Films Seen In 2011
Roughly in chronological order. Updated every month or so - going to try using IMDb Check-Ins for up-to-date stuff.
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- DirectorJoseph McGrathStarsJim DaleSpike MilliganAngela DouglasDigby consumes a bowl of a liquid growth formula called Project X. Soon he becomes a sheepdog of gigantic size.Watched this one several times with my daughter. She loves the dog, I love the fact that there's a Nazi/Heil Hitler joke in a goofy kid's movie.
- DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsJason StathamJoan AllenTyrese GibsonEx-con Jensen Ames is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in our post-industrial world's most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory.
- DirectorJacques AudiardStarsTahar RahimNiels ArestrupAdel BencherifA delinquent Muslim man struggles to get by in prison until he is taken under the wing of a powerful mob boss. But his gradual rise through the mob's ranks brings him in conflict with his mentor.
- DirectorKen KwapisStarsCaroll SpinneyJim HensonFrank OzBig Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker named Miss Finch. Unhappy, he runs away from there, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.Another one I've seen a few times with my daughter. She's just shy of two, but she's already old enough to know how sad the "Bluebird of Happiness" is.
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsCyril RaffaelliDavid BelleTony D'AmarioIn the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and an ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.Impressive stunt work, a silly story & very satisfying violence make for fun. 7/10
SPOILER ALERT: I've seen enough police films & lived long enough to understand that authority figures are often handcuffed from "doing what's right". That being said, I love it when a cop pulls a "forget it, it's Chinatown" and the hero responds by nonchalantly breaking his neck. - DirectorDwayne Carey-HillStarsBilly WestKatey SagalJohn DiMaggioPlanet Express sees a hostile takeover and Bender falls into the hands of criminals where he is used to fulfill their schemes.I remember being disappointed by the Futurama DTV movies upon first release. Revisiting them, I realize: a) nothing could have lived up to my expectations at the time; b) they're classic Futurama, with all the elements that made the original series so great. 7.5/10 rounded down to 7/10 as traveling back & forth to 1999 isn't my favorite story arc.
- DirectorNicky PhelanStarsKathleen O'RourkeIt's night; a wide-eyed fearful child is in bed. When her granny enters the room, the child pretends to be asleep. Granny O'Grimm isn't fooled; she pokes the child with a walker and picks up the book "Sleeping Beauty." We see the story as she tells it, images jumping between fairies at a baby's christening and Granny's agitated narrating. The aged fairy, who wasn't invited to the feast, looks just like Granny, but with small wings. As the child's terror deepens, Granny reaches the end of her version of the story. Will the child get any sleep?
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsVincent PriceYoung Vincent Malloy dreams of being just like Vincent Price and loses himself in macabre daydreams which annoys his mother.
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsAnna FarisBill HaderBruce CampbellA local scientist is often regarded as a failure until he invents a machine that can make food fall from the sky. But little does he know that things are about to take a turn for the worst.
- DirectorRobert RodriguezStarsAntonio BanderasSalma HayekJohnny DeppHitman "El Mariachi" becomes involved in international espionage involving a psychotic CIA agent and a corrupt Mexican general.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsLouis JourdanAdrienne BarbeauRay WiseAfter a violent incident with a special chemical, a research scientist is turned into a swamp plant monster.
- DirectorPhil RosenStarsBela LugosiJohn CarradineGeorge ZuccoA scientist seeks to transplant a brain into the body of a thawed caveman in order to get it to do his bidding.
- DirectorJoseph KosinskiStarsJeff BridgesGarrett HedlundOlivia WildeThe son of a virtual world designer goes looking for his father and ends up inside the digital world that his father designed. He meets his father's corrupted creation and a unique ally who was born inside the digital world.Cinemark Antelope Valley Mall
First theatrical (& 3D) movie of 2011. As you may know, my work & family responsibilities keep me from seeing many movies when they first open.
