numero uno of the franchise, began to wonder 'haven't we had enough?'. That, and by validating the end to the fourth movie, they made this ending even more ridiculous.
Calvary20147294 - Every day that goes by is another day Brendan Gleeson could've done something about his impending fate, but instead decides to wander off and learn just what a town of assessment he lives in.
Mission Blue20147294 - Is this a documentarty on our dying oceans or an homage to the life and times of Sylvia Earle? It's hard to tell sometimes.
A Most Wanted Man20147196 - Strings you along just enough until its incredibly fitting ending.
Need for Speed20147196 - At the end of the day, it's an action blockbuster. It doesn't TRY to be anything more, it doesn't WANT to be anything more. The cars are fast and loose and, so, sometimes the plot and characters are too. If you're disappointed, quite frankly, that's on you.
Ride Along20147196 - Kevin Hart is genuinely funny here. So much so that you're willing to overlook Ice Cube's plastic acting and the painfully formulaic story.
Devil's Knot20147099 - Ultimately, what really undoes 'Devil's Knot' is 'West of Memphis'. The documentary tells the story with more conviction, more accurately, and doesn't half-ass it by ending the telling of the story after the initial trial.
How to Train Your Dragon 220147099 - It's a cute, little albeit painfully formulaic family film.
Labor Day20147099 - You get the story, you're just not sure you buy it.
Maleficent20147099 - As long as Disney is rewriting it's own tales, how about changing the whole Mufasa getting trampled to death and scarring every child for life thing?
Oculus20147099 - The story quickly spins out of control, flipping interchangably and relentlessly between reality and hallucinations until I'm not sure even the cast and crew themselves no exactly what is real.
Rob the Mob20147099 - The script has a little bit of everything -- action, drama, suspense, comedy -- and masters none of it. It's a jigsaw puzzle of a movie where the pieces are forced to fit all too often.
The Gambler20147099 - Painfully generic.
While We're Young20147099 - The flaw with 'While Were Young' ultimately is that it can't be two things. It can't both be an essay on the internal battle of getting older and the awkward middle ground between youthful angst and older rationality but also be a drama playing out between two documentarians. And 'While Were Young' so very much wants to do both.
Exodus: Gods and Kings201469107 - At the end of the day, 'Exodus' is what we should've expected it to be all along. The special affects are marvelous, the battles are of epic proportions, and most of everything else falls flat. Were we ever supposed to seriously buy John Turturro as a pharoah?
Life of Crime201469107 - Not "funny" in the traditional sense but definitely comical.
Particle Fever201469107 - The uphill battle laid before 'Particle Fever', as with any science documentary, is to make it appeal to the average audience. I'm just not sure that it happens here.
The Hornet's Nest201469107 - The fatal flaw here is the filmmaker himself, Mike Boettcher. In a shameless quest for self-glory, Boettcher cannot help but to continually interject himself into a story that, like us, he simply is not a part of.
The November Man201469107 - Maybe it's Brosnan, maybe it's not, but you can't help but to feel the movie might've been called 'James Bond: Back From Retirement'.
The Skeleton Twins201469107 - "Indie" in the most mediocre sense of the word.
X-Men: Days of Future Past201469107 - A star-studded cast, yes...and the weirdest addition to this franchise to date.
Cold Comes the Night201468114 - A nice little thriller. In it's own little small-town-world, it works.
Lambert & Stamp201467115 - The frenetic camera work is not the only thing that lacks direction and focus.
A Walk Among the Tombstones201465116 - The slow-moving thriller feels exactly like a book transferred to the big screen, and is probably better in its original form.
Foxcatcher201465116 - Where the film would have you believe it's being meticulous, it's actually just dragging it's feet. The fact that Ruffalo, Tatum, and Carrell all turn in remarkable performances is wasted by the fact that you're constantly looking at your watch.
Let's Be Cops201465116 - The worst thing 'Let's Be Cops' does is grow a conscience and try to give us a moral to the story. You're silly, you're ridiculous. Just go with that.
Theeb201465116 - It's just your generic action/adventure flick in another language.
Devil's Due201464120 - Devil's Due is Paranormal Activity meets Rosemary's Baby. That is to say, one way or another, it's all been done before. But just because it goes down the path of a lowly retread doesn't mean the tension or fear isn't real or, at times, even palpable.
Tammy201463121 - It's sort of 'Tommy Boy' meets 'Bad Grandpa', except not nearly as funny as either.
Tusk201462122 - Kevin Smith's understated parody plays more like an inside joke. By the time chuckles turn into genuine laughter, 'Tusk' is nearly over.
Cuban Fury201461123 - It plays like a rejected 'SNL' skit.
Godzilla201460124 - All the realistic special effects in the world doesn't change the fact that the script belongs in a Saturday morning cartoon show.
Divergent201459125 - Being released right in the middle of the Hunger Games movies only further highlight's Divergent's inferiority. The concepts are far more sophomoric, the story itself is much more teen-centric, and the acting could sorely use the Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller we were privileged to in 'The Spectacular Now'.
Sex Tape201459125 - As far as genuine comedy goes, 'Sex Tape' is mostly foreplay.
The Cobbler201459125 - Sandler has done a few of these "magic" movies now, and while they aren't as awful as some of his works -- we're looking at you 'Grown Ups 2' -- they're not exactly memorable, either.
The Equalizer201459125 - Just another factory-issued action-thriller.
Annabelle201458129 - Definitely a major let down coming off 'The Conjuring'
Inherent Vice201458129 - The 70's crime noir leaves something to be desired.
The Drop201458129 - Sadly, 'The Drop' will be remembered as Gandolfini's last film to hit theaters. Which is actually good for the film itself, I suppose, because on it's own merits it was simply going to be forgotten.
Blended201457132 - I'll just say this: if you go into it fearing for the worst, it's probably better than expected.
A Merry Friggin' Christmas201456133 - It's all just a bit too generic.
Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The201456133 - The final half-hour or so is supposed to tie the film all-so-neatly into a prologue for 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. And in giving you that sense of nostalgia for the LOTR trilogy, you are reminded just how much inferior the 'Hobbit' movies are.
Locke201453135 - The world's longest BMW commercial.
Transcendence201453135 - Like the movie's main character, 'Transendence' gets carried away. Running far past the depths of a story one might actually buy, 'Transendence' doesn't stop until it's plot borders on the ridiculous.
22 Jump Street201452137 - To say it's not as awful as the first isn't saying much. Once again, '22 Jump Street' THINKS its jokes are much funnier than they are. There will be more eye rolls than laughs AGAIN.
Into the Storm201452137 - If I didn't know better, I would guess some 'Twister' fanboy finally found the one rich schlub dumb enough to fund his wet dream in the form of a movie.
The Decent One201452137 - Just because you pull the curtain up on the inner mental workings of a mad man does mean you have "humanized" him. 'The Decent One' borders on a half-assed apology for Himmler's unspeakable actions.
Dumb and Dumber To201451140 - As always, there's a fine line between "smart" dumb and "dumb" dumb. The problem here is the Farrelly brothers cross that line far too often for this sequel.
Walk of Shame201451140 - Every single character is a caricature, a stereotype. And for the film to try and sell the lot to us as something more than a bad joke borders on offensive.
The Look of Silence201450142 - Following 'The Act of Killing', 'The Look of Silence' fits squarely into the "Did Not Need To Be Made" category.
The Maze Runner201450142 - A poor man's 'Hunger Games'.
The Rover201450142 - I think we've seen enough examples by now to know that the slow-moving dystopian adventure simply does not work.
Bad Words201449145 - So we're supposed to get behind a guy who ruins the fun of countless children so he can deal with his daddy issues in his own immature way? The real question here -- and it's an easy one to spell -- is 'Why'?
Citizenfour201449145 - It's hard to take a documentary seriously when they make it clear it's very much agenda-driven within the first five minutes.
Draft Day201449145 - The infuriating thing is that it's a movie NOT built for it's target audience. A movie about football, taking place almost entirely in football facilities, and featuring characters that are football professionals, 'Draft Day' does virtually nothing for football fans.
Jingle All the Way 2201449145 - It's pretty much what you'd expect from a straight-to-DVD (and Blu-Ray!) film starring Larry The Cable Guy.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For201449145 - It could do with about half the characters. As it is, it's cumbersome. To a fault.
As Above, So Below201448150 - It all feels very artificial and forced right up until it's preposterous ending.
Beyond the Reach201448150 - For two thirds of its runtime, 'Beyond The Reach' is a decent indie thriller with an interesting premise. Then, without warning, it devolves into cliches and half-hearted filmmaking.
Revenge of the Green Dragons201448150 - Amateurish and melodramatic.
Noah201447153 - It's so utterly bizarre, it creates a new genre altogether: Sci-Fi Bible Fantasy
3 Days to Kill201446154 - Eye-rollingly absurd. For 2 hours, 3 Days To Kill can't decide if it's an action-comedy or a bona fide thriller. And the only thing lethal here is the dose of cliches it throws at you.
300: Rise of an Empire201445155 - More graphic-novel-on-the-big-screen eye porn. But this time it has the bonus of being almost utterly plotless!
When the Game Stands Tall201443156 - Caviezel's acting is as flat as the forced and uninspiring story.
Time Out of Mind201442157 - Oren Moverman has already made a couple really underrated films in his still-budding career. 'Time Out of Mind', unfortunately, is not one of them. Far from, in fact.
When Marnie Was There201442157 - A feature-length waste of time.
Sabotage201441159 - This is an unfathomably large step backwards for David Ayer.
Zombeavers201439160 - Bad....like a glorious train wreck.
Transformers: Age of Extinction201431161 - Written, directed, and acted almost entirely under the assumption that it had no shot of ever being taken seriously.
Under the Skin201431161 - Bizarre. Just utterly bizarre.
Wolf of Wall Street, The20131001 - When Scorcese is THIS good, this pure and uncut, it's a high rivaled by any of the drugs his deliciously immoral characters partake in.
Side Effects (2013)2013943 - Side Effects reminds us why we enjoy going to the movies in the first place: to take part in thrill rides we alone couldn't conjure up.
Captain Phillips2013934 - A sensational thriller. The emotional heft the story brings only further cements you on the edge of your seat.
Spectacular Now, The2013934 - 'The Spectacular Now' is not a coming-of-age tale. No, it is THE coming-of-age tale. No film to date has so perfectly captured the excitement and confusion of one's teenage years. And it is a bold proclamation that Miles Teller has arrived.
Star Trek Into Darkness2013934 - As successful as 'Into Darkness' is as a blockbuster, it's the emotional heft and interesting plays on morality that ultimately ascend this sequel to another level.
12 Years a Slave2013927 - What makes '12 Years a Slave' stand out is its unwillingness to censore itself. While the characters are clearly shaded in either more darkness or light, no supposition is absolute. Thus, a brilliant level of honesty comes out.
422013918 - Out of nowhere this old-timey baseball flick lays down a wallop of a punch as it slides Jackie Robinson-style into the conversation of the better baseball movies EVER.
Short Term 122013918 - Brie Larson is an emotional maelstrom in this little story that redefines what a family is and, more importantly, what it can be.
Conjuring, The20139010 - James Wan's best horror flick yet!
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The20139010 - Despite Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence, who are great, the real stars of this one are the people of Panem. 'Catching Fire' has the critical role of illustrating how the third book's revolt comes about, and this film does it so, so well. It does ITS job better than the first one did.
Dallas Buyers Club20138912 - Matthew McConaughey's best performance since 'We Are Marshall'. And Jared Leto's best performance since, well, ever.
Gideon's Army20138912 - This is a celebration of unsung heroes. The stories of the soldiers in the trenches of a war you didn't really know existed.
Mud20138912 - A masterful little tale. Almost like a modern-day 'Huck and Fin' folk tale. It's commentary on coming of age as well as the complexity of love and innocence and naivety of youth are spot on.
Call, The20138815 - The key to a good thriller is intensity, and 'The Call' has it in droves.
Dark Skies20138815 - It's Paranormal Activity with an extraterrestrial twist. The funny thing is that it works pretty well. And even as it gives away the end in the beginning, 'Dark Skies' saves one last surprise that it pulls off with decent success.
Gravity20138815 - Gravity's biggest strength is how dynamic it is. It can be both very small and very large at the same time, and that's as cool as any of the visuals.
Kings of Summer, The20138815 - A movie with this much genuine, gut-busting comedy paired with equally-large amounts of heart is a true treat, indeed.
TWA Flight 80020138815 - The evidence and anecdotes presented are so damning, it's completely horrifying to see the crash of TWA 800 in the light you will by the time the end credits roll.
Way Way Back, The20138815 - A little rough around the edges, but overall a memorably good summer comedy.
V/H/S/220138721 - It's the first V/H/S only more refined. The end result? A pretty spectacular homage to both the found film and horror genres.
Anchorman: The Legend Continues (2013)20138622 - Anything Adam McKay and Will Ferrell get behind seems to work very, very well. This 'Anchorman' sequel is no exception.
Fruitvale Station20138622 - Most moviegoers will get hung up on the criminality of the BART officers' action, but the real message here is you just never know when it's your time.
Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa20138622 - The film is one giant stunt; designed to do nothing more than make you laugh until it hurts. And 'Bad Grandpa' succeeds at that remarkably.
Rapture Palooza20138622 - Laugh-out-loud funny!
This Is The End20138622 - Genuinely funny.
Willow Creek20138622 - It's The Blair Witch Project for a new generation. Where Bobcat Goldthwait's film stands aside though is in its elements of fear. You're not watching people in a tent in the woods, you're stranded in the woods with them. And it brings an element of fear very few movies can these days.
World War Z20138622 - 'Z's' real triumph is creating a truly global, realistic view of a virtually apocalyptic event. The only irony is that the novel the film is based on did it even better.
Butler, The (2013 F Whitaker by Lee Daniels)20138529 - It's a powerful story. Though, as with 'J. Edgar', 'The Butler' reminds us just how distracting poor makeup on miscast ensemble can be.
All Is Lost20138430 - If I never get in so much as a canoe again, 'All Is Lost' is almost surely to blame.
East, The (2013)20138430 - Underneath the film's steely thriller exterior lies a morality play about justice and revenge and the cost of achieving each.
What Maisie Knew20138430 - From an emotional standpoint, this might be the darkest movie in years.
Blackfish20138333 - 'Blackfish' convinces you of orcas' emotionality and than tugs at yours with its gut-wrenching revelations.
Despicable Me 220138333 - Like the first one, 'Despicable Me 2' has charm and sophomoric humor coming out of its, um, fart guns.
Evil Dead (2013)20138333 - An interesting redo of a horror genre staple.
The Short Game20138236 - Pretty entertaining. It's not as much of 'Toddlers and Tiaras' as you'd expect.
To Do List, The20138137 - It's not a coming-of-age tale but rather a coming-of-SEXUAL-age tale. It's 'The Way Way Back' (also of this year) meets 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin'.
1 - Life on the limit20138038 - "1" will always and forever be compared to "Senna". It's just the way it is. But to compare the two would be like to compare a driver to his car: while they exist in the same realm, they are different beasts entirely.
All This Mayhem20138038 - This is a documentary 100% made for skateboarders and those who love the culture. It's the mainstream that's going to have lukewarm feelings about it.
Company You Keep, The20138038 - What starts out at a terrific thriller-esque pace dies down into drab and uninspiring philosophical commentary.
Inequality for All20138038 - Robert Reich expertly dissects the issue of expanding income inequality, but what could've TRULY made this film special is if it spent as much time -- or more -- laying out a solution.
Nebraska20138038 - Its oversimplified stereotypes of midwesterners aside, it's a cute little story.
Black Rock20137943 - It's a neat little horror-thriller. Sort of a nice blueprint for quality low-budget filmmaking.
Prisoners20137943 - If nothing else, 'Prisoners' is a shoe-in for darkest film of the year.
