2010 Netflix/Movie Reviews

Definitely See

Kick-Ass - See it - This is the first movie Nicolas Cage has been in that I've loved since Vampire's Kiss in 1988. That's 22 long years of crap movies but Big Daddy makes all those hours of horrible accents and Jerry Bruckheimer abominations almost worth it. Like I've said before, I'm a sucker for superheroes. Even when the superhero is just your everyday ordinary high school geek whose fed up with the local bullies taking his comic money. Now, if you're going to be an ordinary guy trying to be a superhero, it helps when a couple of extraordinary BadAsses like Big Daddy and Hit Girl have your back. Hit Girl is the cutest little killing machine since Natalie Portman in The Professional. Christopher Mintz-Plasse plays the perfectly bumbling, ineffective villain to balance Kick-Ass's superhero. This movie touches all the bases, comedy, action, bloody, teen outcasts, underdog vs. the world.




 
A Prophet (Un Prophète) - See it - Maybe I should type that a few more times, See it, See it, See it. I know I can already hear you "I don't want to watch a movie with subtitles. I don't want to read a movie. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." Get over it and start wearing big boy pants. This is a terrific movie. I heard Lance Zierlein talking about this movie one morning on 1560 The Game. Lance usually gives pretty good movie recommendations, so I checked it out. I was not disappointed. The story follows Malik during a 6 year stretch in a French prison. Malik (an Arab) finds himself caught in the delicate balance between the Corsican mafia, Italian mafia and the Muslims. For those of you who can't think beyond the lower 48, just think Mexican Mafia, Crips and Aryan Brotherhood. The story is riveting, acting superb and wonderfully shot frame by gritty frame. One of the benefits of watching a foreign film is that you usually don't know the actors involved and therefore don't identify them with characters they've played before. If someone were to tell me this film was shot using real prisoners, I wouldn't have an argument against it.  See this movie. 

On the Waterfront - See -  This is young Brando at his absolute best. One of the things I love about Netflix instant watch is the ability to go back and watch some of the best movies ever made. On the Waterfront is definitely on that list. Brando and Karl Malden both deliver beautiful performances. This is a movie for anyone that loves great acting or wants to stick it to their boss.


Dancing Outlaw - See it - If I told you there was a documentary about a huffing, mountain dancer who will punch a hole in your face if you cook his eggs wrong, is that something you might be interested in?  Yeah I thought so. Jesco White became a legend after this 1991 documentary profile. He and his family are absolute gold in front of the camera. Netflix only carries the sequel so you'll have to do a little work to get the movie but it's well worth it. I was lucky enough to get to see it courtesy of @SeanINCypress and docdaddies.com.




The Warriors - See - This wasn't a new movie to me but when the ultimate director's cut came out on Blu Ray, I knew I had to add it to my queue. Just as I suspected, The Warriors continues to kick as much ass as it did 30 years ago. For those who have yet to see it, when you do you should realize how many of the jokes and catchphrases you've been laughing at for years but wasn't sure why, were taken from this movie. The different gangs are so beautifully cliched and stereotyped. I don't know what it is but something about this movie always makes me think of KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. If you have seen The Warriors you should see it again in all of it's HD glory and if you haven't you need to fill that huge hole in your movie watching resume.


The Day of the Jackal - See -The latest in my 70's classics series. There is very little chance a movie like this could be released today. It takes patience to watch this movie. They tell you upfront what is going to happen and when but the story is the journey to the accomplish the objective. The journey develops slow and methodically but never boring. There is a beautiful cat and mouse game being played between the Jackal and the authorities trying to hunt him down and you never know whether he can stay one step ahead of them. All the way up until the last scene the movie keeps you captivated and even in those final moments you're still unsure who you want to succeed. There's a crappy Bruce Willis remake from about 10 years ago called The Jackal. Don't waste your time, it sucks. Go rent this instead it's worth it.



 
Shine - See - I'm a little embarrassed that it took me 14 years to see Shine. I really don't have any excuse. It's a movie I always wanted to see but for what ever reason it continued to fall through the cracks. Thankfully, we now have Netflix. I'm glad I finally got see it. It's a pretty amazing and inspiring story about a piano prodigy that has a mental break down. Though I loved the movie overall, I was pretty disappointed with the way the movie kind of limps to its climax and then just ends. The performances of Noah Taylor and Geoffrey Rush are worth the price of admission by themselves.


 Papillon - See - Another on the 70's classics list. Steve McQueen. Enough Said.
A Single Man - See - Great. Great performance by Colin Firth.