I'd compare this to the original Star Wars. It's a fun action-adventure with some great special effects & a back-story if you want it. The most obvious difference between this & Star Wars is that this back-story feels convoluted & inorganic. Probably appropriate for a film set entirely within a computer mainframe, but not as satisfying. At least it's a fun action-adventure with some great special effects. 6.5/10 rounded up to 7 because I like Jeff Bridges - DirectorRob StefaniukStarsRob StefaniukJessica ParéPaul AnthonyA comedy centered on a rock 'n' roll band that will do anything to become famous.
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsTatsuya FujiwaraAki MaedaTarô YamamotoIn the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.Director's Cut, from the Arrow blu ray
- DirectorArthur LubinGerry ChiniquyRobert McKimsonStarsDon KnottsCarole CookJack WestonMeek and mild mannered bookkeeper Henry Limpet has few passions in life. It's mid-1941 and he would love to join the Navy but has been rated 4F. His friend George Stickle is in the Navy and lays it on pretty thick. If Henry could have one thing it would be to become a fish. While on a visit to Coney Island, Henry falls into the water and miraculously gets his wish. Now a fish, he makes friends, Ladyfish and Crusty the hermit crab and loves his new life. He also uses his abilities to help the US Navy locate and sink Nazi U-Boats, forcing the Germans to create a new weapon to deal with the Allies secret weapon. When years later the Navy finds intelligent activity among dolphins, they may also know who is teaching them.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.First time seeing it. (I know, I know...)
- DirectorAlejandro JodorowskyStarsAxel JodorowskyBlanca GuerraGuy StockwellA former circus artist escapes from a mental hospital to rejoin his armless mother - the leader of a strange religious cult - and is forced to enact brutal murders in her name as he becomes "her arms".The Egyptian Theatre
Played on a double-bill with Fando y Lis, but I'm embarrassed to say I fell asleep for a few minutes towards the end and left at intermission. It's getting harder for me to stay up & watch movies. Which is especially tough because most films I want to see are, like Santa Sangre, completely inappropriate for family fare.
I'd like to revisit this on the Severin blu-ray. I really enjoyed what I remember - much more accessible than the other Jodorowsky I've seen. The psychoanalytical subtext serves the story, rather than just us cineastes. - DirectorAlan RafkinStarsDon KnottsJoan StaleyLiam RedmondA timid typesetter hasn't a ghost of a chance of becoming a reporter - until he decides to solve a murder mystery and ends up spending a fright-filled night in a haunted house.
- DirectorNick ParkStarsPeter SallisAnne ReidJustin FletcherWallace's whirlwind romance with the owner of the local wool shop puts his head in a spin; Gromit is framed for sheep-rustling in a fiendish criminal plot.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRichard DreyfussRon HowardPaul Le MatA group of teenagers in California's central valley spend one final night after their 1962 high school graduation cruising the strip with their buddies before they pursue their varying goals.New Beverly Cinema
Played as part of "The Wright Stuff" series, on a bill with Animal House. Edgar Wright hosted John Landis for a Q&A between films.
My second time seeing American Graffiti on the big screen (the first time also being at the New Beverly), and I enjoyed it much more this go-round. Ultimately, it's still not for me (I can't be nostalgic for something I've never experienced), but the characters are so charming (and innocent) that I'm giving it a solid 7/10. - DirectorJohn LandisStarsJohn BelushiKaren AllenTom HulceAt a 1962 college, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.New Beverly Cinema
Played as part of "The Wright Stuff" series, on a bill with American Graffiti. Edgar Wright hosted John Landis for a Q&A between films.
FUN FACT: I asked Mr. Landis about Otis Day, and he told us that he's a straight actor, not a singer, and lip-synced his scenes. Yet the character was so popular that to this day he tours Europe to affectionate audiences who think he's actually performing. - DirectorNick ParkStarsPeter SallisSally LindsaySarah LabordeWallace and his dog, Gromit, open a bakery and get tied up with a murder mystery. But when Wallace falls in love, Gromit is left to solve the case.