The Armstrong Lie20137943 - Ultimately, THE Armstrong lie is that Lance must constantly lie to himself so that he may believe his fight-and-win-at-all-costs mentality does not cripple him like an addiction.
Tricked: The Documentary20137943 - Though it doesn't have the journalistic integrity that it should to validate it, 'Tricked' is a gripping feature that dives headfirst with both eyes open into the world of prostitution and sex trafficking.
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane20137847 - A functional little slasher with some fresh new elements.
Elysium20137847 - Sci-fi setting. Class warfare. A protagonist who feels he belongs to both worlds. Does Neil Blomkamp think no one saw 'District 9'?
Ender's Game20137847 - You know why Star Wars has stood the test of time? George Lucas never made Harrison Ford wear a beret.
Hours20137847 - A neat little drama.
Sound City20137847 - Nostalgiac, heartfelt, honest, and uncensored, 'Sound City' shares everything that make the music it produced so great. And if the documentary were about a half hour shorter, it'd be darn near perfect.
American Hustle20137752 - As far as David O. Russell's last three films go, his personal own "Oscar trilogy", this is by far the weakest.
Gangster Squad20137752 - It's an epic injected with an epipen, a noir with nuts.
Place Beyond the Pines, The20137752 - This crime drama/thriller could've easily been called 'The Sins of The Father' and been no less obvious with its message.
Rush (2013)20137752 - The whole delivery just feels as thought it's going through the motions. The effort -- no pun intended -- comes across as, well, rushed.
Iron Man 320137656 - In new hands, the franchise concludes its run with only marginal success.
Mama20137656 - Mired in such a been-there-done-that genre, it's actually SOMEWHAT original. That is, until it takes what I can only assume to be the dark alternate ending to Casper The Friendly Ghost.
Philomena20137656 - 'Philomena' is good, but ultimately what holds it back from being great is its own indecision as to what it is. Is it a history-hunting thriller? Is it an artsy tale of the unlikely kinship between two people worlds apart? Or is it period piece with a scathing message for how Irish nunneries conduct themselves? Trying to be all three, as Stephen Frears' latest film does, can only have so much success.
Runner Runner20137656 - It's one of those movies that's all been done entirely before, but that doesn't mean this time around isn't a little fun.
The Square20137656 - It's baffling to me how such a grassroots documentary that is so clearly "inside" the story can reveal so little that we didn't already know.
We're The Millers20137656 - There's a fine line between goofy and uselessly silly, and 'We're The Millers' crosses it more than a few times.
Drinking Buddies20137562 - It's honest, it's real, it's refreshing....but it also reminds us that we like a little fantasy in our films.
Diana20137463 - In it's super-small scope, the film is successful. But to tell such a small story about such a grand woman really is a disservice.
Out of the Furnace20137463 - A small town thriller with equally small "feel".
Act of Killing, The20137365 - The level of candor in which these gangster and paramilitary leaders illustrate their propensity for crime and corruption is, quite literally, unlike anything I've ever seen before.
Don Jon20137365 - 'Don Jon' is an enigma. A movie with so many smart, interesting, and new concepts that time and time again resorts to painfully overused stereotypes.
20 Feet from Stardom20137267 - The documentary ultimately shows that what keeps a backup singer from going even further isn't necessarily skill. Still, that is what keeps this film from being truly great.
Hangover Part III, The20137267 - Is it less funny than the first two? Sure. Still, don't let the double standards of snobby critics prevent you from enjoying this admittedly forced conclusion to the franchise.
jOBS20137169 - Like the movie 'Hitchcock', 'Jobs' spends most of its runtime villifying the titular protagonist and then inexplicably praising him at the very end.
Medora20137169 - Even with a sub-90-minute runtime, the movie is about twice as long as necessary. Halfway through, you get it: the town is dying, the people are dying inside, and the modern world is to blame. And, obviously, the basketball team is going to win a game to break the streak.
Rising from Ashes20137169 - It's really more of a video news article than it is a documentary.
Anita20137072 - Strange enough, even witha sub-90-minute run time, 'Anita' feels about twice as long as it needs to be.
Coffee Town20137072 - Is it the most impressive comedy you've never heard of? No way. But some way, somehow, Glenn Howerton, Ben Schwartz, Steve Little, and, yes, even a dickish Josh Groban make for a lovable bunch you don't mind watching.
Delivery Man20137072 - A slightly-better-than-average comedy. The real surprise here is how Chris Pratt outshines Vince Vaughn with unexpected laughter.
Internship, The20137072 - A formulaic comedy that doesn't allow Vaughn and/or Wilson to really shine.
Oblivion20137072 - Stylistically, it's a pretty cool movie. But behind its appetizing facade, Oblivion, like most sci-fi adventures, has very little substance. Or faux substance.
Schooled: The Price of College Sports20137072 - It serves as one of the most persuasive theses to date as to why college athletes should receive financial compensation. Still, that's not necessarily what this documentary should be about.
World's End, The20137072 - A noticeably weaker entry than we're used to from Simon Pegg and co.
Carrie (2013)20136979 - An unnecessary remake. It's not even that the original is better, it's that the reboot offers absolutely nothing new. The remake of 'Psycho' instantly comes to mind.
Closed Circuit20136979 - It's all been done before...
Cutie and the Boxer20136979 - As cute an enamoring as the documentary's namesake couple is, audience will undoubtedly leave the theaters thinking, "What was the point?"
Great Gatsby, The (2013)20136979 - There's no denying it's an interesting reimagining of the classic novel, but is it good interesting or bad interesting? In a word, yes.
Identity Thief20136783 - It'll make you laugh, to be sure, but emotionally and morally, 'Identity Thief' is all over the place. And that's a shame.
MURPH: The Protector20136783 - It's clear that Michael Murphy was a great man. So great, in fact, that this only satisfactory documentary probably doesn't do his legacy justice.
Trance20136685 - It was pretty good...until it tried to be some reimagining of Inception and The Butterfly Effect.
Ain't Them Bodies Saints20136586 - Everything moves a little slower in the south, and this film is the perfect example.
Night Moves20136586 - Weak characters beget a weaker story. But you stay tuned just to see how everything works out.
Heat, The20136488 - Katie Dippold's flawed script that wants to be something of a feminist's wet dream as much as an action comedy is only saved by the comedy genius that is Melissa McCarthy.
Movie 4320136289 - '43' isn't an anthology so much as uber-raunchy episode of 'SNL'. And just like with SNL, it's just looking to make you laugh. Some jokes miss, more, though, hit, but if you're looking for a plot or a story you've come to the wrong movie.
Fifth Estate, The20136190 - Rife with over-simplified stances on modern politics and giving us virtually no reason to like the main character, every so often, the film goes away from these truly bad habits. And it's in these moment, however brief, that one can actually enjoy themselves.
Good Day To Die Hard, A20136190 - Sadly, I both fear and hope that this franchise has come to a morose conclusion.
In a World...20136190 - Mildly funny, mildly entertaining.
Last Stand, The20136190 - The key formula to these junk-food action flicks is how much nonsense you can stomach in order to get your fix. 'The Last Stand' pushes it...starting with a German bodybuilder as a small Arizona border town sheriff.
Kick-Ass 220136094 - Like the first, 'Kick-Ass 2' is a walking paradox. It wants to be both juvenile and grown-up, both silly and serious. And it doesn't really work.
Now You See Me20136094 - For a movie that preaches being the smartest man in the room, 'Now You See Me' is not.
Man of Steel20135896 - How a duo of geeky gurus like Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder managed to make such a disappointment has to be one of the biggest surprises of the year in movies.
Before Midnight20135797 - Nine years from now, I'm sure we can look forward to yet another feature length two-person conversation that leaves us wholly unsatisfied.
Family, The20135698 - As 'The Family' learns, wanting to be both an adult-ish thriller while partaking in Home Alone-esque puts the onus on the viewer to turn their brain WAY down in order to have a little fun at the movies.
White House Down20135698 - Unlike 'Olympus Has Fallen', the first some-crazy-people-have-inexplicably-taken-the-White-House flick this year, 'White House Down' KNOWS its premise is just a tad bit preposterous. And so it has some fun with that.
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The (2013)201353100 - Just another sad reminder of just how much better the originally trilogy is.
Welcome to the Punch201353100 - All eye candy, no story.
Olympus Has Fallen201352102 - There's just too much of the ludicrous for you to completely turn off your brain and fully enjoy.
2 Guns201351103 - Your textbook made-to-make money, a-bit-of-everything B action flick.
A.C.O.D.201351103 - If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the movie.
Broken City201351103 - Nothing more than a mediocre thriller.
Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The201351103 - Ultimately, the cause of death for 'Burt Wonderstone' is its inability to create even one character we can identify with or even like. And, aside from a few moments of genuinely inspired lunacy, it also fails to make you laugh.
Snitch201351103 - 'Snitch' ultimately is never in any danger. It sticks to a relatively successful formula which ensures the movie cannot fail, but also cannot really succeed.
Counselor, The201350108 - First Prometheus and now this. It's safe to say Ridley Scott has lost his touch.
Fast And Furious 6201350108 - Alas, we have the first installment to seriously challenge '2 Fast 2 Furious' as the worst in the franchise. '6' does beat it out, but only marginally.
Insidious Chapter 2201350108 - The only thing different in Chapter 2 is Insidious no longer tries to hide being nothing more than 'Poltergeist' fan fiction.
Purge, The201350108 - A word to the wise: horror flicks that want to have moral lessons just don't work.
Pain And Gain201349112 - Just because it's not as ludicrous as it appears, doesn't mean it's not ludicrous.
Enemy201347113 - The whole time you're asking the question the movie obviously wants you to ask: Does Adam really have a double or is he bonkers? The movie probably does NOT anticipate, however, that you could care less.
Grudge Match201347113 - Like it's two AARP card-carrying leads, this action-comedy comes up lame. And the usual bad-movie-saving Kevin Hart is only further a part of the problem here.
Pacific Rim201347113 - Your standard-issue summer blockbuster eye porn.
Terms and Conditions May Apply201346116 - Subjective and agenda-driven. And the essential point is never addressed: yes, corporations hoard information. But at the end of the day, is it not the user who chooses what he or she puts online?
Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)201346116 - The frustrating thing is that it's plausbile, ambitious even, until, like most modern day slashers, it devolves into something completely ludicrous on several fronts.
The Notebook201346116 - What seems to start off as a gripping story of survival devolves into the utterly bizarre. By the end, 'The Notebook' appears to be an origin story for a pair of twin sociopaths.
Thor: The Dark World201345119 - It'd almost be better if it were a parody rather than an honest attempt at a sequel.
Lords of Salem, The201343120 - Listen, we all know Rob Zombie is a hit-or-miss director. Unfortunately for us this year, 'Lords' is a decisive miss.
Dirty Wars201342121 - Jeremy Scahill's story isn't one of investigative intrigue but self-importance. He wants you to know all the places he's been, all the shows he's been on, and all the people that haven't taken him seriously. The material in between is only about 30% fact and 70% politically-biased speculation.
Ida201342121 - The slow-moving Polish film seems inhumanely long even with it's impressively short run time.
Prince Avalanche201342121 - Step aside, Seinfeld. This is a show -- err, movie, rather -- that is ACTUALLY about nothing.
Haunted House, A201339124 - Some jokes hit, others miss, others still miss badly. It's the mainstream, halfwit parody you assumed it was.
Scary Movie 5201339124 - Your typical semi-funny satire.
Admission201336126 - In a word: stupid. Really stupid.
Cottage Country201332127 - Just utterly ludicrous in almost every facet.
The Double201331128 - We've seen this sort of "questioning reality" type of film time and time again. When it works, it's very, very good. But when it's not, as it is here, it feels like it throws as much cow excrement at you as possible to throw you off the fact that they (the writers, directors, and, well, the cast and crew in general) don't actually know where they are going with this.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation201330129 - Just good enough to not be truly awful.
Grown Ups 2201326130 - One of the worst films I have ever seen. Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh.
End of Watch20121001 - The on screen chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena and the raw,urban cinematography are phenomenal. As a police procedural, it's perfect.
Dark Knight Rises, The2012982 - Might be EVEN better than The Dark Knight, which is saying something. Just such a brilliantly executed film from every angle. Once again Christopher Nolan sets the bar very, very high.
Zero Dark Thirty2012953 - I'm not sure this story could be told better in 100 attempts. People will come and watch for its historical and personal importance, but they'll leave satisfied solely off of Kathryn Bigelow's vision.
Argo2012944 - Ben Affleck is quickly establishing himself as the next great American storyteller. But for all the rave reviews his acting gets in the film, Bryan Cranston is sorely overlooked. He is phenomenal!
Django Unchained2012925 - It's a Tarantino Western. If I say that, you'll know exactly what to expect.
Game Change2012906 - Jay Roach, the director of so many comedies, jumps to true-story drama and elevates transferring a tell-all book into a film into an art form.
Impossible, The2012906 - Nothing -- and I mean NOTHING -- will leave you more raw than this movie. Sensational.
Ballplayer: Pelotero2012898 - It's a documentary, it's a thriller, it's a drama....it's one hell of a 1-hour-17-minute ride.
Lincoln2012898 - Daniel Day Lewis is nothing short of brilliant as Lincoln. Outside of that, though, the film is a little too long and meandering for its own good.
The Crash Reel2012898 - In simply chronocling Kevin Pearce's inexplicably difficult journey, 'The Crash Reel' probably poses more questions about love, selflessness, and mental trauma than we as a society are prepared to answer. And that is the best kind of documentary of all.
Hunger Games, The20128811(full review) - Staying relatively true to the novel was the only key to success Hunger Games needed.
A Hijacking20128612 - It's hard to call 'A Hijacking' a precursor to 'Captain Phillips' for obvious factual reasons, but it certainly alludes to how compelling such a story can be when thrown up on the big screen.
Skyfall20128612 - For such a landmark film, plot-wise, in the James Bond series, Skyfall is a little lacking in the traditional things we've come to love about James Bond. It's a dark time for 007, a theme that will play to mixed results with the audience.
Flight20128514 - What you think is a story about surviving disaster ends up being a dramedy about coming to terms with drug addiction and the people it hurts. Unique. Very unique. That's for sure.
Beasts of the Southern Wild20128415 - If you're into artsy movies, you'll absolutely love it. Otherwise, it's just "good".
Out Of The Clear Blue Sky20128415 - This is a documentary without a cause. There's no message here, no moral to the story. This is just simply a chronicle of how an unthinkable tragedy hit one group of people unbelievably hard.
Silver Linings Playbook20128415 - If you go into this thinking it's a sports flick, you'll be disappointed. Rather, it's an essay on finding the right person for us and the struggle to realize it when we meet them.
Guilt Trip, The20128318 - Funny. Predictable. It's feel-good charm will coerce you into thinking it's better than it actually is.
Head Games20128318 - One of the best documentaries of 2012. The concussion issue is this decades Steroid Scandal, and Head Games is the principal investigator
Jack Reacher20128318 - Cliche, predictable, ....and fun. Like my favorite drive, I enjoyed the trip despite seeing every turn coming. So sue me.
Bourne Legacy, The20128221 - You can't really call 'Legacy' another sequel, so let's just call it the next installment in the franchise. And if you go back and watch the first three movies first to refresh yourself, you'll appreciate much more just how masterfully the story in 'Legacy' is interwoven as it occurs along the same timeline as 'Ultimatum'.
Project X20128221 - The "found film" genre has been overplayed, but rarely in the form of a comedy. This one works relatively well, with all the sights and sounds you'd expect from a late-night party flick.
Ted20128123 - It's not the funniest thing Seth McFarlane has ever created, but the classic punchlines are sure to leave people quoting it for years.
West of Memphis20128123 - 'West of Memphis' is both methodical yet vibrant in the way it illustrates how a system called the Justice System all too often only creates more victims of varying degrees.
