From Russia with Love (1963)

From Russia with Love (1963)

Directed by: Terence Young
Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum

Genre: Action | Adventure | Crime | Thriller
Running Time: 115 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Viewed: Owned Blu-ray

The world's masters of murder pull out all the stops to destroy Agent
  007!

[IMDb]

Comments: From Russia with Love, the direct sequel to Dr. No, is one of the more highly regarded films in the James Bond franchise. And while I certainly enjoyed myself, I felt that it lacked that certain charm that other Bond films have. Despite the stupendous fight scene on the train, I just never found From Russia with Love as enjoyable as the other Connery films I've seen before (namely Dr. No and Goldfinger). Plus, the ending was about as anticlimactic as possible. Bond versus a 65-year-old woman? It's a miracle he made it out alive...

Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Directed by: Kelly Reichardt
Screenplay by: Kelly Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond

Genre: Drama
Running Time: 80 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned DVD

On the long road, friendship is everything.

[IMDb]

Comments: I dug this.

Life of Pi (2012)

Life of Pi (2012)

Directed by: Ang Lee
Screenplay by: David Magee

Genre: Adventure | Drama | Fantasy
Running Time: 127 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Viewed: Theater (3D)

Believe the unbelievable.

[IMDb]

Comments: I didn't have a great interest in catching Life of Pi, but it was one of those films where curiosity got the better of me. I had read some intriguing reviews (both here and from critics) that talked about how much they enjoyed the film, so I decided I needed to check it out. (It also looked like one of those movies that would benefit from being seen on the big screen, even though I don't particularly care for 3D.)

Life of Pi was both enchanting and frustrating for me. Ang Lee's direction and the overall look of the movie was spot-on. In addition, there were some truly great emotional scenes that reeled me in and had me totally invested in Life of Pi.

Unfortunately, all of those amazing scenes took place on the boat with Pi and the wonderfully named tiger, Richard Parker. Every time Ang Lee transitioned to present day and showed an older Pi speaking with a writer, my interest level lowered quite a bit. Combined with an overlong introduction, and an interesting, but somewhat saddening ending, I found that my love of Life of Pi started and ended with a fantastic story of a human and a tiger on a boat.

I still recommend checking the movie out though. Despite the faith-heavy dialogue (I'm not particularly religious) and a few other quibbles, I certainly wasn't upset with my decision to see Life of Pi this afternoon. The visuals and cinematography make it worth watching on the big screen.

Also, I'm going to start selling tiger-taming kits with some chum, a whistle, and a stick. If Life of Pi teaches us anything, it's that you too can make friends with your very own tiger!

Your Sister's Sister (2011)

Your Sister's Sister (2011)

Directed by: Lynn Shelton
Screenplay by: Lynn Shelton

Genre: Comedy | Drama
Running Time: 90 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned Blu-ray

A comedy about doing the right thing with the wrong person.

[IMDb]

Comments: I'm not the biggest fan of the "mumblecore" genre, but in general what I've seen I've enjoyed (ranging from mediocre films like Cyrus and Baghead to ones I've really appreciated, like Jeff, Who Lives at Home). Your Sister's Sister falls a few notches above the middle, as it's a film I enjoyed despite a couple minor issues. One issue I don't have is Emily Blunt, who I completely adore. Opposite her is Mark Duplass, an actor (and co-director of all three mumblecore films I mentioned above) I generally like, but he comes off as whiny and annoying throughout the first half of the film (his character improves, however). In general, Your Sister's Sister is a nice little rom-com-dram, and one I approve of if you're interested.

Aim High - Season One (2011)

Aim High (2011-????)

Created by: Heath Corson and Richie Keen

Season: One (2011)
Genre: Thriller
Number of Episodes: 6
Episode Running Time: 10 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

After school jobs are a killer.

[IMDb]

Comments: For a web series that consists of only six episodes and runs for less than one hour total, Aim High was a pretty decent little idea. It's certainly something I'd watch if it was an actual television series (especially given my predisposition to storylines of this type), and I think it would work on a grander scale. I hadn't even heard of this series until earlier in the week when I saw the DVD released online. I did a little research, made a mental note that I might have to check it out later, and then immediately bought it when I saw it for sale at Walmart this afternoon. I don't know if it was worth the $10, especially when you take into account the short runtime, but I enjoyed enough that it won't bother me. I'm sure you can find this online somewhere, so give Aim High a look if it interests you.

