tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33152138793193622642012-02-09T19:19:59.606-05:00A DVD review weblog so you know what to watch when cable lets you down.Alannoreply@blogger.comBlogger6661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-58582574735329539892011-06-27T21:35:00.001-04:002011-06-27T21:35:49.536-04:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Pt. 1) will be the last new post I put up on this blog, as it was the last movie to be fed here from Let's All Go to the Lobby, which I'll be deleting at some point in the next few weeks.  I'm going to keep this one alive for archive purposes, but my efforts are going to be primarily centered on my newest blog, The Great Movie Project.  You can also find

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-50174294246078124232011-06-27T21:33:00.002-04:002011-06-27T21:33:47.025-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 38 min. Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi. Release Date: Nov 06, 2009. SOME SPOILAGE. Spooky and captivating, but completely devastated by its "reality" premise. The Good: The movie, which is based enough on a real series of events in Nome, Alaska to attempt to explain the cause, has some significantly creepy moments. There are more parts of the movie guaranteed to make

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-38285779540419842812011-06-27T21:32:00.002-04:002011-06-27T21:32:29.896-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr.  Directed by: Brian Baugh .  Release Date: Jan 22, 2010. Touching and powerful, this is a whole movie dedicated to the havoc a single event can bring to someone's life. The Good: I have to be honest. I picked this movie as a way to fill in the time between Legion and Book of Eli. I'd never heard anything

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-15463040542500438082011-06-27T21:31:00.001-04:002011-06-27T21:31:18.246-04:00

PG-13, 2 hrs. 20 min. Directed by: Ron Howard. Release Date: May 15, 2009. An improvement from The Da Vinci Code, but not enough of an improvement to make this even an okay adaptation from the Dan Brown novels. Fans of the Dan Brown novels won't be disappointed with the mechanics: the pseudo-history, the discussion of the symbology of every day items, the running against the clock to

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-87518169404221559682011-06-27T21:29:00.002-04:002011-06-27T21:29:31.148-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min. Directed by: Harold Ramis. Release Date: Jun 19, 2009. This uninspired attempt at a comedic farce of semi-Biblical history has proven to me that I no longer need to sit through Jack Black movies in the theater. After watching this, I'm coining the word "fawful" in the same way that someone coined the word "fugly" a long time ago. There was absolutely nothing of

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-28048178389326276912011-06-27T21:27:00.002-04:002011-06-27T21:27:37.215-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 58 min.  Directed by: Kevin Macdonald. Release Date: Apr 17, 2009. Slow-starting, but convincing political potboiler pulls out all the stops. The acting, particularly in the case of Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, and Ben Affleck was brilliant. [Editor's Note: Will deny all knowledge of claiming Ben Affleck didn't suck his way through a movie if called on this at some later

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-25492963110902996812011-06-27T21:25:00.002-04:002011-06-27T21:25:53.776-04:00

G, 1 hr. 30 min.  Directed by: Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield. Release Date: Apr 22, 2009. This is simply some of the most amazing nature footage I've ever seen, although at the end of the day, this is not unlike the standard nature shows you might see on Animal Planet. There are a few things that make earth stand apart: (1) Orbital shots of the planet (or really, really smooth

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-84088024772098826982011-06-27T21:23:00.001-04:002011-06-27T21:23:40.393-04:00

R, 1 hr. 37 min. Directed by: Samuel Bayer. Release Date: Apr 30, 2010.   Almost the mirror image of its namesakes; an interesting, but not necessarily scary, variant on the infamous story and characters. The Good: I should preface this by saying that I didn't grow up with these classic 80s slasher flicks as part of my repertoire. While I had seen Friday the 13th and other random

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-12381760357475190512011-04-09T03:20:00.003-04:002011-06-18T09:56:50.769-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr. 30 min. Directed by: David Yates. Release Date: November 19, 2010.  The sorcerers at Warner Brothers need to stop taking the pictures out of my head to make their movies. My one chronic rave about this entire franchise is that it feels like someone has set the pictures that are created in my noodle while I read these books and put them to celluloid print. I'm not going to

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-23875679422327770442011-04-09T03:09:00.002-04:002011-06-18T09:57:25.604-04:00

R, 1 hr. 50 min. Directed by: Darren Aronofsky. Release Date: December 3, 2010.  There are rumors circulating out there that Natalie Portman is going to get a Best Actress nod, and I can see why. Most of the impact of this movie, like the ballet itself, comes from the subtle nuances of musical score and the ability of the actors to make the audience understand the emotional situation

Alannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-57067934204230637252011-04-05T14:48:00.003-04:002011-06-18T09:58:43.024-04:00

PG, 2 hr. 7 min. Directed by: Joseph Kosinski. Release Date: December 17, 2010. When I first heard the rumors that this was being filmed, it was just after the theaters had been terrorized by Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and I was more than a little concerned that this effort to revitalize a long-retired sci-fi classic was going to go up in flames. It's been the better

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-36749872344561619362011-04-05T14:45:00.003-04:002011-06-18T10:00:17.787-04:00

PG, 1 hr. 52 min. Directed by: Michael Apted. Release Date: December 10, 2010. I loved these books as a kid, long before I knew the term "parable," so I'm a bit biased in favor of these movies. While I don't think the Narnia movies match the pictures in my head when I read the books, I think they come close, and so far, there hasn't really been something that's happened where I think "

