My Favorite Movies

The best film of 2007 has finally arrived. I don't feel the need to talk of the performances because they can be summed up in one word: phenomenal. The whole film is muted musically, which is the perfect thing for this movie. I can't say how many times I've been into a film only to have a music cue come up that just tells you what way you should be feeling. That's pompous and ridiculous. The characters don't have to say anything they don't want to say, never being tied down by having contrived words forced in their mouths. Speaking of the characters, they are classic. The psychopathic hitman, the tired sheriff, the working man that finds what he always deserved but can never have. It's all there. They never truly touch down in reality. They simply exist in a strange surrealism that restate what is so great about classic cinema: taking you out of your hectic day-to-day life and giving you a chance to enjoy yourself for 2+ hours. The ending drags out a bit, but it only helps serve the title of the film. No Country for Old Men will be here for a long time as one of the greatest movies ever made. All thanks to the Coen Brothers. Thank you.

The movie that made me love Christian Bale. I never thought I'd be nostalgic about a decade I don't remember all that well. Let's get to the nitty-gritty right away: Bale's portryal of Patrick Bateman is what sells this movie. No doubt, he is completely insane, but what makes his performance golden is just how much of a dork he makes himself look like. Everything is artificial in Bateman's world, always making him seem like the only one with any kind of intelligence. His desire to fit in with society is deliciously over-the-top, punctuated by the intricate details that he believes to be normal. Reviewing food and music seems to be his forte. His frenzy is laughable, but in a good way. Every line he delivers is commercial, almost as if he were to sell you a cup of coffee one minute and shove into your face the next. The film moves at a decent pace, matching both slow, intense scenes with fast, suspenseful scenes. The whole movie is ridiculous. The ending is immensely gratifying, concluding the movie on a very poetic level. To sum it up in a sentence: There is no point in the pointlessness, yet the pointlessness is the point in and of itself. I have watched this movie over fifty times and it still warms the homicidal maniac in me. Enjoy it. I know you will, one way or another. The best serial killer movie ever made.

Let me get something out there right now: I avoid religion. That being said, I don't believe that this movie is necessarily religious. Through dance numbers and screechy vocals, the story of Jesus from Judas' POV sells human drama with absolute ridiculousness. Even now, while I watch it as I write this review, I can't seem to keep myself from flipping over to it to watch the performances. I've watched this film at least thirty times within the last month. It's comfort food for me now. The rock opera that people have loved for so long will continue to be loved because the story itself is timeless. It establishes itself as a piece of art, allowing it the room to extend beyond being preachy. This makes it not only my favorite musical (technical term is rock opera), but quite possibly my favorite film of all time.

Memento is a genre refresher of sorts. It builds on basic elements of the noir thriller, but having a concrete idea of its identity throughout. Guy Pearce is perfect for the role, selling the disorder while staying familiar in every scene. It's quite a challenge for an actor to maintain an audience while not building off of the things that happened in the last scene. Christopher Nolan, who has gone on to do more mainstream cinema like Batman Begins and The Prestige, seems right at home in the twisted story of revenge and fact. Joe Pantoliano shines and keeps you interested in him. This is mostly due to the writing and character development. Carrie-Anne Moss has a slightly small role here, but it is always refreshing for her to get away from the image of Trinity and do something a little more subtle. Her character is an enigma, providing the actress with many great performances throughout the film. The story really does pull you in, but I watched it in two sittings. The back-and-forth from fully colored scenes to black and white scenes gets a little grating at times as it basically gets into a routine. Routine shouldn't be something you expect in this kind of movie. The best thing I can recommend is to just have fun watching it. This experimental type of filmmaking doesn't come along to often and I think Nolan has hit gold. Now, in terms of finding good movie ideas, it is bad to use the same mine that someone else dug to find gold because they'll only find fool's gold. They need to admire how far the directors before them got and get farther in their own way. There's plenty of gold to be dug up yet.

