Mike's Movies
Short reviews
|
Movie |
Genre |
Own? |
Rating |
| Abyss, The (including Director's Cut) | SF | DVD | 4½ |
| Best underwater movie ever made. The thriller aspect is tight and the science believable. Director's Cut by far superior in bringing the whole story to a close. | |||
| Ace Ventura: Pet Detective | Comedy | VHS | 3 |
| Some of the humor is quite juvenile, but Jim Carrey is always watchable, and his Ace Ventura is capable of something more than cartoon acting. Silly, but frequently funny. | |||
| After Life | Fantasy | DVD | 4 |
| Japanese film about people making films of special moments they want to bring to the after life with them. Slow and quiet, this is a very special experience that borders on the documentary at times. | |||
| Akira | Anime/SF | DVD | 4 |
| If you have to start your anime education, you sort of have to start with this one. The ultraviolence is juicy and disturbing, the animation still stands up today, and the soundtrack is terrific. No easy answers at the end though. | |||
| Alien | SF/Horror | DVD | 4 |
| Still, the best of the series, the sexual subtext makes this rise above the typical film of this genre. Revolutionary at the time, it's still very disturbing and horrific. | |||
| Aliens (including Director's Cut) | SF | DVD | 3½ |
| Alien turns action movie, and suffers because of it, but the action is excellent and can definitely be enjoyed on that level. Taut and exciting, it's different in tone from Alien, but a worthy successor. The Director's Cut changes little. | |||
| Alien³ (including Director's Cut) | SF/Horror | DVD | 3 |
| Fatally flawed because of studio interference, David Fincher nonetheless returns to Alien's roots with this stylish story of hopelessness and depravation. The Director's Cut makes a lot more sense than the butchered original. | |||
| Alien: Resurrection | SF | - | 1 |
| Terrible and unwarranted sequel to the trilogy, which exists solely to show off special effects and resurrect characters that had fitting ends already. Wynona Ryder is totally lackluster as an android. | |||
| American Beauty | Drama | DVD | 5 |
| Masterful direction, excellent acting, and surprisingly fresh writing all justify this movie winning best picture at the Academy Awards. A strong story of redemption, and Kevin Spacey, as usual, can do no wrong. | |||
| Amerian Splendor | Biopic | DVD | 4½ |
| This biography of an underground comic book writer plays with its twin media well, and is often laugh-out-loud funny for those who enjoy pathetic, yet realistic characters. | |||
| Apocalypse Now | War | VHS | 4 |
| Francis Ford Coppola lacks focus for me, and this does ramble on with various vignettes that don't really have to gel together, but it is the best of his work, with some memorable scenes, music and themes. | |||
| Apollo 13 | Biopic | DVD | 4 |
| A beautifully staged telling of the true story of the ill-fated spaceflight. It grips you like the best thriller, even though there is no villain here. Totally believable and engrossing. | |||
| Artificial Intelligence: A.I. | SF | DVD | 3½ |
| Spielberg takes over from Kubrick and manages to play to both their weaknesses. It's unusually uninvolving and detached (Kubrick) and manages to tack on an additional "feel-good" (i.e. sappy) ending (Spielberg). Regardless, the Pinocchio themes are well exploited and eerie, and the whole production is superbly well done technically. | |||
| Back to the Future | SF/Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| Still fun, funny and exciting after all these years. Marty McFly's first travel through time is full of great moments and remains the best of this particular trilogy. | |||
| Back to the Future II | SF/Comedy | DVD | 2½ |
| The sequel is all over the place and depends too much on cheap 80s humor, dual (triple, quadruple) roles for the regulars and revisits the first movie without really adding to it. A confusing mess. | |||
| Back to the Future III | SF/Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| That's more like it. Back to the Future does westerns and touches on the different clichés with spark and wit. This is really the Doc's story, and it combines with the other two films to create a nice comedic epic. | |||
| Barton Fink | Arts | DVD | 4 |
| The Cohen Brothers create a paranoid and hellish look at Hollywood scriptwriting, with their usual wit and flair. A real study in anxiety. | |||
| Batman | Supers | VHS | 3½ |
| Great design ideas, though the performances tend to sound written rather than meant. Still, hard to fault Jack Nicholson's Joker, and the right mood is evoked throughout. | |||
| Batman and Robin | Supers | - | 1 |
| Unwatchable drivel, turning Batman back into a joke, with all performances phoned in and no sense that Gotham could be a real place. Avoid like the plague, it killed the franchise. | |||
| Batman Begins | Supers | VHS | 4½ |
| The first of the new franchise, it tells the real origin of Batman beautifully, with some great performances from the supporting cast (especially Michael Caine as Alfred). The world of Batman made real for the first time. | |||
| Batman Forever | Supers | - | 2 |
| Jim Carrey is fun as the Riddler, but Tommy Lee Jones is dead weight as Two-Face. That plus some nipply bat-suits, a lot of noise and flashing lights, and a stupid plot make it fail. | |||
| Batman Returns | Supers | - | 2½ |
| Tim Burton and Michael Keaton both return to Batman, but it's not quite the success the first one was. We get less and less Batman and more and more villains, though the Penguin is design too much like a monster. Only Catwoman catches your interest. | |||