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-59876418490853298772011-03-29T08:40:00.001-04:002011-06-18T10:02:13.848-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr. 10 min.  Directed by: Chris Weitz .  Release Date: Nov 20, 2009.  I'm still in the process of transferring all my appropriate blog entries from Let's All Go to The Lobby to this blog and I managed to find that this dinosaur hadn't managed to find it's own way here. While being tedious and juvenile, there are some

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-11175605748560000412011-03-22T17:47:00.002-04:002011-03-22T17:47:20.566-04:00

R, 1 hr. 26 min. Directed by: Huck Botko, Andrew Gurland. Release Date: Sep 10, 2010. DVD Release Date: Jan 01, 2011. If this is Generation Y's answer to American Pie, I weep for the future of America. It's a sad state of affairs when I watch a teen movie and realize that I feel like the filmmakers should be apologizing at speed. At best, this is a predatory version of American Pie,

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-76974388600626743112011-03-22T17:42:00.003-04:002011-06-18T10:03:14.431-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 43 min.  Directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck  Release Date: December 10, 2010. Angelina Jolie has a lot of movies out there that I like.  A few that I love, and I bet they're not anyone else's favorites, because I liked her stuff like Alexander and Taking Lives, which seem to be universally hated.  One

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-51634507253697696102011-03-22T17:40:00.001-04:002011-06-18T10:04:35.595-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min. Directed by: Colin Strause, Greg Strause. Release Date: November 12, 2010. Another reason for me not to leave my blinds up. It was amazing how much they managed to cram in this film, and I don't really mean that to be a good thing. Skyline is a blatant rip-off of War of the Worlds, Independence Day, The Matrix, Signs, and well, just about every first contact film that

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-8939827806577439332011-03-15T11:55:00.003-04:002011-06-18T10:05:32.258-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr. 6 min. Directed by: Clint Eastwood. Release Date: Oct 15, 2010. Matt Damon sees dead people, and they're pretty sure they're dead, which is good because they match the rising action of the film. I saw this a few days ago, but I needed time to think about this movie. I felt like I was walking on the edge of the Grand Canyon while I watched this, because I never made a strong

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-36884415300922728422011-03-01T15:58:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:06:27.062-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min. Directed by: Steve Antin. Release Date: November 24, 2010. If Burlesque and Moulin Rouge were in a bar fight, Burlesque would have beaten the crap out of the cast and crew and then offed them with a spiked heel. I originally figured this would end up being a bitchier, slightly more slutted-up version of Moulin Rouge, and truthfully, there was some of that thanks to

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-32708446968322331292011-03-01T15:57:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:07:38.605-04:00

R, 1 hr. 53 min. Directed by: Edward Zwick. Release Date: November 24, 2010. Poignant, passionate, and somehow providing material that should resonate with all of us. Thousands of people come in and out of your life and leave behind nothing, and then one person comes along who changes your life completely. Jake Gylenhall says something like this at the very end of the movie, when

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-75571136015246016282011-02-22T15:58:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:08:49.962-04:00

R, 1 hr. 40 min. Directed by: Todd Phillips. Release Date: November 5, 2010. I guess I can't complain. I didn't pay for my ticket. I should have listened to my Facebook network when my cousin (the same one who insisted I take him to The Last Airbender this summer) and my friend decided that this was going to be our third movie after a very long day in Easton over the post-Thanksgiving

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-69937408210448073332011-02-08T19:24:00.001-05:002011-02-08T19:24:59.495-05:00

R, 1 hr. 47 min. Directed by: Wes Craven. Release Date: Oct 08, 2010. Formulaic, intense, but not really up to the standard of horror excellence expected of the 'master of horror.' Considering Wes Craven directed Scream, you'd think he'd realize when his movies were conforming to "the rules" and throw a pie or something. In a lot of ways, this is pretty interesting for a slasher flick

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-5548144057989955182011-02-01T16:03:00.001-05:002011-06-18T10:12:03.190-04:00

R, 1 hr. 49 min. Directed by: Christian Alvart. Release Date: Oct 01, 2010. In my dreams, it's going to be me calling Bradley Cooper facile and smug. I hate to say it, but that was really the only part of this I thought was phenomenal. Watching a 10-year-old deliver a Mortal Kombat-style finishing blow to Bradley Cooper's ego was (almost) worth the $9 admission. I have the same

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-2214464381178506682011-02-01T16:01:00.001-05:002011-06-18T10:13:03.347-04:00

R, 1 hr. 55 min. Directed by: Matt Reeves. Release Date: Oct 01, 2010.  Just when you thought it wasn't safe to let a vampire in…   So, I don't plan on doing any real spoiler action here, but I am going to dispel some potential allusions you might have gotten from the trailers on the 'net and on TV. (1) This is not a horror movie. Don't get me wrong, the vampire does occasionally

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-16173561932116411762011-01-26T00:31:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:14:16.350-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 51 min. Directed by: Robert Schwentke . Release Date: Oct 15, 2010. Armed, dangerous, and totally still with it. I have to be honest, my reaction to seeing an action flick with Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Morgan Freeman was about the same as when it was announced that Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was going to use the original series cast (

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-91867759657993769702011-01-17T23:20:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:14:59.674-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 47 min. Directed by: John Luessenhop. Release Date: Aug 27, 2010 . Poorly enacted, a weak hybridization of The Italian Job, Sneakers, and Ocean's Eleven. The Good: While this wasn't a good movie, it was something that I enjoyed watching. There were a few in the cast of characters that I thought did an outstanding job with the little they had to go on. I liked Jay

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-22163948421418388372011-01-16T15:29:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:15:53.553-04:00

