Once (2006)

Once (2006)

Directed by: John Carney
Screenplay by: John Carney

Genre: Drama | Music | Romance
Running Time: 85 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned DVD

How often do you find the right person?

[IMDb]

Comments: Words may not be adequately able to describe how much I enjoyed this movie. From the amazing music to the sweet and near-perfect storyline, Once is a great film. I'm pretty upset this has been sitting on my shelf for so long. Casting musicians for the leads rather than actors was a wonderful choice, as Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová are both intelligent and charming. The songs are awesome, from "When Your Mind's Made Up" to "Falling Slowly" to my personal favorite, "Say It To Me Now." The scene where Hansard sings "Say It To Me Now" on a street in Ireland is so incredibly moving and powerful, and one of the best scenes in a movie I've seen in a long time. I cannot recommend Once enough. It's pretty close to as good as a movie gets.

EDIT: I've found a link where you can watch Glen performing "Say It To Me Now" from the movie here. The site is completely foreign, but I didn't get any viruses or anything so it should be good. If you're afraid, there's a number of live performances on Youtube, but I think the one from the film is the best.

Roswell - Season One (1999-2000)

Roswell (1999-2002)

Created by: Jason Katims

Season: One (1999-2000)
Genre: Drama | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Number of Episodes: 22
Episode Running Time: 60 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

There's truth to every rumor.

[IMDb]

Comments: I've always loved watching a good television show on DVD. I love getting so caught up with the characters and drama so much so that I ignore everything else and just watch that show continuously until I've run out of seasons to watch, at which point I feel like I've lost my family as these characters are now out of my life. Admittedly, I don't always get caught up in the "best" television. For every season Arrested Development and The Office (the British original) that I've watched, there's seasons of The O.C. and Grey's Anatomy that I've been ridiculously addicted to.

Anyway, I've been yearning for a new television show to get into. I do have shows like Carnivale and Battlestar Galactica in my collection that I have yet to watch, but I was looking for something special (read: some stupid teenage drama). And Roswell just seemed to fall into my lap. Wal-Mart put out all 3 seasons for a combined $32 the other week, and I jumped on it, not knowing anything about the show other than it's had a significant following over the years.

Roswell was a little bit too much of what I expected. It had all the teen drama - and then some. The story centers on three teens - and later four - that are aliens. But instead of doing cool alien shit, they generally mope around, argue and whine, and fall in love. There's only a handful of episodes I really enjoyed throughout the season. The rest felt, well, inconsequential compared to the grand scheme of things. However, the episodes that I did enjoy were excellent - so much so that I now plan on immediately watching the second season. How many hyphens did I use in that paragraph?

The show was truly captivating when it focused on the group's hunt to find their identity. The two-parter in the beginning consisting of 285 South and River Dog combined with the final six or so episodes were compelling television. The rest were just... passable. While I am going to start in on Season 2 shortly (as I mentioned), I do have reservations. Be warned, spoilers ahead. At the end of the season we learn the four were created from their past lives; they led their now enslaved planet. The four are expected to regroup and return to save their planet. While I have no issue with this storyline, it's the fact that for the final two seasons of the show, they stay in high school. Seriously? You once ruled an alien civilization and you stay in high school? Perhaps this is explained next season. I guess we'll find out.

The spoilers are over. Roswell's first season is a mixed bag. I don't mind the romance, but it almost solely encompasses the twenty-two episodes. And considering how good some episodes are, the show could have been much better. I'm hoping the writers realized this in the second season. But they probably didn't. Because we have alien leaders taking trigonometry classes. Oops, I think that was a spoiler. Oh well, fuck you.

Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek (2009)

Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Screenplay by: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
Running Time: 126 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Owned DVD

The future begins.