- DirectorTom TykwerStarsFranka PotenteMoritz BleibtreuHerbert KnaupAfter a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.New Beverly Cinema
Played as part of "The Wright Stuff" series as a midnight movie. Edgar Wright hosted. He chose it because it was one of the first films to employ "video game logic", which of course plays heavily into Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
First time seeing it. This is the German arthouse version of Crank (which, if you know nothing about me, means I LOVED IT). Not as irreverent or offensive as Crank, but equally energetic. I appreciated how you could follow Lola's "learning" throughout the tracks. 8/10 - DirectorJohn LandisStarsDavid NaughtonJenny AgutterJoe BelcherTwo American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.My friend played this alongside The Fly as his Valentine's Day horrific romance double-feature.
I love American Werewolf more & more each time I see it. The two lads are real people, and they don't do anything wrong. In fact, they try & do as much right as they can. But no man can stop a bad moon rising... 9/10 - DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJeff GoldblumGeena DavisJohn GetzA brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.My friend played this alongside An American Werewolf in London as his Valentine's Day horrific romance double-feature.
- DirectorMartin ZandvlietStarsPaprika SteenMichael FalchSara-Marie MalthaActress Thea tries to adjust to life after rehab, 1 1/2 years after a divorce in which her ex won custody of their two sons.
- DirectorStéphane AubierVincent PatarStarsStéphane AubierJeanne BalibarNicolas BuysseCowboy and Indian's only wish was to come up with a brilliant idea for Mr Horse's birthday, but when their plan ends up in utter disaster, they'll need to travel the world and back to make things right again.
- DirectorEdgar G. UlmerStarsBoris KarloffBela LugosiDavid MannersAmerican honeymooners in Hungary become trapped in the home of a Satan-worshipping priest when the bride is taken there for medical help following a road accident.
- DirectorRobert FloreyStarsBela LugosiSidney FoxLeon AmesA mad scientist seeks to mingle human blood with that of an ape, and resorts to kidnapping women for his experiments.
- DirectorLew LandersStarsBoris KarloffBela LugosiLester MatthewsA brilliant surgeon with a morbid obsession for instruments of torture grows dangerously obsessed with a young socialite whose life he's saved.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJeff BridgesMatt DamonHailee SteinfeldA stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer.Cinemark Antelope Valley Mall
- DirectorBanksyStarsBanksyMr. BrainwashSpace InvaderFollowing the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.The problem with Banksy's art is his obsession with anonymity shifts all the focus towards him as creator rather than the content of his pieces. He knows this, perpetuates it, profits off it (he claims otherwise, but then who's paying his posse?), and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP is no different. The first act is a fantastic look at street art, its origins & methods through the eyes of an outsider. Then Banksy comes on the scene, "turns the tables" & makes everything about him. His relationship with Mr. Brainwash dominates the rest of the documentary, while the continued emphasis on Mr. Brainwash's buffoonery serves as contrast to the snarky, invisible Banksy's "true" talent. Thanks for ruining a great documentary, Robin. 5/10
- DirectorFrank HenenlotterStarsCharlee DanielsonAnthony SneedMark WilsonDriven by biological excess, a man and a woman search for sexual fulfillment, unaware of each other's existence. Unfortunately, they eventually meet, and the bonding of these two very unusual human beings ends in a god awful love story.
- DirectorIshirô HondaJun FukudaStarsKatsuhiko SasakiTomoko AiAkihiko HirataAn Interpol investigation uncovers a shunned biologist and his daughter, who are involved in an alien plot to use Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus to defeat Godzilla and wipe out humanity.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsDolph LundgrenBrandon LeeCary-Hiroyuki TagawaTwo L.A. cops with opposing views on what is the best way to uphold the law have to work together to bring down the Yakuza, while trying to protect a beautiful woman.
- DirectorEdward MontagneStarsDon KnottsLeslie NielsenJoan FreemanA NASA janitor is sent into space.
- DirectorMotoyoshi OdaIshirô HondaStarsHiroshi KoizumiSetsuko WakayamaMinoru ChiakiScout pilots for a fishing company are startled to discover a second Godzilla, whose battle with rival monster Anguirus threatens to destroy Osaka.
- DirectorAdam GreenStarsShawn AshmoreEmma BellKevin ZegersThree skiers stranded on a chairlift are forced to make life-or-death choices, which prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death.
- DirectorJeff GarlinStarsJohn WatersJeff Garlin's documentary on the work of John Waters.