R, 2 hr. 18 min. Directed by: Martin Scorsese . Release Date: Feb 19, 2010. Filled with intriguing characters and plot devices, the film was interesting but periodically drove itself to boredom. The Good: The story line is really strong here. I will warn that there's a twist here, and I didn't see it coming until it was too late to do anything about it. It's hard to find fault with

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-17186581313643512342011-01-14T14:18:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:16:58.646-04:00

R, 1 hr. 44 min. Directed by: Jim Field Smith. Release Date: Mar 12, 2010.   Jerry Maguire had me at hello. She's Out of My League had me at moodle, and kept me through creative use of the word oyster. The Good: Basically, we're talking about yet another romantic comedy written from a (largely) male perspective. This is well-written and manages to balance the raunch with substance

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-32382862040467083592011-01-14T13:56:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:17:36.428-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 51 min. Directed by: Drew Barrymore. Release Date: Oct 02, 2009. Fun and expansive, this movie covers a lot of life's ground without ever making you feel like it's overdone. The Good: The chemistry of the mostly-female cast here is outstanding. Even among those women who were in competition for the championship of the Texas Roller Derby, there was a feeling of unity and

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-9184729193766049072011-01-11T13:37:00.001-05:002011-06-18T10:18:37.570-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr.  Directed by: David Fincher.  Release Date: Oct 01, 2010 . Ridiculously timely, and a powerhouse performance by… well just about everyone. This one is making my short-list for Academy hopefuls. Now I'm not sure if I mean this is going for the Best Picture nomination. If there are 10 choices again, then I suspect this might hold the same slot that Up! and District 9 held

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-7556792555710175482011-01-03T21:10:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:19:12.146-04:00

R, 1 hr. 45 min. Directed by: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis. Release Date: Sep 03, 2010. The Good: This movie has all of the same strengths that Kill Bill could claim. In fact, my original response to this movie was it was Mexico's answer to Kill Bill. Danny Trejo was pretty good in this role, and it was the first time I'd seen him perform in this large a part. The Bad: I

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-68338678763121078682011-01-03T21:09:00.001-05:002011-06-18T10:19:47.517-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 50 min. Directed by: Jay Roach. Release Date: Jul 30, 2010. DVD Release Date: Jan 01, 2011. A mediocre effort at comedy… at least until the last twenty-five minutes of the reel. The Good: The actual dinner scene is hilarious in a way I wouldn't have thought possible given the utter lame effort that goes into the first hour and a half or so. They managed to pull in some

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-43119319497906008222010-12-31T00:40:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:20:15.151-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min. Directed by: Susan Seidelman. Release Date: Dec 08, 1989. DVD Release Date: Oct 02, 2001. Meryl Streep must look back at this and cringe… which is not unlike my reaction to any photo of me during my college years. It's hard to fault Meryl Streep in anything she does. If Martha Stewart acted, it would be something like Meryl Streep's performances: you can throw them

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-30458036503873280932010-12-31T00:38:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:20:42.185-04:00

PG, 1 hr. 51 min. Directed by: Sanaa Hamri. Release Date: May 14, 2010. DVD Release Date: September 14, 2010. I love Queen Latifah. Even when she's in bad movies, and she has more than one of those under her belt, there's something about her that seems to shine on film. If you asked me which celebrities that I'd like to meet or have coffee with, Queen Latifah would be somewhere near

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-73956878814383793862010-12-31T00:37:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:21:14.218-04:00

PG, 1 hr. 50 min. Directed by: Robert Zemeckis. Release Date: March 30, 1984. DVD Release Date: August 14, 2001. I know people who love this movie. There's a lot of reasons to: the adventure of traveling throughout the "jungles" of South America, the drug ring, the interplay between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. That being said… I didn't like this movie. I'd never seen it,

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-7685314592402726622010-12-31T00:34:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:21:37.475-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 56 min. Directed by: Phillip Noyce. Release Date: Apr 04, 1997. DVD Release Date: Oct 06, 1998. I saw this on the Netflix Watch Instantly queues and decided to watch it again because a friend of mind had a fiendish obsession with it in the 90s, back when we were both in college. She loved it (I think) because it was possibly the first time in American cinematic history where

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-32710281838170250282010-12-31T00:32:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:23:00.589-04:00

R, 1 hr. 48 min. Directed by: Michael Winterbottom. Release Date: Jun 18, 2010. DVD Release Date: Sep 28, 2010. Probably my biggest problem with this movie was Casey Affleck. Either his portrayal of a sociopath was so good that he failed to generate any interest (or empathy) from me, or it was so bad he managed to bore the becheebus out of me. I suspect that there's a nugget of truth in

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-60850488981214444352010-12-31T00:30:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:23:39.628-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 29 min. Directed by: Carl Reiner. Release Date: October 29, 1993. DVD Release Date: April 1, 2003. I remembered seeing this in high school. It was kind of a big deal because of the (mostly undue) controversy that had been caused by Basic Instinct, on which this was largely based. I remembered this being funny. It's probably responsible for my everlasting (and mostly undue)

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-76319899374265223002010-12-31T00:28:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:24:08.517-04:00

PG, 1 hr. 47 min. Directed by: Kevin Tancharoen. Release Date: September 25, 2009. DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010. I've never seen a movie or read a book that portrayed so many people who were so passionate about something I care so little about. It was an interesting experience. Not since I was a small child have I wanted to be famous or to spend time in the spotlight. My teen