Red Lights (2012)

Red Lights (2012)

Directed by: Rodrigo Cortés
Screenplay by: Rodrigo Cortés

Genre: Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Running Time: 113 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned Blu-ray

How much do you want to believe?

[IMDb]

Comments: Red Lights is certainly a flawed film, but I can't deny that I was captivated by the story. I hadn't even heard of the movie until I saw it for sale at Best Buy (which should tell you overall how a film starring Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy was received), so I went home and did a little digging and figured out that yes, Red Lights probably wasn't very good. But then I saw it for sale again at Target... and it had a pretty slipcover... and I was doomed.

Listen, Red Lights isn't great. But if you dig the premise, as I did, and you like some of the awesome talent Rodrigo Cortés recruited (Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Olsen, and Toby Jones, in addition to the two above), then I advise you to at least check it out. You may see that it has tremendous room for improvement, as I did, but you may also find that it was a pretty damn decent film... as I also did.

Sinister (2012)

Sinister (2012)

Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Screenplay by: Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill

Genre: Horror | Mystery
Running Time: 110 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Theater

Once you see him, nothing can save you.

[IMDb]

Comments: I have been looking forward to catching Sinister for the last two weeks, but for whatever reason (busy one week, lazy the next) I never got around to checking it out. To be honest, I would've rather seen Cloud Atlas today, but the film isn't playing at my local theater so no luck there (it's playing in my hometown, so hopefully I'll get to it within the next two weeks).

The film marks a return to horror for director Scott Derrickson. In 2008 he directed the remake of the The Day the Earth Stood Still, a disappointing film in general and especially when considering his solid 2005 effort, The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Fortunately, Sinister contains much of the effective dread that Derrickson employed in Emily Rose, and as a result I really enjoyed this film. Combining a cool soundtrack, Ethan f'n Hawke, and a generally interesting story, I found myself fully invested in Sinister. Unfortunately, the ending is plagued by the same problem that effects countless other horror films: the revelation of what's going to removes much of the mystery and suspense, and that causes the movie to straddle the line between effectiveness and silliness. In the end though, I bought what Derrickson was selling (even the ending), making Sinister one of the best horror movies of 2012.

Parks and Recreation - Season One (2009)

Parks and Recreation (2009-????)

Created by: Greg Daniels and Michael Schur

Season: One (2009)
Genre: Comedy
Number of Episodes: 6
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

Because parks don't grow on trees.

[IMDb]

Comments: This is why I don't ever declare October to be Horrorfest. Despite my best intentions of watching nothing but horror throughout the month, I always get burned out a week or two into it. I love horror, and it's absolutely my favorite genre, but I need to break it up a bit. I found myself yesterday staring at the titles I wanted to watch and not having a desire to watch any of them at the moment. I needed something different. Fucking ADD.

And that brings us to Parks and Recreation, a show I've wanted to watch for some time. It's essentially the sister show to The Office, which works for me (although when this debuted I thought it was going to be an unmitigated disaster). I've heard increasingly good things over the years, and combined with the fact that I loved Ron Swanson even before I ever watched the show, I knew I'd dig Parks and Rec. After the short first season, I can see where it needs to grow a bit, but overall I really enjoyed it. Onward!

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Directed by: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
Screenplay by: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez

Genre: Horror
Running Time: 81 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned Blu-ray

Everything you've heard is true.

[IMDb]

Comments: I was thinking a lot about The Blair Witch Project the other night when I watched Grave Encounters. I've seen a lot of "found footage" films in recent years, but it's been awhile since I've watched this originator of the genre. I liked this movie quite a bit when I was in high school, so I really hoped this was going to hold up for me. Luckily it did, and mainly for the reason I became less interested in Grave Encounters as it moved along: less is more. With ghost and haunted house films, the more you show, the more unrealistic it becomes. If we only see small pieces, however, it is often more effective and creepy. (Humans are afraid of the unknown!) With The Blair Witch Project, you don't get much at all - but it works, and it's effective as fuck. Sure, the actors' constant yelling and bitching gets a tad annoying, but overall, I really enjoyed the film. And yes, there's absolutely no need for something this low budget (and full screen) to be on Blu-ray, but fuck it. It was $5 at Best Buy yesterday. And I can't turn down much when it comes to Blu-rays.