P.S. To those of you who own the two-disc special edition, go through disc two and when you find the problem where it tells you to put the pictures in the right order chronologically, put them in reverse. Once you've done this, you will be able to see the chronological version of Memento. Find out how old it would have gotten if you didn't connect with Lenny and his condition. It becomes a very long movie, in a bad way. You're welcome.

Truly the perfect film for desperate romantics. The movie focuses on Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, so you get to know the two very quickly on-screen and their performances more than hold up the entire thing. With the exception of two odd germans, you grow to love being in the pair's world of solitude. Richard Linklater's direction really shines here, shooting the characters very straight-forward. He knows not to clutter up the the frame and show Vienna in the most human sense. The action takes place in real-time, never allowing you to get away from these people for long. It helps a great deal establishing them in a real world setting. You truly want the film to continue after the credits. What will happen? Thankfully, Linklater made a sequel that was almost as good to combat the frustration of the viewers. The writing is fairly well done, but it is the actors who bring out the characters. Watch this movie!

This movie, along with Sunrise before it, succeed so well on such a basic level because of one simple fact: you fall in love with the characters. The general concept of the film seems pretty disastrous on paper. Two souls endlessly bound to each other have another chance meeting in which they talk of various topics, including the events that occured after Before Sunrise. Linklater doesn't try to capture lightning in a bottle again. He just lets the characters perform the task. The time frame of this one is a little tighter, not letting much escape your view as you watch these two enjoy each other. The tension builds to a confrontation of their feelings for one another and whether or not they will act on them. Without completely shutting out the ending by making it definite, Linklater is wise enough to keep it open, leaving the characters in limbo, never quite becoming resolute. I wouldn't mind returning to these characters again. I've become attached.

I have to admit something. I love Death Proof. Some people may consider this blasphemy, but I blame Planet Terror for all the bad press this movie has gotten. It was a little ridiculous to assume that when you put two movies side-by-side, one isn't going to seem to have it all. Death Proof should, by all means, been played first during the Grindhouse presentation. Death Proof very clearly states that it is an actual grindhouse film that could've been made back in the day while Planet Terror is an extreme representation of those movies, which is basically a parody. Now that I've had the time to watch the extended version by itself, I can say that Death Proof really makes my day. Kurt Russell is by far the main highlight of this film, gracing the screen with super-coolness. Every frame of his performance is gold-plated and deep-fried for extra crispiness, with a sprinkling of cheese. Kurt Russell is a badass, something those damn young'uns seem to forget. Coming in at a very close second are the girls of the film, all of whom give wonderful portrayals to characters that inhabit the universe of B-movies. Tracie Thoms, I think, is the best girl of the film. She is having too much fun with this role and it shows. I can see her leading a very long career. On the other side of the spectrum, Zoe Bell is really stumbling here with her awkwardness. It only takes you out of the experience for a second, but it's still a second. The problems with the pacing is dependent on your mindset. As long as you're not racing to the finish and enjoy the nuances of the characters, you're going to have a lot of fun. And last but not least, the car chase at the end will put you on the edge of your seat, literally. I credit the editing here, as it makes the cat-and-mouse chase more intense than it would have been otherwise. That being said, I highly recommend you watch this more than once to get all the good stuff. With absolutely no Planet Terror looming over it, Death Proof is proof that Quentin Tarantino still has talent molding his reference-heavy films for the public and this effort doesn't go unnoticed by this movie lover. I love this film.

This movie is, point-in-fact, the best zombie film in my eyes. George Romero has no doubt crafted a story around his usual social commentary that doesn't completely rely on good acting to make the characters likeable. While not really adhering to an actual story structure, the movie has been criticized for moving far too slowly for the genre it is in. I don't think this applies to Dawn of the Dead. The zombies are a catalyst for the people to reveal who they truly are underneath. It is easy to have zombies attack and have a hero come to the rescue and be noble. DotD plays with the idea of what makes a hero who he or she is, faults and all. Many fears are also displayed here that don't neccesarily involve the undead, which helps ground the story and characters. Even with all of this seriousness, the film is almost like a living comic book. The men shout out one-liners every once in awhile and the zombies are far from realistic. Blood spurts from wounds with a pinkish tone, gimmick kills make things interesting, and the acting is bluntly unbalanced. It all seems to pull itself into a coherent, intelligent piece of entertainment. I can't help but love it.