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-51579287226667921382010-12-29T19:12:00.001-05:002010-12-29T19:12:44.468-05:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 20 min. Directed by: Drew Dowdle, John Erick Dowdle. Release Date: Sep 17, 2010. DVD Release Date: Dec 01, 2010. With a name like Shyamalan, you know you have to be drugged up to really enjoy it. I've recently decided to abandon my traditional formatting in favor of time. It takes me awhile to get everything right and it's delaying how long it takes me to get these

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-64121789020008984082010-12-27T14:02:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:25:18.800-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 39 min. Directed by: Phillip Noyce. Release Date: Jul 23, 2010. Cool action sequences and a mind-numbingly out of sorts story line make for a mediocre thriller. The Good: Angie was good here, but this role didn't really require her to step very far out of her comfort zone. I liked all the guessing about who could be the Russian secret agents, but it did get a bit like

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-44923727144959887822010-12-27T14:01:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:26:44.458-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 32 min. Directed by: Will Gluck. Release Date: Sep 17, 2010. DVD Release Date: Dec 01, 2010. This would have been an easier A if they had more ridiculously generic teen comedy moments, but it's still a worthy entry to the genre. The strongest feature in this film is the truly randomly gathered ensemble cast. They picked ALL kinds of actors and threw them into the pot

Alannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-31915547592614330122010-12-18T13:58:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:27:33.484-04:00

R, 1 hr. 35 min. Directed by: Brad Leong. DVD Release Date: February 17, 2009. "Indie" and "straight-to-vid" can be a scary combination. It usually means some film school drop out has managed to pull together enough funding to create some feature length product with a shaky story line that is filmed almost entirely with a camcorder or some similar piece of equipment. Fortunately for me

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-60817021815076845742010-12-18T13:42:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:28:05.543-04:00

PG, 1 hr. 43 min. Directed by: Norman Jewison. Release Date: December 18, 1987. DVD Release Date: June 30, 1998. I vaguely remember my mother taking me to see this in the theaters, probably she couldn't find a sitter, but when this was in theaters and getting a lot of Oscar attention, I was only ten, and Moonstruck would have been way outside my frame of reference. Even now that I'm in my

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-69451073251732608432010-12-18T12:44:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:28:52.096-04:00

R, 1 hr. 38 min. Directed by: John Carpenter. Release Date: April 28, 1995. DVD Release Date: December 15, 1998.  I first saw this movie maybe about a decade ago. I'm not sure where I ran across it, but I suspect this was back in the days before Netflix and I might have picked this out from the horror section at a Blockbuster or Warehouse (back when Warehouses still existed all over the

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-54983107154960141792010-12-18T12:24:00.001-05:002010-12-18T12:26:01.300-05:00

Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min. Directed by: Mathias Dinter. Release Date: June 3, 2005. DVD Release Date: February 20, 2007. Those people who know me in real life know how hard it is to offend me. Nearly impossible comes to mind. I'm not someone who worries about the PC movement, and I don't mind a bit of raunch appearing in a film. That being said, Germany's answer to American Pie and the

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-78894097714504867282010-12-18T12:08:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:29:19.916-04:00

Unrated, 1 hr. 16 min. Directed by: Roy Ward Baker. Release Date: July 18, 1952. DVD Release Date: May 14, 2002.  One of my biggest complaints about old movies is that there are a relatively small percent of movies made in the Golden Age that just don't hold up to the test of time. Don't Bother to Knock is one of those, where a lot of time is spent talking about the impropriety of Marilyn

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-68411158522293642962010-12-18T11:23:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:30:07.209-04:00

R, 1 hr. 37 min. Directed by: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo. Release Date: April 9, 2010. DVD Release Date: August 3, 2010. It's an odd thing when a movie I've never heard of has such a high-profile cast: Justin Long, Christina Ricci, and Liam Neeson together in even the smallest project should have attracted my attention. I'm not sure why this didn't. A little internet-based research

Alannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-2142650234921974712010-12-14T10:36:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:30:39.566-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 57 min.  Directed by: Joe Carnahan.  Release Date: Jun 11, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Dec 14, 2010. Summer 2010's benchmark movie, by which all other blockbusters of the season will be judged. The Good:  For a change, the casting director bordered on the genius and probably should be burned as a witch.  These four guys have SO much

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-21233700361213609002010-12-14T10:35:00.001-05:002010-12-14T10:35:36.613-05:00

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.  Directed by: Zack Snyder.  Release Date: Sep 24, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Dec 14, 2010. Dark and filled with Star Wars parallels; a creative world that waffles between the fantastic and the strange. In some ways, the struggle here was getting over the perspective problems. I think that this will receive some of the same objections that Watership Down would get. It's

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-24125701835980302052010-12-13T00:35:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:31:09.690-04:00

R, 1 hr. 31 min. Directed by: John Badham. Release Date: Jun 01, 1991. DVD Release Date: Nov 17, 1998. Back in the day, I loved this movie. Michael J. Fox was at the top of his game, still a few years before announcing his illness with the world and transitioning so perilously from "star" to "object of pity." I feel bad for the guy too, but I probably wouldn't rush out to watch anything

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-44285479534338841082010-12-13T00:00:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:31:38.022-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 28 min. Directed by: Frank Oz. Release Date: Dec 19, 1986. DVD Release Date: May 23, 2000. If Rick Moranis had to make a musical, I'm glad it was this one. I remember seeing this in the theaters, although considering some of the less savory subject matter, I'm not sure who would have taken my nine-year-old self to see this little gem. I strongly suspect my dad, who