Marathon Man - See - This week's 70's classic is another good one. Spies, check. Nazis, check. Dustin Hoffman, check. Torture with a dental tools, check. Yep, sounds like a great 70's movie.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - See it - After seeing Youth in Revolt, I lost a lot of my enthusiasm for seeing Scott Pilgrim. I thought, well I've seen all the typical Michael Cera character has to offer. I was wrong. Scott Pilgrim is the natural progression of the Michael Cera character. All his awkward, quirkiness is finally channeled into a focused goal of defeating evil and getting the girl. I haven't read the graphic novels so I can only judge the film on its own merits. The film was beautifully shot and perfectly cast. Kieran Culkin, Aubrey Plaza and Allison Pill provide great supporting performances. The score and songs are pitch perfect for the film's style and subject matter. 

Chinatown - See -The latest installment of my 70's classics series was Chinatown. A beautiful film noir directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. The story twists and turns like a lonely road in the Hollywood Hills. Private investigator JJ Gettis (Nicholson) seemingly ends up working for everyone before the movie is over. Every time he thinks he knows what he's looking for or who's to blame the case takes a hard right turn. This is a great film.

Best Worst Movie - See it - Anyone who loves cult classics should see this movie. Anyone loves being a little odd should see this movie. Anyone who had their 15 minutes of fame and lived every second to the fullest should see this movie. Best Worst Movie is a documentary that follows the cult rising of the movie Troll 2. The 1986 movie is widely considered the worst movie ever made. Even though it's called Troll 2 it actually has nothing to do with Troll. Over the 20 or so years since its release Troll 2 has gained a notable cult following through word of mouth and the efforts of fans. Troll 2's child star, Michael Stephenson, now an adult decided to explore why this movie has become a cult classic and make a documentary of his journey. Along the way he recruits dentist George Hardy who played his father in Troll 2. The two of them spend the next few months reconnecting with other cast members, organizing screenings and convention appearances, along with fans of the movie. No one has more fun with this than George Hardy. The only person who doesn't seem to enjoy their new found cult status is Troll 2's director, Claudio Fragasso. Fragasso never seems to embrace the humor of being a cult classic and is uneasy when people laugh at the serious parts of his film. Best Worst Movie is an engrossing look at how we accept the absurdities of our past. Some in this movie have learned to embrace their notoriety while others continue to hide from what they consider a blemish.

The Staircase - See - I challenge anyone to watch this documentary series originally aired on the Sundance Channel and not change your mind twelve times every episode on whether or not you think Michael Peterson is guilty. By the end I had a pretty good idea of his guilt but had I been on a jury I don't think I could convict beyond a shadow of a doubt. It's amazing the documentary crew was able to begin capturing the story within a couple of weeks of Kathleen Peterson's death. The director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade delivers a tremendous story with so many twists and plot points, you'll find it hard to believe it's all real.

Restrepo - See it - I watched this documentary last night after reading about it on Danny Vera's blog. I spent a long time in bed thinking about what I wanted to say about this movie. The movie was equally moving, disturbing and enlightening. The filmmakers were embedded with Battle Company in Afghanistan to capture the soldiers camaraderie, fears, struggles and the realities of life in a war zone. They got all that and more. They also captured the emotional and mental scars carried by those who survive. The saddest part of this film is that I'm sure you could make a hundred more with a hundred other groups of soldiers and if would follow a similar arc. Regardless, your opinion of the US involvement in these wars, the one thing we should all be able to agree on is our respect and empathy for the soldiers involved.

Winnebago Man - See it - Jack Rebney embodies all that is good in this world. He's angry. He doesn't give a shit and he's got something to say. After watching the Jack Rebney Winnebago outtakes Ben Steinbauer was moved to track down Rebney to find out who this "Angriest Man on Earth" really is. What he finds is a guy who is out of touch with the world and how creations like youtube have turned him into a revered celebrity in some circles.



Green Street Hooligans - See - Here's a tip for everyone. Say you're wondering whether you should watch a certain movie or TV show. If you look through the cast credits and see someone from The Wire or Band of Brothers on the list, it's usually a pretty good bet it's worth a view. I was glad to see this movie had both Liebgot and Blithe from Band of Brothers in it. Unlike the previous movie, I went into this movie with little to no expectations. In fact, I had moved it down my queue a few times because I had Elijah Woods face and some genius decided to put it right there on the cover for this film.