It's really odd to see William Shatner being a serious actor. This probably stems from the fact that he was a very popular movie star. And I emphasize the "star" part as he never seems to be completely lost in a character. We all know Denny Crane is William Shatner jammed into the world of The Practice. So it is very refreshing to see him transform into the role of Kirk in this movie. I have always considered "Khan" to be the best of the Star Trek movies. Oddly enough, it was the first Star Trek film I ever saw. Ricardo Montalban is deliciously over-the-top in this film. The great duel between these two great screen personalities makes the film seem bigger than it actually is. Compared to the first movie, "Khan" is leaps and (dare I say it) light years in front of it. Star Trek has always been able to touch me emotionally in one way or another, but after I had actually started to watch the series and get to know all the characters, stretching from Captain Kirk to Captain Janeway, I revisited "Khan" to see it in a new light. I cried. Of all the things Star Trek has done to me, I hadn't cried until "Khan". Besides that, all the supporting cast meets and sometimes goes beyond expectations. Even Kirstie Alley gives a good performance! Nick Meyer did a great thing for Trekkies with this film and, not surprisingly, he delivered again with "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". It just so happens that that is my second favorite Star Trek movie. Of course, I can't forget "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," where the crew goes back in time to save whales. Yes, you heard me correctly. This is the crown jewel of TOS and shouldn't be missed.

I'm glad to report that the third installment of the Bourne trilogy does NOT suffer from erectile disfunction, unlike other threequels released this summer. Diving right in, it establishes enough to let you know what you are getting yourself into. Not only do I think this is the best of the three, but it elevates the other two, making the trilogy one of the best espionage epics of our time. Now, the bad guys get another leading face: David Strathairn. Coming off of his performance in Good Night And Good Luck, it's great to see him take charge so we can root for Joan Allen's Pamela Landy. And Matt Damon, who seems to have the least lines in the whole movie, has no problem nailing the character once again. Everything seems to wrap up nicely without being too constricting, allowing the viewers to take it all in after the numerous action pieces. Ah, the action pieces. It still has the power to put you on edge with the brilliant camera work. My heart was still pounding and I couldn't leave the theater during the credits. I stayed there, wishing it would go on. With that being said, please don't let them make another. Right now, this trilogy is perfect. It should stay perfect.

Kurt Russell and John Carpenter always seem to hit just the right beats when they work together and this movie is a fine example of that. Distrust and betrayal lace this movie, inspiring many imitators and storylines in more recent films. It balances out a good threat from both the natural and the unnatural. Not only do they have to deal with an alien species that is nigh-impossible to find, but they are stuck in the middle of the freezing cold. The villian is presented in a body snatchers kind-of-way, but explores the creepier sides of this aspect when they start using the human anatomy in very disgusting ways, with props to the effects department. It twists the story around in a way that doesn't cause you to lose your footing, unlike most films nowadays. The ending works well with the rest of the movie. This is how they used to make horror movies. This is how they should make horror movies.

With all the hype smothering your pre-conceived anticipations (or lack of) of this film, I am very glad to say that it did not disappoint me. The first ten minutes are fairly slow moving, which seems obligated to introduce you to the main characters, and jumps into the thick of it right away. The criticisms about the movie trying to cash in on what made the Blair Witch Project so intense are squashed pretty quickly, pun intended just a little. There is no question about it; this is a movie EXPERIENCE. The characters aren't necessarily the most interesting bunch that you've met in cinema but you'd be missing the point if you thought it would cater to you completely. I turned my eyes away from the screen unintentionally, glanced at other people in the theater, and returned to view the film. My reason in telling you this is that it never broke the reality that it established. We are a bunch of people watching the exploits of an unfortunate group of friends that are trying to escape New York. Period. That is the experience. The only complaints that I can present is that some of the events in the story seem a bit far-fetched, but sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. Also, I know people have gotten sick from the cinematography, but there were points where I wondered why the camera wasn't shaking more. The creature is truly horrifying and it doesn't feel like it has to meet a quota for how much it can be seen on camera. Whether it is just a glimpse of its leg or a shot of the whole thing, the CG really holds up to scrutiny. The ending left me on an unnerved and over-excited level. Questions will always be asked and sequels will probably be made, but this eighty minute story will leave me unhinged for quite awhile.