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-12083984405508167812010-12-10T11:57:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:32:15.471-04:00

R, 1 hr. 30 min. Directed by: Dan Rosen. Release Date: January 24, 1998. DVD Release Date: June 5, 2001. Changing this movie's name didn't help it get any better. I should have known better when this came in to me as a recommendation. Once I saw Matthew Lillard on the cover, I should have known better. That's not to say I haven't liked movies that he's been in: Scream, Thirteen Ghosts,

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-32686646465976071282010-12-08T21:08:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:32:57.951-04:00

R, 1 hr. 18 min. Directed by: Mark L. Lester. DVD Release Date: November 10, 1998. Quirky, but with an edge of unpleasant creepiness that only alcohol might fix. I thought about this as two separate genres, in part because it was a total failure as an action-comedy. As an action flick, this doesn't fare much better, despite having the mad ninja skillz of both Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-65548028679060353952010-12-08T20:07:00.003-05:002011-06-18T10:33:45.808-04:00

Unrated, 1 hr. 38 min. Directed by: Robert Hall. Release Date: April 9, 2004. DVD Release Date: August 9, 2005. Angsty and complicated, an interesting take on the coming-of-age tale. At best, this is one of those movies that you have to watch when you're in a contemplative mood. It's a familiar tale to many of us: kid grows up in a small town that can't see past its own narrow view

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-82715661482373972532010-12-07T20:47:00.001-05:002011-06-18T10:34:28.634-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr. 28 min. Directed by: Christopher Nolan. Release Date: Jul 16, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Dec 07, 2010. An eerie and disturbing thrill ride with special effects that are second to none. The Good: There were a lot of good performances here. I'm always impressed when I don't manage to come away hating Leonardo di Capprio, which I've done since he appeared in… Growing Pains,

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-18377368884515689342010-12-06T23:28:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:34:57.094-04:00

R, 1 hr. 41 min. Directed by: Frank Whaley. Release Date: October 15, 1999. DVD Release Date: February 15, 2000. Gritty and raw, a coming-of-age story gone absolutely awry. I have to say that I loved this movie, but was pretty disturbed by what I saw. I generally don't like movies that tell the story of kids having less-than-idyllic childhoods and it doesn't get much worse than this:

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-47351146573671877782010-12-06T22:41:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:35:38.837-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 44 min. Directed by: Mary Lambert. Release Date: July 19, 2000. DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004. Someone should tell these guys that "steamy" requires more than lesbian overtones and smoldering glances. I'm going to consider this a holdover movie from the 90s. This thing reads a bit like a two-hour beer commercial in between instigations of murder and mayhem: scantily

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-55975816224188631272010-12-06T22:11:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:36:22.265-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr, 49 min. Directed by: Tom Brady. Release Date: Dec 13, 2002 This is a movie that grows on you. Like a fungus. From a technical and an artistic standpoint this movie is a train wreck that hits a napalm depot. It's horrific in ways that really can't be described. That being said, this movie's also pretty funny, but I've had to watch this movie a few times before I really

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-37034104171265162332010-12-06T21:21:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:36:52.999-04:00

R, 1 hr. 29 min. Directed by: David Winkler. DVD Release Date: May 31, 2005.  Arguably the worst horror movie ever. Probably in my top 20 worst movies ever. I should have known better from the beginning. Jensen Ackles and Shannyn Sossamon are a combination for badness, like catsup and spaghetti. I should have known that a straight to video release with these two was destined to bring me

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-14703977645783674132010-12-06T21:01:00.002-05:002011-06-18T10:37:14.220-04:00

Unrated, 1 hr. 33 min. Directed by: Darin Ferriola. DVD Release Date: Dec 26, 2006. Mostly an awesome idea. Mostly. On the very basics, I loved this movie. David Boreanaz, who I have generally hated on film and television with the exception of Bones, is pretty perfect here. I like the idea that this guy went around helping rotten guys get their girlfriends back. If I have a complaint

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-34512689062202250802010-12-06T20:36:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:24:29.225-04:00

R, 1 hr. 32 min. Directed by: Ben Ketai. DVD Release Date: Oct 05, 2010. All the strengths of the original except one: it wasn't good. I can't figure out what was wrong with this. It really did have all the things that I liked about the original film: the vampire mythology is well-crafted and thought out, the action sequences are above average, and I liked the interplay between the

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-14409630619485599682010-12-06T20:16:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:23:57.689-04:00

R, 1 hr. 26 min. Directed by: Peter Hall. Release Date: Oct 20, 1995. DVD Release Date: Jun 25, 2001. Only in the 90s was the term "psychological thriller" a euphemism for soft core. On first glance, this seems like it might be a decent movie: Antonio Banderas, Rebecca DeMornay, a simple plot that might, just might have been foolproof. It probably should have been, but it turned into a

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-30006849755954391882010-12-06T19:22:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:25:34.639-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr. 4 min. Directed by: David Slade. Release Date: Jun 30, 2010. The tepid, boring, and overly-melodramatic story that is this vamp-mance is nearly, but not totally, salvaged by some visually-sweet, but too-brief action sequences.   The Good:  I struggle to find more than a few good things in these movies, because I'm pretty much the anti-fan, and watch these movies

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-28318893928113597052010-12-01T21:12:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:26:41.729-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 20 min. Directed by: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer. Release Date: Aug 18, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Nov 30, 2010. "You're not much of a looker. And you twitch. It's annoying." - Sheriff Crane. The Good: One of the problems with the spoof is they try and create an amalgamation of several movies within a specific genre; the result is what you'd expect: a hot mess of a