AVENGERS, The20128025 - Your typical superhero blockbuster. The movie juggles such a large cast somewhat cumbersomely and resorts to cheeky humor when it doesn't know what else to do.
Imposter, The20128025 - A dark story that serves as an exhibition on human tendencies.
Smashed20128025 - 'Smashed' isn't EVERY alcoholic's story, but it is SOME alcoholic's story. And, quite frankly, that's good enough.
Act of Valor20127928(full review) - The acting isn't the best, but the action sequences are next to none. Really shows other action blockbusters how it's done.
Campaign, The20127928 - A goofy political election satire a la 'Black Sheep'.
Chronicle20127928(full review) - Holds it own even in the ubiquitous 'Found Film' genre. A film that sort of came out of nowhere that is definitely worth your time.
Dictator, The20127831 - Shortsighted, offensive, and utterly hilarious. What more did you expect?
Red Dawn (2012)20127831 - It's an action movie with obvious holes that keeps you constantly entertained. In my estimation, it paid perfect homage to the original.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World20127831 - For better or for worse, I can honestly say there's no movie quite like it.
Thats My Boy20127831 - It's vulgar, raunchy, silly, slapstick....and a good, honest attempt of Adam Sandler returning to what originally endeared us to him.
Savages20127735 - The pieces that seem to make this movie an enticing feature aren't as tightly-sewn as they could be and it leaves you wanting something more out of it.
Five-Year Engagement, The20127536 - Successfully sells you on the notion that Michigan is depressing and marriage was better off with 1950's ideals.
Safe20127536 - Yes, its an onslaught of action with no depth to support it. Admit it though, you've gone to see worse.
Taken 220127536 - The action sequences are near flawless, but the dialogue gets tacky quickly and the plot pushes over that line from extreme to ridiculous.
Contraband20127439 - Gone In 60 Seconds called. They want their premise back.
V/H/S20127340 - It's a haunted house of a film: full of spine-tingling thrills....and not even a shred of a cohesive story to tie everything together.
Friends with Kids20127241 - It's not a comedy, or even a dark comedy. It's, to quote Paul Rudd in Knocked Up, "An unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond".
Johnny Carson: King of Late Night20127241 - A marginally-revealing peek behind the curtains of an American icon.
Lawless20127241 - Tom Hardy is quickly becoming one of my new favorite actors. Here, he is the absolute best thing about this film.
House at the End of the Street20127144 - It's Hitchcock-ian twists are fun, but the level of material is clearly only satisfactory.
Paranormal Activity 420127144 - How many times can the same basic premise be redone without it feeling redundant? The steps the fourth installment takes to try and be different delve into the depths of obsurdity, but it's still worth the price of admission.
This Means War20127144(full review) - A bit shallow, but still entertaining even for guys. The movie attempts to please all audiences and succeeds marginally.
Safety Not Guaranteed20127047 - It's a cute little comedy, even if its concepts and plot are plainly obvious as soon as the film begins.
The Oranges20127047 - The one flaw that it just can't overcome is something your algebra teacher always told you: variable can't just be erased. Well, as it attempt to come to a clean and crisp ending, 'The Oranges' lays some serious ethnic cleansing to all the complex variables it so meticulously laid out.
The Conspiracy20126849 - If this were a college film project, it'd probably get an 'A'. As it is though, with it's film school-esque rawness, it's no more than slightly above average. Entertaining, yes. Captivating, yes. But rough around the edges? Way too much so.
Amazing Spider-Man, The20126750 - Why, WHY was this made? Was the superhero genre not saturated enough let alone Spiderman as a franchise itself?
Battleship20126750 - To my surprise, Battleship has its moments. It's also utterly ridiculous at times, just as I suspected.
The Island President20126750 - The rate of erosion on The Maldives' shores move faster than this documentary.
Seven Psychopaths20126653 - An interesting dissection of the action movie formula. Still, you're with this nagging feeling the film isn't QUITE as smart as it thinks it is.
Bay, The20126554 - For a lesser-known, lower-budget production, it's surprisingly watchable. Dare I say it...not half-bad.
Looper20126554 - You're basically preoccupied with Gordon-Levitt's bizarre face until the tempermental child out of The Omen shows up.
Words, The20126156 - It's a story about a story about a story. And none of the stories are as good as the movie makes them out to be.
Safe House20125857(full review) - Even if you haven't seen it, you probably have. How? Because it feels stolen from every typical Hollywood action flick out there. You might be entertained, but you won't be satisfied.
Deadfall20125658 - Even under 2 hours, 'Deadfall' is rife with unnecessary scenes that, ironically, could've been used to give the story's love triangle more weight. Maybe then the climactic ending wouldn't seem so silly.
Man On A Ledge20125658 - It's about as silly as it sounds.
Wanderlust20125658 - It's funny enough, but its meandering awkwardness leaves you wondering where exactly this comedy is going with its message.
Hitchcock20125461 - What should be a legendary biopic instead comes across as a half-hearted smear campaign to give everyone in Hitchcock's life credit except the man himself.
Raven, The20125461 - Bland and inconsistent.
Storm Surfers 3D20125363 - Lacking story, or really, any sense of intrigue for that matter, 'Storm Surfers' is really nothing more than an admittedly impressive collection of big wave surfing footage. But for that, you could just go to YouTube.
Pitch Perfect20125264 - Aca-meh
Trouble with the Curve20125264 - You'd have to be as blind as Clint Eastwood's character is and considerably deaf to believe this movie was anything more than forgettable.
Babymakers, The20125066 - An odd little comedy. You're never really sold on it, which leaves you unsatisfied as the credits roll.
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The (2012)20125066 - Martin Freeman is the film's only saving grace and, to his credit, the only thing worth being in the same breath as the three first (erm, last?) movies.
Prometheus20125066 - Visually stunning, substantively lacking.
This Is 4020125066 - To describe this movie, Pete from Knocked Up said it best: "A tense, unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond. Only it doesn't last 22 minutes, it lasts forever."
Dredd 3D20124970 - High-octane action repeatedly interrupted by frustrating slow-mo shots. A classic example of a good action flick that got in its own way when it came to being something better.
Lockout20124970 - Guy Pearce's performance as Snow is about the only redeeming quality in this movie. The CGI inundates the film and gives it a cheesy, animated feel that shouldn't be there in such a raw action script.
Underworld: Awakening20124872 - The best part of this movie was the soundtrack. Skip the film and listen to that.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter20124773 - The really out there premise is no longer an excuse for a movie failing to deliver. We've seen it work. It certainly doesn't here.
Killing Them Softly20124773 - If Goodfellas is sphaghetti with marinara sauce, this is egg noodles and ketchup.
Premium Rush20124575 - Premium Rush is directed like it's a video game, and the acting, dialogue, and plot have obvious holes as if it were one.
Hit and Run20124476 - The cheap slapstick used in conjunction with Tom Arnold is the only redeeming aspect of this less-than-funny comedy.
Paperboy, The20124476 - After spending an hour and a half meandering through a half dozen, half-concocted stories, the movie draws out a cop out of an ending in an effort to try and convince you they didn't just hit the eject button as time ran out.
Here Comes the Boom20124378 - It's brief spurts of charm, laughs, and halfway-decent action are, to borrow a metaphor from the movie, just drops in a bucket. Not worth your time.
21 Jump Street20123779 - Silly but not in a good way. The people enjoying this movie the most are the ones starring in it (and that's because they don't have to watch it).
Red Tails20123779 - The fact that the trailer combined a dubstep soundtrack to a World War II dogfight scene warns you well how ludicrously executed this movie is.
Alex Cross20123681 - There's no other way to say this: it's just a bad, bad movie.
Piranha DD (2012)20123582 - The thing that made the first one work at least marginally was that, like a misbehaving puppy, you couldn't stay mad at it with all its shortcomings. Here, in the sequel, the charm is less so.
Casa De Mi Padre20123383 - For every 5 or 6 hysterical gut-busters Will Ferrell gives us, he throws out a dud like this. What should've been a 3-minute sketch video was stretched into a feature-length film.
Expendables 2, The20122784 - Cheesier, sillier, stupider, and somehow more ridiculous than the first. I tried turning off my brain and enjoying it and my subconscious told me I'm better than this.
Resident Evil: Retribution20122585 - Horrifically awful. With each sequel, this franchise redefines just what rock bottom is.
Moneyball2011931 - The only downside here is Brad Pitt looks and feels nothing like the real Billy Beane. Other than that, it's one of the best sports films of our generation.
Warrior2011912 - I'm not too man enough to admit that this one of only two movies to wrench tears out of me. Pre-puberty viewings don't count.
You're Next2011903 - Nothing short of a cinematic roller coaster, the twists, for plenty of them there are, are fast and unpredictable and it's all over before you want it to be.
Contagion2011894 - It'll scare you to your core, but there's no villain. The villain is mother nature, making it all the more terrifying. It's a medical Silence of the Lambs, and Hanibal is no bigger than a human cell.
Crazy, Stupid, Love2011894 - I will defend my manhood 'till my last dying breath, but I loved this refreshingly complex, easy-on-the-sap romantic comedy
Help, The2011894 - Who turns in the best performance? Chastain? Stone? Davis? The debate could go on for hours. That's just how strong the performance of this cast is.
Undefeated2011894 - A real-life 'Friday Night Lights'.
Cabin in the Woods, The2011888 - A funny, thrtilling horror flick that turns the genre on its head? What's not to love?
Johnny English Reborn2011888 - Several scenes -- like the hysterical conference with the chair adjusting -- will leave you crying and gasping for air you're laughing so hard. And everything in between moves along fluidly enough.
Fast Five20118610 - It's the closest any sequel has come yet to the original. The action is over the top, and flirts with obsurdity, but that's the point of a blockbuster. The bank vault chase scene is one of the coolest I've seen in a very, very long time.
Ides of March20118610 - Ryan Gosling steps in the ring with political thriller vet George Clooney and goes blow-for-blow successfully.
Margin Call20118610 - A captivating, apolitical drama that captures the dawn of the economic collapse near perfectly.
50/5020118413 - Underrated as a quality film. Thoroughly enjoyable as it dabbled in an often unsuccessful area of dark comedy.
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy20118413 - This isn't just a raunchy sex comedy. It's witty, lighthearted, and surprisingly good-natured considering its a group of friends contemplating sleeping with each other.
Bridesmaids20118413 - In learn 'Bridesmaids', we learn Wiig can act beyond just a caricature in a five-minute sketch and Jon Hamm can be funny. And suddenly, doors to all sorts of multiverses are magically opened!
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (American)20118413 - I like my European thrillers sleek, provocative, and chock-full of entitled white people that turn out to be bats*** crazy. That's why the American go-round of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo delivers the goods.
Senna20118413 - I don't think following the story and career of one person has ever dissected an entire industry so perfectly.
Take Shelter20118413 - While the apocalypse angle will be the main pull for prospective audiences, its the film's honest, raw depiction of a family struggling with mental illness that makes it so unforgettable.
Horrible Bosses20118319 - Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis are two of the funniest "B-list" actors out there right now.
Paranormal Activity 320118319 - As far as the franchise go, PA3 is equal parts creative reinvention and same old ish. Though, to be honest, the third installment reinstills a palpable creepiness level.
Too Big to Fail20118221 - Honest and unrelenting in its retelling of the 2008 economic collapse, the mortal flaw of 'Too Big To Fail' is that it all too often can't help but turn itself into a lecture directed at the audience.
Hangover Part II, The20118122 - I don't get the hate over this sequel. They made it too like the first? It was too predictable? I'm sorry, I thought I saw you laughing at the first one.
A Separation20118023 - I don't wish people would see this movie because it's THAT good, I wish people would see this movie because it does such a wonderful job of dismissing so many ignorant stereotypes.
Descendants, The20118023 - A dark family drama set in paradise is the only example you need to accurately portray the film's originality.
Scream 420118023 - The sort of
Battle: Los Angeles20117926 - If the factory-issued character drama didn't get so much in the way, this would be one hell of an action film.
Friends with Benefits20117926 - As far as chick flicks and rom-coms go, this is one of the better ones.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol20117926 - There is a clear effort here to inject some real comedy -- chiefly on the back of Simon Pegg who has risen to stardom during the eight years since M:I3 -- for the first time in this franchise, putting 'Ghost Protocol' almost in a different genre entirely. Therefore, to compare it to M:I3 -- the best and latest installment of this franchise before 'Ghost Protocol' -- is rather hard to do.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon20117926 - Call me crazy, I liked this movie. It's a summer blockbuster, what did you want? A deep character study? Get out of here, hipster.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen20117630 - I like this movie with certain amounts of frustration. It's your textbook case of a tacky on-screen love triangle getting in the way of a neat little drama.
Thing, The (2011)20117630 - A marginally-successful reboot.
Hot Coffee20117532 - An intriguing documentary, but by the midway point you get its message and you're ready to move on.
Your Sisters Sister20117433 - Despite featuring some of the major players, this one does not have the Duplass clan behind the curtains of it and it shows.
Coriolanus20117334(full review) - Very cool concept translated into film, but definitely not for everyone. You have to appreciate Shakespeare in order to really enjoy this movie.
Killer Joe20117334 - As messy as a bloodied piece of K Fried C.
A Very Harold And Kumar Christmas20117036 - Definitely the weakest yet.
Captain America: The First Avenger20117036 - Too cliche to be really good.
Soul Surfer20117036 - If one could overdose on happiness, they would to this film.
Source Code20117036 - What stops it from being better? An utterly frustrating ending.
Thor20117036 - It tries to be an origin story of sorts for Thor, but let's call this what it really is: a half-hearted attempt a prologue to set up the final character for the 'Avengers' movie.
Hostel: Part III20116841 - Even if you didn't know, the material makes it obvious that a different crew had their hands on this one. It plays more like a strange homage to the first two movies -- a sort of fan fiction -- than a bona fide sequel. And there are numerous problems here, but the biggest is the fact that the production value is good enough to have you believe this movie is better than it actually is.
Flypaper20116742 - Instead of being what I imagine was intended as a sort of quarky comedy/thriller, 'Flypaper' sticks to you as a cheap satire.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes20116742 - When you use CGI so heavily as a crutch, it usually means everything else is lacking. That's exactly what happened here.
Martha Marcy May Marlene20116544 - More bizarre than anything else. It's biggest success is really just tainting yet another Olsen.
Red State20116544 - 'Red State' is like a chimera. It is equal parts horror, action, and political thriller, but all at distinctly different times throughout the film.
Limitless20116446 - Maybe this movie should take one of those pills because it's not nearly as smart as its main character is.
Green Lantern20116247 - As much as I like Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, this film could have been way better. One of those classic cases where a decent concept falls victim to the high-end effects of Hollywood.
Arthur Christmas20116148 - It's cute, to be sure, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here: this is a kid's movie through and through. This is no 'Despicable Me' that works across several generations.
Bernie20116049 - It's a chuckle, not a full-fledged laugh.
Cowboys & Aliens20116049 - I thought everything Jon Favreau touched turned to gold. This flick proves he's not King Midas after all.
Final Destination 520115951 - It's actually a noticeable comeback from the travesty that was 'The Final Destination', but let's be honest: this franchise would still be better off just stopping.
30 Minutes Or Less20115852 - Kind of like my feelings of Aziz Ansari himself: will make you laugh but not laugh OUT LOUD.
Adjustment Bureau20115852 - It is interesting, to be sure, but your intrigue isn't rewarded with all that much. Leaves you kind of wondering what was the point.
Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close20115554 - Imagine the darkest of clouds with the tiniest of silver linings. That, in a nutshell, is 'Extremely Loud'.
Midnight in Paris20115554 - Too odd for its own good. Aside from the history hysteria, there's not much worth sticking around for.
Artist, The20115456 - Sorely overrated. Go into it with a blank mind, not thinking it's good because it took some Oscars.
J. Edgar20115456 - An astonishingly powerless essay on a very powerful man where the horrendous plastic facial props are the perfect metaphor for the misexecution of this movie.