| Barefoot Gen | Anime/Biopic | VHS | 5 |
| A sense of impending doom makes this true story of Hiroshima a real tear-jerker. Touching in a way that few other films have been for me. | |||
| Being John Malkovich | Arts | DVD | 4½ |
| Totally weird from start to finish, there isn't an unoriginal idea in the whole screenplay. Literate, funny, well-acted and disturbing are all words apply easily to the film. | |||
| Belly of an Architect | Arts | DVD | 3½ |
| A great showcase for Brian Dennehy, but Chloe Webb is just awful as his wife. The story about a descent into obession is perhaps one of the more accessible offered by Peter Greenaway, but may leave you impatient and depressed. | |||
| Big Lebowski | Comedy | DVD | 3½ |
| The Cohen Bros. do it again! A Chandleresque runaround starring a total hippie slacker that's just full of quirkiness and humor. | |||
| Blade Runner (including Director's Cut) | SF/Film Noir | VHS | 5 |
| The emasculated theatrical release is terrible, but the director's cut is excellent. Moody, literate, full of symbolism and asking questions, it's unique among SF films. | |||
| Blood Simple | Thriller | DVD | 4 |
| A great thriller made on the cheap. The Cohen Brothers' first film is moody and rich, and the characters are stupid not because they are badly written, but because this is really their character. | |||
| Boogie Nights | Comedy/Drama | DVD | 3½ |
| Fairly long biopic of a fictitious porn star (based on actual porn stars), it has some great moments that will stay with you forever, and an all-star cast, but is still too slow for casual watching. | |||
| Bourne Identity, The | Spy | DVD | 4½ |
| A strong start to this series featuring the unlikely action hero Matt Damon in a rich, complex and paranoid spy thriller that keeps you guessing. | |||
| Bourne Supremacy, The | Spy | DVD | 4½ |
| Jason Bourne returns and this film, while grittier, is just as strong as the original, with a lot of great action and paranoia. | |||
| Bowling for Columbine | Documentary | DVD | 4½ |
| Michael Moore's most famous "passionate eye" documentary, it is at once funny and touching, eye-opening and sassy. As with all of Moore's films, you need to know the facts are somewhat biased at times, but if you're of like-mind, it's excellent through and through. | |||
| Brazil (including Director's Cut) | SF/Comedy | DVD | 3½ |
| Only the Director's Cut is watchable, but Brazil remains a little slow and irrelevant. Some moments have the brilliance of Orwell or Kafka, but the fantasy sequences show their age. | |||
| Broken Flowers | Comedy | DVD | 4½ |
| Bill Murray in another pitch-perfect performance in this Jim Jarmusch film. It's funny and quirky, feels real, and is great because it frustrates our quest for answers. | |||
| Bubba Ho-Tep | Comedy/Horror | DVD | 4½ |
| Brilliant and original film featuring an ageing Elvis, a black JFK and a soul-sucking mummy. If that synopsis doesn't make you want to see the movie, nothing will. I'll add that it's surprisingly touching as well. | |||
| Buckaroo Banzai | Gangster | DVD | 2½ |
| Quite inventive and you can see how it became a cult favorite, but it's all a bit too silly to be of any real substance. May just capture your imagination though. | |||
| Bullitt | Crime | DVD | 3½ |
| The movie that reinvented the car chase for Hollywood, it's got great atmosphere and realism, but don't look at the plot too closely. It's pretty hard to follow and doesn't reward close examination. Steve McQueen is great as usual though. | |||
| Carrie | Horror | DVD | 4 |
| Creepy, creepy, creepy, even to this day. One of the best and most imitated/lampooned horror films, ever. | |||
| Chasing Amy | Romantic comedy | DVD | 4 |
| Though you have the usual Kevin Smith dick&fart jokes, the examination of a relationship between a sexually liberated woman and a rather more restrained guy surprises and touches. Very true to life and sexy. | |||
| Cincinnati Kid, The | Crime | DVD | 3½ |
| Gambling films somehow interest me and Steve McQueen is such a charismatic actor, so this poker movie was something of a sure shot. It works well, has great characters, a lot of suspense, and no Hollywood ending. | |||
| Clerks | Comedy | DVD | 3½ |
| Kevin Smith's first cheapie has great humor, even if it really amounts to a series of vignettes staged in a conveninence store and a videoteque. A must-see even if you can see what little money's been spent. | |||
| Clerks II | Comedy | - | 3½ |
| True to the original though with a sense of putting away childish things for director Kevin Smith. It doesn't all work, but once again, Smith makes me fall in love with a woman. Must mean I wanna screw Kevin Smith... in a totally heterosexual way. | |||
| Clockwork Orange, A | SF | VHS | 3 |
| Like other Kubrick movies, it's cold and intellectual and fails to grab me emotionally, in alrge part because of the English used, even though it is from the novel. | |||
| Coffee and Cigarettes | Comedy vignettes | DVD | 3 |
| A number of sketches featuring vairous actors, usually as themselves around a cup of coffee and a cigarette. Goes from the insubstantial to the hilarious, often with great commentary on the characters. | |||
| Contact | SF | DVD | 4½ |
| A tight scientific thriller that makes math exciting! It's a thinker, which has you leave the theater talking about faith vs. science. Well made and acted. | |||
| Crash (1996) | Drama | - | 2 |