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-14382170643048816272010-12-01T21:11:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:27:23.043-04:00

PG, 1 hr. 51 min. Directed by: Jon Turteltaub. Release Date: Jul 14, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Nov 30, 2010. A sorcerous mix of fun and quirky moments, explosive CGI effect sequences, and the stony countenance of Nicholas Cage. The Good: The story writers here get the majority of my props, because they took a cut-scene from Fantasia that lasts for approximately 15 minutes, melded in

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-12608714418938839892010-12-01T21:09:00.001-05:002011-06-18T17:27:51.588-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 50 min. Directed by: James Mangold. Release Date: Jun 23, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Nov 30, 2010. Lame. Just plain lame. The Good: Tom Cruise pretty much saved this steaming piece of film reel from going straight to the recycle bin. I suspect he realized how awful this was going to be, because throughout the entire film he has this kind of reckless, devil-may-care

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-53157118995313362102010-12-01T21:08:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:28:25.676-04:00

R, 1 hr. 37 min. Directed by: Nanette Burstein. Release Date: Sep 03, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Nov 30, 2010. At some point you're sure you've seen this before, and you're right. It was the last time Justin Long and Drew Barrymore did a movie together. The Good: This is cute enough, even for a formulaic comedy. If you're a fan of Drew Barrymore or Justin Long, this isn't a bad

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-50701308066225563152010-11-28T20:34:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:28:51.573-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.  Directed by: Lewis Teague.  Release Date: April 12, 1985.  DVD Release Date: October 1, 2002. An interesting treatment of three unrelated short stories, but this is not one of King’s finer movies.Stephen King seems to have a love-hate relationship with most of his readers.  You either love his work, or hate it, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a middle ground.  I’ve

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-8792064197994368762010-11-28T20:14:00.001-05:002011-06-18T17:30:14.386-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 33 min.  Directed by: Frank Oz.  Release Date: June 11, 2004.  DVD Release Date: November 9, 2004. If you took the humor out of “dark comedy” it might look an awfully lot like this. Stepford Wives is really a detailed telling of what men might do when faced with a spouse that is more successful, smarter, or just plain better at life than they are.  While I think it’s telling is a bit

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-23923122265743504422010-11-28T20:04:00.001-05:002011-06-18T17:30:51.029-04:00

R, 1 hr. 58 min.  Directed by: Nancy Meyers.  Release Date: December 25, 2009.  DVD Release Date: April 27, 2010. This could be funny if you’re over 50.  If you’re not, I’m not sure this counts as comedy. There was a part of me who thought that this might be The Hangover for the 50 and over set.  It had elements of that ridiculousness that you might expect from a comedy that spotlighted actors a

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-38725992653020763402010-11-28T19:43:00.001-05:002011-06-18T19:30:59.721-04:00

R, 1 hr. 31 min.  Directed by: Bill Eagles.  DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010.  A potentially chilling tale that is derailed by an attempt to mix too much fantasy with the reality. I’ve said it before.  I have this gobstopping fascination with the serial killer:  movies that are based, even loosely on the activities of these aberrations of the human character are usually do more to scare me

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-14492471186882222192010-11-28T19:08:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:31:42.860-04:00

G, 1 hr. 41 min.   Directed by: Agnieszka Holland.  Release Date: March 18, 1993.  DVD Release Date: January 1, 2000 A fun, family-friendly remake of one of my favorite childhood books. The Secret Garden maintains a true, fairy tale feeling, where there is both fantasy and the slightest bit of an ominous cloud.  The cast, from the array of child actors, to the hardened veterans like Maggie Smith

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-83571584019599499682010-11-17T01:18:00.001-05:002010-11-17T01:20:19.610-05:00

R, 2 hr. Directed by: Ji-woon Kim. Release Date: April 23, 2010. DVD Release Date: August 17, 2010. If a cowboy and a speed freak had a baby that was on acid, it might resemble this movie. I might be out of line in an attempt to coin a term, but I'm going to refer to this western-by-way-of-Seoul as a "kimchi western." In some ways, it's very much like the traditional western: there's a

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-74850447248891424992010-11-16T20:10:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:33:01.805-04:00

R, 1 hr. 27 min. Directed by: Ringan Ledwidge. Release Date: Mar 09, 2007. DVD Release Date: Jan 25, 2008. If this was a story about evil, it was the diet Coke of evil.   Scott Mechlowicz's name was what first caught my attention when I ran across this title on my Netflix Watch Instantly recommendations. I've seen him in a few movies that I've really enjoyed, specifically Eurotrip and

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-10075232097710051742010-11-16T16:17:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:33:33.014-04:00

G, 1 hr. 38 min. Directed by: Mel Stuart. Release Date: June 30, 1971. DVD Release Date: August 28, 2001. A very true adaptation of one of the finest bits of literature for children. Roald Dahl was an amazing children's novelist. Sorry to J.K. Rowling fans, but I'm not sure that we've ever had, before or since, a novelist aiming solely at children who has been so successful at creating

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-33090862849895865482010-11-16T16:01:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:34:11.661-04:00

R, 1 hr. 57 min. Directed by: Peter Bratt. Release Date: April 9, 2010. DVD Release Date: July 20, 2010.  An eye opening look in to how prejudice can destroy just about anything that's good. This movie came to my attention in the form of a Facebook post. Someone I've known since my Sophomore year in college, which was much longer ago than I would like to admit, watched this somewhere,