- DirectorTom HooperStarsColin FirthGeoffrey RushHelena Bonham CarterThe story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
- DirectorGerald PottertonJohn BrunoJohn HalasStarsRichard RomanusJohn CandyJoe FlahertyA glowing green orb that embodies ultimate evil terrorizes a young girl with an anthology of bizarre and fantastic stories.
- DirectorDoug SweetlandA stage magician's rabbit gets into a magical onstage brawl against his neglectful guardian with two magic hats.
- DirectorAngus MacLaneStarsAngus MacLaneTessa SwigartIf BURN-E (a welding robot) had known how much trouble he'd be caused by WALL-E's pursuit of EVE, then he'd have taken the day off.
- DirectorTomm MooreNora TwomeyStarsEvan McGuireBrendan GleesonMick LallyA young boy in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids is beckoned to adventure when a celebrated master illuminator arrives with an ancient book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers.
- DirectorIshirô HondaStarsYôsuke NatsukiYuriko HoshiHiroshi KoizumiA detective protects a princess who prophecies Earth's destruction by a powerful alien dragon, which Mothra and her fairies - aided by Godzilla and Rodan - must battle against.
- DirectorDebra GranikStarsJennifer LawrenceJohn HawkesGarret DillahuntAn unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsZooey DeschanelJoseph Gordon-LevittGeoffrey ArendAfter being dumped by the girl he believes to be his soulmate, hopeless romantic Tom Hansen reflects on their relationship to try and figure out where things went wrong and how he can win her back.
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsJohn CusackIben HjejleTodd LouisoRob, a record store owner and compulsive list maker, recounts his top five breakups, including the one in progress.
- DirectorTchavdar GeorgievAmanda PopeStarsEdward AsnerSally FieldBen KingsleyRisking being denounced as an 'enemy of the people,' Igor Savitsky rescues 40,000 forbidden fellow artists' works and creates in a far desert of Soviet Uzbekistan a museum now worth millions.
- DirectorStephen LowStarsEarl PenningtonSeveral beaver families in their wild surroundings. The interesting process of building a dam can be watched as well as the dangers arising from hungry bears and other influences on the new-built home.
- DirectorStephen ChowStarsStephen ChowWah YuenQiu YuenIn Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
- DirectorSteve PinkStarsJohn CusackRob CorddryCraig RobinsonA malfunctioning time machine at a ski resort takes a man back to 1986 with his two friends and nephew, where they must relive a fateful night and not change anything to make sure the nephew is born.
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsLiam NeesonMaggie GraceFamke JanssenA retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.
- DirectorMike JudgeStarsLuke WilsonMaya RudolphDax ShepardCorporal Joe Bauers, a decidedly average American, is selected for a top-secret hibernation program but is forgotten and left to awaken to a future so incredibly moronic that he's easily the most intelligent person alive.
- DirectorJohn FasanoStarsJohn MartinKen SwoffordSal VivianoDemons hypnotize the general public by posing as a rock and roll band.
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsSeth RogenJay ChouChristoph WaltzFollowing the death of his father, Britt Reid, heir to his father's large company, teams up with his late dad's assistant Kato to become a masked crime fighting team.Cinemark Movies 12 AKA The $2 Theater
I really wanted to like this movie. Seth Rogen & Jay Chou have great chemistry, and I could watch Christoph Waltz read the phone book, but a messy narrative with way too many loose threads ruins everything. Pick one, Monsieur Gondry. Especially for an origin story. 5/10 - DirectorSimon WestStarsJason StathamBen FosterDonald SutherlandAn elite hitman teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.Cinemark Movies 12 AKA The $2 Theater
I could watch Jason Statham rip the phone book in half. It's nice to see him portrayed as someone with brains & cunning instead of just brawn. Ben Foster AKA That Guy I Always Think Is Screech delivers a wonderful performance as a hitman's apprentice. Subdued, but solid. 7/10 - DirectorStephen LowStarsEd HarrisRichard LutzBruce StrickrottAlvin, a deep-sea mechanized probe, makes a voyage some 12,000 feet underwater to explore the Azores, a constantly-erupting volcanic rift between Europe and North America.
