2008 Movie Count
So 2007 was rather pitiful and the original 90-movie goal had to be lowered to 65, which was still difficult to reach (see compressed dates for the last few entries). This year, I imagine, will be no different--perhaps worse, in fact--but ahead we go! Goal: watch, at bare minimum, 55 films by December 31, 2008.
Below is a list of all the movies I have seen in 2008, the chronological order in which I saw them, the date of viewing, and a short review comment I have about the film. Disclaimer: spoilers to any degree may be present.
Movies Seen in 2008
#
Title:
Date viewed:
Rating:
Comments:
Notes:
01.
Shortbus
01/03
5
Strange and occasionally arduous investigation of various characters' sexual frustrations. Kind of like softcore porn. John Cameron Mitchell's works are interesting indeed.
ZenM: NYC, airports
02.
Pink Floyd's The Wall
01/12
7.5
Much different and more comprehensive than I remembered it to be. A striking combination of animation and reality. Basically, the animation made the film; the way everything warps and morphs into something else so smoothly must have taken extraordinary talent.
Lafayette Theater: Steph, Andrew D.
03.
American Beauty
01/13
6
Suburban idealism is an illusion. The ending is quite depressing but thoughtful. And when did Thora Birch become so sinful?
home
04.
December Boys
01/19
4
Beautiful sweeping shots of the Australian beachfront. The acting was less appealing. While the little boys were cute and mischevious as could be, Daniel Radcliffe's role as a blossoming, nervous, angsty teenage orphan was flat and undeserved. Misty put on a delicate and loving performance. Still, I enjoyed the great juxtapositions between young male innocence and growing up. And what of the mental trauma that orphans go through? Imagine growing up while constantly being passed over by families who choose to love your peers over you. One great long shot took place near the end as the three young boys stood on the beach shoving each other before walking off in opposing directions; contrast this with the earlier idyllic scene when they first arrived at their summer heaven. Sadly, December Boys was slow and difficult to get through because of the religious overtones and stagnant storyline that couldn't decide between being emotional or sexy.
home
05.
Hard Candy
01/19
5
Ellen Page really has some extraordinary talent (seeing as how she basically carried this film) but needs to develop her style so won't forever be known as "that girl from Juno." The plot's gimmick got old as it progressed, and by the end, it was all just too unbelieveable to enjoy anymore. That said, the castration scene is excruciatingly painful as one emphasizes with the horrific grimmaces on Patrick Wilson's face.
home
06.
100 Girls
01/19
4.5
Ah, the memories of bad romantic comedies from the 90's. Bad fonts, bad acting, bad costumes, bad lines, bad stories, bad colors, good entertainment. It's also funny to see some of today's biggest stars in their beginner movies, eg. a chubby Katherine Heigel and sultry Jamie Pressly. Also, this is probably Larisa "I was in 10 Things I Hate About You" Oleynik last movie as a recognizable star. The insights about men, women, and the forces that come between them are often way too cheesy, obnoxious, and smug though. Decent fun times, but the ending was lame.
home
07.
Bully
01/27
7
This thriller/dark comedy is plagued by skippy filming and borderline amateur acting. But maybe their jittery speech is just perfect for the psychos they all play. Keep in mind that I'm biased, though, because I really like Michael Pitt, Nick Stahl, and Bijou Phillips, not to mention the late Brad Renfro. The character of Lisa was easily the strangest as I couldn't tell whether the actress was horrible or merely playing the crazy way too well. It was also silly to notice the underlying theme of the film which is explained by its tagline, "Where were the parents?" Bobby's murder was less violent than I remembered it to be; the slit throat was shocking but kind of fake-looking. Its serious mood hit a mental home run at the end when you realize this was based on a true story and that the teens got some hardcore incarceration sentences.
home
08.
All That Heaven Allows
01/29
4
A melodrama if I ever did see one. It was like the cover of a bad romance novel come to life. Rock Hudson is quite the short-haired Fabio. And what was up with that deer? It was pretty fun watching it with the rest of the class though; everyone was cracking up during the horribly cheesy dialogue. What a bunch of drama queen characters.
ENGL387: BRWN1154
09.