The story follows Matt (Wood) a Journalism major who has been recently kicked out of Harvard. Matt travels to England to live with his sister and try to escape the wrath of his absentee journalist father. Matt is quickly swept up in the soccer hooligan scene that is destined to threaten and change his life forever.

I loved this movie. This is how you use a quality cast to tell a great story. A cast that includes Charlie Hunnam (Jax from Sons of Anarchy) as the leader of the Green Street Elite firm and Claire Forlani, whom I've had a thing for ever since she was dumping T.S. before he could propose too her at Universal Studios just before Jaws pops out of the water. If you're looking for something to watch definitely give this one a view.

Winter's Bone - See it - My assessment is great performances by Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, good movie. I know @bcstagg disagrees with this but then again he's probably never gotten lost while taking a short cut in Arkansas and ended up on the Dolly clan's mountain. I'm more than certain, if I had actually gotten out of my car, I would have ended buried up some holler with hillbilly hump holes drilled in me. Anyway, the movie is worth it for the performances alone.
 
Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037 - See it - Can you imagine a more boring title or subject matter? Maybe "Page by Page: The Silent Reading of the 1903 Farmer's Almanac." The good thing is the title is the only part of this documentary that isn't fascinating. I find anyone who has a passion for what they do fascinating. I've never had that experience. Every job I've ever had has been just that a job. So, when I find someone who really loves what they do, I'm hooked. The documentary follows the making of a single concert piano, Steinway L1037 over the course of the year it takes to make a piano. Along the way you get to know the people who have dedicated their lives and craft to the Steinway company along with the dedication they and the company have to making a quality hand made product. You also get an inside look at the process a pianist goes through when choosing an instrument for a concert. Both processes of making and choosing a piano are educational and riveting.

30 for 30: Pony Excess - See it - I was fortunate that as a kid my parents took me and some friends to see Eric Dickerson and the Pony Express play at Rice Stadium against the Owls. We got to meet some of the players and get autographs after the game. I will go to my grave with the opinion that the 1982 10-0-1 Mustangs were jobbed out of a national title. Of course, they probably wouldn't still have that title because of the litany of NCAA infractions during the era. Pony Excess spotlights the late 70's early 80's SMU program and its outlandish policy of buying players. The old footage from signing day at Craig James' house and Eric Dickerson driving around in his gold Trans AM is outstanding. Ron Meyer is almost a caricature of the extravagance of Dallas and college football in the 70's. I was 11 during the last year of the Pony Express and Eric Dickerson was my favorite player between the Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders eras. I was a teenager and can remember being at a Houston Oilers charity basketball game when the news of SMU's death penalty came down. We were young and naive but even then we knew this was a terrible thing for SMU. However, I don't think we or the NCAA knew just how terrible the death penalty would be.

Lombardi - See it - As good as Pony Excess was Lombardi may have been better. As a football fan, I've always known who Coach Lombardi was but this exceptional documentary by HBO films enlightened me as to who Vince Lombardi was. The doc does a great job of explaining how his need to coach, to teach and to succeed is what drove him to be great, to be a champion. It was also the same thing that made him a miserable person and ultimately made him work himself to death. The obvious collateral damage of his obsession was his family. His passion for football left him with an alcoholic wife and strained relationships with his son and daughter. The most moving moments though are by those people who worked for or were coached by him. Even nearly 40 years after his death, Lombardi left such an indelible impact on their lives most are moved to tears when speaking of the coach's last days. If the greatness of a man is judged by the imprint he leaves on those he touches then Lombardi was truly one of the greatest among us.

 Another State of Mind - ★★★★

Mean Streets - ★★★★

 Up in the Air - ★★★★

 Crazy Heart - ★★★★

Zombieland - ★★★★

Herb & Dorothy – ★★★★

American Drug War: The Last White Hope - ★★★★

Young @ Heart - ★★★★

The Last Station - ★★★★

The Conversation - ★★★★

Art & Copy - ★★★★

Check it Out


The Art of the Steal - See it - Albert C. Barnes was an early pharmaceutical millionaire and collector of art. In the early 20th century he became friends with such artists as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Barnes had a keen eye for art and collected the works of many of the impressionist, and post-impressionist artists. A collection that is now estimated to be worth about $25 billion. However, this documentary is less about the art in the Barnes Collection and more about the lengths to which politicians and power brokers will go to consume and wield as much money and power as they can. The documentary shares the story of how Pennsylvania's politicians have taken it upon themselves to completely disregard the clear wishes of Albert Barnes will and move the collection to Philadelphia for the increased revenue. This movie will piss you off. If it doesn't piss you off then you're probably a Democrat and believe government should control everything anyway or you're a Republican and believe wealthy power brokers should be in control. Either way, the real loser here is individual rights and public trust.