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-83928155563777924762010-11-16T01:32:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:35:08.630-04:00

R, 1 hr. 34 min. Directed by: Thomas Bradford. Release Date: January 1, 2001. DVD Release Date: December 17, 2002. Sometimes a film is so bad, you just have to call it quits because the production crew wasn't brave enough to do so. This is one of those times. Infrequently, I'm inspired by the insipid nature of some of the worst movies made by the American cinematic machine to do

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-19348007853324557152010-11-16T01:00:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:35:37.070-04:00

R, 1 hr. 38 min. Directed by: Daisy von Scherler Mayer. Release Date: June 9, 1995. DVD Release Date: December 10, 2002. A fun twist on the coming-of-age flick, particularly because in this one the lead is going through a delayed adolescence and has finally, FINALLY, realized the error of her ways… Sorta. I really enjoy Parker Posey, the Indie Queen. Now, I enjoy her even when she's not

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-33370307736647799802010-11-16T00:46:00.001-05:002010-11-16T00:50:03.594-05:00

Unrated, 1 hr. 24 min. Directed by: Barbara Brancaccio, Joshua Zeman. Release Date: June 4, 2010. DVD Release Date: December 1, 2010. A chilling, reflective look at the directors' own personal boogeyman. Thinking back to my own childhood, there were three major events that changed my life, and all before I was 10: the Challenger disaster, the appearance of the Night Stalker slayings in

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-31950889216276346952010-11-16T00:31:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:36:13.046-04:00

PG-13, 1hr 27 min. Directed by: Marco Schnabel. Release Date: Jun 20, 2008. Not worse than cancer, but almost. For whatever reason, this movie reminds of Bruno, and that just can't stand. It could be that this was flimsily-veiled, cheap attempt to keep Mike Meyers in our hearts and minds. Let's face it, the movie-going public is pretty fickle, and at this point he'd been off the

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-24546157591551042402010-11-15T23:11:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:36:39.517-04:00

R, 2 hr, 5 min. Directed by: Antoine Fuqua. Release Date: Mar 05, 2010. A great cast, but otherwise indistinguishable from the myriad cop dramas that have been in circulation since the success of The Departed. This movie's real strength comes from its cast. Don Cheadle, Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke each lead separate story lines through the five buroughs, and are supported by some

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-12922037491374946342010-11-15T22:53:00.001-05:002010-11-15T22:54:11.546-05:00

PG-13, 1 hr, 49 min. Directed by Barry Levinson. Release Date: Dec 01, 1985. Indubitably a most enthusiastic romp through Victorian London. Indubitably. I was 8 when this came out in theaters, so I never saw it myself, but I remember friends with cooler parents than mine letting them see this… and how much they loved it. Listening to friends talk about the antics of pudgy Watson and

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-89088991128898663702010-11-15T22:34:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:37:35.994-04:00

R, 1 hr. 25 min. Directed by: Michael Addis. Release Date: November 10, 2000. DVD Release Date: July 3, 2001. "Stop talking old man. Tell me they did NOT take the trailer!" At its very basest level, this movie is crude, sophomoric in its attempt at humor, and bereft of social merit or truth. However, it's also pretty damned funny. Not in the way of really good comedies, but in the

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-25294983771147995412010-11-15T22:24:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:38:00.636-04:00

R, 1 hr. 50 min. Directed by: Alex de la Iglesia. Release Date: August 6, 2010. DVD Release Date: October 5, 2010. Drab philosophy that masquerades effectively, if briefly, as an intellectual murder mystery. A rainy day, immediately following the first snow fall of the season prompted me to check out the new CD-less streaming option on Netflix, where this appeared as a recommendation for

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-36928875010120290972010-11-15T21:21:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:38:30.361-04:00

PG, 1 hr. 43 min.  Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan.  Release Date: Jul 01, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Sep 16, 2010. Such a stinker, they should have used my name for it, The Last Airbiscuit. I blame my viewing of this horrible, stiflingly boring movie on my 15 year-old-cousin. Ryan, if you read this, I'm writing you out of my will. To quote a good Adam Sandler movie, "I award you no

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-1631645357272360652010-11-09T14:24:00.002-05:002011-06-18T17:38:56.622-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 51 min. Directed by: Neil Jordan. DVD Release Date: June 4, 2010 . A treatment of a very old story that I'm not sure is improved once the magic is removed. Ondine is a very, one might say ridiculously old story that is itself based on the mermaid foundation myth. It's impacted, whether directly or indirectly, no small amount of books and films that have come since. Ondine

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-88180020001299263362010-11-09T14:03:00.001-05:002011-06-18T17:40:05.190-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 49 min. Directed by: Burr Steers. Release Date: Jul 30, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Nov 09, 2010. A powerhouse performance was the sole star in this maudlin combination of Ghost and The Sixth Sense. The Good: I hate to say it, and I mean, I really hate to say it, but Zac Effron was frigging amazing in his performance here. He was the one really good thing that I spotted in

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-54678945286229201432010-11-09T13:59:00.001-05:002011-06-18T17:40:40.081-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min. Directed by: Dennis Dugan. Release Date: Jun 25, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Nov 09, 2010. A refreshing, comedic change for Adam Sandler, an amazing seeming impossibility for Kevin James and David Spade: this doesn't suck. The Good: Welcome back, Adam Sandler! One of my favorite comedy guys has been on a break for the better part of a decade as he tries to find

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-40733533321346405712010-11-09T13:57:00.002-05:002011-06-18T18:38:58.616-04:00