[IMDb]

Comments: This movie is fucking awesome. If there was ever a film that deserved a sequel, Star Trek is it. My original thoughts: I have never seen any of the original Star Trek movies, nor have I ever seen the original television show. My experience in the Star Trek universe is limited to some episodes from Star Trek: The Next Generation and some of the movies that franchise produced. However, all of that was around 10 years ago, at the least. So I guess you could say I'm not a Trekkie. But even with my lack of knowledge about the Starship Enterprise, I found myself totally in awe of the reboot of Star Trek. I can't remember the last time two hours at the theater passed by so quickly without me noticing. Perhaps the best comparison was the quote that you've seen on the Star Trek commercials, where they reference a quote stating the film is this year's Iron Man, which was one of the most entertaining films of 2008. Star Trek is full on excitement and entertainment, and better than Iron Man. Chris Pine, considering he's never been in anything of this magnitude, was amazing as Captain Kirk. You could just feel the "swagger" with which he approached the role. I was initially hesitant with Leonard Nimoy being in the film, as sometimes cameos distract from the film. Nimoy, however, has a much bigger role and was never a distraction. I truly hope J.J. Abrams makes another film, as I would love to see the continuing adventures of the crew. And given the great opening weekend it had, I believe we have not seen the last of Star Trek.

Dead Snow (2009)

Dead Snow (2009)

Directed by: Tommy Wirkola
Screenplay by: Stig Frode Henriksen and Tommy Wirkola

Genre: Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Horror | Thriller
Running Time: 91 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Viewed: Rental DVD - Blockbuster

[IMDb]

Comments: I have been really excited about Dead Snow for some time now. There's just something about the phrase "nazi zombies" that really gets me going. My hopes were crushed through the first 45 minutes of the film, however. There was nothing great about Dead Snow. It had the exact same generic setup that thousands of other horror movies have. There were no interesting characters, no memorable dialogue, just a few '80s horror references and endless clichés. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Yet somehow, the film was resurrected in the second half. There was some good zombie violence, and best of all it was genuinely funny. Parts had me laughing out loud, which doesn't often occur when I watch something by myself. It's a shame that the creators couldn't have made the first half of the film better, or we may have had a bona fide cult classic on our hands. I definitely recommend Dead Snow, although it won't be released for sale until February. It's a shame, but I'll definitely be picking it up when it's released.

Also Known As: Død Snø

2012 (2009)

2012 (2009)

Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Screenplay by: Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser

Genre: Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Running Time: 158 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Theater

We were warned.

[IMDb]

Comments: I will openly admit that I love crap like 2012. When I was a younger lad, I can't tell you how many times I watched Armageddon and Independence Day on my trusty 13" TV/VCR combo set (which is now retired, although it may be resurrected if I ever move into a house with a big ass bathroom). I just love these end-of-the-world big budget disaster films, even though they're mostly explosions and destruction. Lately, Roland Emmerich gave us The Day After Tomorrow which was a much weaker film than the previous two I mentioned, but it still was an awesome spectacle to behold (despite the horrific plot). Now we have 2012. It's the kind of movie that if you have any desire to see it, you have to go to the theater because its impact will be greatly diminished at home (well, home theaters have come a long way, but mine hasn't). And I was loving 2012 through the first two hours. It was so over-the-top that I was giggling like a little school girl. Las Vegas? Fucking destroyed. California? Fucking destroyed. The world? Pretty much fucking destroyed. But the finale just annoyed the piss out of me. In a movie full of unnecessary moments, the final "big scene" was so unneeded, and it paled in comparison to the spectacle that was the previous two hours. Without trying to completely spoil the ending (skip this next part to be completely in the dark), certain people die, and no one seems to care, while certain people fuck things up and fix them later, only to be unceremoniously cheered (even though they wouldn't be in that position if said people hadn't fucked things up to begin with). Anyway, 2012 is pretty damn entertaining. It's too bad the ending fucked up what could have been one of the better "ridiculous" disaster films of recent memory. Mr. Willis and Mr. Smith, do not fret. Your positions are safe. For now.

The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay by: David Levien and Brian Koppelman

Genre: Drama
Running Time: 78 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Rental DVD - Blockbuster

See it with someone you ****.

