1. Police Story 3: Supercop (1996) — 6/10
2. Dieter Nuhr – Ich bin’s Nuhr (2005) — 6/10
3. R100 (2013) — 6/10
4. Chinatown (1974) — 8/10
5. Lawless (2012) — 8/10
6. Apocalypto (2006) — 7/10
7. Stalag 17 (1953) — 6/10
8. Memento (2000) — 10/10
9. The Wind Rises (2013) — 8/10
10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) — 10/10
11. El Topo (1970) — 4/10
12. Zack Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (2006) — 7/10
13. Joy Ride (2001) — 5/10
14. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) — 6/10... [More]

1. Everest (2015) — 7/10
2. The Martian (2015) — 9/10
3. Fargo S01 (2014) — 8/10
4. The Theory of Everything (2014) — 7/10
5. Narcos S01 (2015) — 7/10
6. Kill the Messenger (2014) — 7/10
7. Man of the Year (2006) — 6/10
8. Grudge Match (2013) — 6/10
9. Bad Neighbours (2014) — 7/10
10. Gone Girl (2014) — 7/10
11. Jurassic World (2015) — 6/10
12. John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid (2015) — 8/10
13. Anthony Jeselnik: My Thoughts and Prayers (2015) — 7/10
14. Doom (2005) — 5/10
15. The Hunger... [More]

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) — 7/10
2. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt S01 (2015) — 8/10
3. Vehicle 19 (2013) — 6/10
4. Trainspotting (1996) — 8/10
5. Grace and Frankie S01 (2015) — 6/10
6. Daredevil S01 (2015) — 9/10
7. Psycho (1960) — 8/10
8. Side by Side (2012) — 8/10
9. Snatch (2000) — 8/10
10. We’re the Millers (2013) — 6/10
11. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) — 7/10
12. Lincoln (2012) — 7/10
13. Rush (2013) — 7/10
14. Hamlet (2000) — 7/10
15. Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986) — 7/10
16. Kevin Hart: Seriously... [More]

1. Citizenfour (2014) — 8/10
2. Red Army (2014) — 8/10
3. Merchants of Doubt (2014) — 6/10
4. Weird Science (1985) — 6/10
5. Seven Psychopaths (2012) — 6/10
6. Serenity (2005) — 6/10
7. Iron Man 3 (2013) — 6/10
8. The Station Agent (2003) — 8/10
9. Fast and Furious 6 (2013) — 7/10
10. Stone (2010) — 6/10
11. Wet Hot American Summer (2001) — 5/10
12. Warm Bodies (2013) — 7/10
13. Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn (2014) — 6/10
14. Trainwreck (2015) — 8/10
15. I Spy (2002) — 3/10
16. Aziz Ansari Live in Madison Square Garden (2014)... [More]

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]

1. The Unborn (2009) — 5/10
2. Shopgirl (2005) — 6/10
3. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) — 6/10
4. America’s Sweethearts (2001) — 5/10
5. The Raid 2 (2014) — 8/10
6. Hitman (2007) — 6/10
7. Treme – Seasons 1 & 2 (2010) — 10/10
8. Broken City (2013) — 6/10
9. The Green Hornet (2011) — 4/10
10. Jennifer’s Body (2009) — 4/10
11. Kinky Boots (2005) — 7/10
12. The Battle of Algiers (1966) — 8/10
13. Jacob’s Ladder (1990) — 8/10
14. Shogun Assassin (1980) — 3/10
15. Melinda and Melinda (2004) — 6/10
16. John Wick (2014)... [More]

1. Bill Burr: I’m Sorry You Feel That Way (2014) — 10/10
2. Killer Joe (2011) — 7/10
3. Bringing Out the Dead (1999) — 8/10
4. Transcendence (2014) — 6/10
5. They Live! (1988) — 8/10
6. I Spit on Your Grave (1978) — 4/10
7. In the Mouth of Madness (1994) — 7/10
8. The Devils (1971) — 9/10
9. The Secret Of Nikola Tesla (1980) — 7/10
10. L’Artiste (2011) — 9/10
11. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) — 7/10
12. Fast & Furious AKA Fast and Furious 4 (2009) — 6/10