The Snowtown Murders (2011)

The Snowtown Murders (2011)

Directed by: Justin Kurzel
Screenplay by: Shaun Grant

Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
Running Time: 119 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Viewed: Netflix Watch Instantly

[IMDb]

Comments: The Snowtown Murders is kind of like an artfully made torture porn film. Well, at least some parts. The movie chronicles Australia's "worst serial killer," and the teenager that he involves in the killings. I had read a number of good things about this dark film, and being one that likes heavier cinema, I was ecstatic to learn Netflix was streaming it. While parts of The Snowtown Murders are well done, I found the movie a bit disjointed, which was only compounded by the fact I had a difficult time deciphering the heavily accented Australian dialogue. (One of the things I dislike about Netflix is the lack of subtitles.) But other scenes were very powerful and made for an affecting viewing experience. I can't freely recommend the film, but for those interested it's certainly worth a look.

Sherlock - Season One (2010)

Sherlock (2010-????)

Created by: Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss

Season: One (2010)
Genre: Crime | Drama | Mystery
Number of Episodes: 3
Episode Running Time: 90 Minutes
Viewed: Netflix Watch Instantly

A new sleuth for the 21st century.

[IMDb]

Comments: After a very compelling debut episode ("A Study in Pink"), I was left underwhelmed by the first season of Sherlock for a few reasons. The main issue I had was that the show was produced so close to the theatrical version, and I'll admit to being more partial to Downey and Law. Secondly, with only three episodes, it's hard to get really become invested in the characters. That means we must rely on the cases, and "A Study in Pink" was the only story that stood out to me. I did love the actors chosen for the roles; Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Andrew Scott as Moriarty (even though he's only in the last episode) were inspired choices. And I can't forget to give love to Martin Freeman - Tim Canterbury will always have my respect.

Though I'm in possession of the second set of episodes from Sherlock, I may just wait until they're available on Netflix. I just can't find a TV show to really latch onto lately; hopefully that trend will end soon.

The Arbor (2010)

The Arbor (2010)

Directed by: Clio Barnard

Genre: Documentary | Biography
Running Time: 94 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Viewed: Netflix Watch Instantly

A documentary reinvented.

[IMDb]

Comments: I discovered Clio Barnard's documentary The Arbor through one of my favorite podcasts, Filmspotting (I know I've mentioned them before). They championed the film as their 2011 Golden Brick winner (the Golden Brick is a film made by a newer director that may not get as much recognition as it deserves; past winners include Dogtooth and Moon), so I was immediately interested in checking it out. The film expires on September 6th on Netflix Watch Instantly, so I wanted to catch it out before I lost the opportunity.

The Arbor is an odd yet interesting documentary. Barnard takes the typical "talking head" format and flips it, using actors to lip synch the dialogue that the original interviewees provided. The story of The Arbor is of British playwright Andrea Dunbar, who used her experiences growing up in "The Arbor," a poor lower class neighborhood, to write a play as a teenager. She had a turbulent, alcohol-filled life, having three kids to three different men before dying at age 29. The story then shifts to her children, and how Dunbar's lack of parenting affected them. Needless to say, it didn't turn out well.

The use of actors is interesting. At times it works, as the actors are able to play out certain scenes that create a distinct visual representation of what's going on. At other times, however, it feels false - mainly during the film's more emotional scenes. Hearing the actual people crying made me really want to see their faces - not the actors' portrayal of it. Regardless, The Arbor is a solid film that really had me invested in the story of the Dunbars. It's rough at times, but oddly compelling - enough to warrant a solid recommendation.

The Expendables 2 (2012)

The Expendables 2 (2012)

Directed by: Simon West
Screenplay by: Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone

Genre: Action | Adventure
Running Time: 102 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Theater

Back for war.

[IMDb]

Comments: I broke my cardinal rule with The Expendables 2: I watched the sequel without seeing the original film. I own The Expendables on Blu-ray and was planning to watch it this week, but I didn't think I was going to make it to the theater this weekend. Luckily, plans changed this afternoon, and my buddy was only able to go at that time, so I went in as an Expendables virgin.

The Expendables 2 was a blast. It's almost too self-referential at times (I'm pretty sure Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger only spoke in '80s catchphrases), but I couldn't help but be entertained throughout. The action scenes are well done, though it's easy to see that the movie was filmed with a PG-13 rating in mind as there was a lot of CGI blood and effects that were added in post-production. From what I've heard, the film's a lot more comical than its predecessor; I guess I'll find out soon enough.

In the end, The Expendables 2 works. The one-liners start to run a little thin by the end and I wish there was a little more backstory on the other cast, like Lundgren, Crews, and Couture. But otherwise the film's entertaining as hell and a great way to pass the time. And there's even a "Chuck Norris joke" that's worked in to Chuck's dialogue. How could you go wrong?