| So-called eroticism centering around car crashes and scars. Fairly sickening though it does hold some strange fascination. | |||
| Crash (2005) | Drama | DVD | 4½ |
| An excellent ensemble cast in a study of racial prejudice. Yes, the set-up is a little strained, but the points made are never dull and the characters at once engaging and repulsive. | |||
| Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Fantasy/Hong Kong | DVD | 5 |
| A beautiful, romantic epic like only the Chinese can make them. The martial arts action is incredible, but the characters have so much more depth. The actors are much more than action stars. | |||
| Cube | SF | DVD | 3 |
| A feature-length Twilight Zone episode, really. This Canadian film is very interesting for those who wish to think more deeply about its meaning. | |||
| Cyrano de Bergerac | Comédie/Théâtre | VHS | 5 |
| Very close to the play, Gerard Depardieu really makes the character come to life, with great humor and tragedy. | |||
| Daleks' Invasion of Earth 2150 A.D. | SF | DVD | 2½ |
| One of those Dr. Who movies with Peter Cushing. Not without its charm, but the Daleks make irritating villains. The comedy elements may jar, but not as much as in the first Dalek movie. | |||
| Daredevil (including Director's Cut) | Supers | DVD | 4 |
| A much underrated superhero movie, it's dark and gritty and follows the plots from the comics very well. Good action, with Bullseye being a major draw, but Jennifer Garner's Elektra too. The Director's Cut adds a half-hour that plugs all the plot holes in the original release, but also changes a few key moments to make Daredevil even more of a hardluck hero. Both are recommended separately. | |||
| Dark City | SF/Film Noir | DVD | 4½ |
| Matrix meets film noir, but this is so much more than that. Very original in concept, it's very eerie and rich in atmosphere. Highly recommended. | |||
| Dead Poets Society | Drama | DVD | 4½ |
| A coming of age story that will make you like literature, both funny and sad. No overacting from Robin Williams in this one. | |||
| Deep End, The | Thriller | DVD | 3 |
| Tilda Swinton is very good as a mother trying to cover up her son's crime in this remake, but it's not all that remarkable. A few good, chilling scenes, but the twist is only so-so. | |||
| Desperado | Gangster | DVD | 3½ |
| The sequel to El Mariachi has some great action, a trademark of Rodriguez's style, and makes Selma Hayek sexier than ever. | |||
| Die Hard | Action | VHS | 4½ |
| The most copied formula in action movies starts here with Bruce Willis outgunned by thieves making like they're terrorists. Has not been equaled in the genre, and is still exciting, fun and suspensful to this day. | |||
| Die Hard 2 | Action | - | 3½ |
| A bit too complicated at times, but still a worthy successor to the original film. The stakes are higher this time, and Bruce Willis' role is realistically followed up on. | |||
| Die Hard: With a Vengeance | Action | - | 3 |
| Not a script for Die Hard, and it shows. A good buddy movie with stunts and action, but not really in the Die Hard mold, which does weaken it. | |||
| Doctor Who and the Daleks | SF | DVD | 2½ |
| The first Peter Cushing Dr. Who story, it's not quite as good as the tv series it is based on, though it looks much better. The comedy elements are definitely jarring here. | |||
| Dogma | Comedy/Epic | DVD | 4 |
| A fun and irreverant take on Christian myth, Dogma sometimes goes overboard (Jay and Silent Bob are not to everyone's tastes, for example), but has some unforgettable scenes and real heart. | |||
| Dr. Strangelove | Comedy | VHS | 4 |
| A dark comedy from Kubrick, which is an oddity. Peter Sellers and George C. Scott are really the ones that sell it as a cold war parable, though it's a bit disjointed. | |||
| Dune | SF | VHS | 2½ |
| Though visually arresting, it is largely undecipherable, and does not respect the novel enough for my tastes. Often just gross, I much prefer the television mini-series of the same name. | |||
| Ed Wood | Biopic | DVD | 3½ |
| Johnny Depp captures Hollywood's worst director in loopy fashion, and Tim Burton shoots the picture with those sensibilities to create something with a lot of humor and pathos. | |||
| El Mariachi | Gangster | DVD | 3½ |
| Very cheaply done Mexican film by Robert Rodriguez, it uses its financial limits to create an excitingly edited action film. Recommended, as is the indy film making primer that constitutes its DVD audio commentary. | |||
| Elektra (Director's Cut) | Supers/Kung Fu | DVD | 3½ |
| Don't know about the theatrical release, but the more subtle Director's Cut doesn't deserve its Catwoman-like reputation. It's a relatively quiet character journey with some good martial arts scenes, though it does suffer from annoying kid syndrome. | |||
| 11:14 | Thriller | DVD | 3½ |
| The same few minutes seen from various angles as the truth unwraps itself before your eyes. Great fun. | |||
| Elizabeth | Biopic/Drama | DVD | 3½ |
| Beautifully done historical drama about the title queen. A tour de force performance for Cate Blanchett, with great supporting work from the likes of Geoffrey Rush. | |||
| Empire Strikes Back, The (including Special Edition) | SF | VHS | 4 |
| The best of the Star Wars films because it is dark and ends in favor of the villains, this is Darth Vader's movie. The Special Edition adds some ok material which isn't too intrusive this time. | |||
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | SF/Romance | DVD | 4½ |