- DirectorRichard LowryStarsT. Henry AmitaiSuzzette AndreaFred ArnoldSexy Martian women control the fate of Earth, sending a robot army marching through suburbia!
- DirectorFarah KhanStarsAkshay KumarKatrina KaifAkshaye KhannaPosing as a movie director, a conman attempts to trick an entire village into helping him rob a treasure-laden train.The first film of 2011 I couldn't finish. The title track is AWESOME, and the opening credits are amongst the most wonderfully ridiculous I've ever seen (a CGI baby pole dances on its own umbilical cord, for goodness' sake!), but the film can't stop crashing & burning because of its way-too-broad comedy. 1/10
- DirectorWeijun ChenStarsCheng ChengLuo LeiXu XiaofeiDemocracy in China exists, that is, in a primary school in Wuhan where a grade 3 class can vote who they want as class monitor.
- DirectorCharles VidorStarsRita HayworthGlenn FordGeorge MacreadyA small-time gambler hired to work in a Buenos Aires casino discovers his employer's new wife is his former lover.
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsVic MorrowShin'ichi ChibaPhilip CasnoffAn embattled planet, which is on the edge of doom, sends an S.O.S. and an intergalactic team comes to its rescue.My little girl (with a little help from my wife) got me the poster for my birthday last year, but this was the first time I've actually seen it.
Considering how much Star Wars borrowed from Kurosawa's samurai films, I think it's only fair that a space age samurai adventure borrows heavily from Star Wars. While the film definitely runs long, it's one of the better Star Wars rip-offs I've seen. 8/10 - DirectorBrian HerzlingerStarsHeather GrahamJerry O'ConnellJohn CorbettLife for a successful power couple get thrown for a loop when the wife finds out she's pregnant.There's nothing worse than a bad comedy, and it's neck & neck between this & Tees Maar Khan for worst film I've seen this year.
I was expecting a passable Knocked Up clone. What I got was a flatulence-laden, near-incomprehensible battle of the sexes comedy. Riddle me this - how could a first-trimester, just-discovered-she's-pregnant Heather Graham all of a sudden go into labor on a conference call (besides the fact that the movie needed to end - and thank goodness it did!)? Answer as a question: could the production just not afford a fake belly? Answer as an answer: but my friend could for his STUDENT FILM... 1/10 - DirectorNick ParkStarsPeter SallisPeter HawkinsGromit butts heads with a mysterious penguin lodger, who hatches a sinister scheme involving the ex-NASA Techno Trousers that have been modified by Wallace for walkies.
- DirectorJim WynorskiStarsKelli MaroneyTony O'DellRussell ToddA group of young shopping mall employees stay behind for a late night party in one of the stores. When the mall goes on lock-down before they can get out, the robot security system malfunctions, and goes on a killing spree.The first movie I showed during my birthday celebration.
If I ever made a "Top 100" list, this would be #0. I cannot overstate the importance of this film in my life. When I pulled that crusty Chopping Mall VHS off the Hollywood Video shelf back in 2000, I discovered my love of cult movies, which led to my love of real movies, which led to my study of film in college (I wrote about this film on my entrance essay), which led to a move down to LA with my college friends to pursue a career in film. I never made it in the business, but once I was here a chance midnight screening initiated me into the cult of the New Beverly.
Chopping Mall continues to serve me well, and I continue to watch it at least once a year. Have a nice day! 11/10 - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellLee Van CleefErnest BorgnineIn 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.
- DirectorDavid A. PriorStarsMarcia KarrDavid CampbellFritz MatthewsTwo years ago, a young woman named Valerie was burned after entering a tanning salon. Now, her twin sister, Rhonda, runs a local gym where, all of a sudden, people are being murdered.AKA Aerobicide on the print I saw.
This was the "secret movie" I showed on my birthday celebration, even though only my wife & I were around at this point. We both enjoyed the hell out of it though. I don't normally say this, but this movie is VERY 80s. 7/10 - DirectorArthur MarksStarsGlynn TurmanLouis Gossett Jr.Joan PringleMurdered on Bourbon Street in 1942 New Orleans, a gangster returns from the dead 34 years later possessing the body of a young, black law student in his quest for revenge.