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Directed by: George Nolfi
Screenplay by: George Nolfi

Genre: Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Running Time: 106 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Cinemax HD (DVR)

Fight for your fate.

[IMDb]

Comments: I had dinner at my father's house tonight, and afterwards we checked out The Adjustment Bureau, a movie that despite its flaws I fucking love. See my earlier review (which in turn contains an even earlier; that's some Inception shit right there):

"I really, really like this movie. Everything I said in my original review still stands (see below): it's ludicrous, silly, and at times overly religious. But Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are just terrific together, and their relationship just feels so powerful that The Adjustment Bureau just gets to me.

Original review: If you go into The Adjustment Bureau for the sci-fi aspect alone, then you may come out disappointed. The film feels a bit gimmicky, as The Bureau has all this unreal power, yet these crazy limitations to control said power (which only exist to allow Matt Damon to do what he does in the film). But the reason that The Adjustment Bureau works is because I totally bought into the Matt Damon-Emily Blunt relationship. They have great chemistry together, and enough time is devoted to them that I felt their love was real. The pair is the definite driving force of the film. I also wasn't a big fan of who is behind The Bureau. While it's never explicitly stated, it's completely fucking obvious. However, this aspect of the film probably won't bother 92% of the American population. Anyway, The Adjustment Bureau definitely comes recommended from me; it's worth a watch, even if you wait until it comes out on Blu-ray."

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Screenplay by: Tony Gilroy and Dan Gilroy

Genre: Action | Adventure | Thriller
Running Time: 135 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Theater

There was never just one.

[IMDb]

Comments: I took a couple vacation days from work this week, as I've gone pretty much the whole year without using any. One of the main things I wanted to do was to go see The Bourne Legacy, even though some of the early reviews I read were a bit so-so on the whole thing. I went into the film with tempered expectations, but I was happy to realize that I really enjoyed myself over the two hour period. There's two negative things that stuck out to me: it's a little too long, and parts of the film felt like they were copies of the earlier Bourne films (and I had hoped Matt Damon would've at least made a cameo). Beyond that, however, I fucking enjoyed myself. I've been a Jeremy Renner fan since The Hurt Locker, and after seeing him in the latest Mission Impossible film I had no doubts he could hold his own in a frenetic action thriller like The Bourne Legacy. The interactions between Renner and Rachel Weisz felt eerily similar to Damon and Franka Potente, but I enjoyed the film enough that I was able to overlook it.

If you've enjoyed the Bourne film franchise so far, I highly doubt that you'd leave The Bourne Legacy disappointed. It's pretty fun, and if it leads to a fifth film with both Damon and Renner, I'm all for it.

Trouble the Water (2008)

Trouble the Water (2008)

Directed by: Carl Deal and Tia Lessin

Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 93 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Viewed: Netflix Watch Instantly

It's not about a hurricane. It's about America.

[IMDb]

Comments: Trouble the Water is a documentary chronicling the plight of aspiring rapper Kimberly and her husband during Hurricane Katrina. The film is aided by home footage Kimberly shot that is truly terrifying of the flood waters invading her home. It's pretty spectacular stuff that really drives the point of how insane the hurricane was. Seeing Scott (the husband) taking a punching bag through the flood mid-storm to help people was incredible. As a whole, the documentary is pretty good, though I have my issues.

Trouble the Water is decidedly one-sided - though with how bungled the entire FEMA response was, it's hard to mount any type of counterpoint. Regardless, this is how the film portrayed its facts.

I think my biggest issue though, and one that I think divided many viewers of the film, were the film's protagonists, Kim and Scott. They are poor and uneducated former drug dealers. Neither of them have a job and it's fair to assume they survive on government sustenance. Kim can barely speak intelligible English, and at times she's even subtitled because it's so hard to understand her. But I found them (along with others along the way) to be very unsympathetic for the subject of a documentary. And let me make this clear: IN NO WAY IS THIS A RACE ISSUE, NOR AM I SAYING THEY DIDN'T DESERVE TO BE HELPED. I know that sounds harsh considering the absolute shit that they went through, but this is just how it came across to me in the film.

Despite my complaints, I did enjoy Trouble the Water. The footage provided was incredible and the overall story made me feel even more terrible for the shit that happened to the Gulf Coast. It's definitely worth a watch on Netflix, though hardcore right-wingers may want to proceed with caution.