Old School
01/30
5.5
Wanted to watch it again post-entering college to see if I could connect even better with it, but the answer is no. Maybe it's because I'm not in a fraternity/Greek house. Luke Wilson was adorable, Will Ferrell hilarious, and Vince Vaughn snarky snark but something just felt lacking at the end, like everything (college humor, relationship analysis, ethics) were only skimmed. Lame, no depth at all.
home
10.
Touch of Evil
02/05
3
I'm getting really fed up with Orson Welles. Maybe I've become a robot conditioned to prefer commercial fare, but his movies really aren't that engaging. Citizen Kane, F for Fake, now Touch of Evil have all managed to bring down my highest hopes for his work. They're beautiful, sure, but plot-wise, they stand relatively empty and boring. The dialogue was so dry and bland and easy to tone out. Then again, a movie is just a moving painting, so perhaps I can just overcredit Touch of Evil's lack of substance with its stunning photography.
ENGL387: BRWN1154
11.
Don't Look Now
02/19
4
Wow, to see Donald Sutherland in an old quality film. I guess I just associate him with his son Kiefer who makes more commercial stuff. But Don't Look Now's style heavily reminded me of classic Polanski: The Tenant, Rosemary's Baby, etc. The grainy, saturated images created a constant eerie mood throughout the entire movie and the sounds and background music more than contributed to it. The opening scene with the death of the daughter was incredible; the cross editing between the parents and childrens' scenes were weaved together so well that the tension built like nothing else I'd seen before. One anticipated that something bad was going to happen but didn't know when. The sex scene was also like that; interwoven scenes of the couple taking off and putting on clothes. It was very sensual and gratifying. The ending was a bit strange though; the stabbing was rough like that in Psycho or even Bully--it didn't seem real. The strong, saturated traces of the color red were also interesting to observe in this film.
ENGL387: BRWN1154
12.
The Nanny Diaries
03/11
6
Note that it has been about five years since I read the book so I cannot use those fragmented memories as a mark of comparison for this movie. Regardless, I have to admit that Scarlett Johansson was not nearly as annoying as I thought she would be. In fact, she was pretty cute. Loved the button-up/cardigan combos. Laura Linney also wasn't bad. Her seriousness and inability to feel emotions was well portrayed for her role as Mrs. X. But what the hell was Alicia Keys doing in this movie? That was random. The story itself was good but I don't think it expressed Nanny Hell as well as the book did. Too much focus on Annie's love life with the boy upstairs, yet at the same time not enough because he only flitted in and out of scenes. Even Mr. X's attraction to her was merely skimmed over. In total, the pace was a bit rushed but the two main ladies did a great job.
home
13.
Children of Men
03/11
5.5
Many unexpected deaths and losses including the delightfully happy Jasper played by Michael Caine and Key's helper, not to mention Clive Owen himself. The movie was melancholy as hell with only a dash of humanity to illuminate it, which was probably the point. Future England is a complete wasteland with violence against immigrants similar to that of the Holocaust. The big shootout in the refugee camp reminded me of Black Hawk Down; death, destruction, desaturation, and explosions all shot with a steadier snorricam. I thought the sad choir music was a bit too much but the overall story made up for some of it. Blond dreadlocks guy was super annoying, though, as he was all angry and no personality. Ultimately, I was disappointed by the movie, maybe only because it had been hyped up so much. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great; I wished the future had more color despite going to shit.
home
14.
Funny Games
03/16
6
Once again, Michael Pitt is the star. While some may denounce the pace as being too slow, I felt that it was natural to have progressed so. It's a psychological thriller about psychopaths; it's not a slasher. Still, if it weren't for Pitt, this film would have dragged much more. Even from the beginning the viewer could tell Funny Games would be different. The entire time the family is driving out to the country, they are listening to classical music. All of a sudden, when the title flashed on screen, hard metal began blaring. Amazing intro indeed. Also, the first time we see the killers is when the family drives by their friends' house; what an awkwardly horrific implication of what was to come. The lighting throughout the nighttime film was well done; when the little boy is trying to escape, the eerie Exorcist-like image at the estate gates really stood out. Tim Roth was okay, as was Naomi Watts, but even Brady Corbet couldn't match Pitt's genius. The climatic scene when Corbet got shot then then came back to life with Pitt's usage of a remote was shockingly strange but cool. Finally, what a great, apathetic way to dispose of Watts at the very end; just push her off the boat as if one was pushing off some cigarette ash into the lake. The finale was sort of dumb though; the cyclical implication did nothing for me. Decent work by Haneke, but I have to see the original version to get a full understanding.