| Another uniquely original screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, its central fable becomes very true to life and visually imaginative. Very impressive work from Kate Winslet as well, creating a character that you want to fall in love with. | |||
| eXistenZ | SF | VHS | 3½ |
| A quirky science-fiction tale where you never know what's real. Sometimes hard to follow, and with the usual Cronenberg gross-outs, it's nonetheless an stimulating and creepy adventure. | |||
| Farenheit 451 | SF | DVD | 4 |
| Ray Bradbury's fable about book-burning is slow and dry in spots, but definitely shocks, touches and interests. Its final question is quite beautiful if you are a lover of books. | |||
| Farenheit 9/11 | Documentary | DVD | 5 |
| Michael Moore's controversial take on 9/11 will make you want to impeach the president, or if you're a Bush supporter, go out and shoot Michael Moore. This is a disturbing film with far fewer theatrics and intentional laughs than Moore's earlier films. | |||
| Fargo | Comedy/Thriller | DVD | 4 |
| The Cohen Brothers' most celebrated film captures perfectly the Midwestern/small town feel, and throws a madcap thriller based on human stupidity into the mix. Great performances and direction all around. | |||
| Fifth Element | SF | DVD | 4 |
| The Moebius-like visuals are beautiful, and the story is like no other in SF cinema, but it does rely a bit too much on unnecessary action-star material for Bruce Willis. | |||
| Fight Club | Thriller/Comedy | DVD | 5 |
| Easily in my top 5 films of all time, Fight Club is a ballad to the disenfranchised Generion Xers. Dark and grimy, but poetically visual, the film adds to the novel rather than reducing it to its bare parts. A great postmodern tale. | |||
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Anime/SF | DVD | 3½ |
| With its Japanses Gaea theme, it's anime despite the CGI animation. Beautifully made, with an unusual story, it may be too metaphysical at the end for its more action-oriented beginnings. | |||
| Fist of Legend | Kung Fu | VHS | 3 |
| Jet Li's breakout film, it features excellent true to life martial arts action. Rather standard cinema, but it works. | |||
| Fist of the North Star | Anime | VHS | 2 |
| Ultraviolent slugfest in the anime way. I'm not quite sure what all the hype is supposed to be about. | |||
| Fog of War, The | Documentary | DVD | 4½ |
| Basically a long interview with Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam war, his recollections are vivid, his personality brilliant, and his insights invaluable to the current world crisis. | |||
| From Dusk Til Dawn | Gangster/Horror/Comedy | DVD | 3½ |
| The first part is Tarantino-esque and excellent. The second part is a funny horror movie spoof/hommage. Each film has its moments of greatness, but they don't mesh so easily. | |||
| From Hell | Horror | DVD | 3½ |
| Nowhere near a match for the comic it is based on, it is still interesting and occasionally chilling. | |||
| Gamers, The | Comedy/Fantasy | DVD | 2½ |
| A cheap 1-hour homemade spoof of Dungeons & Dragons. For people who have role-played only, especially since the audio is so amateurish. | |||
| Garden State | Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| At times seeming to be plotless, this is a really surprisingly subtle and beautiful script and directorial debut by Zach Braffs with some hilarious moments and a charming performance by Natalie Portman. Great, great soundtrack too. | |||
| Gattaca | SF | VHS | 3½ |
| A relevant SF tale dealing with genetic improvement of the human race that is also a tense thriller. Well done and moody. | |||
| Getaway, The | Crime | DVD | 4 |
| Steve McQueen is as smoldering as ever and the action relentless and fun. Each character is well drawn and original, and the direction is tops. | |||
| Ghost World | Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| Of a brand of comedy I would call "pathetic", which is not to say it isn't funny, just that you laugh at the characters' pathetism. Excellent examination of suburban dullness and what people do to get out of it. At times surreal, it rewards the patient viewer. | |||
| Goodfellas | Gangster/Biopic | VHS | 4½ |
| Scorese's best film, with tons of classic scenes and all the best mafiosos Hollywood can afford. Very strong. | |||
| Great Escape, The | War | DVD | 3½ |
| A war movie classic, it is quite long and a true story to boot. Despite the length, you're never quite sure who will make it out alive and the various escape plans are quite entertaining. | |||
| Groundhog Day | Romantic Comedy | DVD | 4½ |
| Bill Murray's best comedy, in my opinion, until his later, more mature work. It has a lot of laughs, but also a few tears, and is eminently rewatchable. | |||
| Hamlet (1948) | Shakespeare | DVD | 3½ |
| Laurence Olivier's version has a lot of technical originality for the time, but remains rather stagey, and his own performance lacks energy. | |||
| Hamlet (1990) | Shakespeare | DVD | 3 |
| Mel Gibson's turn in the role has a unique visceral quality, but Zeffirelli has butchered the play, cutting a lot of the subtext from it. A lesser effort, though not without its successes. | |||
| Hamlet (1996) | Shakespeare | DVD | 4½ |
| Kenneth Brannagh's integral Hamlet cuts not a single line, so it's massively long, but keeping all the subtext, turns out to be the best film adaptation of Shakespeare's best play. | |||
| Hamlet (2000) | Shakespeare | DVD | 3½ |
