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7 years Ago

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.16

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Promised Land (2012) — 9/10
Matt Damon and Frances McDormand are fracking-company representatives, combing the... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.15

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

The Hateful Eight (2015) — 8/10
Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russel are two bounty hunters who meet on a road in... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.14

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of almost 1200 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV. Also, I make no attempt to avoid spoilers.

Prizzi’s Honor (1985) — 6/10
Anjelica Huston, Jack Nicholson and... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.13

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of almost 1200 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV. Also, I make no attempt to avoid spoilers.

Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60 (2016) — 5/10
Carvey still... [More]

8 years Ago

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.11

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

The Smashing Machine (2002) — 5/10
This is a documentary about MMA legend Mark Kerr. I was immediately... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.10

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of almost 1100 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Auf der anderen Seite (2007) — 8/10
This starts the story with a Turkish widower Ali, who lives in Germany.... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.9

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Bullitt (1968) — 6/10
Steve McQueen and Jaqueline Bisset star in this at-first groovy movie with a kickin’... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.7

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) — 7/10
Oh my God. Every. Damned Chamber. They skipped a couple, but it... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.8

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Last Tango in Paris (1972) — 7/10
It’s Paris in the 1970s. A young woman passes an older man on a bridge,... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.6

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) — 6/10
This is a documentary about Scientology,... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.5

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) — 7/10
This is a slow—some might say well-paced—and careful introduction... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.4

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Stalker (1979) — 9/10
Tarkovsky sets the mood without CGI, without effects, with a simple camera and the... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.3

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Trophy Kids (2013) — 6/10
This is a documentary about the middle- to upper-class youth sports scene in the... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.2

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

L’Arcano Incantatore (1996) — 7/10
This is an Italian horror movie, steeped in Catholic myth and church... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2016.1

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Men Behind the Sun (1988) — 3/10
This is the story of a Japanese biological-weapons experimental camp/base.... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.9

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Dead Calm (1989) — 5/10
Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill star as couple who’ve lost their child in a car crash that... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.8

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) — 6/10
Willem Dafoe is Jesus, Barbara Hershey Mary Magdalene and Harvey... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.7

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Police Story 3: Supercop (1996) — 6/10
This is a decent farce action/adventure through several countries with... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.6

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

Everest (2015) — 7/10
Kath and I went to see this in an actual theatre, complete with 3D glasses and... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.5

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie. These ratings are not absolutely comparable to each other—I rate the film on how well it suited me for the genre and my mood. YMMV.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) — 7/10
This is the slasher film that redefined what it meant to be a... [More]

9 years Ago

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.4

Published by marco on

These are my notes to remember what I watched and kinda what I thought about it. I’ve recently transferred my reviews to IMDb and made the list of over 900 ratings publicly available. I’ve included the individual ratings with my notes for each movie.

Citizenfour (2014) — 8/10
This is Laura Poitras’s Academy Award-winning documentary about the events surrounding Edward Snowden’s revelations and release of the documentation that proves that the United States and its NSA has been and continues... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.3

Published by marco on

Scanners (1981) — 6/10
This is a David Cronenberg movie about very special people who can control other people’s minds with their own. The movie is very much of its time—it is basically an action-adventure story of conflicting mind-control factions. The pacing is quite slow by today’s standards, but the story is pretty interesting—even if the parts involving computers are laughable. Also, about a quarter of the movie is taken up with people squinting and sweating at each other, trying to... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.2

Published by marco on

The Unborn (2009) — 5/10
This is a decent horror-film concept wrapped in a movie with terrible dialogue and acting. The main character is a nearly impossibly thin and tall young lady of indeterminate age. She and her friends are uniformly vapid, dim, anorexic, entitled, rich (look at their houses!) and bitchy. It nearly goes without saying that no-one is funny. I watched half an hour, during which my attention drifted. I was brought back by the movie breaking the “show don’t tell” rule in... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2015.1

Published by marco on

Bill Burr: I’m Sorry You Feel That Way (2014) — 10/10

I just saw this. I’m still in pain. That was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life.

Filmed in black and white. And the title is just perfect. He doesn’t say the title, but you can hear him saying it.

Religion, racism, adoption, helicopters, euthanasia, what else?

He hit 55 minutes and could have walked off on that joke. It was brilliant. Beautiful build-up. Perfect ending. Just drop the mic and walk off.

Not Bill.... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2014.7

Published by marco on

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) — 6/10
An F. Scott Fitzgerald story directed by David Fincher and starring Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt and Julia Ormond sounded great on paper. It was a good movie, although at 2:45 a bit long, with many interleaving vignettes and stories from the lead character’s life. Benjamin Button is a man who was born old and lives his life backward. The filming and plot reminded me of Forrest Gump with Pitt playing Gump and Blanchett playing “Jenny”. Pitt even... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2014.6

Published by marco on

Lee Camp: We Are Nothing (2014)
Lee is a pull-no-punches political comedian who started with his A Moment of Clarity podcast. This eventually expanded to a longer format, then moved to YouTube as a multi-episode and community-sponsored video series. He’s since been picked up for his own show on RT, called Redacted Tonight. In this standup special, he started out with his weakest material, but warmed up quickly to much better and stronger material, which he delivered with his typically honest... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2014.5

Published by marco on

Man of Steel (2013) — 5/10
This movie starts off super-strong with a council meeting on Krypton. It’s exciting because they filmed it with a shaky cam. It moves on to Russell Crowe as Jor-El (Superman’s father) steal “the codex”—half a skull that kinda lights up?—engage in meaningless heroics in a chamber that looks ripped right out of the Matrix’s breeding chambers, but without the menace or back-story. There’s little back-story or character development at all to make you care about who... [More]

10 years Ago

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2014.4

Published by marco on

He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) — 3/10
A star-studded cast can’t save this utterly derivative and cliché script. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Scarlet Johannson, Justin Long, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck. And Busy Phillips—of Freaks and Geeks fame—had a small role. This movie purports to dispel the myths of dating, marriage and male/female relationships. Though it may appear to do so superficially—at least it very clearly tells you that it... [More]

Movie recommendations #1

Published by marco on

I’ve been asked for movie recommendations often enough of late that I thought I’d put together a bit of a summary of the mini-reviews I’ve made over the years.

The following list is not comprehensive nor does it necessarily comprise my favorite movies, though many favorites are here. I made the list with a particular couple of friends in mind and tailored it to include the movies I thought they might find interesting but had most likely not heard of or hadn’t yet seen. I also only chose movies... [More]

Capsule Movie Reviews Vol.2014.3

Published by marco on

Gravity (2013) — 6/10
I can only say what I thought of this movie based on the way that I saw it: in HD on a conventional screen at home. I can imagine that the experience was very different in 3D and on a giant screen with a kick-ass sound system. The only downside I can think of is that if the sound-leveling was the same in the theater, it would have been an ear-blistering experience. If you set the volume high enough to hear the occasional radio whispers, many other parts of the movie... [More]