[IMDb]

Comments: I had a hard time deciding if I enjoyed The Girlfriend Experience or I was completely annoyed by it. Some of Soderbergh's shots are breathtaking; others just seem to be horribly self-indulgent. To be fair, I haven't seen a number of Soderbergh's smaller independent features, so I can't really compare. But from what I have seen, his camerawork and uniqueness either works well (Traffic and the Ocean's Eleven series) or becomes distracting to the main point of the film (The Girlfriend Experience and The Limey jump to mind). Sasha Grey's mainstream feature film debut leaves a little to be desired, but then again it's hard to take her seriously after seeing her slapped and choked whilst having the shit vigorously pounded out of her. Her facial expressions were good, but her dialogue delivery was a little... porn star-ish. Anyway, there was some to like in Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience. However, parts of the film were so pretentious that it took me out of the "moment" Soderbergh is trying to create. Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way. Or maybe I'm just not cool enough. I'm never cool enough.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by: Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Alma Reville

Genre: Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller
Running Time: 108 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Viewed: Owned DVD

A blast of dramatic dynamite exploded right before your eyes!

[IMDb]

Comments: The other night, after finishing the abysmal Black Devil Doll, I wanted to get back into my Hitchcock collection. I initially was going to watch Rear Window, however when reading the description for Saboteur I decided to watch that instead. But, because it was late, I was tired, and I'm generally an idiot, I put the wrong disc in. About twenty minutes into Shadow of a Doubt I realized that this was not Saboteur. I really wasn't interested in watching that film at the time, but I decided to go with it since I was already a good bit in. After finishing it up tonight, I must say I truly enjoyed the film. The story's very well done, and the only issues I had were the way some of the characters acted and spoke (which is because the film is a product of the 1940s, not because of any deficiencies in the script), and the rather abrupt yet satisfying ending. Everything else is remarkably well done. I'm coming to love Hitchcock more and more not only because he made such great films, but because the way he directed them was so ahead of his time. The camerawork and editing is always top-notch. Score another one for the Master of Suspense.

Black Devil Doll (2007)

Black Devil Doll (2007)

Directed by: Jonathan Lewis
Screenplay by: Shawn Lewis and Mitch Mayes

Genre: Horror
Running Time: 73 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Viewed: Owned DVD

Who will survive? What will be left of them? Will their virginity be
  intact?

[IMDb]

Comments: When Deep Discount had a big sale of underground horror DVDs, Black Devil Doll captured my attention because it was one of the top sellers. I read about the film, and decided it was going to be amazingly funny and awesome. So I ordered it. And I received it yesterday (finally - quality shipping there, DD), and promptly watched it. It wasn't pretty. Black Devil Doll felt like it was made by a group of sixth graders. The jokes are all so unfunny and amateurish, and the gags mostly fall flat. The writers/director aim to offend everyone, but everything is written so poorly that the film offends me simply because it's awful. There is a ton of nudity; unfortunately it's mostly provided by overweight third-rate strippers (hello implant scars!). There's also an "actress" who looks like she just became a lady a few months ago. The film barely runs an hour long, yet there's a ton of interludes and fancy camerawork to delay the plot/bore the hell out of me. Perhaps if there were a bunch of people watching the film with me, it may have been funnier. However, I doubt it. Black Devil Doll is a shitty film; don't believe all the "next cult classic" hype.

Vertigo (1958)

Vertigo (1958)

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by: Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor

Genre: Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Thriller
Running Time: 128 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Viewed: Owned DVD

Alfred Hitchcock engulfs you in a whirlpool of terror and tension!

[IMDb]

Comments: One of my horrible habits is buying all kinds of films and never watching them. I have hundreds and hundreds of unwatched (and often brand new) DVDs lying around. Then I go and rent a pile of DVDs or watch trash like Blood Mania and Horror Hospital and ignore the great films I have. So the other day I decided to start going through and watching the unwatched. This will take me years, but I might as well start sometime. One of my worst oversights is my Alfred Hitchcock collection. I just ordered Warner's Signature Series DVD Collection to go along with Universal's Masterpiece Collection and Mill Creek's shitty but effective Legend Begins set (I bought it for five dollars, and considering it contains 18 of Hitchcock's early films, it's a good deal for now and I won't be pained when getting better versions of the films and dumping this set later), so now I have 40+ Hitchcock films. Most of which, I've never watched. And you can't start in a much better place than Vertigo, which is about as good as it gets. But there's so many more to go. One day I'll get there. One day.