| An interesting experiment in staging Hamlet in the year 2000, with Bill Murray as a particular highlight, but after Romeo+Juliet, it feels like a bit of a stunt. | |||
| Hellboy | Supers/Horror | DVD | 3 |
| A real melting pot of genre concepts, Hellboy has merit, but throws a few too many things at the wall hoping they'll stick. Fairly entertaining, but not enough shines through. | |||
| Henry V | Shakespeare | VHS | 4½ |
| Brannagh's first Shakespeare film is a clear success, taking one of the lesser historicals and making it a rousing epic filled with star-studded talent. | |||
| Hero | Fantasy/Hong Kong | DVD | 4½ |
| A Rashomon-style story in which we see various versions of the same tale, this hardly takes away from the emotional heart of the story. And as can be expected, the martial arts are beautiful. | |||
| House of Flying Daggers | Fantasy/Hong Kong | DVD | 4½ |
| Another beautiful wuxia romance in the style of Crouching Tiger or Hero, but at least as satisfying and no less tragic. These films have not yet managed to repeat themselves. | |||
| Hulk | Supers | DVD | 3½ |
| Flawed by an extra ending (Nick Nolte not being that engaging as a villain), Hulk nonetheless has some great directorial ideas and eye-opening effects. Manages to get at the core of what the Hulk is about. | |||
| Hustler, The | Drama | DVD | 3½ |
| A pool/gambling movie? I'm there! Turns out this is far darker than you'd expect and Paul Newman eats up the screen. | |||
| Importance of Being Earnest, The | Comedy/Theater | DVD | 4 |
| Oscar Wylde's wittiest of plays is given extra life in this movie version, with all the actors doing a spectacular job, in particular, the eminently watchable Reese Witherspoon. | |||
| In the Company of Men | Comedy/Drama | DVD | 4½ |
| An original, but very harsh indie movie that takes no prisoners. Brilliantly executed, and may just create one of the greatest movie villains of all time. | |||
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | Pulp | DVD | 4¼ |
| The series is refereshed by the addition of Sean Connery to the cast, and the look at Indiana's very first dig is fun and relevant. As usual, great action pieces and a thinking man's climax. | |||
| Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Pulp | DVD | 3½ |
| The sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, it has an interesting venue and some good action, but Indiana's sidekicks will annoy you no end whenever they are onscreen, especially the screechy Kate Capshaw. | |||
| Jackie Brown | Gangster | DVD | 4 |
| Slightly quieter than Tarantino's other films, it is nonetheless excellent, with the great return of some ageing 70s movie stars used to great effect, and a tight and witty Elmore Leonard story. | |||
| Jarhead | War | DVD | 4 |
| A war movie without any fighting, it may disappoint those expectations, but is a wonderful look at the frustrations of the Gulf War and how disenfranchised that generation of soldiers was. Totally relevant and masterfully directed and acted. | |||
| Jaws | Horror | DVD | 3½ |
| Jump-out-of-your-seat thriller that has yet to be equaled. Spielberg showed at an early age that he could effectively manipulate an audience, and the screenplay goes beyond the simple tropes of the genre. | |||
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Comedy | DVD | 3 |
| A big, stupid inside joke for anyone who's seen Kevin Smith's other films, and it's worth seeing if you're among that number. | |||
| Jersey Girl | Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| It may seem like a simple comedy, but it has a lot of heart and some terrific acting from Ben Affleck. Don't let the Jennifer Lopez credit deter you, this is not Gigli and she's out early. | |||
| Junior Bonner | Western | DVD | 3 |
| I definitely admire the film for its detailed look at the life of a rodeo star and its emotional realism, but I'm not that interested in rodeos to begin with, so I was waiting for some scenes to just end. | |||
| K-Pax | SF/Drama | DVD | 3½ |
| Kevin Spacey can do no wrong. In addition, Jeff Bridges plays against him beautifully as the psychologist who may or may not believe him when he claims to be from another planet. With an ending that can be interpreted in more than one way, this movie is interesting and uplifting. | |||
| Kafka | Film Noir/SF | VHS | 3 |
| Kafka's life as if he had himself written it. It has its moments of creepy atmosphere, but it ultimately less than satisfying in its resolution. | |||
| Logan's Run | SF | DVD | 3½ |
| A classic from the 70s, it's a must-see example of its type. Somewhat sexy with some twists and reasonable effects. And if you like, unintentionally funny. | |||
| Looking for Richard | Documentary/Shakespeare | VHS | 4½ |
| Al Pacino directs this half-documentary, half-staging of Richard III, and though sometimes self-indulgent, it masterfully captures many question surrounding the play and Shakespeare's relevance in modern times. | |||
| Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings (including Extended Edition) | Fantasy | DVD | 4 |
| All set-up with not that much resolution, the first part of the trilogy is nonetheless visually stunning and a more than worthy adaptation of Tolkien's work. | |||
| Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (including Extended Edition) | Fantasy | DVD | 4½ |
| Better than Fellowship, the battles are spectacular and the Rohan especially well designed. The one flaw is perhaps the longish (or not long enough, if you speak to fans) Treebear sequences. | |||
| Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (including Extended Edition) | Fantasy | DVD | 5 |
| It's finally come into its own. Extremely beautiful and stunning, with everything falling into place, and tears being drawn from your eyes. Makes the entire trilogy a 12-hour must-see. | |||
| Lost in Translation | Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| A quiet little film that puts Bill Murray on a totally new level, with Japan as an unusual backdrop that continually interests and surprised. Beautiful and poetic, especially the ending. | |||
| Made | Comedy/Gangster | DVD | 3 |
| Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn team up for a second time, with the same comedic flair. Peter Falk turns in a fun performance as well. A fun runaround. | |||
| Magnificent Seven, The | Western | DVD | 3 |
| Though full of classic scenes, Yul Brenner and Horst Buchholz stick out like sore thumbs. More than made up for by the rest of the cast though. | |||
| Magnolia | Drama/Arts | DVD | 5 |
| One of my favorite films of all time, the themes, direction, acting and writing all trump the basic obstacle of unsympathetic characters and a loopy fable ending. Love it and its moments of surreal apotheosis. | |||
| Mallrats | Comedy | DVD | 2½ |
| Kevin Smith's bog-standard "stupid" PG-13 comedy, it is the least of his films. Still some good geeky moments, but not enough to warrant a recommendation for non-adepts. | |||
| Man Who Wasn't There, The | Film Noir | DVD | 3 |
| Admirable for its film noir feel and atypical story, but this is one instance where creating a dull character makes the movie dull itself. Takes a particular mindset. | |||
| Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | Naval | DVD | 4½ |
| Excellent epic with a detailed rendering of what a seaman's life was like, with great action and well-developped themes. Totally engrossing despite overrated Russel Crowe's presence. | |||
| Matrix, The | SF | DVD | 4½ |
| The unequaled original, it totally changed the face of modern American cinema, and with good reason. A trippy ride with cool effects and mindboggling action, but also grand ideas. | |||
| Matrix Reloaded, The | SF | DVD | 3 |
| In trying to make the Matrix a multi-media experience, Reloaded comes off as incomplete (you need other sources to fill in the blanks), so it's all effects and action, and the big ideas are rushed and opaque. Still, that highway sequence is great. | |||
| Matrix Revolutions, The | SF | DVD | 4 |
| Underrated because by then special effects were getting relatively standard and half the story takes place outside the Matrix. Nonetheless, the characters all get an ending and plot strands are resolved satisfactorily. Superior to Reloaded as a story. | |||
| Melinda and Melinda | Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| Woody Allen pulls of a charming experiment wherein the same plot is handled in tragedy and comedy terms. Quite amusing and clever. | |||
| Memento | Gangster | DVD | 4 |
| Famous as the movie shown in reverse, it's a very cool idea pulled off amazingly well. You're made to feel like the main character, being as confused as he is through this process. Even rewards rewatching. | |||
| Metropolis | SF | DVD | 4 |
| Fritz Lang's classic film about the oppression of the masses is as strong as people say it is. There is a colored version with a soundtrack by Queen which doesn't detract from the feel of the film at all. | |||
| Metropolis, Osamu Tezuka's | Anime/SF | DVD | 2½ |
| A retelling of Fritz Lang's classic film, it manages to disappoint with its too-cartoony characters and lackluster transposition of robots as the worker class. Not too bad, just ordinary. | |||
| Midwinter's Tale, A | Comedy | VHS | 4 |
| A charming black and white indie from Kenneth Brannagh about lovable losers putting on a production of Hamlet. Hilarious in the same way that This Is Spinal Tap is. | |||
| Minority Report | SF | DVD | 4½ |
| Spielberg's best SF movie in years, it creates a detailed future and uses its Philip K. Dick ideas to great effect. Gripping action and a deeper meaning complete the whole. | |||
| Moby Dick | Drama/Literary | VHS | 2½ |
| Patrick Stewart is of course good as Ahab, but the movie is very badly edited, with intrusive cuts. Also shows how long it takes before you get to the whale. | |||
| Monster's Ball | Drama | DVD | 3½ |
| The unusual relationship between Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry has a psychological depth to it and shows the actors in a fairly brave performance. | |||
| Monty Python and the Holy Grail | Comedy | DVD | 3 |
| The funniest of the Python films by far, it still doesn't beat the tv series in terms of comedy. Many set pieces fall flat, but those that don't become your favorite inside jokes after a single viewing. | |||
| Moulin Rouge | Musical | DVD | 4½ |
| The musical is turned on its head with the use of popular music in new contexts, so if you can stomach the frenetic first 15 minutes, the rest will play itself out as beautiful operatic romance laced with tragedy. | |||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Shakespeare/Comedy | VHS | 5 |
| Another lesser play made great by Brannagh, this comedy has tons of great lines and beautiful performances from a number of actors, including Denzel Washington and the riveting Emma Thompson. | |||
| Mystery Men | Supers/Comedy | DVD | 3 |
| A fun superhero spoof that is a bit too dark for its own good at times, with some fart jokes that could have been cut. The characters are charming enough for a recommendation however. | |||