Bill Burr: I’m Sorry You Feel That Way (2014)... [More]

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) — 6/10
2. 50/50 (2011) — 7/10
3. The Graduate (1967) — 6/10
4. Red Dragon (2002) — 8/10
5. The Final Cut (2004) — 6/10
6. The Hundred-foot Journey (2014) — 7/10
7. Magic in the Moonlight (2014) — 7/10
8. American Graffiti (1973) — 5/10
9. Enter the Void (2009) — 6/10
10. Lucy (2014) — 6/10
11. Big Night (1996) — 8/10
12. Freeway (1996) — 4/10
13. One Hour Photo (2002) — 7/10
14. The Bank Job (2008) — 6/10
15. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) — 8/10
16. Happy People – A... [More]

1. Lee Camp: We Are Nothing (2014)
2. Godzilla (2014) — 6/10
3. Game Change (2012) — 7/10
4. The Hunger Games (2012) — 8/10
5. Central do Brasil (1998) — 6/10
6. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) — 6/10
7. Babylon A.D. (2008) — 6/10
8. Immortals (2011) — 5/10
9. Man on a Ledge (2012) — 5/10
10. Last Night (1998) — 6/10
11. 12:01 (1993) — 4/10
12. Bronson (2008) — 7/10
13. Spring Breakers (2012) — 5/10
14. Waydowntown (2000) — 5/10
15. Greg Proops: Live at Musso & Frank (2014) — 9/10
16. Die... [More]

1. Man of Steel (2013) — 5/10
2. The Birdcage (1996) — 6/10
3. Bad Words (2013) — 8/10
4. The Other Woman (2014) — 3/10
5. Life of Pi (2013) — 8/10
6. The Cold Light of Day (2012) — 4/10
7. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) — 5/10
8. The Wire (Season 5) (2008) — 10/10
9. True Detective (2014) — 10/10
10. Kingpin (1996) — 6/10
11. Interstellar (2014) — 9/10
12. X–Men: Days of Future Past (2014) — 6/10
13. Joe Dirt (2001) — 5/10
14. Barbarians at the Gate (1993) — 5/10
15. Battle of... [More]

1. He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) — 3/10
2. Brother (2000) — 8/10
3. Sexy Beast (2000) — 8/10
4. Frozen (2103) — 5/10
5. The Waterboy (1998) — 6/10
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) — 8/10
7. The Jungle Book (1967) — 8/10
8. Ponyo (2008) — 7/10
9. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) — 7/10
10. Walk of Shame (2014) — 5/10
11. Prisoners (2013) — 8/10
12. The Lego Movie (2014) — 4/10
13. Big Night (1996) — 8/10
14. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) — 8/10
15. My Cousin Vinny (1992) — 8/10
16. District B13 (2004) (fr) — 6/10... [More]

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]

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]

1. The Thin Red Line (1998) — 7/10
2. Inception (2010) — 9/10
3. To Rome with Love (2012) — 8/10
4. Ravenous (1999) — 6/10
5. Repo Men (2009) — 8/10
6. Dead Ringers (1988) — 8/10
7. Margin Call (2011) — 7/10
8. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) — 6/10
9. The Ghost (aka The Ghost Writer) (2010) — 7/10
10. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2006) — 6/10
11. The Brood (1979) — 5/10
12. Bedazzled (2000) — 5/10
13. Adaptation (2002) — 9/10
14. Thor: the Dark World (2013) — 7/10
15. Riddick (2013) — 7/10
16. Ender’s Game (2013) — 7/10
17. Escape Plan... [More]

1. The Thing (1982) — 8/10
2. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) — 8/10
3. To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) — 4/10
4. Memories of Murder (2003) — 10/10
5. True Legend (2010) — 6/10
6. The Grey (2011) — 5/10
7. Jack Reacher (2012) — 8/10
8. Hotel Rwanda (2004) — 8/10
9. The Lookout (2007) — 8/10
10. Renaissance (2006) — 8/10
11. Dara Ó Briain Talks Funny – Live in London (2008) — 10/10
12. Despicable Me 2 (2013) — 7/10
13. Dara Ó Briain – Live at the Theatre Royal... [More]

1. Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005) — 6/10
2. eXistenZ (1999) — 9/10
3. Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) — 6/10
4. The Wobblies (1979) — 8/10
5. The Last Mountain (2011) — 8/10
6. Kill the Irishman (2011) — 8/10
7. XIII − The Conspiracy (2008) — 3/10
8. Defamation (2009) — 9/10
9. Mark of Cain (2001) — 9/10
10. Entre les Murs (2008) — 9/10
11. Redemption (2013) — 7/10
12. William S. Burroughs – A Man Within (2010) — 5/10
13. I Am Bruce Lee (2012) — 7/10
14. A Carol for Another Christmas... [More]

1. Rampart (2011) — 7/10
2. World War Z (2013) — 7/10
3. Hesher (2010) — 9/10
4. Sleep Dealer (2008) — 7/10
5. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001) — 8/10
6. Looper (2012) — 7/10
7. Checkpoint: Everyday Life in Palestine (2003) — 7/10
8. Human Resources (2011) — 8/10
9. Oblivion (2013) — 8/10
10. Gift – Jane’s Addiction (1993) — 4/10
11. Nothing like the Holidays (2008) — 6/10
12. Garden State (2004) — 7/10
13. Limitless (2011) — 7/10
14. Pacific Rim (2013) — 9/10
15. The Central Park Five (2013) — 8/10
16. Ghost... [More]

1. The Conspiracy Files: 9/11 the Third Tower (2008) — 6/10
2. The Name of the Rose (1986) — 7/10
3. Django Unchained (2012) — 8/10
4. The Power Principle (parts I, II and III) (2012) — 8/10
5. Bag of Bones (2012) — 7/10
6. Legend (1985) — 7/10
7. Van Helsing (2004) — 5/10
8. League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis (2013) — 7/10
9. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) — 5/10
10. 28 Weeks Later (2007) — 5/10
11. Whiteout (2009) — 5/10
12. Gary Gulman: No Can Defend (2012) — 6/10
13. Insomnia (2002) — 7/10... [More]

1. Jewel of the Nile (1985) — 5/10
2. Snakes on a Plane (2006) — 4/10
3. Devil (2010) — 4/10
4. Veep (2012/13) — 10/10
5. Freaks and Geeks (1999) — 9/10
6. Escape from New York (1981) — 7/10
7. Under the Dome (2013) — 6/10
8. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012/2013) — 8/10
9. The International (2009) — 7/10
10. Raging Bull (1980) — 7/10
11. Red (2010) — 8/10
12. The Mechanic (2011) — 8/10
13. Apocalypse Now (1979) — 9/10
14. Natural Born Killers (1994) — 9/10
15. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) — 3/10
16. Sunshine... [More]

Argo (2012) — 6/10

Ben Affleck directs and stars alongside John Goodman, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and Zeljko Ivanek in this movie about the CIA pretending to make a movie in order to smuggle US-embassy employees out of Iran during the hostage crisis. The cast is good and the idea isn’t bad but the execution is a bit slow, especially in the second act, where I felt that they didn’t sustain the suspense well at all. The direction and cinematography were quite good, but not exceptional for... [More]

1. Alien (1979) — 9/10
2. Hancock (2008) — 7/10
3. Daybreakers (2009) — 6/10
4. God Bless America (2011) — 5/10
5. The Cannonball Run (1981) — 6/10
6. Cannonball Run II (1984) — 3/10
7. Friends with Benefits (2011) — 8/10
8. Run, Fatboy, Run (2007) — 7/10

Alien (1979) — 9/10

The classic film, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), John Hurt and Tom Skerritt. It documents the journey of a commercial deep-space mining ship on its way to investigate an... [More]

X-Men: First Class (2004) — 9/10

Possibly the best of all of the X-Men movies so far, with Jean Grey coming from the dead as Phoenix and fighting with Professor X himself for supremacy. They took out Magneto—made him human—and man was I rooting for the Phoenix to make a clean slate of things at the end. Mainstream movies always cop out when it comes to destroying the world, though. Still recommended, though, and highly recommended for fans of comic-book movies.