Silent House20115358 - Films like these feel so incomplete when the credits roll. Elizabeth Olsen was also in Martha Marcy May Marlene, and you won't be able to help yourself in comparing the two films.
Tower Heist20115159 - Just a big ole pile of meh.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides20114860 - Why? Why was this movie made? Money. And kids. That's why.
The Ledge20114761 - It feels like a college film class project that someone roped an impressive number of stars into participating.
Grey, The20114662 - Frustratingly formulaic. A standard-issue survival drama.
Take This Waltz20114263 - The fatal flaw with 'Take This Waltz' is its main character, played by Michelle Williams. Neurotic, selfish, and unloving, it's virtually impossible to get behind the person that is the closest thing to an antagonist in the film.
Immortals20113664 - Imagine 300 with even less plot, poorer acting, and worse direction.
Town, The20101001 - Dare I say it, the best heist movie EVER. Every aspect of this film was done flawlessly. If you haven't seen this movie, it is YOUR loss!
Inception2010942 - It's a dream inside a dream inside a dream. It's also a good movie inside a great movie inside a terrific movie.
Social Network, The2010942 - Great on so many levels. The only thing holding it back is how fast and loose it plays with how events actually went down.
Fighter, The2010894 - Christian Bale is nothing short of phenomenal in this movie. If for no other reason, watch it to watch him.
Toy Story 32010894 - It's the ending the franchise deserves. As some who grew up semi-parallel to Andy, I will never watch this movie again. The final half hours is nothing short of gut-wrenching.
Unstoppable2010886 - Nothing over the top or flashy here. A solid action script complimented by good acting and great visuals. Meat-and-potatoes filmaking.
The Crazies2010867 - The Crazies had me. It had me at hello. It had me right up until it's ending leaves you rolling your eyes in frustration.
Restrepo2010858 - A sorely underrated and underappreciated documentary. If it reached it's highest potential audience, I'm almost positive that it would be regarded as one of the quintessential documentaries of the decade.
Winters Bone2010858 - The no-fills film is as rustic as the Ozark backwoods it takes place in. Even with simplicity, the film has the ability to draw you in as if it were the most complex of thrillers.
Buried20108410 - Simple yet complex. Familiar yet unique. Stagnant yet fully engrossing. There's no other way to say it: this is a one-of-a-kind treat in filmmaking.
Despicable Me20108410 - An obvious kids movie with enough "pull" to keep us older folks both interested and amused.
Tucker and Dale vs Evil20108410 - Practically out of nowhere, this comedy that spoofs slasher films with uncommon wit is an absolute riot.
Shes Out Of My League20108313 - An underrated comedy. We'll look back at this as the spawn of T.J. Miller's film career.
127 Hours20108014 - Any movie that takes place largely in just one nook in between two rocks and manages to keep you captivated is fine filmmaking.
Everything Must Go20108014 - Your textbook indie dark comedy. Every slapstick artist seems to attempt at least one. This is Ferrell's.
Iron Man 220107916 - Is it a step down from the original? Sure. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth your time.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps20107916 - Watching Shia LaBeouf get screwed over time and time again begs the question, "If this guy is so smart, why doesn't he ever learn?"
Date Night20107818 - A little tacky and in-your-face with its message, but hey, if it makes you laugh, do we really care?
A-Team, The (2010)20107319 - Yeah, sure, it's entertaining, but that won't stop it from becoming a B-action flick relegated to Saturday mornings on cable.
Black Swan20107319 - Sort of plays like a choppy music video, rife with innuendo and insinuations. It's rather easy to delve into the mind of a crazy person and call it art.
Dinner for Schmucks20107221 - Let's face it: both Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell have done better flicks than this one.
Other Guys, The20107221 - The problem with shtick is it rarely stays fresh for an entire feature-length film. Here, its relief on heavily and the movie suffers.
All Good Things20107123 - It's interesting because if you watch both 'All Good Things' as well as 'The Jinx', you're left wanting more from both of them.
Blue Valentine20107024 - Typical Woody Allen tomfoolery.
Paranormal Activity 220106825 - If the original were a video game, this one would be an expansion pack rather than a full-fledged sequel.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale20106825 - Definitely a different take on the usual Christmas movie, but for the better? I don't know about that.
SALT20106427 - A seemingly great premise is ruined by horribly flawed execution and one stupid, eye-rolling ending
Kings Speech, The20106328 - Sorely overrated. If you can't sell the audience on caring about the protagonist's struggles, what chances does your film have?
Kick-Ass20106229 - What starts out as an honest attempt to make the unlikely superhero comedy takes a sharp right as it becomes a dark semi-action flick.
Losers, The20106229 - Entertaining enough, but it was like the script didn't know how to handle all the characters so it continually resorted to cheap laughs.
True Grit (2010)20106031 - I won't even compare it to the original. As a standalone film, it's a notch above mediocre.
Chasing 300020105932 - Rory Culkin may have something to do with the "Home Alone" feel of this movie, but ultimately what you'll remember is Jay Karnes laughably-bad acting at the end of the movie.
Greenberg20105633 - It's hard to like a movie whose protagonist is so unlikable.
Insidious20105034 - I can only wonder what damaging photos Hollywood execs had of Rose Byrne to coerce into doing this movie.
Piranha (2010)20104035 - Is it utterly ridiculous? Without a doubt. But like a misbehaving puppy, there's something about it's shamelessness you can't help but to love.
How Do You Know?20103136 - The acting is awful, the cinematography is horrendous, and you can't wait to get out of the theater.
Expendables, The20103037 - Painfully cheesy.
Watchmen2009911 - Of all the films in the DC Comics genre, this is probably my favorite. There is simply nothing else like it. Wholly entertaining and done with a visual style that is just jaw-dropping.
Inglourious Basterds2009902 - Tarantino takes history and puts it through a blender with the top off. The end result is a red, frothy, delicious, and splattered on the walls.
Hangover, The2009883 - It became an instant classic the second a script was developed.
Star Trek (2009)2009883 - Abrams' reenvisionment of this franchise is so good, it's likely to catapult up in mainstream fame with the original Star Wars trilogy.
Zombieland2009875 - Even if you could dream up a dark, post-apocalyptic, zombie COMEDY, I guarantee you it wouldn't be as good as Zombieland. Because nothing is.
Taking Chance2009846 - It's equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. And sheds light on a duty we've all been sure happens but never bothered to know about.
Up in the Air2009846 - The career-versus-love rom-com has been done a thousand times over, but Up in the Air somehow remains a refreshing addition.
500 Days of Summer2009838 - It's sort of 'Eternal Sunshine' meets 'Everything Must Go'.
District 92009829 - Down-to-earth and realistic in its approach while also fully-engrossing as a science fiction story. The fact that this movie came out of an often overlooked genre to be nominated for Best Film is not a mistake.
Precious2009829 - I can't recall one single movie that places the viewer so deeply into a toxic environment as 'Precious' does. But it needs to, to point out to us how the ending is a happy one.
State of Play2009829 - A solid political thriller.
Beer Wars20098112 - Her seemingly uncontrollable need to interject herself into her own documentary a la Michael Moore, Anat Baron proves that peeking behind the curtains of the beer industry is both entertaining and interesting.
Blind Side, The20098112 - Not a tour de force in the sports genre, but holds its own in entertainment value.
Orphan20098112 - Thoroughly unsettling.
Moon20097815 - It's basically 'The Island' -- the film Michael Bay did four years prior -- but exponentially better.
Angels And Demons20097616 - Where the first (The DaVinci Code) felt about as exciting as a real history investigation, Angels and Demons puts the thrill back into this thriller series.
Julie And Julia20097417 - Without spoiling anything for future viewers, the movie strings you along for two hours without tying up perhaps the most important loose end.
Up20097417 - A cute little story about friendship and the need to both accept and resist change and different times.
Avatar20097219 - A little overrated. It's worth a watch, but the runtime and countless slow moments will have you checking your watch.
Fast And Furious20097020 - The return of the original characters continued an upward trend in the franchise's sequels.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen20097020 - Like the easily-amused humanoid that you are, the flashy battle scenes will keep you around through the films' glaring holes.
Sorority Row20096822 - A group of moralless, polyamorous girls die horrific deaths one by one. It's gore porn in the truest sense of the phrase.
A Serious Man20096523 - For a movie so deeply embedded in Jewish social culture, the Coen brothers sure like the concepts of karma a lot more.
Moonshot, the Flight of Apollo 1120096523 - If I told you it was a TV movie, you wouldn't have very much trouble believing me.
Year One20096125 - The real, genuine laughs are too few and far between to label this comedy a success.
Adventureland20095326 - Slow moving and fairly well done, but not the side-splitting comedy some may hope it is
Ugly Truth, The20095227 - We thought this was pretty awful, at first. Then we saw just how horrible Katherine Heigl chick flicks could get.
Couples Retreat20095128 - It's not that its so bad, it's that its just not very good.
Terminator: Salvation20094729 - The beginning is good, like the first ten minutes. Then you can feel free to leave.
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day20094630 - Horribly disappointing. You just wish it had never been made.
Gamer20094531 - Convinces you the marriage between video games and movies is better off ending.
Drag Me to Hell20094132 - Alison Lohman can't act even if her life were ACTUALLY in jeopardy, and 'Drag Me To Hell' offers more laughs at its own expense than it does legitimate chills.
Final Destination, The (part 4) (2009)20094132 - It's not Final Destination 4, it's THE Final Destination. As in, THE worst Final Destination. It's just that definitive.
Halloween II (2009)20094132 - A memorably bad sequel.
201220093635 - On a good day, it's awful.
Dark Knight, The2008971 - Solid summer super hero blockbuster. Sad to see him go, but Heath Ledger definitely extended us a gem from beyond the grave.
Hurt Locker, The2008962 - What Platoon was to Vietnam, Hurt Locker is to Iraq. Beautifully done. Keeps you fully engrossed and never falls into the temptation of giving you a political perspective on the war.
Step Brothers2008883 - Hands down one of the funniest films I've ever seen!
Cloverfield2008874 - One of the first mainstream films to popularize the found film genre.
Body of Lies2008865 - DiCaprio, once again, is terrific which adds quality to Scott's thrilling direction that would keep you in your seat on its own.
Taken2008865 - Liam Neeson proves that the aging action hero flick can be done well when the right people are in it and behind it.
Bottle Shock2008857 - It's a charming little movie. Like a good wine, everything is in balance.
REcount2008857 - Wildly entertaining, but doesn't share anything that wasn't already known. You can only go so crazy for a two hour dramatization four years after the fact.
Sugar2008857 - It's only a quasi-baseball movie. More than anything, it's a swan song on the varying definitions of the American Dream.
Role Models20088410 - While the jokes don't hit ALL the time, 'Role Models' has a very good accuracy percentage.
The Strangers20088410 - It's scary, yes, but even more so it's just very, very dark. There never seems to be any real hope of getting out alive for the poor protagonist and thus the whole movie feels like a morbid countdown to their inevitable doom.
Valkyrie20088312 - 'Valkyrie' is an enigma. It's good, but it should be even better. It brings a great story into the limelight, but seemingly not far enough. Will you enjoy it? Sure. And yet, you'll leave somewhat unsatisfied.
Tropic Thunder20088213 - The kind of comedy you can quote for years to come.
Four Christmases20088114 - Just because we've seen Vince Vaughn in this general kind of role a dozen times doesn't mean 'Four Christmases' isn't an enjoyable movie.
Iron Man20088114 - Solid superhero flick but suffers from the same thing all first movies in a series do: slow beginnings that set up the story.
Nothing But the Truth20088114 - The ultra-low-budget thriller derives its pull from it's story and it's actors.
Wrestler, The20088017 - This classic down-on-his-luck protagonist drama is a dissection of what happens when the American dream doesn't exactly pan out with
Wanted20087818 - Over the top in its ridiculousness, but refreshingly, Wanted makes no apologies about it. It knew the second it pretended you could curve bullets, the sky was the the limit. So why not run with that?
Pride and Glory20087719 - Gritty and gripping. If only the material were a little fresher.
The Wrecking Crew20087719 - It's interesting, yes, but a walk down memory lane isn't exactly documentary gold.
Gran Torino20087421 - It lost the "not cliche" argument when it had an elderly Clint Eastwood actually say get off my lawn.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno20087421 - A promising albeit raunchy comedy ruined by horrifically cliche love angle. Why couldn't Kevin Smith just aim to make us laugh, for crying out loud?
Frost/Nixon20087223 - Tells the a part of the Watergate story often forgotten. Frank Langella plays a convincing Nixon.
Quantum of Solace20087223 - Just another factory-issued Bond sequel. Good. And forgettable.
Street Kings20087223 - This is sort of the baseline for David Ayer's films. Neither his worst nor his best.
Transsiberian20087223 - It's a nice albeit forgettable little thriller.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall20087127 - Jason Segal and Mila Kunis are memorable. Kristen Bell and Russell Brandt are regrettable.
Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanimo Bay20087127 - You'll laugh, there's no escaping that fact, but every punchline is sorely telegraphed and most of them are based on overused stereotypes that were funnier before puberty.
Prom Night20087127 - Though not a remake in the traditional sense (the 1980 'Prom Night' has a different plot entirely), THIS 'Prom Night' steals unapologetically from successful horror films of the past. So while it is wholly unoriginal, it is undeniably functional.
Reader, The20086930 - Very little emotionally about the film is identifiable. Either these characters represent a different species entirely or the film missed its mark.
In Bruges20086531 - You buy into the film's more comical moments, not the serious ones. Unfortunately, the ending relies on the latter.
Swing Vote20086232 - A little too gimmicky to be a truly great political comedy.
Wall-E20086232 - IS it a harmless and fun family flick, or a Stanley Kubrick-esque critique of society? Quite frankly, it's hard to tell.
Vantage Point20085734 - Political thrillers are supposed to be grand in scope and delivery. This one just feels small and tedious.
Bedtime Stories20085635 - Let's be honest: Sandler has thrown out bigger duds than this.
Slumdog Millionaire20085536 - Boyle's high-adrenaline, psychedellic vision for the film gets in the way of what would have otherwise been a fairly impressive script.
Let the Right One In20084737 - If you want to put this film in the horror genre, I say let's put an asterisk buy it. This isn't a scary movie. This is a bizarre, slow-moving drama about a vampire and a boy both very much living in the shadows.
Love Guru, The20083538 - Every punchline is lobbed to you underhand, making it so easy it's virtually impossible to give more than a charitable chuckle.
Saw V20083439 - This will be the last Saw movie I see. I'm sorry, I can't do it any more. I'm honestly surprised they can still drum up actors for these money-making travesties.
Michael Clayton2007911 - When you draw up a big-business thriller and execute it flawlessly, very little proves to be more worth your two hours.
Zodiac2007902 - A riveting sort of 'historical thriller', but at times the film feels as though it covers its span of 22 years in realtime.
No Country for Old Men2007893 - The slow-building thriller relies on brilliant cinematography and flawless performances to deliver all the tension.
Charlie Wilsons War2007854 - One of those little stories from history that begged for it to be told. Hanks and Roberts are great but Hoffman steals the show.
Paranormal Activity2007854 - This is the next landmark film in the evolution of the horror genre.
Reign Over Me2007846 - A tough, dark drama about coping with enormous loss and the fragility of the human psyche.
Bourne Ultimatum2007837 - Before 'Legacy', 'Ultimatum' seemed to have wrapped up the franchise darn near perfectly.
American Gangster2007828 - A marathon of a movie, but worth at least one viewing. Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington were phenomenal.
The Hitcher2007828 - The remake of a thriller into more of a slasher/horror prospect is in an interesting concept. And this sub-90-minute film works in its own little world.
Transformers2007828 - The original is usually the best. This rings so true here.
Hostel: Part II20078111 - If you liked the first one, you won't have a problem with the second. Considering Part II is the same story with different characters, that's about as much praise as the film can hope for.