Wristcutters: A Love Story - See it -Maybe you like Charlie Kaufman type of movies, maybe you like that kid from Almost Famous or maybe you're just a really big Tom Waits fan. Regardless the reason, you should see this movie. The movie takes place in a purgatory type world reserved exclusively for people who kill themselves. The movie opens when Zia (Patrick Fugit) kills himself over the loss of his girlfriend. He wakes up in a gray world in which life is an eternal mundane existence where no one ever smiles. Once Zia finds out his ex girlfriend is also in this world of suicide victims, he and his lone friend, Eugene set out on an adventure to find her. The end of the movie neither surprised nor disappointed me but the journey I found very enjoyable. As a chronic movie/television watcher I enjoyed the familiar faces along the way. Will Arnett, Shea Whigham (Eli Thompson from Boardwalk Empire) both play major roles but I was especially excited to see Ron Swanson as a less than enthusiastic cop.


Hot Tub Time Machine - See - My initial thought when I first saw the previews for this movie "probably the dumbest movie title ever." Now this movie isn't on the same comedic level as The Hangover but it's worth a watch. There's more than a couple laugh out loud moments as well as a few gags that fall flat. The lead cast is solid with Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke. Surprisingly, John Cusack does and adequate job of playing John Cusack. He's like the Harlem Globetrotters of playing John Cusack. I still don't know why Lizzy Caplan or her character was in this movie. Overall, a few good laughs and a little T&A make it all right in my book.

Wordplay - See it - I learned three things while watching this nicely done documentary. 1. People who do crosswords are way smarter than me. 2. This is where those spelling bee dorks ultimately end up. 3. Jewish people love to do crosswords.  The doc revolves around two central subjects the New York Times crossword puzzle and American Crossword Puzzle Tournament both of which are led by Will Shortz editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle. In the movie, Shortz details what goes into creating the NYT crossword, from clue submissions to puzzle construction as well as the genesis of the NYT puzzle. Through out celebrity interviews are cut in with their personal connections or obsessions with the NYT puzzle. The other half of the doc is the crossword puzzle tournament where the worlds best puzzle solvers convene every year to crown a champion. The viewer is given a glimpse at the lives of some of the top competitors which adds to the drama as the tournament climaxes on stage at the Stamford, CT Marriott. 

Conspiracy - See - Conspiracy is a HBO movie from 2001. It stars not what I would call an All-Star cast but a cast made up of very good actors, including Kenneth Branaugh, Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci. It tells the story of the Wannsee Conference. This was a secret meeting of Nazi power brokers including Adolf Eichmann, to discuss the final solution to the Jewish question. Eichmann had strictly instructed everyone to destroy their copy of the conference minutes once they had read them. Fortunately, German politician Martin Luther failed to follow these instructions and the only known copy of the conference's minutes were uncovered and another window into Nazi scumbaggery was opened. 

The Boys From Brazil - See - I watched this as part of the 70's classics series I'm doing right now. @steveintheKT recommended this one to me and it did not disappoint.


Mystery Team - See? - Only see this if you're a fan of Troy from Community. Donald Glover plays a character very similar to Troy. But it's as if instead of playing football, Troy hung out with his equally naive, geeky friends and solved neighborhood mysteries. The movie isn't very good but has some very funny scenes. So I'd only recommend it to hard core Community fans and people like me that will watch just about anything with Aubrey Plaza.

I Need That Record! - See it - The death of the independent record store breaks my heart. There was a record store out here in Cypress that I nearly single handed kept in business. I used to go there a couple times a week and spent a hundreds of dollars a month there. It was the last place in this area I could go to find new music by bands that I wanted to hear. I couldn't find Archers of Loaf, The Mountain Goats, Apples in Stereo or The Mayflies USA at the local Best Buy. I Need That Record! chronicles that experience from both sides of the story. The documentary is told mostly from the dying shop owners view while mixing in interviews with customers and musicians. It's possible I liked this movie more than some because I connected so closely with the subject matter. However, anyone concerned with the plight of the small business owner or if you just love music should enjoy this movie. 