1408 (2007)

1408 (2007)

Directed by: Mikael Håfström
Screenplay by: Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander, and Larry
  Karaszewski

Genre: Horror | Thriller
Running Time: 104 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Owned DVD

No one lasts more than an hour.

[IMDb]

Comments: Firstly, I have the two disc special edition of 1408 which contains the longer director's cut. However, it only dawned on me twenty minutes into the film that it never gave me the option to select either the director's cut or the theatrical cut, so I paused the film only to realize that the director's cut was on the second disc. I didn't feel like starting over, so I stuck with the theatrical cut. I compared both endings afterward, and each have their merits and can be viewed depending on whether you want the happy or sad outcome (I won't say which is which). As for the film itself, 1408 is a surprisingly good film. However, it's an extreme disservice to equally credit Samuel L. Motherfuckin' Jackson and John Cusack. This is Cusack's film through and through, as Jackson has maybe 10 to 15 minutes of screen time. Cusack shines, and despite the fact that he's alone for most of the film, it's never boring or lacking something interesting going on. Granted, I'm a bit partial to Cusack as High Fidelity is one of my all-time favorites. But that's neither here nor there. Watch 1408. You'll enjoy it.

Trick 'r Treat (2008)

Trick 'r Treat (2008)

Directed by: Michael Dougherty
Screenplay by: Michael Dougherty

Genre: Comedy | Drama | Horror | Thriller
Running Time: 82 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned DVD

Poison, drowning, claw, or knife. So many ways to take a life.

[IMDb]

Comments: I'm not exactly sure why it took two years to release Trick 'r Treat, as it was set to debut all the way back in 2007. Whatever the reason, it seems to have drummed up considerable interest as I heard nothing but good things about the film. High anticipation for a film usually never pans out, and that is the case with Trick 'r Treat. It's a good film, but none of the stories are all that captivating, even if they are intertwined rather well. I never doubted writer/director Michael Dougherty's ability to craft a film, as he wrote the scripts for Superman Returns and X2, two of my all-time favorite non-Batman superhero films (he also wrote Urban Legends: Bloody Mary but I just dismissed that as something written when maybe his girlfriend cheated on him or his dog died). Anyway, Trick 'r Treat is a solid film and definitely worthy of some of the praise it has received. Just don't expect too much.

Horror Hospital (1973)

Horror Hospital (1973)

Directed by: Antony Balch
Screenplay by: Antony Balch and Alan Watson

Genre: Sci-Fi | Comedy | Horror
Running Time: 91 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned DVD

The operation is a success... when the patient dies.

[IMDb]

Comments: Horror Hospital is one of the more bizarre films I've seen recently. From the car that decapitates people (even though the blade comes out of the side of the door, thus making the clean decapitations nearly impossible, even though it happens roughly five times) to the motorcycle helmet-wearing henchmen, this is one strange-ass film. Also, if you're giving off strange vibes to a lady you'd like to be with, just say "it's alright, I'm not going to rape you," and soon she'll be giving you apples and letting you walk in on her in the shower even though you've only known her for a few hours. I can't really recommend Horror Hospital, although I'm sure I would've enjoyed it more if I watched it with a crowd. It's just that kind of movie.

Blood Mania (1970)

Blood Mania (1970)

Directed by: Robert Vincent O'Neill
Screenplay by: Tony Crechales and Toby Sacher

Genre: Horror
Running Time: 81 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned DVD

Plunge into a night of unspeakable terror!

[IMDb]

Comments: I became mildly interested in Blood Mania when I was reading the reviews for the Gorehouse Greats Collection, which was a collection of older public domain films. I almost picked the DVD up (from Wal-Mart for $5), but I realized I had a number of the films already in my Drive-In Cult Classics collections, which included Blood Mania. The picture quality is surprisingly good, however the film itself isn't. Sure, there's a bit of sleaze here and there, but it's never over-the-top (which I was hoping for) and there's hardly any violence. The one subplot of the film is almost completely ignored until the "twist" in the ending, but it doesn't make up for a number of oversights and inaccuracies. But, at least you get Maria De Aragon exposing herself in the mirror immediately after poisoning her father (and as he is dying), which makes complete sense. Where else could you find something as awesome as that?