30 for 30: June 17, 1994 (2010)

30 for 30: June 17, 1994 (2010)

Directed by: Brett Morgen

Genre: Sport
Running Time: 52 Minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Viewed: Netflix Watch Instantly

The day sports took a backseat to surreal.

[IMDb]

Comments: June 17, 1994 covers a number of major sporting events that occurred on one day: the New York Rangers victory parade, Arnold Palmer's last PGA event, the beginning of the World Cup, Game 5 of the NBA finals (also in New York), and most famously the OJ Simpson slow-speed chase. While the documentary's mainly focused on OJ (and rightfully so), I almost wish it was entirely devoted to him. I found the other sporting events to be completely uneventful and bland when compared to the OJ case, and outside of seeing how it impacted the coverage of the NBA Finals, I could've done without them. Still, I really enjoyed the documentary and how it only used news footage, raw feeds, and phone conversations rather than "talking heads" (much like the brilliant documentary 102 Minutes That Changed America). June 17, 1994 is a good one to check out.

The Iron Giant (1999)

The Iron Giant (1999)

Directed by: Brad Bird
Screenplay by: Tim McCanlies

Genre: Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Sci-Fi
Running Time: 86 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Viewed: Netflix Watch Instantly

It came from outer space!

[IMDb]

Comments: I think I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge animation guy. Outside of TV shows like Archer, Family Guy, and South Park, there's not a whole lot that really captures my attention. However, I've heard so much about The Iron Giant over the years (and I've liked all of Brad Bird's other films) that when I saw this was another of Netflix's expiring titles, I decided to give 'er a go. And while I enjoyed the film, and can see why some highly revere it, there wasn't much that I really was able to dig into. I think it's time to go back to the gutter with my Netflix watches.

Pawn Stars - Season One (2009)

Pawn Stars (2009-????)

Created by: Brent Montgomery

Season: One (2009)
Genre: Reality-TV
Number of Episodes: 14
Episode Running Time: 30 Minutes
Viewed: Netflix Watch Instantly

[IMDb]

Comments: I don't really watch any "reality" television shows (with the exception of MTV's The Challenge, a show I'll admit I totally fucking love), but I happened to catch a few episodes of Pawn Stars at a friend's house the other week and really enjoyed the show. The scripting at times is obvious, and the underlying stories they weave in each week make me cringe at times. But overall I like the show's stars, and in general I find Pawn Stars interesting. This isn't a show I watched continuously, but it's something I'd pop on when eating dinner at night. There's a metric shit-ton of episodes on Netflix, so I'm sure I'll keep watching them over time. Pawn Stars is the definition of relaxing television.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Directed by: Marc Webb
Screenplay by: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves

Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Thriller
Running Time: 136 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Theater (2D)

The untold story begins.

[IMDb]

Comments: A lot of the early reviews I read for The Amazing Spider-Man asked what the point of rebooting the franchise so soon was. I wasn't too swayed by this, as I'm usually not against remakes. But when a film like The Amazing Spider-Man feels so similar to 2002's Spider-Man, I really have to join the chorus of reviewers asking "Why?"

There were parts of the film I dug. As a whole, I think the entire cast is better. Andrew Garfield, despite being almost thirty and playing a high school student (what the fuck?!) does a pretty solid job and avoids some of the goofiness that Tobey Maguire brought to the role. And I love Emma Stone in everything, so there were no complaints there. Similarly, Martin Sheen rules and I enjoyed him as Uncle Ben. I also liked how they portrayed Flash and didn't make Sally Field as annoying as Rosemary Harris' Aunt May. The fight scenes were really cool too, and I like how the camera moved as Spider-Man did at times, instead of just watching a giant blur onscreen.

But going back to my main point, the film feels so close in its tonality to the original Spider-Man, and that's a shame. In an era where superhero movies are grandiose and fantastically awesome, that same air or silliness that plagued Raimi's films applies to The Amazing Spider-Man. Everything feels so cheery at times, as not long after Uncle Ben's demise is Spider-Man hootin' and hollerin' and swinging around the streets. I know it's a tad cliched now for all superhero movies to be "darker," but a little more intensity could have helped The Amazing Spider-Man. For a character built on avenging a family member's death, there's not a lot despondency and sadness in our masked hero.

However, despite all of the issues, I still enjoyed the movie. If it wasn't so soon after the original trilogy and it didn't feel so damn similar, I'd mostly have good things to say about the film. I certainly wouldn't mind a sequel down the line too, so here's hoping to an improved Spider-Man in... 2015?