Live Free or Die Hard20077912 - Is Bruce Willis getting up there? Yeah, but like Liam Neeson in 'Taken', it doesn't really seem to get in the way here. The fourth installment is substantially weaker than the first three, but it doesn't deviate from what makes the franchise successful. And for that, we thank you.
Oceans Thirteen20077813 - This third installment continues to get away from what made the first one so great. Rather than developing a creative story of its own, the movie settles for taking topical, pop culture pot shots at its extensive cast.
Rendition20077813 - The dramatization of a dark part of the CIA's history would be more palpable if EVERY character in the story wasn't puddle shallow.
Gone Baby Gone20077715 - Casey Affleck's first legitimate attempt to step into the spotlight for himself comes with mixed results.
Dan in Real Life20077616 - Don't ever try to sell me Steve Carrell and Dane Cook as family ever ever again.
Juno20077616 - It's obvious concepts aside, 'Juno' is enjoyable.
Knocked Up20077616 - Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl ARE an unlikely couple. And yet, somehow, it works for the most part, here...
Hills Have Eyes II (2007)20077519 - It's not nearly as bad as the original sequel, but it's far from being groundbreaking, either.
Reno 911!: Miami20077420 - It's silly and stupid, yes, but I'll be damned if you don't laugh.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead20077221 - Basically just an above average soap opera.
Sunshine20077221 - For a film that likes to believe it's more than your conventional space thriller, it sure does love reality television-like drama amongst its characters.
Mist, The (2007)20077023 - Frank Darabont's film adaptation of Stephen King's novella is more concerned with the beasts within. The monsters in the mist aren't nearly as scary as the monsters inside the grocery store once everything turns all 'Lord of the Flies'.
Planet Terror20077023 - It's the sort of cult action horror thriller with go-for-broke ridiculousness that will leave hipster everywhere pitching tents in their pants.
Shooter20077023 - It's your standard-issue action thriller. If I didn't know Fuqua had directed it, Michael Bay would've felt like a safe bet.
Spider-Man 320077023 - There's just not a lot here to get excited about, sorry to say.
Eastern Promises20076927 - If you want to delve into the saturated genre of organized crime noirs, you better bring something special. 'Eastern Promises' does not.
Blades of Glory20076828 - If you completely shut off your brain and refuse to take offense to unfunny homophobic stereotypes, you might just think this is the funniest movie ever.
Halloween (2007 Rob Zombie remake)20076828 - Rob Zombie's ambitious attempt to remake this classic is a work of pure genious. As in, it takes some sort of brilliant genius to make a slasher that will frustrate mainstream audiences and horror afficionados equally.
Disturbia20076730 - It's essentially a remake of 'Rear Window'. I don't know why they didn't just embrace that concept with open arms.
88 Minutes20076231 - For all the smart characters its story surrounds, this movie is rather dumb.
I Am Legend20076231 - So you're telling me if you're the last man on earth you're bound to go a little crazy? Wow, who knew?
The Heartbreak Kid20076033 - We should've known a movie with a cast accented (pun intended) by Carlos Mencia and Danny McBride was going to be a bit gimmicky, but a preposterous ending is the real surprise here.
28 Weeks Later20075734 - Not the best post-apocalypse movie ever, but it will entertain you through the run time.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (2007)20075635 - The best thing this movie ever offered was a now-defunct promise that this'd be the end of the franchise.
Saw IV20075436 - What started off as a movie franchise about social philosophy shrouded in sheer horror has devolved into almost every relevant character suffering cheap deaths in order for the story to escape the unfathomably numerous plotholes it's left behind.
There Will Be Blood20075436 - The first dialogue does not come until 15 minutes in, and by then someone has died and someone has cried. That probably says more about the movie than I ever could.
3:10 to Yuma (remake)20075038 - When you take on such a ubiquitous and classic genre, you better bring your A game. This remake sadly did not.
Waitress20074639 - Painfully simplistic and horribly acted.
Epic Movie20074540 - It's the same tired, sophomoric satire we've come to expect out of these sorts of movies.
TMNT20073841 - A profit-engineered kids movie that only loosely resembles the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that Generation X's and Millenials grew up with.
Nines, The20072942 - Returns nothing for the investment of your time. How in the hell did Ryan Reynolds and Melissa McCarthy get roped into this?
Departed, The2006921 - Scorcese at his best. There's a reason this one put him over the top. A near-perfect film!
United 932006922 - We throw the term 'heroes' around a lot, especially in films. Those men and women aboard United 93 are real heroes. In every sense of the word. And this film is a memorial to them. To tell their story.
The Guardian2006913 - People are going to throw around terms like "formulaic" and "unrealistic". Don't listen to them. These are grumps that don't know how to have fun at the theaters. 'The Guardian' does.
Little Miss Sunshine2006894 - It's an oddball, dark, and indiecomedy all rolled into a strangely heartwarming package.
Beerfest2006875 - Another hilarious installment from the Broken Lizard gang.
Rescue Dawn2006856 - A terrific story of survival, even if it is a little heavy on the gung-ho patriotism.
We Are Marshall2006856 - McConaughey turns in the performance of his career. That alone makes the film worth seeing.
Clerks II2006818 - Silly, raunchy, and utterly hilarious. The sequel to Kevin Smith's landmark film takes a dramatic mainstream term, but its not as bad as it sounds.
Casino Royale2006809 - Gadgets, action, sex, and violence. The factory-issued latest installment of the Bond series transitions to a new 007 just fine.
Letters from Iwo Jima2006809 - The film's one critical fault is that, at times, the battle of Iwo Jima ACTUALLY feels like 36 days....or more.
Black Christmas20067911 - People can hate on this movie all they want -- and they will -- but I have no problem with it. In fact, dare I say it, I even kind of like it.
Mission: Impossible III20067911 - There's no denying the whole 'retired spy back for one more mission' story line is a bit overplayed, but there's no denying that M:I3 is better than either of the first two.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan20067813 - Cohen's first satire has proved to be his most successful.
Man of the Year20067714 - It's good, but it doesn't feel like they really let Robin Williams fly, so to speak. This is not Good Morning, Vietnam, where he takes over and everyone is just along for the ride.
Employee of the Month20067615 - There's no doubt Dane Cook makes the movie tolerable. I wonder how many of his ad-libbed lines were stolen from another comic?
Grandma's Boy20067615 - It's stupid, yes, but unapologetically so. And that doesn't change the fact that it will make you laugh.
Hills Have Eyes (2006)20067615 - The film is like a dinner at Chili's. It has everything you came for, but nothing is exactly "gourmet".
The Sentinel20067615 - A decent if not overly produced and directed thriller. I mean, the protagonist secret service agent having an affair with the first lady? Really? It's so cheesy I can practically feel it clogging my arteries.
X-Men: The Last Stand20067615 - It's very much in step with the first two, but I'd have to say, push come to shove, it's also the weakest of the three.
Glory Road20067420 - It's all just a bit too "Disney-ish" to be as good as a film about this story should be.
Miami Vice20066821 - In a city full of culture and vividness, Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx have about as much charisma as two unnamed goons from a direct-to-DVD action film.
Babel20066222 - A cautionary tale about the dangers stateside and abroad. Ultimately leaves you with a queasy feeling about the world we live in.
Da Vinci Code, The20066123 - It meanders along at a frustratingly slow pace and, in the process, sucks all the momentum out of its big, climactic ending.
Deja Vu20066024 - I can say matter-of-factly the using-time-travel-to-solve-crime concept has thoroughly been warned out. Hasn't been used that much, you say? My point exactly.
Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The20065925 - A surprising and welcomed improvement over the second. The complete abandonment of the original characters went fairly smoothly given how 2 Fast 2 Furious went.
Final Destination 320065925 - Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Amanda Crew bring some much-needed competent acting to the franchise, but the story has the structural integrity of swiss cheese.
30020065727 - It's use for memes and satire is sadly its best quality. Homophobes will have a field day with this one.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest (2006)20065628 - Honestly, the ride at Disneyland is more fun.
Poseidon (2006)20065628 - This is one of those remakes that, once you've seen it, you're left only with the feeling that you'd rather it just not have been made.
The Black Dahlia20065430 - An easy and obvious low point on De Palma's body of work.
Pan's Labyrinth20065031 - The problem with fantasy films is there's a very, very fine line between the movie having real contextual value and just being whimsical cow excrement. 'Pan's Labyrinth', as much as I hate to say it, leans toward the latter.
Saw III20064932 - A profoundly disappointing addition to the franchise.
Alpha Dog20064833 - Twas alright but utterly forgettable. Seemed to have been made because they landed some hot name actors that were popular at the time.
Merry Christmas2005971 - Absolutely wonderful. A modern Christmas classic!
Cinderella Man2005902 - It's not as good as Rocky...it's BETTER. If you don't feel anything during the film's climactic boxing sequence, you're dead on the inside.
Fever Pitch2005853 - 'Fever Pitch' pretends to know what both genders want and gives them each their piece. The girl, looking for a rom-com, gets a story of a young and unstable relationship. Her male counterpart gets to enjoy a film about the highs and lows of being hopelessly devoted to sports team.
Interpreter, The (2005)2005853 - A successful "high stakes" thriller.
Wedding Crashers2005853 - The love interest is all too cliche, but the comedy is first rate!
Good Night, and Good Luck.2005846 - A beautifully cinematic docudrama, but it lacks the emotional heft needed to take it to the next level.
The Descent2005846 - 'The Descent' wants you to believe it's not sticking to the same, tired formula. There are no buffoon-like jocks, and it's female characters aren't of the slutty variety. But what 'The Descent' realizes is that it needs some of that old formula to work. There are monsters, check. There's plenty of cheap "jump scenes", check. And the women, even as supposedly experienced splunkers, make profoundly stupid decisions in order for the story to work. If it sounds, like I'm knocking the film, I'm not. I'm just saying the world hasn't been proven to be round here. Here's to "breaking new ground", ladies.
Longest Yard, The (2005)2005838 - One of my go-to Adam Sandler comedies.
Munich2005829 - Besides one ludicrous scene at the end of the movie, everything is done with decent taste. The real interesting aspect is the conversations it begins about issues that still exist today.
40 Year Old Virgin, The20058110 - In a lot of ways, this movie put so many actors on the mainstream map.
Dukes of Hazzard, The (2005)20058110 - There's a good chance you'll like this movie. There's an even better chance you'll like it if you like the Broken Lizard gang.
Hostel20058110 - The only thing holding back Eli Roth's gore-a-palooza is the constant barrage of oversimplistic stereotypes. There are no characters here, but rather a series of judgments in human form.
Batman Begins20058013 - Decent superhero film, but a bit too slow. Batman certainly began, but it took a while to get going.
The Ice Harvest20058013 - A sort of dark comedy. Definitely a different -- and less cheery -- take on the Christmas flick.
Assault on Precinct 1320057915 - For the most part, it sticks to the same-old tired action flick script.
Hostage20057915 - It doesn't do Robert Crais' novel justice. That being said, it's still worth the price of admission.
Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith 20057915 - The darkest of the six movies. Some say that's a good thing. I say it's the best of the worse trilogy.
V for Vendetta20057818 - Is it a superhero movie? I suppose so. Either way, it's one of the coolest in the genre! Reminds us there were filmmakers taking down hypothetical totalitarian government ever before Katniss Everdeen came along.
Saw II20057719 - Once again showing no interest in how the police might actually behave in stopping Jigsaw, Saw II is all about the forced brilliance of its villain. Jigsaw -- AKA John -- is a genius. But mostly because everyone else is really, really stupid.
The Aristocrats20057719 - I asked myself, how dirty can a joke really be? And how can you make a decent documentary off of A joke? I mean, it's JUST a joke. Well, I was wrong on all accounts.
Lord of War20057621 - It was fun and exciting right up until the point it tried to grow a conscience.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room20057522 - Documentaries like this about stories the average person already knows so much about has to bring something MORE to the table. And while the documentary doesn't reveal any particularly new plotlines, it's the little details that are jaw-dropping. The crassness of the traders in the taped phone calls. The detailed eccentricity of the key players. 'The Smartest Guys In The Room' doesn't just prove that the decisionmakers and Enron DID wrong, but that they WERE wrong by nature.
The Devil's Rejects20057522 - Gun to my head, 'House of 1,000 Corpses' is a little better.
Sahara20057224 - Infamous as one of the biggest financial flops of all time, the film itself is a mediocre product mosied along by the charm of McConaughey and Zahn.
Bad News Bears (2005)20057125 - It does JUST enough to make this reboot its own, but there is nothing, NOTHING I loathe more than facsimiles and, for the most part, this is what we have on our hands here.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang20056626 - Some terrific acting that can't be reigned in by a weak script.
Cry Wolf20056227 - Your typical B-horror slasher regurgitated with a different setting.
History of Violence, A20055728 - One of those movies that thinks it's smarter than it actually is. Never succeeds in grasping the audience.
Island, The20055029 - All high contrast, wide-angle shots and no real characters or story, 'The Island' could not possibly be more emblematic of what Michael Bay calls directing.
Serenity20055029 - Joss Whedon's initial transition from television to film is tacky, unpolished, and rife with poor acting. Ironically, it comes across as a TV movie.
Code Breakers20054931 - Utterly forgettable made-for-tv movie.
Zathura: A Space Adventure20054931 - Sometime around the point where George A. Romero expects you to buy his "mindless" zombies are capable of operating a firearm, you want to roll your eyes and leave. Go ahead, your time is probably more valuable.
Aviator2004971 - An extraordinary biopic. DiCaprio, Blanchett, Scorcese, even Baldwin -- they're all marvelous!
Million Dollar Baby2004943 - The characters are a little formulaic, but the acting gets better as the movie progresses and, like Maggie Fitzgerald on Frankie Dunn, 'Million Dollar Baby' grows on you to the point where you love it.
Friday Night Lights (movie)2004924 - Backed by a soundtrack that is nothing short of sensational, Peter Berg delivers the goods in a gripping tale about a familiar world where football is the only thing that matters.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind2004895 - The whole film really revolves around the question "Is it better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all?". Where the film earns its brass is its surprising take and cogent emotional arguments to back it up.
Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (2004)2004886 - Full-on, gut-busting laughter.
Dawn of the Dead2004877 - Zack Snyder's recreation of Romero's classic is a thing of beauty. It is the original only more vivid. The zombies are scarier, the characters are cookier, and the battle plan for survival doesn't deviate into the looney. Even the intermittent comedy hits better.
Miracle2004858 - Successfull hockey films have been few and far between. Consider this one of them.
Saw2004858 - Saw wants to be a commentary on society, but it doesn't need to go that far. Just be happy with having a sick S.O.B. who wants to terrorize largely innocent people for illogical reasons. It's been the key to success for countless horror classics. Why mess with the formula?
Shaun of the Dead2004858 - It's not just a great zombie-laden comedy. This is one of the smartest, funniest satires to come out since the turn of the century.
Hotel Rwanda20048411 - Easily the best performance of Cheadle's career.
Up for Grabs20048411 - 'Up For Grabs' chronicles the story of a simple issue getting blown way out of hand perfectly. Of all the stories out there about fans going too far, this one, in its own way, might just take the cake.
Bourne Supremacy20048313 - Gun to my head, I narrowly like it over the original. There's something about angry, vengeful Jason Bourne that is slightly more fun than the amnesiac.
Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle20048313 - There are a million stoner-with-the-munchies comedies. This is easily one of the best. Maybe THE best.
Kill Bill vol 220048313 - These 'Kill Bill' movies are so wildly unique the only workable comparison is to each other. In that regard, this sequel is marginally better.
Surviving Christmas20048216 - Look, if there was a season to lean on our good nature and let us just enjoy a silly, tacky family comedy, 'Surviving Christmas' has certainly hit it.
Crash20048017 - A tough, raw story about the gaps in social statuses, racism, and the fears we admit to no one.