Saint John of Las Vegas - See - Steve Buscemi owns roles like this, lonely, quirky, single guys. Add a solid cast including Sarah Silverman, Perter Dinklage and Romany Malco and you have a very watchable movie. It's part comedy, part mystery and part very strange love story. Steve Buscemi is a recovering gambling addict who is sent to investigate an insurance claim in Las Vegas. From there, everything just gets weird and wonderful, including strippers in wheel chairs giving lap dances



She's Out of My League - See - This is a very marginal "See." My real recommendation would be to wait until it's on one of the movie channels and check it out then. There are no doubt some really funny parts and laugh out loud moments but most of the the movie is very predictable and not all that original. BTW Alice Eve is smoking hot and almost worth the price of admission.






The Kids are All Right - See it - I hate Mark Ruffalo's face. I don't know what it is about the guy but I can't stand him. Somehow, I was able to get past my anti Ruffalo feelings and enjoy this movie. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore both give good performances. There's nothing truly great about this film but the central plot is interesting enough along with the performances of Moore & Bening make it worth watching.


Me and Orson Welles - See it - Of the movies this week, this one was the closest to the line between see it and don't see it. The two factors that probably pushed it over to the right side were Christian McKay's performance as Orson Welles and the coolness factor of a story involving people like John Houseman, Orson Welles and their famous Mercury Theater. The best thing I can say about Zac Efron's performance is that I didn't spend the whole movie thinking "why the hell am I watching a movie with Zac Efron in it?"

One Day in September - See - Pretty good documentary on the Israeli hostage crisis during the 1972 Munich Olympics. I say good but not great mostly because it drags on a bit too long. The most compelling part the documentary is how badly the Munich/German authorities handled the situation. From their refusal to bring in an experienced military strike force their use of terrible intel to having a strike team quit minutes before they were to spring a trap on the terrorists. The interviews with family members of the hostages border on gut wrenching and you can't help but feel a bit sick and angry while the one surviving terrorist proclaims how proud he is of what they accomplished.
 

 When You're Strange - See - I'm not the biggest Doors fan but I am a sucker for a rockumentary. I liked the style in which this was done. It uses all old footage, no interviews (old or new), just Johnny Depp narrating the story of Jim Morrison and The Doors. Maybe it's his involvement with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but there's something about Depp's voice that is perfect for the late 60's early 70's sex, drugs and rock and roll.




Bass Ackwards - See - Nice little indie flick.
The Most Dangerous Man in America - See - Good documentary with lots of archive footage about the man that leaked the Pentagon Papers.


Hell on Wheels - See - I think it's time to face facts. I have a roller derby problem. I'll watch just about anything that involves tattoos and women on skates. This documentary chronicles the beginnings of the roller derby revival in Austin. This fledgling league would eventually become the TXRD which is the league featured in A&E's series Roller Girls. I found it interesting to see where this all started and the power struggle that ensued. I was equally glad to see some of the girls from Roller Girls when they were a bit younger and not necessarily playing "characters" on a tv show.


Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile - See - This was the documentary that was made for the release of the remastered Exile on Main Street CD. I've always held the opinion that it was no coincidence the Rolling Stones made their best album after the break up of The Beatles. Throughout the 60's The Stones always seemed to be following in the wake of their big brothers The Beatles. Changing music styles one step behind them. Then when they were the biggest band left standing, they went out and made the album that best expressed the aesthetic they had been culturing throughout the 60's. I think the most amazing thing about Exile is The Stones made their most American album while living as English tax exiles in the south of France. Who said nothing good ever came out of France?

Shane McGowan: If I Should Fall from Grace - See - There's a really interesting internal tug of war that happens to you as you watch this movie. The instant you hear the Pogues music start you have an overwhelming desire to break out the Irish whiskey and drink until you pass out. Then you see the state Shane McGowan is in and you never want to touch alcohol again. Here's a fun game I played while watching. Count how many words McGowan says that you can actually understand then compare that to the number of teeth he still has. It's closer than you think.

The Cool School - See - Good not great documentary about a group of modern artists in the LA area during the 50's and 60's. They were the artists who basically created the art scene in LA. If you don't have any interest in art itself then you probably won't care much for the movie. However, if art is a point of interest then it's very engaging. Interviews with the artists' friends, Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell, only add to the cool factor.  


Youth in Revolt - See - Before you even push play you can pretty much guess how this is going to go. Let's face it.  It stars Michael Cera which means it will be about a socially uncomfortable teenager who really likes a girl and his struggle to get said girl. Does that cover it? Yeah, no one's breaking new ground here but there are enough laughs to make this a See. Plus, Zach Galifianakis, enough said.