NOTE: This MUST be seen in theaters.

I've always thought it was a bad idea to show this before Death Proof in Grindhouse proper, but the releases of the two is a little more appropriate. Death Proof was more nuanced in its approach of the concept while Planet Terror just pulls out all the stops to entertain you. There are more parts of this that I thought dragged a bit. There are plenty of payoffs that make the wait worth it. though. The casting was perfect. I couldn't see someone else play the part of Cherry Darling. She has a restrained, awkward beauty about her that just makes her a great heroine. Freddy Rodriguez is the brilliant badass of the picture that seems to keep a constant cool. Although, in the male section, I'd have to give the best performance to Josh Brolin as Dr. William Block. Sinister as he is charming, every scene of him is a treat. The rest give it a fantastic go as well, including Tarantino being hilarious and Bruce Willis being America's unsung hero. The story doesn't matter much and it doesn't have to because the acting and ridiculous situations are enough to make it what it needs to be. See it with a bunch of people for maximum enjoyment.

It's been a long time since I've seen a good noir thriller that seems to have a poppy joyfulness about it and this movie came just in time when I was beginning to lose hope. The movie jumps ahead at a playful pace, making use of its wonderful cast to keep the rhythm of the story progressing. Speaking of the cast, Josh Hartnett shines here as Slevin, portraying a funny, if over-talkative, wise guy that seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If for some reason that any of the other actors don't suit your interest, Mr. Hartnett is usually on-hand to keep you entertained. His female counterpart, Lucy Liu, seems to be infected by the same fun virus as Hartnett. Quirky, and at times annoying, she just can't appear to shut her mouth on-screen, but when Hartnett and Liu are together, it's hard to criticize their performances when you're just so wrapped up in the scene. Bruce Willis' Mr. Goodkat is a role he's very used to playing and it shows, but at least he's having some fun here. Morgan Freeman as the Boss isn't completely convincing even with the safety net of the script. His voice is still damn sexy, though. Where Freeman lacks a certain oomph in his scenes, Ben Kingsley makes a bold impression on you with the Rabbi. A stone-cold villian juxtapostioned with a strong moral code tied to his religion. His last appearance in the film is a great example why this man is still in showbiz and I loved every minute of it. Tucci helps round out the cast even though he seems a little out of it. Thankfully, this is a movie that actually entertains with its twists and turns. None of them are mind-blowing, but they all make sense and carry a good pay-off. It's definitely a fun world to visit, but one that could've gotten old fast without the right touch. The ending is just what it needs to be, even if some noir junkies may scoff at it being BS. One of my favorite movies of recent memory.

That's right; I'm a sucker for the supergirls made of sugar, spice and everything nice. The first problem that presents itself when an animated television show is adapted for the big screen is if it is going to come off as an actual movie or an elongated episode of the show. I think it does suffer from the latter a bit, but it for the most part, it succeeds as the former. Telling the tale of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup's creation and rise to hero status for the town of Townsville, which hasn't been fully explained up to this point, I feel that they are taking the easy way out. It carries more heart than I remember the show having, broadening the emotional range of the animated troublemakers. I was surprised there weren't more tunes in it! And then there's the nostalgia. Ah, back when Cartoon Network had truly original programming and didn't conform to make boring saturday morning cartoons. Then Adult Swim came along and no one paid much attention to the rest anymore. I've even said at one point that it's the IFC of the animated television market. Just sit back and enjoy a good old-fashioned cartoon. It's definitely worth your time and money. CARTOON CARTOON!!!

