Reviews

This is based on the book by Greg Kading and he's listed as the writer of the documentary. So you get one viewpoint for the whole movie. I thought the first part was interesting (having no knowledge of the story), but the rest about theories of who was behind the murders I'm not sure what to make of given the obvious bias of this documentary.

I think The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up are among the best comedies of recent years. So, obviously when I heard the guys who made those movies made Superbad, my expectations were very high. Well, Superbad started off promising with quite a few funny parts, but as the movie went on I laughed less and less. After awhile the laughs were so few that I was just hoping the movie would hurry up and end. So what went so wrong? I believe the key is Judd Apatow, who was involved in the writing and directing of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. In Superbad, he was only the producer. Next time I see a movie "from the guys who brought you Knocked Up" I'm going to make sure Judd Apatow was involved in the writing and/or directing.

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is the best horror movie of all time. Yes, Shelley Duvall's acting sucks for the most part, but if you can get past that you'll find a great movie. Jack Nicholson gives one of his best performances as a slightly insane man who goes very insane. But the real star of this movie is Kubrick. He brilliantly paces and stylizes the film to create one of the most haunting movies you'll see. He did change some things from the book, but they are done for the betterment of the movie. I beg you book purists (I am one of them) to give this movie a chance and just roll with the changes made, because I strongly believe they were the right changes to have made for the film. The made for TV "The Shining" may follow the book better (which I like the TV version as well), but it's not as good of a movie.

This movie is not a horror movie in the typical sense. There are no actual bugs of any sort, and definitely not any killer bugs. So those looking for that kind of movie should look elsewhere. For the rest of you, read on.

Bug is an intense psychological thriller that was adapted from a play about two mentally disturbed individuals that believe the government is implanting "bugs" into them. If you enjoy movies of that sort and don't mind a movie to take place almost entirely in one room, Bug will certainly not disappoint. It's possibly Friedkin's best movie since The Exorcist.

Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth will surely divide audiences. Those familiar with his work will most likely find plenty to like, while others might find it slow, boring, and pointless. Even as a fan of Jarmusch, I admit this has it's slow spots. However, it's mostly quite entertaining. The second segment, where we have a East-German refugee who can't handle driving a cab in the city is probably the best segment as we see him and his passenger struggle communicating with each other. The third segment is also quite hilarious with Benigni being a sex-obsessed cabbie. Benigni fans in particular should love that segment. As a Tom Waits fan, the use of Waits' music in between segments only adds to the greatness of the movie. Overall, this is more entertaining than Jarmusch's Coffee & Cigarettes and I'm glad this has finally been released on DVD.

Reign Over Me is about a man who loses his entire family, including his wife and kids, in 9/11. He apparently becomes so distressed that he can't work anymore, and can't do much of anything really. Then his old college roommate ends up finding him (a couple different times actually) in the streets of New York and befriends him to help him get over the tragedy.

Reign Over Me is a contrived, cliché ridden mess. The subplot of the dentist's patient who wants badly to give him a BJ is just ridiculous. What's even more ridiculous is the part she ends up playing towards the end of the movie. This could've been a good movie with a better script and better director. But I guess you could say that about any bad movie.

Werner Herzog narrates sparingly from an alien's perspective, but for the most part lets the images do the talking themselves. And yes, there are some pretty powerful images contained within this 50 minute documentary.

This is a pretty typical Herzog documentary, which if you aren't familiar with him, that means it's a pretty slow paced film. But the images are so great, if you let yourself get caught up in them, I don't see the slow pacing to be a problem. Herzog always says he's looking for "ecstatic truth" in his films. I think he achieved that with this one.

This is Herzog's first Hollywood style film, but have no fear die-hard Herzog fans, this is still very much a Herzogian film. There are still plenty of moments of Herzogian magic within this film. Also, true to Herzog's style, he put the cast through hell to make their performances more authentic. When Christian Bale bites into a snake, you can tell he's really biting it, there's no special effects.

Speaking of Bale, he once again goes through a huge weight loss for a movie. It makes me wonder about his health that he's doing this so much, but there's no doubt that he's committed to doing just about anything to enhance his performance. Herzog fans should not be afraid to see this, and others looking for an inspiring true story should enjoy this as well.

Vera Drake is about a kind woman who only wants to help out other people. The only problem is the way she helps out is by giving abortions to girls that don't want to have their baby, which just happens to be illegal. Eventually she gets caught, which leads to a release of powerful emotions from her and her family and friends. Some feel betrayed by her, and some think she was only trying to do good and should be forgiven. This movie doesn't take sides on the issue of abortion, but instead lets you come to your own conclusions and decide who you agree or disagree with. This is another powerfully emotional film from Mike Leigh that shouldn't be missed.