PG-13, 1 hr. 53 min. Directed by: Edgar Wright. Release Date: Aug 13, 2010.  DVD Release Date:  Nov 09, 2010. Celluloid proof that people are still willing to hire Brandon Routh after the Superman Returns debacle, but not without its charms. The Good: There's a lot that is generally fun about this movie, although I had a hard time trying to quantify anything about it. There's Michael

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-34778416341570191502010-11-05T18:26:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:41:22.478-04:00

R, 2 hr. 4 min. Directed by: Mike Binder. Release Date: Mar 23, 2007. DVD Release Date: Oct 09, 2007. A PTSD film with a better-than-Shyamalanic natural twist. PTSD has gotten (I think) a lot of much needed coverage in the media since the (First) Gulf War. You would think the number of Vietnam vets living in rather… unconventional circumstances would have clued us in, but it took the

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-5707601059592997322010-11-05T16:43:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:42:56.227-04:00

  PG, 1 hr. 51 min. Directed by: Todd Graff. Release Date: Aug 14, 2009. DVD Release Date: Mar 16, 2010. Um… Where were all the girls that looked like this when I was in high school (no offense, guys) and since when has U2 been "indie" rock? I'm not really sure how this ended up in my Netflix queue, and when it appeared in the mail, I started looking around for Ashton Kutcher. I'm not

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-62692003374293141432010-11-05T12:35:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:44:53.574-04:00

Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min. Directed by: Julian Jarrold. Release Date: Feb 06, 2009. This UK answer to Zodiac comes across a bit slow. A quick trip to Wikipedia taught me that the Yorkshire Ripper (the inspiration for this trilogy) was a serial killer active in England from 1975 to 1985 who targeted women of… um, questionable moral fiber. Other than the name, the real-life Yorkshire

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-4952962569321571702010-11-05T12:16:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:46:00.756-04:00

R, 1 hr. 50 min. Directed by: Griffin Dunne. Release Date: Apr 24, 2005. DVD Release Date: Feb 05, 2008. Dark and frequently off-putting, this film manages to pull together a great ensemble cast with colorful characters. My favorite thing about this was the cast: Donald Sutherland, Chris Evans, Diane Lane, Kristen Stewart… all at the top of their game. Yes, yes. I'm including

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-53697296468890651812010-11-04T22:37:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:47:05.089-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr. 2 min. Directed by: Richard LaGravenese. Release Date: Jan 12, 2007. DVD Release Date: Apr 17, 2007.   I may never forgive Hillary Swank for The Reaping, but with Freedom Writers, she needs no apology. People who read me a lot know that I'm always a little hesitant about watching Hillary Swank movies. Generally, I think her work can be like an IED: you can do everything

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-43802459970110294672010-11-04T22:09:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:48:57.528-04:00

R, 1 hr. 34 min. Directed by: Adam Green. Release Date: Feb 05, 2010. DVD Release Date: Sep 28, 2010. Jaws and Open Water keep me out of the ocean, Frozen is keeping me off the slopes. I've talked about the double-edge of movies that shoot entirely in a small location. If they're done well, or even adequately, you get something like Phone Booth, where it all vaguely seems to work

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-34770308826951811532010-11-02T13:50:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:51:38.541-04:00

PG, 2 hr. 7 min. Directed by: Sidney Lumet . Release Date: Nov 22, 1974. DVD Release Date: Sep 07, 2004. Like many of the works that sprang from the mind of the great Ms. Christie, this is dated, but still enjoyable. A lot of the problems that are built in to this movie come from its inspiration, which is arguably one of the best examples of British mystery writing EVER. If I was

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-6631934245767065142010-10-11T22:31:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:52:29.868-04:00

PG-13, 2 hr. 12 min. Directed by: Clint Eastwood. Release Date: Dec 15, 2004. DVD Release Date: Jul 12, 2005. Well-acted tedium doesn't make for something less tedious. A lot of people will hate me after I write this. I waited a LONG time to watch this movie because I have this lingering dislike of Clint Eastwood, even after Gran Torino and Invictus. While this gained a lot of public

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-75465825326074453512010-10-11T22:18:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:54:19.700-04:00

R, 1 hr. 40 min. Directed by: Dennis Iliadis. Release Date: Mar 13, 2009. DVD Release Date: Aug 18, 2009. I missed this in the theaters, and that was probably a good thing, but I'm glad I watched this on Netflix. Horror remakes are an iffy bunch. Half the time, the remakes amp up the blood, gore and violence in a futile attempt to get a rise out of an increasingly jaded audience, and

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-38129561239260110302010-10-11T22:08:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:56:59.258-04:00

Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min. Directed by: James Hayman. DVD Release Date: Aug 17, 2010. Fun, but poorly executed and formulaic. This is the kind of movie I call brain candy. You sit down, watch, and at no point in time during the course of the film to you engage your brain for any reason. Since I was Greek in my college days, I tend to enjoy this vicarious returns to my own college

Alannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315213879319362264.post-38260026658807137822010-10-11T21:59:00.002-04:002011-06-18T18:57:40.860-04:00

R, 2 hr. 9 min. Directed by: Philip Kaufman. Release Date: Jul 30, 1993. DVD Release Date: Jun 20, 2000. When Wall Street meets The Art of War, you probably would get something almost as convoluted as this. Now I won't say I didn't enjoy this movie, because I did to a certain extent. I loved the book and tore through it in the same way that I usually go through Michael Crichton's

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