Of all the Dragon Ball Z movies, this definitely has to be my favorite. It just all comes together in this entry and does so in great style. The voice acting is great (I obviously am referring to the original Japanese track). The action is top-notch, giving every single punch, kick, and energy blast a good sense of pain. Although DBZ is the one of the three series that doesn't really rely on comedy, it is used very well in this film. It even has a musical number with Gohan that I found to be quite endearing and cute. It doesn't hurt that this installment in the features doesn't use a completely outlandlish main villian, giving that to the underlings. It has decent twists and turns to the story so things don't get repetitive. The animation is great and it provides the action room to breathe. I still have not watched all the movies, but I can't help but watch this one a little bit more than I should. If you're a Dragon Ball fan, you'll enjoy this film a lot. If you've never seen anything of the series but are a little curious, this is the one you should see. It wouldn't hurt to brush up on the show first, though. I'm a geek and I love it.

(Note: This is a review of the original, unrated version of the film.) I have to admit that when I bought this on DVD when it came out, I didn't give it a proper viewing. I wasn't paying close enough attention to notice that you really have to watch it constantly. The only reason behind this was because it was touted as being a thrill rush from beginning to end, so I thought I could watch it that way. Fast forward to the present and I pop it back into my DVD player. Wow. What a difference a few months make. The characters are well-acted by the all-female cast. Not five minutes into the movie, there's already an underlying tension and unease pushing them. Once they get trapped, an amazing thing happens that is lost on most contemporary horror films: It lets the characters develop. The last movie I saw that actually pulled this off to a respectable degree was "The Hills Have Eyes" remake. Before the girls even encounter the mutants, they are confronted with anger towards one another. The natural fears of being trapped underground get to the group before the madness begins. There is something more at stake than these women's lives; their relationships and sanity. The music pays tribute to John Carpenter's "The Thing", playing the familiar, synthesized "bum-bum" with disturbing effectiveness. Once the mutants arrive, the blood spews. Oh, but the cave creatures aren't the only ones who know how to fight. What follows is a deadly game of predator and prey, providing well-deserved moments to the girls' survival abilities. The last act of violence is the most disturbing of all. The ending is satisfying, leaving you with that dirty feeling that horror movies from the seventies used to. If there is one thing I didn't think worked all that well was the establishing of all six women. You can attach yourself to a majority of the characters, but some don't get your attention until their death. This is definitely my favorite horror film to date and should not be missed.

I missed out on this movie when it was in its original theatrical run, but a friend of mine did, so evidently, he couldn't shut up about the film. The bad thing about this is that my friend also spoiled the ending that this movie will forever be remembered for. The first day that it came out on DVD, I begged and pleaded for it. Thankfully, my friend was right. I had to watch it at least two times a day, possibly more if I was in the mood. I don't know what it was about the low-budgeted, quickly-shot thriller disguised as a horror film that appealed to my sensibilities. The atmosphere, story and the just pure dirty feeling of the whole film are all guilty. Sure, the characters are stuck in a situation and they need to find out how to escape, but, amazingly, the narrative unfolds at a decent pace. James Wan does great for the little time that they had to make this. Sadly, he has yet to prove himself to date, threatening him with the thought that it is the only film he will be remembered for. The acting is lacking a bit, but it kind of finds its place with the whole of the picture, strangely. Now, the franchise is a shell of its former self and I wish they would just let it die. That being said, this is a creative little horror/thriller cult classic that will stay in my collection for a great long while. I recommend you add it to your collection as well.