"That is no ship. That is no forest. That is no arrow. We just imagine the arrows because we fear them." - Okello.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God is an intense trip into the heart of darkness, chronicling Aguirre's descent into madness. This is a low budget film, shot with a stolen camera and filmed in very tough conditions. So don't expect a polished film. But do expect to be haunted by this movie, as Klaus Kinski displays madness in a way that only Kinski can do.

The opening and closing shots are both very memorable and stand out in my mind, but that's not to say the rest of the movie is a wash. Compared to Apocalypse Now, this one is more taut and more haunting. This is Herzog and Kinski's masterpiece.

The Coen brothers are at the peak of their powers in this magnificent organized crime film. This movie has got it all: a complex plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, interesting and well developed characters, and as per usual with the Coen brothers, great dialog. Virtually every line in this movie is dripping with hilarious black humor quotes. But have no fear, that doesn't take away from the seriousness of the movie, it just adds an extra layer of depth.

Due to the fact that this movie is so complex and well written it stands up to repeat viewings as well as The Big Lebowski, a later Coens' masterwork. You'll catch things on repeat viewings that you didn't catch the first time that adds to the enjoyment of the film. This is the best organized crime film of all time.

This is the first Tarantino movie that I didn't like. The dialog just went on and on and on and was so pointless. It wasn't even interesting to listen to the characters talk. In fact, I don't even remember most of what was talked about and I just watched the movie about an hour ago. And I don't have anything against pointless dialog as long as it's interesting. I mean, Pulp Fiction had some pointless dialog, but it was interesting and funny. Quentin Tarantino really lost it with this movie.

The action sequences are above average and entertaining. Unfortunately, it makes up probably less than 20 percent of the whole movie. If you must rent this movie, my advice is to fast forward to the car chase sequences.

Don receives an anonymous letter explaining that he has a son he's never met. So he embarks on a journey, visiting his old flames to find out where his son is.

For those that don't mind films that are deliberately paced, this one can be a real gem. Bill Murray is brilliantly understated in a role that is similar to his role in Lost in Translation. The ending may be disappointing to those who like movies to tie everything together nice and neat, but I think it's a great and fitting way to end the movie.

Fans of Jim Jarmusch should have no fear, for this is not Jarmusch going mainstream. It's still the same old Jarmusch, and pretty much up to par with anything he's done before.

Michael Bay knows how to do action sequences. Unfortunately, his abilities end there.

There were multiple problems with this movie. First, the transformers talking like they're hip was just stupid. Which brings me to my next point, it tried too hard to be funny, and therefore wasn't very funny at all. Also, what's the deal with focusing so much on the humans? Aren't the transformers supposed to be the stars of a movie called Transformers? Finally, the movie was just plain too long. This type of story should not require any more than 2 hours. Other than those problems this was a great movie!

The Descent starts off well, introducing the characters and giving them some depth. Then it slowly builds the feeling of claustrophobia as the girls descend deeper and deeper into the caves, before finally releasing the gore and action.

This is one of the scariest and most well made horror movies I've seen in awhile. It was suspenseful from the moment they enter the cave all the way to the end. While it is certainly gory, I don't think it's used to excess.

I've heard people call this the scariest horror movie since Alien. I can't say that I disagree.

Cecilia, an unhappily married woman living in the depression era, escapes the brutality of the real world by watching movies. Then one day, one of the movie characters comes off the screen and into her world.

This is a wonderfully made movie and supposedly one of Woody's own favorites. It's also one that can be enjoyed even by people who aren't fans of Woody Allen as he doesn't act in it, so if you caught it on TV you probably wouldn't even know it's one of his movies until the end credits rolled. While I wouldn't rate this among his absolute best, it certainly is an enjoyable experience that I would recommend to just about anybody.

This is a fascinating study of mental illness. The question is, who is the one who is insane, the husband or the wife? Also, how do you decide when someone is mentally ill and needs to be put away? These are just some of the questions raised by this wonderful and thought provoking movie.

Gena Rowlands delivers what is arguably one of the greatest performances of all time. Peter Falk is equally brilliant in his role. Mix that with the genius film-making of John Cassavetes and you have the greatest drama of all time. This is film-making of the highest degree.

Hostel: Part II is pretty much just the same as the first only this time with girls instead of guys, and it has less nudity and more gore. You also get a look at a couple of the guys doing the killing. Otherwise it's pretty much just the same thing, only grosser.