Dodgeball20048017 - Its satire definitely is on the stupid side, but it's funny nonetheless.
Punisher (Thomas Jane)20047919 - Some less-than-great acting stops 'The Punisher' from being truly spectacular. Still, very good overall, though.
Dirty War20047820 - Daniel Percival and Lizzie Mickery have created what amounts to basically a worst-case scenario for a major Western metropolis.
Nine Innings from Ground Zero20047721 - A quaint documentary, I suppose. I don't know, it felt more like a TV special, to be honest. Either way, you have to think about the story you're choosing to tell. Didn't the people of New York DESERVE to win the World Series that year. If the answer is yes, then why are we bothering with this rather disappointing narrative?
Collateral20047622 - A decent thriller.
Team America: World Police20047622 - Shamelessly crude, utterly hysterical.
Spider-Man 220047524 - Some cringeworthy acting aside, it's alright.
Mr. 300020047425 - Stan Ross could easily be based on any one of a number of big name players fans love to hate. But Mr. 3000 is based on EVERY formulaic sports movie that has come before it.
National Treasure20047425 - Go ahead -- crucify me for enjoying this movie a little bit. The history scavenger hunt is marginally fun.
Oceans Twelve20047425 - The sequel's concept did very little for me, especially in the context that the third movie essentially goes against its entire premise.
Sideways20047425 - I'll say this: it's a GOOD wine movie. But there are better. Much better.
Without a Paddle20047129 - Silly. Sophomoric. Stupid, even. But it's fun. So...so what?
Suspect Zero20046930 - It wants to be sort of like Jason Bourne meets 'Se7en', but it works with only mixed results.
50 First Dates20046031 - It's not the worst Adam Sandler movie of all time, but it's far from the being the best, too.
Before Sunset20045032 - Maybe other people are buying into this "endless conversation" film style, but I'm not buying it. This second installment, nine years later, is only different in that it finally brings some emotional heft beyond that jibber jabber.
Grudge, The (2004)20044733 - The fear builds at an unbelievably slow pace and, just as you think the film is getting somewhere, the horror dissipates as slowly as it rose.
Master and Commander2003891 - A backwards adventure of sorts: it throws you directly into the action and then slows down in the second half.
Old School2003872 - Old School, like a college student, is crude, silly, energetic, and often intoxicated...and doesn't have any regrets about it.
Tears of the Sun2003872 - The action sequences show as much tact in front of the camera as they do behind them. It captured the power and unity of SEALs before it was popular to do so.
Bad Santa2003834 - It's very funny if not a tid too predictable.
Monster2003825 - 'Monster' lives in the underbelly of American society. As close as you may ever come to empathizing with a serial killer.
Mystic River2003825 - You may feel as though you need to start taking anti-depressants as the end credits roll up, but it'll be worth it.
Anger Management2003817 - It's your typical sort of Adam Sandler rom-com.
Bad Boys II2003817 - Easily one of my all-time favorite action blockbusters. A fun ride from start to finish with superb replay value.
Kill Bill vol 12003817 - It's very design, it's architecture if you will, is to become a cult classic. And it succeeds, obviously.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King2003817 - Epic in nearly every way...including runtime.
Wrong Turn2003817 - A conventional slasher. The only people allowed to be upset with this film are probably the Department of Tourism in Greenbrier County, WV.
Pieces Of April20038012 - While it won't win any awards for subtlety, 'Pieces of April' is undeniably charming. The kind of thing to get you in that warm, gushy mood for the holiday.
Italian Job (2003)20037913 - If everything was as well done as the heist and action sequences, this might be one of the best films of all time.
X2: X-Men United20037814 - It does what a sequel should: it builds off the original story. This is not a new adventure for this band of Marvel Superheroes, but rather the same adventure extended.
House of 1000 Corpses20037615 - Your standard slasher. Doesn't rock the boat from a formula standpoint, but doesn't capsize, either.
School of Rock, The20037615 - In his career, Richard Linklater has alternated between making films for the cinephiles and the mainstream. This good-not-great comedy is the latter.
Cabin Fever20037517 - It's your standard-issue teen scream. All the textbook characters are there as well as the formulaic plot. Like the Honda Odyssey of horror flicks. You won't brag about it, but it'll get you where you want to go.
Ghosts of the Abyss20037517 - Despite some obvious (and painfully) scripted moments, the film, in fact, is a fascinating look at the sunken wreckage.
Hebrew Hammer, The20037419 - It's a silly satire, but Jews and Gentiles alike will appreciate it.
Elf20037220 - One of the more quotable recent Christmas flicks.
Johnny English20037021 - Old school slapstick. Rowan Atkinson is a wizard at it.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines20037021 - As the years have gone on, this franchise has relied more and more on over-the-top special effects.
The Core20037021 - If it's such an original story, why does everything feel so absolutely familiar?
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon20036324 - One of the most iconic action films ever. The downside? That's all it was. If you didn't read the subtitles, you really didn't miss much.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl20036324 - Make no mistake: this is really more of a kids movie. Not that it was intended that way, but its over-the-top acting and simpleton plot makes it so.
Final Destination 220035826 - It's the first movie all over again, just with much shoddier execution.
Lost in Translation20035527 - You feel like the makings of a better movie are there -- somwhere -- but, as the title suggests, gets somehow lost in translation.
Out of Time20035128 - Ultimately a forgettable thriller.
Once Upon A Time In Mexico20034929 - What it looks like when someone tries really, really hard to manufacture a cult classic and fails.
2 Fast 2 Furious20034630 - Easily the worst of the franchise. Tacky and overproduced. All pizzazz and no substance. It's a feature-length music video.
Sum Of All Fears2002871 - One of my favorite Tom Clancy novel-movies ever.
The Rookie2002852 - Disney can't help but to inject its gushiness, but in between the spurts is a strong story of dreams deferred...and deferred dreams realized.
City Of God (Cidade de Deus)2002843 - An epic crime saga about how the most dangerous thing to have in one of the darkest places on Earth is a conscience.
Hours, The2002843 - You could probably watch this film a dozen times and still not pick up on every parrallel interwoven between the three stories.
Mr. Deeds2002835 - Another staple Adam Sandler movie. Full of slapstick, goofy characters, and less-than-PG humor. This is what Sandler does.
We Were Soldiers2002835 - Maybe it's a little high on gung-ho patriotism and a little short on global objectivity, but that's to be expected in an otherwise very well done war flick.
Bourne Identity2002827 - The quintessential espionage action-thriller.
Catch Me If You Can2002827 - The most amazing part is that fraud at a basic level was so easy only a few decades ago.
Gangs of New York2002827 - What stops it from being truly great are a few peculiar and unfortunate directorial choices. Given the simpleness of the times, you can't help but to feel that the film, at times, is overproduced.
Ring, The20028110 - Like the constant presence of seeping water, you're eventually soaked in fear which leaves you with a queasy feeling as the credits roll.
Lord of the Rings: Two Towers20028011 - Some say this is the weakest of the trilogy, I say it's markedly better than the first.
xXx20028011 - It's a testosterone-injected, shoot-em-up flick that flirts with that line of ridiculousness but doesn't fully cross it.
Changing Lanes20027713 - It's very Shakespearean in the way it allows sort of a simple snafu to blow up into virtually a full scale war between two men who had no intention of letting it go there.
Spider-Man20027713 - A functional origin story.
Insomnia20027515 - This is one of Christopher Nolan's lesser-known works, probably with sound reason.
Eight Crazy Nights20027116 - Without ghosts visiting him, Adam Sandler's cartoonish character is sort of a Hanukkah Scrooge.
Chicago20026917 - It's not a musical just for the sake of being a musical, and that's a welcomed surprise.
Phone Booth20026917 - You get the idea that its supposed to be a scary situation, but you have a very hard time buying it.
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones20026219 - Slightly better than Episode I. Still unnecessarily long with too much eye-rolling dialogue.
28 Days Later20025920 - It's ironic that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's infected humans are adrenaline-packed, raging monsters, because they are cast amidst a rather slow-moving world, and in a movie that never really takes off.
Road to Perdition20025121 - This tedious and slow-moving drama has hit men and gangsters abound, but not the spirit and energy behind them.
Bowling for Columbine20025022 - Like most half-cooked documentaries, 'Bowling For Columbine' fills in holes with assumptions more often than with facts and poses more questions that it answers.
Spy Game2001961 - 'Spy Game' is that rare big stakes, behind-the-curtain government thriller that does not come off as cheesy. As far as spy thrillers go, this is the gold standard.
In the Bedroom2001932 - 'In The Bedroom', as a title, decieves its viewers. Because the movie doesn't take place in the bedroom, it takes place in the heart.
Super Troopers2001913 - Easily one of the best Broken Lizard flicks.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back2001884 - Both a satire and an original comedy, Kevin Smith's vision takes hysterical pot shots at anything and everything in Hollywood and leaves you begging for more.
61*2001875 - It's a story that needed to be told. And Billy Crystal, with some big help from Tom Jane and Barry Pepper, told it beautifully.
Black Hawk Down2001875 - As time has gone on, this cast has become all-star. Also, this histo-action flick hasn't lost its edge.
Fast And The Furious (2001)2001875 - Nothing has topped the original. This raw, urban action flick provided a nitrous boost to the now overpopulated street racing genre.
Oceans Eleven (2001)2001838 - Comedy, action, wit, and a script that actually took some thinking and direction. It all ends in an enjoyable film.
Hard Ball2001829 - It's your typical sports flick formula. The little guys that shouldn't have overcome adversity for the assumed happy ending.
Down to Earth20018110 - There was a point at the turn of the century where Chris Rock was THE comedian to lead your film. 'Down to Earth' is indicative of that.
Dogtown and Z-Boys20017811 - It's an interesting little documentary that successfully explains how skateboarding's "rebellious" culture is rooted in its ancestry.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring20017712 - The visuals in Peter Jackson's first installment of this epic are breathtaking, but the film could've shed 30-60 minutes and been just as good or better.
Serendipity20017613 - The games of chance the movie plays and the way it weaves the fates of the characters together is done well, but could've been done better.
A Beautiful Mind20017214 - Anyone whose ever battled mental illness or known someone who has will not be able to forget this movie.
Along Came a Spider20017214 - It absolutely feels like a novel transferred to the big screen. Is it that a good or bad thing, though?
Joy Ride20017116 - Your standard-issue thriller destined to be a Saturday matinee on cable channels everywhere.
Jurassic Park III20017017 - It's interesting because the downfall of 'The Lost World' was its blatant deviation from the novel. However, 'Jurassic Park III' the first in the franchise with no novel for it to be based off of, actually goes back and makes some distinct nods to the FIRST novel. As if to offer an olive branch for those still bitter about the second movie.
Blow20016918 - Not the greatest biopic, but it's serviceable.
The Believer20016918 - It's easy to make religion the innocent source of protagonism when the only other option is pure, unadulterated hate.
Others, The20016820 - Nothing is as evil as Kidman's unlovable character.
Zoolander20016121 - It's all just a little too silly and stupid for trying to be a smart satire.
Mulholland Drive20016022 - David Lynch's headlong dive into the troubled (understatement!) mind of a young starlet is wholly intoxicating. Not the fun-night-out-with-friends kind of intoxicating, though. The I'm-sick-make-this-night-stop kind.
Shallow Hal20015123 - Let's be honest: this film lost the moral high ground the second its premise was created. So really the only thing that matter is whether or not it's funny. And the answer to that is "meh".
The Mexican20015024 - Brad Pitt can do many things, but comedy is not among them.
Moulin Rouge!20014625 - Neurotic and inconsistent.
Wet Hot American Summer20014625 - When a satire tries too hard, it becomes the very thing it's trying to mock. Case in point: this movie.
Gosford Park20014227 - Flawlessly acted but painfully drab.
Almost Famous2000991 - Just a brilliantly-executed movie. It's so grand in scope and yet pencils in every character with unbelievable detail.
Memento2000932 - Watch this without knowing anyone or anything behind it and you'll say, "where has this movie been all my life?" Then discover Christopher Nolan's name and say "Ah, that explains it all."
Cast Away2000903 - This isn't a story about survival so much as perseverence. About taking what you're given and doing the most with it.
Erin Brockovich2000903 - Every once in a while a movie comes a long with a character so expertly crafted that the story around her is guaranteed to succeed. Erin Brockovich is one of those characters.
Gladiator2000903 - It's an action flick, it's an epic. It's one very awesome movie.
Patriot, The2000876 - It's 120 CC's of patriotism for you to mainline and get high on nationhood. The usual historical accuracies aside, it's a fun story for history heads and action junkies alike.
The Replacements2000876 - It's just an enjoyable time at the movies. What's not to like?
Traffic2000876 - A massive drug and crime saga. Very few movies have tried to be as broad in scope and achieve so much with it.
American Psycho2000859 - A really, really, really well done film. In fact, it may be OVER done. We could've lived without the "questioning reality" side of the story. It's commentary on greed, superficialness, and intimacy are enough.
Perfect Storm, The2000859 - We get that swordfisherman and coast guard rescue divers and new englanders in general are a rough, hardy bunch, but even here the gung-ho machismo is a bit much. And that's too bad, because it's the only thing keeping this movie from being a classic action flick.
Frequency20008411 - This is the kind of magic movies are supposed to be made of. It doesn't all have to fit logically, it just has to be fun.
Thirteen Days20008411 - An engrossing look at one of the most uncertain times in American history.
Remember the Titans20008313 - Talked about football and its grapple with race before talking about football's grapples with race were popular.
Road Trip20008313 - Another formulaic raunchy college comedy. It sticks to the script and, for the most part, is successful.
U-57120008313 - Though it exists in the world of 'historical fiction', 'U-571' FEELS real. And for this kind of movie, that's about the best kind of compliment you can get.
Final Destination (2000)20008116 - It's a very, very intriguing premise held back only by some less-than-stellar filmmaking.
Rules of Engagement20008017 - It's no 'A Few Good Men', but it's not exactly guilty of dereliction of duty, either.
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg20008017 - A neat little biopic about the Jewish slugger who had the 'chutzpah' to ignore the 'shmucks' and play the game at the highest level.
High Fidelity20007919 - The satire and commentary on self-described audiophiles and the underbelly of music culture is smart and on point. The sappy rom-com elements? Not so much.
X-Men20007720 - A pretty decent origin story.
Mission: Impossible II20007621 - With its borderline superficial love interest and "mysterious man of danger" elements, M:I2 wants so very badly to be an installment in the James Bond franchise. Perhaps even more so than the original.
Scream 320007422 - At a basic, conceptual level, this movie is an exact clone of the second.
Snatch.20007223 - It's "comedy of errors" script is entertaining but not necessarily captivating.
Snow Day20007124 - It's one of those family films that actually has a little something for everyone, no matter your age.
Dude Where's My Car?20006025 - It's more schtick than it is well-engineered comedy. The off-the-wall improv of Kutcher and Scott could've definitely used some more direction.
Audition20005726 - What's Japanese for "bitches be crazy"?
For The Love Of The Game1999951 - One of the greatest baseball films of all time and extremely underrated in said genre. Kevin Costner continues his baseball film genius.
Insider, The1999922 - A corporate/political thriller of the highest order. This is the kind of film that reminds us how awesome movies can be.
Boondock Saints, The1999883 - Classic cult film. Thoroughly enjoyable and utterly addictive. A movie that will be quoted for decades as well it should.
Blair Witch Project, The1999874 - Absolutely terrifying.
Fight Club1999874 - The first rule of Fight Club? Watch it time and time again.
Sixth Sense, The1999856 - The final plot twist (you KNOW the one I'm talking about) goes right up there with Vader telling Luke who his father is.
Green Mile, The1999847 - A fantastic story, but without any context as to what's really behind the curtains, you can only invest so much of yourself into it.
Any Given Sunday1999818 - It all feels a bit 'soap opera-ish'. Football is only a side dish to this entree.