| Naked Lunch | SF/Arts | DVD | 3 |
| The task of adapting Naked Lunch to the screen would not have been an easy one, but it works. Still, it's often gross and dissengaging. The originality of content alone should attract more literate viewers. | |||
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion | Anime/SF | DVD | 4½ |
| Bringing the tv series to a (second) end, it manages to ask a lot more questions than it answers them, but seen with the series, resonates for a long time. | |||
| Never So Few | War | DVD | 2 |
| Witty script, but stagey direction weighs down this war movie, which is more of a romance than an action picture. Frank Sinatra is a bit of a stiff, but the supporting performances of McQueen and Bronson shine (when they are actually on screen). | |||
| Nightmare Before Christmas, The | Animated | DVD | 4 |
| Great claymation, great songs, this really should have become more of a holiday favorite than it seems to have become. | |||
| O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Comedy | DVD | 3½ |
| A cheeky and stylish retelling of the Odyssey, it's not exactly James Joyce, but it's damn funny at times and inventive from top to bottom. | |||
| Once Upon a Time in Mexico | Action | DVD | 3½ |
| The Mariachi returns for a third film, and this time, the story's a bit more outlandish, but the action and music more than make up for the oddities. Johnny Depp's character has a large and intriguing role as well. | |||
| Once Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Drama | DVD | 4 |
| Rightfully a classic, Jack Nicholson turns in a great performance as do the riveting Brad Dourif and Louise Fletcher. | |||
| Othello | Shakespeare | VHS | 4½ |
| A bit long, still remains an excellent adaptation of this powerful play, with Kenneth Brannagh being a brilliant Iago. | |||
| Panic Room | Thriller | DVD | 3½ |
| A fairly standard thriller from David Fincher, but the direction has a lot of flair and the characters are multi-layered, even what could have been cookie-cutter hoodlums. | |||
| Papillon | Crime | DVD | 3 |
| Another true story of prison escape starring Steve McQueen, it's worthy of its subject matter, though it does seem to go on for a long time. | |||
| Pi | Thriller/Arts | DVD | 3½ |
| A strange black and white thriller about mathematics, it has a real sense of paranoia and manages to be quite shocking and though-provoking. | |||
| Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Swashbucklers | DVD | 3 |
| A half-hour too long, Pirates is a fun romp with a uniquely fun performance from Johnny Depp, but does tend to be flighty at times, especially when the pretty boys and girls or the zombies are on screen. | |||
| Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest | Swashbucklers | - | 1½ |
| Overlong with hardly any plot to hold it together, an uncomfortable mix of gore and cartoonish action, and to top it off, there's no resolution to any plot strand. A big set-up to a third film, but no real incentive to come back. | |||
| Plan 9 From Outer Space | Bad SF | VHS | 3 |
| So bad it's good kind of deal. Ed Wood's terrible "best" movie has plenty of unintentional laughs and isn't too long, but there are longueurs. | |||
| Pollock | Biopic | DVD | 3½ |
| Excellent performances bring the 1950s-60s art scene to life wonderfully, though some may find it rather slow and quiet at times. As true stories sometimes tend to be. | |||
| Primer | Indy/SF | DVD | 3½ |
| A time travel story made for a handful of dollars, it's sometimes mystifying, but always interesting. Definitely rewards the repeat viewer trying to make sense of the various time jumps. | |||
| Princess Bride, The | Fantasy/Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| A somewhat silly fantasy film, it has some great kickass moments, but is also sensitive enough to touch your heart. Great comedic performances throughout. | |||
| Princess Mononoke | Anime/Fantasy | VHS | 4½ |
| Miyazaki's best film for my money, the clash of technology and spirituality is well captured and exciting, with some disturbing demons and engaging heroes. | |||
| Professional, The | Anime/Gangster | VHS | 2½ |
| An only so-so anime about a hitman. Some memorable moments, but not a memorable movie. | |||
| Pulp Fiction | Gangster | DVD | 4½ |
| Tarantino's best script, it's a story of redemption like no other, where every single scene is a quotable classic. And can anyone fault the music in this? | |||
| Punch-Drunk Love | Romantic comedy/Arts | DVD | 3½ |
| What if you made an Adam Sandler comedy with an artfilm sensibility? You'd get this strangely touching "pathetic" comedy. It has some weird touches that are hard to explain which could lead to frustration. I can only imagine those going to see it expecting another Little Nicky. | |||
| Punisher, The | Supers/Action | DVD | 4 |
| Perhaps because of the dark comedy and gritty violence, I don't think the film got its due as a really well made action movie. What Vice City would look like if put to film. | |||
| Quest for Fire | Cavemen | DVD | 3 |
| No one speaks in this fairly realistic caveman picture, and yet, it's totally engrossing. | |||
| Quiet Earth, The | SF | DVD | 3 |
| A strange Australian film in which almost everyone on Earth disappears mysteriously. Eerie and captivating, though the end may disappoint. | |||
| Quills | Drama/Literary | DVD | 4 |
| Kate Winslet's life is touched by the Marquis de Sade, and it's not particularly creepy, though tragic. An inventive historical drama where the de Sade's work creates a tone for the story. | |||