There wasn't a single moment in this film that I felt the slightest bit scared. Isn't that what a horror movie is supposed to do, scare you? Instead, all I felt was a sickness from seeing the various ways Eli came up with to torture and kill people. If that's what you're looking for, then more power to you. For everyone else, this is not entertainment, so anyone looking for that should look elsewhere.

A radio DJ, Jack, becomes despondent after one of his listeners goes on a killing rampage in New York City. Later he meets up with a homeless man, Parry, whose wife happened to be killed in the shooting. While Parry is clearly insane, Jack decides to help him on his quest for the Holy Grail and in his pursuit of a girl, in order to help himself get over the tragedy.

The entire cast is wonderful in their roles. I'm not much of a Robin Williams fan, but this is one role that fits him perfectly, and he does a great job. As others have stated, the Grand Central Station waltz is a great part of movie magic. I also quite enjoyed the monologue given by none other than Tom Waits. This is a funny and touching story about insanity, redemption, hope and love. Anyone looking for an unconventional love story, look no further.

This is a very funny and sad movie about two girls (Enid and Rebecca) just entering the real world trying to figure out what to do with life, just as Seymour, a middle aged man, struggles through his own life as he has trouble relating to other people. While Enid and Rebecca discover that life outside of high school isn't as great as they imagined it to be, Seymour (who already knows about the loneliness of life) tries for once in his life to actually start living instead of just floating through life. Steve Buscemi, who plays Seymour, has one of his most memorable performances, and Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson are perfect fits for their roles. Anyone who feels like they don't quite fit in with society will surely find something to like in this movie. There has never been a teen movie like this, and there probably isn't any that are better than this. And don't forget about the old man waiting for the bus. Could this old man have the answer?

The Blair Witch Project is one of the scariest movies that I've ever seen. Instead of trying to scare us with adding a musical score and countless jump scenes, it slowly builds and scares us with the possibility of what's out there. To me, that can be way scarier than actually seeing what's out there. For those of us that don't need gore in their horror movies, The Blair Witch Project is a real treat, and much better than most movies coming out today that pass as horror movies. For those that hate this movie simply because it's not real: Newsflash, most movies aren't real! I'm sorry that you got tricked, but that's a pathetic reason for hating a movie.

The lives of 20-some different characters living in LA intersect in this wonderfully made movie, which may just be Robert Altman's greatest achievement. The enormous amount of characters may sound like it'd be overwhelming, but it's really so well put together that it's not too hard to follow. It's ultimately a study of these people's relationships with each other and how they get on with life, despite their flaws. And trust me, these are some flawed people, but that's real life.

Anyone who saw and liked Magnolia should see this movie, the movie it was most influenced by. You won't see a better acted ensemble piece than this.

Barton Fink is a New York playwright who accepts an offer to work in Hollywood for a wrestling picture. Once he gets there, he finds it to be a living hell and struggles through writers block. From there things start getting weird. Things happen that make you question if what you're seeing is reality or not. Where is the hotel, really? What's up with Barton's neighbor? If you like movies that challenge you to interpret what's going on, then Barton Fink will surely not disappoint. On the other hand, people not prepared to think might find it slow and weird, and just end up disappointed. You know which kind of viewer you are.

Barton Fink is maybe the Coen brothers best work. It's both deadly serious and deadly funny. It's also open to interpretation which means it stands up well to repeat viewings.

Coming off of Match Point, Woody decided to return to comedy with Scoop. The story is pretty basic, and like most of his straight forward comedies, is just there to allow for Woody's wit to shine. Although this movie doesn't reach the level of Match Point as far as overall quality, it is quite a bit funnier than most of Woody's comedies over the past 10 or so years. For that reason alone it's worth watching, just don't expect anything groundbreaking. As long as you don't go in with too high of expectations, and you're ready for some "Woody" humor, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's certainly better than movies like Melinda and Melinda, and Hollywood Ending.

I was questioning whether or not I really wanted to watch this, and then my brother rented it so I went ahead and watched it. It turned out to be a very well made film and respectful to all those who lost loved ones on that fateful day 5 years ago. It could be tough watching for many people since it brings back so many painful memories, but I also think it's important to look back from time to time to remember the severity of the attacks and why we're at war. Also, the movie casts relative unknowns, which I think is a good idea, since it makes it feel more real with real people. All in all, it's a solid movie. If you were on the fence about watching this, go ahead and give it a go. I don't think you'll be disappointed.