Go1999809 - Just when you think these differing takes on the same night are not going to end with any resolution and on the most disappointing of notes, it's all tied up for you in a pretty bow.
Three Kings19997710 - What could've become an integral part of how our culture judge's what is now and often overlooked conflict and has some very poignant commentary on the bizareness of war in the modern day ultimately falls by the way side thanks in no small part to some over-directing on David O. Russell's behalf.
Election19997511 - It feels like, while poking fun at young adult dramas, it accidentally became one.
World Is Not Enough, The19997511 - After two straight forward action flicks from the Pierce Brosnan era of the James Bond franchise, 'The World Is Not Enough' is a story that finally feels like it took a certain level of intelligence to create.
The General's Daughter19997413 - It's your standard novel-to-film adaptation.
Sleepy Hollow19997214 - The frustrating thing here is that Tim Burton can't help but to put his own little twist on a classic story. Everything feels a little less scary "Burton-ized".
Big Daddy19997115 - Not one of the best Sandler movies, but by far not one of the worst, either.
All About My Mother19996916 - Truly peculiar, in both good and bad ways.
Cruel Intentions19996916 - Being evil always comes back to bite you. Blah, blah, blah. We know.
Matrix, The19996916 - It aims to be the ultimate sci-fi fantasy flick, but attains only mixed results.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me19996819 - Pretty funny, a little too stupid. What else do you expect from Mike Myers?
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut19996720 - Intermittent laughs doesn't make up for it's rambling, nonsensical plot. Like most half-hour shows thrown onto the big screen, it makes even a stunted 80-minute runtime feel long.
10 Things I Hate About You19996521 - A rather watchable chick flick.
Mystery, Alaska19996322 - As it turns out, the only thing you can do in Alaska is screw and play hockey. Somehow, this movie puts a damper on every north woods' man's dream.
Being John Malkovich19995723 - Truly bizarre.
Star Wars I: Phantom Menace 19995723 - The worst of the two trilogies, easily. George Lucas and crew really took an entire movie to shake off the rust.
Varsity Blues19995723 - The direction and production value is decidedly second-string, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with 'Varsity Blues' in its own naive, immature way.
American Beauty19995526 - 'American Beauty' likes to think of itself as Ricky Fitts, but it's much more Angela Hayes than it realizes.
Saving Private Ryan1998961 - The greatest World War II film of all time. End of story.
American History X1998942 - This is a film in the truest sense of the word. Filled with so many themes and powerful messages, this loud, explicit film might just be the closest thing we have to explain the root of racial tension in our world today. And it is the best performance of Edward Norton's career.
Patch Adams1998903 - Heartwarming. Just absolutely heartwarming!
Rounders1998854 - Two roles that Damon and Norton fit snuggly into.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later1998835 - Steve Miner's turn on the Halloween sequel train is a fun ride. More importantly, though, it stays true to the spirit of both the film franchise and the holiday.
Negotiator, The1998826 - It's The Fugitive meets SWAT meets every other cop thriller with David Morse in it.
A Civil Action1998817 - It lays on the mushiness of a man straightening out his moral compass pretty thick, but there's no denying the legal drama is a gripping one.
Armageddon1998788 - One of those good 'ole disaster movies. In my opinion, it was one of the most solid genres in the late nineties/early aughts and this was one of the better ones.
Deep Impact1998788 - It's Armageddon redone. Similar enough that you'll forever correlate the two, different enough that both are worth watching.
The Waterboy1998788 - Classic Sandler.
Big Lebowski, The19987711 - One thing's for sure: this comedy is much sharper than 'The Dude'
U.S. Marshals19987612 - Not as good as the original (most people don't realize it's a sequel), but a fun ride in its own right.
I'll Be Home for Christmas19987413 - It has that typical 'Disney' gushiness that'll be offputting, but for a movie that throws charm at you by the sleigh-full, they certainly picked the right time of the year.
Rushmore19986714 - Typical Wes Anderson.
Thin Red Line, The19986115 - Ultimately, the problem with 'The Thin Red Line' is itself. It wants to be both a gritty war flick and a cinephile's wet dream. Had it committed one way or the other -- likely the former -- we probably would've had a great flick on our hands.
Good Will Hunting1997921 - The blended cast of Robin Williams and Ben Affleck and Matt Damon symbolizes the handing of the torch in Hollywood from one generation to another. And both are equally brilliant.
Titanic1997902
Air Force One1997873 - A so-called old school action movie before glitz and glam dominated flashy action flicks.
Peacemaker (1997)1997854 - It's an all-thrills, no-frills political action drama that is nothing short of one hell of a ride.
Amistad1997825 - What 'Amistad' lacks in brevity it makes up for in sheer power. It has the historical and cultural significance of 'Roots' combined with the legal thrills of 'A Few Good Men'. Plus, it's one of our very first insights into what a capable actor Matthew McConaughey would turn out to be.
Scream 21997816 - The second installment steers the franchise into a surreal
Con Air1997767 - John Malkovich is magnificent, as always, but the rest of the crowd can't keep pace. The end result is yet another good-but-not-great, B-list action flick.
Kiss the Girls1997767 - Don't focus on the fact that it's a James Patterson novel too much. What 'Kiss The Girls' really is adapted from is 'The Silence of the Lambs', which it wants to be oh so very badly.
Starship Troopers1997759 - Full disclosure: this was my favorite movie for a while. Full disclosure again: it was before my brain fully developed.
Contact19977410 - It's not out of this world, but it does fly.
Tomorrow Never Dies19977211 - For a franchise built around a discerning, sophisticated gentleman, this one is a little too 'B Action Movie' compared to others.
Vegas Vacation19977012 - The franchise had ended on a high note in the '80's with Christmas Vacation. This is not the same high note.
Lost World: Jurassic Park, The19976113 - With 'Jurassic Park', they picked a select few areas to differ from Crichton's novel. With 'The Lost World', they practically threw the novel into a blender, caught a few pieces in the air, and decided to go with that.
Alien Resurrection19974714 - It took four movies for Ripley, in some form, to make it to Earth, but the last quarter was probably the worst part of the ride.
The Ice Storm19974714 - It's sort of a stranger, sadder predecessor to 'American Beauty'. Also, for those calling it a 'Thanksgiving movie', 'Die Hard' is more of a 'Christmas Movie' than this is a 'Thanksgiving Movie'
Princess Mononoke19974516 - Too cartoonish for its own good. Is it visually ambitious? Sure. But successful? Not so much.
Happy Gilmore1996871 - One of Adam Sandler's best.
Independence Day1996872 - As far as summer blockbusters go, it's an instant classic.
Jerry Maguire1996872 - Love, drama, and comedy. Sports, Office Work, Home life. It is literally impossible that this film doesn't have SOMETHING for you.
Scream1996824 - The no-frills teens slasher knows what its about and doesn't deviate from a solid concept. It's a low-risk, moderate-reward plan that leads to glass-ceiling success.
Black Sheep1996805 - Look, 'Black Sheep' isn't exactly going to be honored by the American Film Institute as a cinematic achievement. But given the option between watching this or some shallow candidate's stump speech on Election Day, I gleefully and enthusiastically choose the former.
Rock, The1996766 - That scene where the guy has the poisonous ball in his mouth effectively ruined my childhood.
Space Jam1996766 - It's a whacky kids movie, but there's enough genuine adult laughs for it to be enjoyable for all who see it.
Fargo1996708 - The Coen brothers' 'Fargo' is an enigma: not funny enough to be a real comedy, not serious enough to be a decent drama, and nowhere close to neatly fitting into any other genre.
Beavis and Butthead Do America1996689 - It's a feature-length Beavis and Butthead episode. What more could you expect?
Jingle All the Way19966710 - It's poor acting performances and hokie antics aside, 'Jingle All The Way' is a cute little Christmas movie.
Mission: Impossible19966111 - Ludicrous and a bit too tacky.
Bottle Rocket19965012 - It's not quarky so much as idiosyncratic. There's odd-funny and then there's just odd, and 'Bottle Rocket' is definitely the latter.
Star Trek: First Contact19965012 - It really is nothing more than an extended episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Heat1995951 - The ancestor to The Town. Which is better? Some say the former. I say, either way, it's neck and neck.
Casino1995923 - Okay, so it's not as good as Goodfellas, but it's not far off. More to the point, though, it's not a facsimile, either.
Apollo 131995894 - You see Bill Paxton and Gary Sinise in this movie and you can't help but to think 'how did they not make more out of their careers?'
Braveheart1995875 - This will stand for all time as the way historical epics SHOULD be made.
Die Hard: With a Vengeance1995875 - This is the best of not only the trilogy, but the franchise.
Billy Madison1995837 - Happy Gilmore is better, but Billy Madison is goofy, senseless Adam Sandler at his finest.
The American President1995828 - Part political drama, party romantic drama, 'The American President' is definitely a fairly original story.
Crimson Tide1995789 - For something that boils down to essentially a testosterone-packed, machismo-laced soap opera, it works surprisingly well.
GoldenEye19957510 - Brosnan's first go at it as the famous superspy is also probably is best one.
Home for the Holidays19956911 - As far as dysfunctional family dramedies go, it sort of feels like we're driving 10 under the speed limit when things could really be kicked up a notch.
Usual Suspects19956911 - Big surprise endings are made all the better by the audience being invested in the characters and/or the outcome of the movie. In 'The Usual Suspects', too many won't be.
Bad Boys19956313 - If you're going to throw substance and plot out the window for thrills, the thrills better be REALLY good. Here, they are just 'meh'.
Seven19956313 - It's not nearly the philosophical essay on morals that it thinks it is.
Toy Story19956313 - As a child, this film is a staple of life. After puberty, it doesn't offer you much.
Mallrats19955716 - Awkwardly flirts with the line between indie comedy and formulaic goofiness.
Casper19955017 - Your typical Halloween-themed kids movie.
Strange Days19954618 - Bigelow's sci-fi thriller is little more than a bizarre, unnecessarily sexual romp of a nightmare.
Before Sunrise19954219 - If Jesse and Celine never met a gain, they could at least take solace in the fact that they cured any and all insomniacs who saw their film.
Forrest Gump1994931 - There's no other movie like it, and I'm not sure there ever will be.
Shawshank Redemption, The1994892 - It's a powerful tale about friendship, but the life-is-what-you-make-it story is heavily sugarcoated for a film that takes place primarily in a cruel prison.
Clear and Present Danger1994873 - A first-rate political thriller. But like everything in D.C., it takes far too long to come to a resolution.
In the Army Now1994873 - It's silly, stupid, juvenile....and shamelessly funny. This is The Godfather of guilty pleasures.
Lion King, The 1994835 - It's not another mind-numbing kid garbage flick. A cogent story and an unexpected emotionally-heavy hand in direction will keep adults as entertained as their kin.
Speed1994835 - This is your quintessential '90's action flick. No glitz, no glam. Just blood, sweat, adrenaline, and pure movie enjoyment.
Street Fighter1994835 - An intense look at how dirty politics can be, and how the truly admirable candidates seem to find a way to rise above it. Mostly.
Angels in the Outfield (1994)1994818 - A bit too cartoonish at times, but the film's spirit is pure. All little Joseph Gordon-Levitt wants is a family and the Angels to win. And....spoiler alert.....he gets both. What's so wrong with that?
Pulp Fiction1994809 - An instant cult classic, but be warned: it's trendier to pretend to like this movie than it is to actually like it.
Clerks19947410 - A filmmaker's film. Movie snobs and hipsters will swear by it the most.
PCU19947211 - 'PCU' is basically a 'Van Wilder' before Van Wilder existed.
Santa Clause, The19946912 - Full of charm and imagination, don't kid yourself, folks, this one is Christmas flick for the youthful at heart.
Mixed Nuts19946213 - It's potential as a quirky dark holiday comedy is not fully realized.
Little Big League19945914 - Ultimately, it's just too whacky to be taken seriously. Even with it's out-there premise, you just can't help but to get the feeling it could've been done much, much better.
Ref, The19945115 - Doesn't deliver on what is an admittedly funny premise.
Cobb19944616 - A poorly-acted film based on literary pieces that have now been discredited as largely fictional makes this nothing more than a sad attempt at some baseball fan fiction.
Ed Wood19944616 - Feels like Tim Burton doing a Wes Anderson impersonation doing a 50's era film expose.
Rudy1993931 - The classic underdog story. Sean Astin is far better in this than in any of his Lord of the Rings work.
Gettysburg1993873 - Gettysburg's real achievement is being so entertaining and accurate at the same time. Sure, some of the sappy bro-to-bro dialogue is embellished, but, let's face it:: that's not why you're coming to see this movie.
Rookie of the Year1993844 - Shamelessly goofy, but you can't help but to love Ian Thomas Nicholas as he turns the Cubs -- and the teams they play -- upside down on their head.
Sandlot1993844 - Set in the '50's, it's hard to call 'The Sandlot' a tale of nostalgia. Then again, as the movie so eloquently points out, some things just never change.
Schindlers List1993844 - Very good, but, a tid bit overrated if we're being perfectly honest.
Fugitive, The1993837 - It's good guy vs. secret good guy vs. bad guy that the good guy doesn't know exists. Is there a better premise for a manhunt flick?
Jurassic Park1993837 - Fans of the book will be dismayed by some of the altered plot points, but overall a nice adaptation.
Nightmare Before Christmas1993769 - A cute little movie, to be sure.
Groundhog Day19937210 - It's a B-list rom-com, but it's fun to turn on every groundhog day.
The Program19935011 - 'The Program' can't decide whether it wants to be a drama or a satire. As a result, it's often the butt of its own jokes.
Few Good Men, A1992941 - One my all time favorites. What else is there to say? If you can't enjoy this movie, you can't handle the....movie industry?
Reservoir Dogs1992842 - An absolute bloodbath that serves as the perfect foreword to Quentin Tarantino's directorial career.
Basic Instinct1992833 - It's a well-done crime thriller, but it's not as smart as it thinks it is.
A League of Their Own1992754 - You feel like if you don't gloat over this movie, you risk being labeled a mysoginist. So I'll say this: it's good, but it could've been much, much better.
Batman Returns1992754 - Too cartoonish to be taken seriously and that's a problem. Because, like with all Batman movies -- really all superhero movies, for that matter -- they need to be at least somewhat serious for us, the audience, to really buy in.
Mr. Baseball1992706 - One does not simply get over Tom Selleck cast as a fun-loving R-rated baseball player. It's only when he comes around to being semi-respectful of the cultures around him that you start to believe the character.
Patriot Games1992706 - For a Tom Clancy adaptation featuring the IRA, the CIA, and a bevvy of other three-lettered organizations surrounded by gizmos and guns, it's surprisingly bland.
Unforgiven1992698 - Neither terrible nor amazing. But the second half is worth the price of admission.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York1992689 - Quite literally more of the same. But that's not as bad as it sounds.
Last of The Mohicans19925010 - From its frustrating cinematography to its tacky dialogue to its eye-rolling script, its no wonder characters were practically willing to die by the end.
Glengarry Glen Ross19924911 - Sadly, this flick is a bigger loser than those its characters prey upon.
Alien 319924812 - Such a letdown compared to Scott's and Cameron's films. Fincher does virtually nothing different and fails to keep your attention to boot.
Babe, The (baseball)19924812 - Disney didn't have it's paws on this one, but it sure feels like it. All cheer and quark with very little of what either biopic or baseball fans would crave, 'The Babe' just simply doesn't do the "sultan of swat" justice.
Silence of the Lambs, The1991871 - It's rare that a thriller is, at the same time, both genuinely creepy and compelling. Ultimately, that's what makes The Silence of the Lambs special.
JFK1991823 - It's good or maybe even great, but certainly not excellent. It's lasting legacy will be adding fuel to the fire of conspiracy theorists everywhere.
Dutch1991774 - A little bit more of Ed O'Neill being Ed O'Neill might've elevated 'Dutch' to another level.