| Raiders of the Lost Ark | Pulp | DVD | 4 |
| The first Indiana Jones movie may still be the best, or at least has the best female lead and the most classic moments. If you only see one, this is it. | |||
| Reservoir Dogs | Gangster | DVD | 4 |
| Tarantino's directorial debut is about perdition, mirroring Pulp Fiction's later redemptive theme. A lot more talky, but always great, with laughs and shocks along the way. | |||
| Return of the Jedi (including Special Edition) | SF | VHS | 3½ |
| A lot of fun and the Ewoks are not as grating as you remember, with the story coming to a satifying close and the cliffhanger from the previous film well resolved. The Special Edition adds some fluff and changes some music. No need for it. | |||
| Richard III | Shakespeare | VHS | 3 |
| A World War I version of the play, it leaves me cold despite the presence of Sir Ian McKellan in the title role. Other performances are less engaging, but the stageing is at least interesting. | |||
| Ride the High Country | Western | DVD | 4 |
| In some ways a typical western, in others spins the conventions in new and interesting ways, with real sadness, great dialogue and a charming role for Mariette Hartley. | |||
| Roger & Me | Documentary | DVD | 3½ |
| Michael Moore's first documentary about corporate greed is a lot more stunt-ridden and cheeky than later efforts, so it's not quite on Columbine's level, but still full of both fun and real-life drama. | |||
| Romeo and Juliet | Shakespeare | VHS | 3½ |
| Zeffirelli's classic take is still relevant today. It's sexy, and it's sad, and well played by all concerned. It does cut a crucial line from the play however, but this is me being my armchair Shakespeare scholar here. | |||
| Romeo + Juliet | Shakespeare | DVD | 2½ |
| The modern take on Shakespeare's play works, but the two main characters' casting doesn't. Or perhaps their motivations cannot be sold in a modern context. That is the fatal flaw that fails this otherwise interesting and appealing experiment. | |||
| Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead | Comedy | DVD | 4 |
| A brilliant play well adapted to the screen with fascinating new touches. Despite some slowness and silly slapstick, true wit cannot help but shine through. | |||
| Russian Ark | Indy | DVD | 3½ |
| The whole of Russian history in ONE SINGLE SHOT, NO CUTS, NO TRICKS. Technically magical and makes you think, but it may not be for you. It's very slow and strange. Working knowledge of Russian history is also helpful. But recommended for cinema lovers. | |||
| Se7en | Police Thriller | DVD | 4 |
| This very dark police drama has a lot of psychological value up and above the shocking elements, and the performances are flawless. Bit depressing though. | |||
| Sex, Lies and Videotape | Drama | DVD | 4 |
| A lovely independent film with sex as a central point without it ever becoming exploitation and beautifully rich performances from all four main stars. | |||
| Sexy Beast | Gangster | DVD | 4½ |
| Ben Kingsley offers up one of the nastiest villains in cinema history, but the rest of the cast is equally excellent in what could have been a very ordinary heist movie in other circumstances. Touches of poetry and great direction. Warning on the opaque accents though. | |||
| Shakespeare in Love | Romantic Comedy/Biopic | DVD | 5 |
| The possible life and loves of Shakespeare as he writes Romeo and Juliet is what made me appreciate that play! Incredibly witty, detailed and allusive, like the best of the Bard's own work. A true and touching winner. | |||
| Sideways | Comedy | DVD | 4½ |
| A great comedy that surpasses expectations. You will learn to love wine and it's a crime Paul Giamatti didn't get an Oscar nomination for this. | |||
| Signs | SF/Thriller | DVD | 4 |
| Maligned for lack of a good "twist", this is missing the point about this film. It's a take on War of the Worlds, but seen from the little man's perspective. As such, it works beautifully, with some genuine scares and yes, a perhaps daft reveal at the end. | |||
| Sin City | Gangster/Comic book | DVD | 4 |
| Looks just like the comic, and like no other film you've ever seen. This is both a strength and a weakness. Definitely a feast for the eyes, it doesn't really bring much to those who read the comic. | |||
| Sixth Sense, The | Horror | DVD | 4½ |
| Rich horror tale that is still watchable even if you somehow learn about the twist before hand. Bruce Willis shows that he can be something other than an action hero here. | |||
| Snatch | Gangster | DVD | 3 |
| Tarantino-esque effort that is way too frenetic for its own good. It shows off at every turn, and despite some great music and funky performances that you will want to carry with you always, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. | |||
| Spartan | Thriller | DVD | 4 |
| A detailed black ops procedural, it gives nothing away through unnecessary exposition and lets you live in that world. As with other David Mammet scripts, it's incredibly well written. | |||
| Spider-Man | Supers | DVD | 4½ |
| A great start to the Spider-Man saga, creating an utterly believable world, and some charming characters. | |||
| Spider-Man 2 | Supers | DVD | 5 |
| The Spider-Man sequel is better than the original despite the silly science because it sticks to a very solid theme. Great emotional depth adds to the now-finetuned effects. | |||
| Spirited Away | Anime/Fantasy | DVD | 4 |