Possibly my favorite Stephen King adaptation, Secret Window gets a lot of things right that I feel are lacking when I watch another of the author's works brought to life. Okay, I'll admit, Johnny Depp is a major part of this movie's success. Depp is endearing, appearing for long stretches without the assistance of another actor to play off. Even when he does have another person in the scene, there's an odd sense of isolation that only an actor like Depp could control. John Turturro does a good job of characterizing his role but never overstepping the line of reality. Other than that, the supporting cast do their part and keep the film flowing at a smooth pace. It's a comfortable ride from start to finish. This is funny because the movie is PG-13, but never let's the rating hold it back. I'll take good filmmaking over extreme blood and gore (I'm looking at you, Eli Roth) anyday. The ending is satisfying, not feeling forced. It may divide people on if the conclusion is good or bad, happy or sad, but it doesn't lie. I don't know about you but I like a movie that respects its viewers. Now I have more movies to watch that are probably going to defile me. I categorize it under "Comfort Food".

Finally, another fighting-game-turned-movie that I had a lot of fun with. I kind of threw out all conventional critic sensibilities when I fired this up. Oh, and am I so glad I did! The story is pretty damn weak and doesn't stand up to scrutiny, but at least the filmmakers knew this when they were going into this. They, instead, focused on what made the game so popular: beautiful ladies and over-the-top fighting action. The vixen that stands out the most here is Jaime Pressly as Tina Armstrong. Sure, you can tell she obviously had practice with her character from her role on My Name Is Earl, but she plays sexy wrestler bumpkin so well, why not? Holly Valance is playfully lovely here and she just pops. Oh, and I can't explain how much I related to the character of Weatherby by having a huge crush on Helena who is played by the very cute Sarah Carter. The only female I had a problem with was Kasumi. Devon Aoki gives us another example of why she should keep her mouth firmly shut. Throughout the whole movie, she hits us with just how constipated her face and acting seem. Onto the subject of the opposite sex, Eric Roberts doesn't do much but talk with that very soothing voice. He's not much of a villian. Weatherby (can't remember his name) is the awkward geek of the movie who represents all the fans of the game. I liked him and he plays off comedy very well. Oh, and Kevin Nash. I used to be a massive WCW fan and to see him doing something like this makes me extremely happy. He plays the joyful bear of a father to Tina and I love him for it. But like Devon Aoki, there's a weak link here: Matthew Marsden. What a pompous ass. He plays out his role here, though. The action is fantastic as it hits with a visceral but campy video game feel. Listen for some great sound effects here. It's not deep, but everybody likes to wade in the shallow end for a game of volleyball sometimes, especially when there are some very sexy ladies who are half naked playing.

No. That's what my metacognizant mind kept telling me as I handed over the $7.50 that would most likely come back to bite me in the ass. But there was something going for this installment that made me bored to death about the third film: there's finally mystery behind who's doing all the trouble. Also, I like the cast of this one better than the previous movie. Jeff was driven into the ground with his frantic stupidity, Lynn was stolid to boredom, and the villians were over-explained. Now, there's some sense of "WHO THE F--K IS DOING ALL OF THIS?!?!?" again. Lyric Bent is more realistic than past protagonists as he reacts with common sense here. Costas Mandylor doesn't have too much to do here, but he's a likeable guy, so I can dig it. Tobin Bell appears as a corpse at the beginning and after the scene of his autopsy, we get a more in-depth look at what used to make him tick. Donnie Wahlberg shows up, but don't expect much from him. He tries, at least. The two FBI agents act as a catalyst for Saw fans that like to ask all the questions and pick up on the ending before they're even halfway there. Where Saw III lingered on self-parody, Saw IV pretty much says "F--K YOU!" to the fans. Oh, now the series is getting a little defensive! The story is better laid out here and, excluding the forced ending, works pretty well on its own. Thankfully, it doesn't need the actors to be good to tell it. Ah, the Saw series and their respective twist endings. The latest drags a bit, but it is refreshing to see a character figure it out and basically say "Wow. This is really going to suck!" before it happens. Although it doesn't quite explain itself, the ending is unforgiving and brooding. If you listen very closely, you can hear Saw fans whimpering in fear of the series that is slowly learning to hate its fanbase. For that, I respect Saw IV more than I enjoy it.