- DirectorWill GluckStarsEmma StoneAmanda BynesPenn BadgleyWhen Olive lies to her best friend about losing her virginity to one of the college boys, a girl overhears their conversation. Soon, her story spreads across the entire school like wildfire.
- DirectorJuan Carlos FresnadilloStarsJeremy RennerRose ByrneRobert CarlyleSix months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes according to plan.
- DirectorVictor HalperinStarsBela LugosiMadge BellamyJoseph CawthornA young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiancé, but instead turns her into a zombie slave.
- DirectorTed BonnittStarsDavid F. FriedmanDan SonneyFrank HenenlotterA documentary about the history of exploitation films that focuses on the careers of legendary producers David F. Friedman and Dan Sonney.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsMarilyn BurnsEdwin NealAllen DanzigerFive friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.My wife: "What do you want to do tonight?"
Me: "I don't know."
My wife: "You want to watch Texas Chain Saw Massacre?"
Me: "!!!"
Another example of my wife's awesomeness. One of my favorite horror films, and one of my favorite films overall. A true classic. 10/10 - DirectorRichard HorianStarsElizabeth SingerSusie ScottMarlon JacksonFour high school students are led into the world of adult vices by a shadowy millionaire.
- DirectorNeil LaButeStarsNicolas CageEllen BurstynLeelee SobieskiA sheriff investigating the disappearance of a young girl from a small island discovers there's a larger mystery to solve among the island's secretive, neo-pagan community.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsChris HemsworthAnthony HopkinsNatalie PortmanThe powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.3D version at AMC Burbank Town Center
- DirectorMark WexlerStarsSuzanne SomersPhyllis DillerRay BradburyBaby boomer Mark Wexler travels the world searching for the secrets of long life.
- DirectorMichael PowellEmeric PressburgerStarsAnton WalbrookMarius GoringMoira ShearerA young ballet dancer is torn between the man she loves and her pursuit to become a prima ballerina.
- DirectorNeil MarshallStarsRhona MitraBob HoskinsAlexander SiddigA futuristic action thriller where a team of people work to prevent a disaster threatening the future of the human race.
- DirectorJulien BocabeilleFrançois-Xavier ChaniouxOlivier DelabarreTwo Octopi fight for their lives with a stubborn restaurant cook in a comical escape through the streets of a small Greek village.
- DirectorJoseph McGrathStarsJim DaleSpike MilliganAngela DouglasDigby consumes a bowl of a liquid growth formula called Project X. Soon he becomes a sheepdog of gigantic size.I told you my daughter loves this movie!
(And I'm only listing times we watched it all the way through.) - DirectorJamie GreenbergStarsBenim FosterMark GiordanoJesse JoyceAs they approach forty, four New York bachelors face tragedy, sex, and "The Thing Before The Thing."Where in the world is this film going? Is it a Swingers clone? Larry David/Seinfeldian comedy? Mid-life crisis? Sex comedy? Sex dramedy? Indie romance? Workplace comedy? It's a mess. A few good zingers here and there, but this is very much an insider film & as a young, married, West Coast viewer I was left out in the cold. Sorry! 3/10
- DirectorGabriel DiamondZak BarnettGabriel GoldsteinStarsZak BarnettLeah Diamond IIRebecca NoonCould the fastest route to enlightenment be straight into the gutter? In Less we see the world through the eyes of an atypical homeless man, in an unusual pursuit of freedom.
- DirectorHarold RamisStarsChevy ChaseRodney DangerfieldBill MurrayAn exclusive golf course has to deal with a flatulent new member and a destructive dancing gopher.First time seeing it. (I know, I know...)
- DirectorDwayne Carey-HillStarsBilly WestKatey SagalJohn DiMaggioThe Planet Express crew get trapped in a fantasy world.
- DirectorKen KwapisStarsCaroll SpinneyJim HensonFrank OzBig Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker named Miss Finch. Unhappy, he runs away from there, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.I told you my daughter loves this movie!