Kill Bill Vol. I (2003)... [More]

1. Blade: Trinity (2004) — 7/10
2. The Prestige (2006) — 10/10
3. Skyfall (2012) — 6/10
4. Flight (2012) — 8/10
5. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States (S01E09) (2012) — 10/10
6. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States (S01E10) (2012) — 10/10
7. The Bourne Legacy (2012) — 7/10
8. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States (S01E08) (2012) — 10/10
9. Ghost Rider (2007) — 5/10
10. The Big Lebowski (1998) — 10/10

Blade: Trinity (2004) — 7/10

Wesley Snipes stars as the... [More]

Tangled (2010) — 5/10

Disney’s take on the story of Rapunzel, done in modern, 3d-animated style. The characters are unsurprising: there’s a beautiful virginal girl who sings, a young handsome rogue who sings and an evil old witch. The story is only tangentially related to the original Grimm’s fairy tale: in the original, the witch was initially the wronged party; in the Disney version, there’s no gray area and the witch is evil from the start. There were no real star voices and only a... [More]

Manufactured Landscapes (2006) — 9/10

This is a documentary about manufacturing—mostly in China—about the world that humanity creates for itself and about the lives that people live in this world. The film starts with a long, slow pan along a factory floor that seems to last for kilometers. It is equal parts horrifying to think of how people can live and work in places like this and awe-inspiring to think what gigantic structures man has created. The documentary also acknowledges its own... [More]

1. Joe vs. the Volcano (1990) — 8/10
2. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States S01E03 (2012) — 10/10
3. Crude (2009) — 8/10
4. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States S01E04 (2012) — 10/10
5. A Very Harold And Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) — 6/10
6. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) — 8/10
7. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States S01E05 (2012) — 10/10
8. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States S01E06 (2012) — 10/10
9. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo... [More]

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009/se) — 8/10
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) — 6/10
3. Paprika (2006) — 9/10
4. Your Highness (2011) — 2/10
5. Into Eternity: A Film for the Future (2010) — 7/10
6. Waiting for Armageddon (2009) — 8/10
7. C.S.A. – The Confederate States of America (2004) — 8/10
8. Casino Jack (2010) — 6/10
9. The Expendables 2 (2012) — 7/10
10. Get Shorty (1995) — 8/10
11. Battleship (2012) — 4/10
12. Ted (2012) — 8/10
13. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)... [More]

1. Johnny English Reborn (2011) — 8/10
2. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) — 9/10
3. Platoon (1986) — 9/10
4. Midnight Express (1978) — 6/10
5. John Carter (2012) — 8/10
6. The Pruitt-Igoe Myth (2011) — 8/10
7. Paul (2011) — 7/10
8. The African Queen (1951) — 6/10
9. Culture in Decline – Episodes 1-3 (2012) — 8/10
10. The Dictator (2012) — 6/10
11. In Time (2011) — 8/10
12. Killer at Large (2008) — 9/10
13. The Campaign (2012) — 7/10

Johnny English Reborn (2011) — 8/10

A surprisingly amusing and... [More]

1. Crank (2006) — 6/10
2. Crank: High Voltage (2009) — 5/10
3. Hudson Hawk (1991) — 6/10
4. Franklyn (2008) — 6/10
5. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) — 7/10
6. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) — 5/10
7. Casa de mi Padre (2012) — 5/10
8. Green Lantern (2011) — 5/10
9. I Am Comic (2010) — 6/10
10. Aliens (1986) — 8/10
11. 2081 (2009) — 7/10
12. Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States E01 (2012) — 10/10
13. Prometheus (2012) — 7/10
14. Tower Heist (2011) — 7/10
15. Nosferatu, eine... [More]

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) — 5/10

This sequel, worse than the original, is, on top of it all, showing its age. This time, Max cynically helps a settlement try to get petrol while the forces of Humungus (the evil, Bane-like leader of the marauders) try to destroy them and steal all of their supplies. Everything is very post-apocalyptic and the final half of the film is an interminable truck chase across the Australian wastelands. Not really recommended; watch the first one instead.... [More]