The Trotsky - See it - I'm a Jay Baruchel fan from his days on Undeclared. He's carved out a niche as a complimentary character actor in movies like Knocked Up and Million Dollar Baby. So it's nice to see him in the lead role of good movie. I was not much of a She's Out of My League fan. Baruchel delivers as Leon a seventeen year old high school student who believes he's the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. When his wealthy father tries to teach Leon a lesson by making him attend public school, Leon finds a worthy adversary in the dictatorial school principal.



Shadow Company - See it -Interesting doc about how wartime jobs once performed by the military are being farmed out to private armies, security forces and mercenaries. There's a lot of insight provided by actual working "mercenaries" on how they go about choosing jobs, the issues that arise and the moral delimas that go along with their line of work. The doc also does a nice job presenting the history of soldiers for hire and their place in today's world.


The Thin Blue Line - See - This is a very good crime documentary by esteemed documentary film maker Errol Morris.  Morris uses his film to shoot holes in the Dallas Police's case against Randall Adams for the murder of a Dallas area police officer Robert Woods. Morris interviews several material witnesses from Adams trial along with individuals who disputed the credibility of the witnesses. As you watch the movie unfold, you find it hard to believe an investigation could be botched this badly. The graphics and style seem a bit dated now but those are the only issues I have with this movie. 

Exit Through the Gift Shop - See it - I probably switched whether or not I thought Mr. Brain Wash was real probably 20 times over the course of the movie. The fact that the movie was directed by Banksy leads me to believe that it is more of a commentary on the world of art and the artificial art market created through media buzz. Whether it's a real documentary or an elaborate hoax, it's very well done.




Roller Girls: Season 1 - See - I finally finished season 1 of Roller Girls. Unfortunately, there wasn't ever a season 2. I enjoyed this series quite a bit. Tattooed chicks on skates getting drunk and beating the crap out of each other. What's not to like? I've really got to make it out to a Houston Roller Derby bout one of these days.


The Secret to a Happy Ending - See it - Over the past few years some of Houston's best small artsy theaters have closed their doors. The Angelika and Landmark Greenway have both gone away and with them went opportunities for Houstonians to see some of the better small independent movies at the theater. The Landmark River Oaks continues to hold on despite repeated threats to its survival. This past week I was able to catch a screening of the new documentary on the band The Drive-By Truckers, The Secret to a Happy Ending at Studio Movie Grill City Centre. My wife couldn't go so I invited fellow documentary enthusiast @SeanInCypress who runs a website dedicated to the enjoyment of the documentaries, docdaddies.com.

I loved the movie but then again I'm a huge DBT fan. The director did a nice job of telling the story of the band while presenting the obvious connection between their music and northern Alabama community they come from. The common theme among all members of the band is that music is the only thing they could ever do. Each member readily admits to being terrible at everything else. But when they do what they are good at they do it in outstanding fashion. DBT writes songs about the south and the people who characterize it. They don't apologize for our shortcomings but rather celebrate what makes us unique while sympathizing with our plight. Technically, the film has it's shortcomings. I would have liked to see more of the bands internal struggles highlighted including the disintegrating marriage between two of its members. The record making process especially during the A Blessing and a Curse sessions. The graphics were terrible and the chapters poorly conceived but the stories behind the songs were priceless and the on stage footage made it all worth it.

Clash of the Titans - See - I was pleasantly surprised here. I went in to this expecting to hate every minute. I didn't and actually enjoyed quite a bit of it. The movie is far from great and fails to leave a lasting impression but as a way to spend ninety minutes, it wasn't bad. If given the choice I'd always pick over the remake but that is probably true of most people that see a movie as a kid then it's remake as an adult. Long live Burgess Meredith! What?....Oh never mind. 

Dealing Dogs - See it - This is a pretty good doc exposing the black market dealings of some very large kennels who are selling dogs for research purposes. The way the dogs are cared for and treated is dispicable and the fact that these kennel owners have created a market where stealing peoples pets at selling them for as little as $15 is worth it makes their existence that much worse.


Iron Man 2 - See it - I'm only giving this a "see it" because I am assuming you like the superhero genre and If you plan on seeing The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Thor and The Avengers anyway you should your full arsenal of build up movies. Otherwise, I would say to skip this movie. Robert Downey Jr. is increasingly annoying as Tony Stark. I still don't know why Terrence Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle an Scarlett Johansson has taken giant steps backwards as an actress. Then we come to Mickey Rourke. I have a pretty vivid imagination and can suspend reality to accept just about anything but Mickey Rourke as a genius physicist is beyond my imaginative abilities. Although when we really look at Ivan Vanko, maybe he wasn't much of a genius after all. This is supposed to be a brilliant guy on the level of Stark himself and what does he come up with as a weapon? A freaking whip. You know why armies don't go into battle with soldiers armed with whips? Because paper beats rock, rock beats scissors and gun always beats whip.