Point Break1991715 - There are good parts and bad parts. The good parts show Bigelow's early potential as a film maker. The bad parts show it couldn't escape much of the cheesiness that plagued hit movies of the '80's.
Goodfellas1990941 - This is Scorcese's best work, hands down. Easily one of the greatest movies of all time.
Die Hard 21990832 - Slightly better than the first. How do I know? I don't. But for whatever reason the same wintery atmosphere seems to make the two films very comparable.
Hunt for Red October1990823 - If you can get over the movie selling you Sean Connery and Sam Neill as Russian Naval Officers, chances are you'll enjoy it very much.
Air America1990764 - A great movie done before the two main actors hit speed bumps in their careers. It's a perfect Saturday afternoon matinee movie.
Home Alone1990764 - It's equal parts sweet and entertainings is what it is.
Days of Thunder1990736 - The usual shortcomings for a film coming out of the '80's aside, 'Days of Thunder' is worth a watch.
Back to the Future III1990707 - Easily the weakest of the three films in the trilogy and probably a good time to end the franchise.
Captain America (1990)1990707 - Too cliche to be really good.
Dances with Wolves1990707 - It's sort of a 'Lawrence of Arabia' for the Western world.
It19906910 - Not particularly scary, all 'It' does is give you three hours to wonder why a TV movie became so popular.
Godfather Part III, The19906111 - Every franchise has that movie that tells everyone it's time to stop. This is that movie.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)19905012 - It's a kids movie through and through. I'm not sure what else people wanted out of it.
Christmas Vacation, National Lampoon's1989891 - A Christmas classic. If you don't watch this every holiday season, there's something wrong with you.
Field of Dreams1989872 - It's an epic. An epic about dreams realized, dreams deferred, and other dreams still unfulfilled. Better yet, it points to the necessity of not everyone catching their dreams.
Major League1989843 - It falls victim to some of the eye-rolling hysterionics that became so prevalent during the '80's, but it's a solid baseball comedy for sure.
Dead Poets Society1989784 - The worst thing that happened to this film is Good Will Hunting came along and placed it squarely in its shadows.
Back to the Future II1989775 - It's pretty obvious 2015 did NOT live up to the expectations of 'Back To The Future II'.
Batman (Keaton)1989766 - Good, not great.
Pet Sematary1989717 - Bitterly dark. And besides, the story has almost nothing to do with the aforementioned 'Pet Sematary'.
Drugstore Cowboy1989698 - Your typical good-but-not-great flick.
Bull Durham1988991 - A beautiful comedy that captures the spirit of grown men still chasing dreams almost perfectly.
Eight Men Out1988872 - I can't help but to realize what interesting commentary this pastime period piece gives us on our modern day PED scandals.
Die Hard1988813 - Greatest/only Christmas action movie of all time.
The Great Outdoors1988804 - It's your typical 80's comedy: slapstick, hijinks, a semi-decent story. It all works.
Mississippi Burning1988795 - The suspense in 'Mississippi Burning' is palpable, but make no mistake: this is simply a thriller involving racism, not a film that actually delves into the issue.
Funny Farm1988766 - It's not going to wow you, but it is going to make you laugh.
Scrooged1988766 - It's just a straight-up modern-day Christmas Carol, which is fine. It's fine.
Cinema Paradiso1988558 - Mediocre.
Akira1988489 - Just seems like another anime film to me. If there's something special here I guess I missed it.
Good Morning, Vietnam1987981 - Hands down one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.
Lethal Weapon1987822 - Mel Gibson and Danny Glover fight Gary Busey? How does that NOT have '80's classic written all over it?
Planes, Trains And Automobiles1987813 - Steve Martin and John Candy are both in the perfect roles for them.
No Way Out1987614 - It's your typical '80's thriller where the story has no concept of the phrase "over the top".
Evil Dead II1987315 - Awful. Just absolutely awful.
Top Gun1986931 - It is and probably always will be the greatest dogfighting movie ever.
Aliens1986872 - From its scope to its imagination to its just overall sense of purpose, James Cameron's sequel is SO much better than Ridley Scott's first installment.
Club Paradise1986813 - Your standard-issue whacky comedy.
Ferris Beuller's Day Off1986804 - A step or two behind other "instant classics", it successfully captures every teenagers dream of having a day devoid of the monotony of high school work.
Platoon1986804 - This is THE Vietnam War movie. All others are just fighting for second.
Hoosiers1986766 - It's good. It's a bit overrated, but it's good.
Fly, The1986757 - It's more a sci-fi misadventure then it is a horror. It's An American Werewolf in London meets Back To The Future
Back to the Future1985871 - A pop culture classic.
European Vacation, National Lampoon's1985672 - It's a bit hacky, to be honest.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)1984831 - A classic horror film. There's something about Freddy's fatalistic zingers you just can't help but to love.
Children of the Corn1984762 - As with almost all Stephen King tales, a solid, simple, scary plot has to go supernatural an force you to roll your eyes.
Red Dawn (1984)1984762 - A B-action flick every man should see.
The Natural1984734 - I get it -- it's supposed to be an American folk tale of sorts -- but that doesn't mean I have to love it.
Amadeus1984585 - Rather than using quirks as a pleasant garnish, in Amadeus it is the main ingredient. And, somewhere past the two-hour mark, amusement turns into eye-rolling.
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi 1983961 - The best of the Star Wars movies. This one had it all and executed it all flawlessly.
A Christmas Story1983912 - It will forever be the reason people intentionally mispronounce "fragile".
Vacation, National Lampoon's1983793 - Not the best of the vacation movies, but it holds it own in tough company.
Strange Brew1983754 - Just a silly comedy engineered to poke fun at Canadians. But it's entertaining, eh?
Trading Places1983725 - It's funny. Just not the kind of funny where you laugh out loud.
Videodrome1983526 - 'Videodrome' could've easily been renamed 'Supreme Irony', since afterall in discovering some weird version of plotless torture porn, it itself becomes just that.
Zelig198317
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial1982821 - One of those films I will forever be impartial to because I grew up with it.
Poltergeist1982772 - Gorier than it is genuinely scary, Poltergeist should be remembered as the modern start to the paranormal horror subgenre.
Thing, The1982772 - Scarier than the alien that wants so desperately to become them is everyone's willingness to submit authority to a boozing helicopter pilot when things go awry.
An American Werewolf in London1981831 - A pretty straightforward horror story that incorporates elements of many horror subgenres and spiced with a healthy dose of comedy.
Stripes1981813 - It's that classic Murray dry humor that delivers some of the best laughs!
The Cannonball Run1981794 - 'Cannonball' is basically a standup act rolled into a movie. At every turn (literally) it's looking for a laugh. Most of those jokes land well; the operative word there being "most".
Evil Dead, The (1981)1981785 - Some parts are brilliant. Others are eye-rollingly tacky.
Halloween II (1981)1981776 - A functional sequel. A 'Halloween 2' in every essence of the phrase.
Das Boot1981707 - This is the absolute antithesis of those patrotism-infused epic WWII battle sagas. Called 'The Boat', it very well could've been called 'The Dark'. Everything's miserable, the food sucks, and, yes, death is inevitable. Take your prozac before watching this one.
Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back1980941 - The battle of Hoth is probably my favorite part of any Star Wars movie. This would be the best of them had there been a stronger ending.
Airplane!1980872 - When it flies, it soars.
CaddyShack1980872 - An absolute '80's classic!
Friday the 13th (1980)1980872 - The original is deliberate with its sense of fright. It's not in it for cheap thrills and frills, it's genuinely creepy.
Shining, The1980872 - It's a mind-melting horror show, and might've been darn near perfect had it been about 30 minutes shorter.
Raging Bull1980806 - In some ways, it's one of the saddest stories ever put on the big screen.
Apocalypse Now1979651 - The first half is laughably condensing, the second half is akin to a bad acid trip.
Alien1979602 - Even if you can forgive the first half of the movie essentially being build-up, the pace is just brutally tedious. No me gusta for a sci-fi horror flick.
Dawn of the Dead1978821 - This was the genre's first look at not only trying to SURVIVE a zombie apocalypse, but LIVE in one. This is Romero's 'David'.
Deer Hunter, The1978802 - 'The Deer Hunter' is a tough one to figure out because while it is undeniably good, it also feels like it could've been so much better.
Halloween (1978)1978773 - John Carpenter's Hallow's Eve tale proves to be a clinic on slow, methodical build-up, but I'm not sure the payoff is really there.
Star Wars IV: A New Hope1977801 - It initially had to set up the story for three movies, which explains the long, somewhat slow beginning. The end is the stuff of film legend, though.
Hills Have Eyes (1977)1977732 - While the story overall is better constructed than the remake(s), these hill people just are too human to be truly scary.
Suspiria1977673 - It's like a well-intentioned student film. The production value leaves something to be desired, but you appreciate the effort.
Taxi Driver1976911 - An unsettling character study that shows how fragile the boundaries of good and evil can be.
All the Presidents Men1976842 - Successfully captures a terific story and throws it on film.
The Omen1976783 - The most frustrating aspect of The Omen is the amount of potential that it doesn't quite live up to.
Carrie (1976)1976774 - The first half is almost a teen drama. It's in the second half of 'Carrie' that you really get your money's worth.
The Bad News Bears (1976)1976735 - Just a tad too bland to be really good.
Rocky1976696 - A bit overrated if we're being completely honest.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975891 - It takes the long way around getting to its point, but, once there, you're left awestruck.
Jaws1975792 - It depends on how you view it, quite frankly. A thriller? A compelling one, to be sure. But a true horror? Well, let's just say it's not as big of a fish as it thinks it is.
Chinatown1974891 - The more you look back and the more you cut away al the bells and whistles of modern cinema, the more you realize just how much Nicholson's charisma bursts right through the screen.
Blazing Saddles1974832 - Classic Mel Brooks.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)1974803 - Tobe Hooper's vision lays down the architecture for the modern crop of slashers so perfectly that, even without anything else, it would be enough to turn this slasher into something of an icon.
Godfather: Part II, The1974724 - Like the chronological order of the story, this film is all over the place. The first one should just how much a crime family could control. The sequel shows just how much it can't.
Black Christmas1974705 - How a movie with a runtime just over 90 minutes can feel so drawn out is beyond me.
The Towering Inferno1974705 - It's the kind of film that gives firefighters everywhere a hard one.
Exorcist, The1973901 - In my estimation, the greatest horror flick of all time.
Bang the Drum Slowly1973583 - A classic story. A classic story of sloppy acting and poor direction ruining a film, that is.
American Graffiti1973474 - Like 'Apocalypse Now' for Coppola, 'American Graffiti' is a forgettable creation by a director whose greatest work is and will forever be a certain trilogy.
Godfather, The1972961 - An incredible crime saga told with so much detail and conviction, you question just how fictional it really is.
Poseidon Adventure, The (1972)1972832 - There are so few truly great films taking place on/around NYE that this is near the top of the list.
The Last House on the Left1972613 - The Wes Craven film that put him on the map is okay, but pales in comparison to some of his later stuff.
A Clockwork Orange1971781 - It's cookiness aside, Stanley Kubrick's futuristic allegory raises some interesting questions.
French Connection, The1971692 - After an hour or so of nothing more than people following people, The French Connection FINALLY gets going.
Tora! Tora! Tora!1970751 - Still probably the best film on Pearl Harbor to date.
Rosemary's Baby1968801 - It's more "creepy" than it is "downright scary".
Bullitt1968792 - The car chase scene is perhaps the greatest of all time.
Night of the Living Dead1968613 - The original zombie flick. It's pretty obvious how this film unearthed (pun intended) our love for the undead.
2001: A Space Odyssey1968314 - Typical Kubrick: he can't just tell a story. Everything has to be commentary on humanity.
Goldfinger1964741 - Even a man as suave and sophisticated as James Bond can't help but to be the butt of the joke from time to time.
Great Escape, The1963871 - Just a terrific movie. The whole cast really is incredible.
The Haunting1963472 - The Haunting's real success is its dialogue, which is strange, because that should never be the strength given its genre.
Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)1962891 - A classic thriller. One of THE greatest/shocking/amazing endings of all time.
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The1962702 - Within about, oh, say, half an hour, it's incredibly clear where almost the enitre film is going.
To Kill A Mockingbird1962693 - One of the first and most notable films to be adapted from a book. And, like so many that have followed, the book is much better. Still, though, Mr. Peck is im-peck-able.
Lawrence of Arabia1962654 - I like biopics as much as anyone, but 'Lawrence of Arabia' is and always will be overrated. There, I said it.
Psycho1960771 - It's value isn't necessarily what is on the screen so much as what it has inspired since.
Breathless1960422 - Short, choppy direction and cinematography that practically leaves you nauseous as you try to follow a protagonist with ironically almost no redeeming qualities. I, for one, just don't get it.
Anatomy of a Murder1959841 - Solidifies James Stewart as one of the greatest actors of all time.
North By Northwest1959842 - It serves as the blueprint for every successful blockbuster thriller. It shouldn't surprise you that Hitchcock pulled it off first.
Damn Yankees1958581 - In reality, this movie could've been about an hour long.
Vertigo1958502 - Alfred Hitchcock's thriller piques your interest, but fails to keep it.
12 Angry Men (original)1957771 - A classic everyone needs to see. A landmark film with a powerful message that still rings true today.
The Bridge on the River Kwai1957732 - "Epic" does not have to be shorthand for "slow-moving drama" as it is here for most of 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'.
Fear Strikes Out1957603 - It's more a story about Piersall's battle with mental illness and his relationship with his father than it is about his baseball career. Watching, you can't help but to ask yourself, "why couldn't we have both?"
The Seventh Seal1957424 - Utterly bizarre.
Rear Window1954681 - Hitchcock did better in his career.
Angels in the Outfield (1951)1951691 - This is that rare original that is actually outdone by the remake. Everything here in the 1951 original is fine, but Disney -- dare I say it -- did it better in 1994.
Sunset Blvd1950421 - An admittedly enticing premise dive-bombs into one incredibly slow movie.
The Stratton Story1949851 - The only problem with this underdog story is that it ends too soon. The synopsis tells more of Stratton's return to baseball than the film actually does.
The Third Man1949492 - Underneath its steely cinematography and chilling score, there's just not a whole lot there.
It's a Wonderful Life1946951 - It's not just a great Christmas film but a fantastic movie. This, plain and simple, was Jimmy Stewart at his best.
Double Indemnity1944811 - Take it from me, someone who doesn't buy the notion that films are necessarily better just because their old: this one is worth your time.
The Pride of the Yankees1942601 - The film says Lou Gehrig was a simple man. But in actuality, the film portrays him as just a simpleton. And that does this baseball legend no service.
Citizen Kane1941811 - The sensational story about the world's biggest sensationalist is, well, pretty sensational.
The Great Dictator1940811 - Here's the thing: in a vacuum, 'The Great Dictator' is only good, not great. But what makes it special and remembered as such a remarkable film is the how brazen it is with its satire RIGHT as these very events are unfolding. This is not 'Catch 22' making light of World War II years after the fact, it's did it in the present, in the face of everything AS it went on. And THAT is what makes this film special.
Gone with the Wind1939811 - After watching it, you'll wonder if anything truly good and pure can ever exist.
The Bride of Frankenstein1935501 - While it gets credit for being one of those "picking up the story the moment the first one ended" sequels, it's just a bit too looney. Frankenstein's monster is no longer feared by the audience, but gets its pity. For a horror sequel, that's a weird turn for a film to take.
It Happened One Night1934771 - It's sort of the original rom-com.
King Kong (1933)1933801 - For it's time, it's nothing short of wonderous.
Frankenstein1931651 - It has that silliness that comes along with many older movies, but if you're looking for a horror flick chock-full of classic Halloween spirit, it's hard to beat this one.
Metropolis1927501 - Overrated, if you ask me.




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