(And I'm only listing times we watched it all the way through.) - DirectorJim MonacoStarsNick PawlowHappy GoldsplattMichael Townsend WrightDeranged projectionist Mad Ron, host Nick, and charismatic zombie Happy Goldsplatt screen a collection of horror and exploitation trailers for a theater of the undead.The ubiquity of trailer compilations & clips freely available on YouTube have rendered this tape obsolete. The prints are beat up, the shot-on-video interludes are hokey & there was very little I hadn't seen before. I might recommend this if you're new to drive-in/cult horror, but as I'm not I gotta go 4/10. Sorry guys.
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsJake GyllenhaalMichelle MonaghanVera FarmigaA soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
- DirectorJun FukudaYoshimitsu BannoIshirô HondaStarsHiroshi IshikawaYuriko HishimiMinoru TakashimaAfter a manga artist and his friends uncover a plot by his employers at an amusement park to lure aliens Ghidorah and Gigan to Earth, Godzilla and Anguirus set out to defeat them.
- DirectorTaggart SiegelStarsGunther HaukKirk WebsterCarlo PetriniA look at the mysterious collapse of honeybee colonies in America and an exploration of how beekeeping is practiced there and around the world.
- DirectorLisa LeemanStarsIvor David BaldingFloraTen years in the making, ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT follows the poignant journey of circus producer David Balding as he tries to find a nurturing and permanent home for Flora, the 18-year-old African elephant that he rescued as an infant, raised as his "daughter" and made the star of his circus. David's love for Flora is put to the ultimate test when he realizes he made a terrible mistake keeping her as a solo elephant, and decides to retire her from the circus after 17 years of performing. Knowing Flora will outlive him, and with his health and finances becoming an issue, David sets off on a quest to find a home for Flora can live freely with other elephants. This complicated task begins with Flora's final circus performance in St. Louis and takes us on an emotional trek across America, then to Africa and back. We follow David's journey as he discovers just how difficult it is to find a proper home for an elephant in a world that reveres these animals for their majesty yet slaughters them for their ivory, adores them as cuddly Dumbos yet brands them "rampaging creatures". ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT raises critical issues about the well-being and future of the hundreds of thousands of endangered and exotic animals kept in captivity, the over development and destruction of their natural habitats, our intense and often damaging relationship with wild animals, and how all these issues have impacted the life of one very lucky elephant.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.Revisited with my wife (she hadn't seen it, but had seen & enjoyed Zinda, the Bollywood version). I was struck by how funny it was, something I never noticed when I first saw it & was busy being wowed by the gritty action & winding story. It's all gallows humor but it made the film even more endearing. 9/10
- DirectorBrad BirdStarsCraig T. NelsonSamuel L. JacksonHolly HunterWhile trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world.
- DirectorJames WanStarsPatrick WilsonRose ByrneTy SimpkinsA family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.Begins as a rock solid haunted house thriller, then (without giving too much away) enters the realm of magical realism. While it didn't all work for me, I appreciate this direction, as it reminded me equally of the tenuous bridge between physical & spiritual worlds of J-Horror and of Alejandro Jodorowsky's horrific surrealism. 6.5 rounded up to 7/10 for daring to be original.
- DirectorLaurent BouzereauStarsAlfred HitchcockPeggy RobertsonClive BarkerDocumentary about the making of Hitchcock's classic thriller Psycho (1960), featuring interviews with surviving cast and crew members.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsNicolas CageEva MendesRussell M. HaeuserTerence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.Werner Herzog's early narratives thrived on a man's mad drive to bring order to a chaotic, indifferent jungle. He updates this theme quite aptly in post-Katrina New Orleans. I don't know if Nic Cage is "the new Klaus Kinski" as some have claimed. I do know that he's a force of chaos in his own right, and it's wonderful to see him paired with a director who can shape that into a serious, gritty crime film instead of let it loose into self-parody. 9/10
- DirectorThomas BalmèsStarsBayarHattieMariA look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo.This movie is cute. No two ways about it. 7/10
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsRoy ScheiderRobert ShawRichard DreyfussWhen a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.Breaking from my 4th of July standard, the holiday slasher Uncle Sam. My wife likes this pic(k) much better.