William Kunstler - Disturbing the Universe - See it - Disturbing the Universe is a documentary made by William Kunstler's daughters in and effort to understand the choices made in his professional career as a lawyer. For those who don't know, William Kunstler was a lawyer both revered and reviled for representing people like The Chicago Seven, The Weather Underground, the Attica prison rioters, America Indian Movement as well as infamous clients such as Omar Abdel-Rahman, El-Sayyid Nosair and the Gambino crime family associates. The documentary ultimately paints Kunstler as a radical who started out defending those who stood up against the US government but may have gotten too caught up in taking on cases for the fame rather than the principle. The documentary is aided by the daughters' unequaled insight and access to friends, family and associates. It's well worth the hour and a half to get to know a man you may not agree with or even hate but have to respect his willingness to choose a side and put himself on the line for a cause.

 Avatar - ★★★
We Are Wizards - ★★★
The Messenger - ★★★

44 inch Chest - ★★★

Good Hair - ★★★

The Machinist - ★★★

Pirate Radio - ★★★

Invictus - ★★★

This Boy’s Life - ★★★

Five Minutes of Heaven - ★★★

Leave it Alone

 Adam - Don't See - Poor overdone performances.
A Serious Man - Don't See - The Coen Brothers turd in a pile of gems.

Whip It - Don't See - After seeing the documentary Blood on the Flat Track, I was pumped to see this movie. It failed to deliver on those expectations. My first mistake was not noticing that Drew Barrymore was the director. I wouldn't trust her to direct my kids birthday party video, much less a major motion picture.

Ellen Page. I've liked her less and less in every performance since Juno. Even with Juno, I thought Thora Birch did a better job with that character in Ghost World. Watching Page skate is brutal. It is obvious she lacks any coordination and is completely unbelievable as the fastest girl on the track. As far as her acting, she gives her typical "I'm too cool for my surroundings" performance or as I like to call it a Bizarro Cera. I'm not sure what she's going to to once she's too old to play angsty teenagers and twenty somethings. But I also don't care.

Jimmy Fallon. Note to producers and casting directors everywhere. Jimmy Fallon has never made a movie better. Don't believe me. I challenge you to try to make it through all the movies on his IMDB resume.

I can't completely kill the casting though. It was great to see Alia Shawkat (Maeby Funke) all grown up. Has Marcia Gay Harden ever given a bad performance? Kristen Wiig is always a treat but she should fire whoever is recommending scripts to her.

Ultimately, the story is weak even for a girl power/chick flick. The love story is underdeveloped and beyond pointless. I'm pretty sure it was added just because someone had an idea to shoot an underwater love scene. If you want to see a great movie about roller derby watch "Blood on the Flat Track." Leave this POS on the shelf.

Taking Woodstock - ★★

Trust the Man - Don't See - This movie is terrible. I mean if I have insomnia, it's on the only channel that comes in and I still wouldn't watch this movie again, bad. Look at the timer 15 times to see how much more I have to endure, bad. It had a promising cast of Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal (crush), David Duchovny and Julliane Moore (meh). None of them however could overcome the terrible writing. I can't imagine Billy Crudup ever giving a worse performance. The only thing worse than Crudup's performance was the movie's ending. The ending of this movie rocketed into the pantheon of terrible movie endings. It's right up there with A League of their Own. Do Not See This Movie.


Greenberg - Don't See - Initially, I was very disappointed in this Noah Baumbach film because of how much I loved Kicking and Screaming and The Squid and the Whale. Then I remembered how much I hated that piece of crap Margot at the Wedding. So ultimately I decided I should only watch Noah Baumbach movies that have the word "and" in the title. At the beginning of Greenberg, I couldn't stand the lead character, Roger played by Ben Stiller. By the end of the movie, I still couldn't stand him and he did nothing in between to influence me otherwise. Look, there's nothing wrong with having unlikeable characters be the focus of a movie but either the acting or writing has to be outstanding to overcome the viewers inclination to be repelled by them. This movie had neither.

Green Zone - Don't See -This is just another in an increasingly long line of mediocre to bad movies made about the war in Iraq. Unfortunately, Green Zone follows a very familiar recipe. Get a cast of good talent, Matt Damon, Greg Kinear, Amy Ryan and Brendan Gleeson. Then provide them a poor script to shoot. Ugh. I found myself bored throughout the movie. Maybe it was poor writing or maybe it's just too hard to write a good mystery when the secret is obvious and pretty well known. Either way this movie misses big.




The Losers - Don't See -I hate when actors I really like are in movies I really hate. This is the case with this movie and Idris Elba. You should know him as Stringer Bell from The Wire. If not, stop reading, go to Best Buy and get The Wire box set. You can then return once you've watched all 60 episodes. Don't worry, I'll wait. Don't waste your time with this movie however. It's ridiculously terrible. On top of it being a terrible movie, it stars Chris Evans. The same d-bag that plays The Human Torch in those horrible Fantastic Four movies. I wanted to make a rule that I wouldn't see any more movies this guy is in until I looked up his IMDB resume and saw that he's in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and has been cast as Captain America in the upcoming movie of the same name and then plays the role again in The Avengers. Thanks Hollywood for trying to ruin one of my favorite comics.

The Runaways - Don't See - About 20 minutes into The Runaways I sent out a tweet stating I was watching it. A friend asked me what it was so I sent him a link with the description. His response "that looks like the worst movie ever." He wasn't far off. If you know anything about the band The Runaways, who's members included Joan Jett and Lita Ford, you know there is a great story behind the band's success. This movie failed to capture any of the compelling parts of their story. Pile on terrible performances by Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning and you have one of the worst movies I've seen this year.

Happiness - Don't See - I read the reviews and saw where the cast won numerous awards at Sundance and other film festivals but once I put the DVD in and started watching, it failed to deliver. I badly wanted to like this movie. You have Jane Adams when she still resembled someone attractive, opposed to Tanya on Hung and Phillip Seymour Hoffman jerking off while calling a random person in the phone book (Jane Adams). What more could you want? However, if I fall asleep twice in the first hour of your movie, then it probably isn't for me. I ended up turning it off after the second time I dozed off. Unfortunately, the last scene I saw was the pedophile character offering to teach his nine year old son how to masturbate. I wish I had turned it off five minutes earlier.


Date Night - Don't See - Two very funny actors making one very unfunny movie. Steve Carell in a bad movie is no surprise. Since becoming famous on The Office, it should be obvious to everyone, he has given up on trying to make a decent movie. Maybe, after he leaves the show next year, he'll start to give a crap again about the type of project he lends his name to. I had much higher hopes for Tina Fey. I though Baby Mama was a decent movie and since she was head writer on SNL, she seemed to still care about the quality of her films. Either she really misjudged this script or the director butchered the writers vision. Regardless, the final result was a less than entertaining movie.

 Robin Hood - Don't See - I learned a lot of interesting things in Ridley Scott's interpretation of the Robin Hood legend. Robin was the person that first put the seeds of the Magna Carta in the heads of the English Barons. He was committed to teaching orphans about hygiene. Little John was proportional to his size. Robin turned away King Phillips invading French army. Overall, a bad movie that tried to tell too many stories and didn't tell any of them well.


Fix - Don't See -This is one of those movies I went into really wanting to like. It's a fictional story shot as a documentary. Director Tao Ruspoli plays Milo a documentary filmmaker desperately racing around LA with his brother, Leo and partner Bella trying to raise the funds to get Leo into rehab in order to avoid going to prison. The movie is shot by Tao Ruspoli on a hand held camera and we get to see some interesting parts of LA rarely visited on film but the film fails to sell us on the slightest relationship between the brothers or Milo and Bella. Every character is so completely disconnected from anyone else in the film it's difficult to believe any one of them would go through this much trouble for another.

Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong - Skip it - I actually gave this documentary a positive rating on Netflix after I initially watched it. After a day or so passed I started to sour on that opinion. Not because the movie was worse than I thought but my view on the subject matter began to change. I'm all for making documentaries about unimportant subjects but I think the more frivolous the subject matter the more well made the doc needs to be. In other words, either have something important to say and/or do it very well. This movie misses on both accounts. There is nothing particularly compelling about the competitors or organizers and the editing is much too clunky to create real drama. There are better movies to spend 90 min with.



The Living Wake - Skip it -Netflix described this movie as an absurdist black comedy. I think a better description is "a steaming pile of shit." I hated every second of it. I added it to my queue because I like Jesse Eisenberg. You let me down Jesse. You really did.