Keystone Art Cinema & Indie Lounge: Michael
15.
Into The Wild
03/29
4.5
In preparation for watching this movie, I spent Spring Break reading the book and loved it to death. So suffice it to say, the movie does not do the book justice at all. It's not even because of the usual "movie doesn't have enough detail" reason; it's because the angle they took on McCandless felt a bit off. While the movie made him out to be some sort of new age adventure god whose words should have been considered englightened pieces of advice, the book was much more practical and showed all sides of him such as his intelligence, passion, ignorance, and ultimately possible stupidity. Too much of a glorified eulogy and not enough biography like the book. Usually I like Jena Malone, but her narration in this felt forced and unneccesarily tacky and emotional. Trying to be much too metaphorical. Emile Hirsch has certainly grown up from his Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys days but his young charm is still here. What a riveting performance at the end as McCandless slowly starved to death. The sheer amount of weight he seems to have lost was striking. Marcia Gay Harden reminds me of Stuart's mom on MadTV. Vince Vaughn plays the obnoxious outdated frat boy like he always does. And of course, Catherine Keener can do no wrong. All that said, beautiful movie, a bit slow, but I'd stick to the book. Postscript: great soundtrack/score.
home
16.
Swingers
04/02
6
review pending.
apt: Michael
17.
Death of a President
04/05
4.5
Interesting.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
18.
Titanic
04/20
8.5
I will never get over this movie.
apt: Michael
19.
Saw IV
04/20
3
review pending.
apt: Michael
20.
Saw II
04/24
4.5
review pending.
apt: Michael
21.
La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon)
05/02
8.5
So, so good. The very last five seconds were the best. A completely heartwarming story. Definitely in the top 3 or 5 of the year.
Lafayette 7: John G.
22.
Iron Man
05/04
7.5
Fun!
Wabash Landing 9: Michael, Johnny
23.
Teeth
05/08
6
Vagina dentata! Great cheesy moments.
apt: Michael
24.
Enchanted
05/12
5
review pending.
home
25.
The Neverending Story
05/16
4
A children's classic I'd never seen before. It is a good reminder of childhood innocence and optimism. I wish adults could be the same. The effects were laughable, though, in a good way.
apt: John G.
26.
Dan in Real Life
06/01
5
Eh, too dramatic.
home
27.
Hercules
06/04
8
So good.
Jen's apt: Jen, Kieran, Michael
28.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
06/12
4
Awesome CGI and cinematography but horrible story. Boring.
Loew Cinemas on Broadway and 12th St.
29.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
06/16
6.5
Matt Damon sure is good. Jude Law... never did understand that phenomenon.
apt (Brooklyn)
30.
Music and Lyrics
06/21
7
It was okay, Drew Barrymore didn't annoy me as much as usual. Hugh Grant is just a shadow of his old self. Decent story but predictable.
apt (Brooklyn)
31.
My Kid Could Paint That
06/22
5.5
Stupid people paying lots of money for "art."
apt (Brooklyn)
32.
Land of the Dead (Unrated)
06/24
4.5
I don't really get the big fad about zombie macabre but I guess this was a decent movie. Whatever, it's just the undead.
apt (Brooklyn)
33.
Big
07/12
6.5
Cute little story. Then I got to visit the piano up by Central Park!
apt (Brooklyn)
34.
Fight Club
07/13
7.5
*So* much better than the book.
apt (Brooklyn)
35.
The Dark Knight
07/20
7.5
Great villains.
Regal Union Square Stadium 14: Gordon
36.
Seven
07/25
8
review pending.
apt (Brooklyn)
37.
The Apartment
07/28
5
The lies and scandal were pretty entertaining. The funny thing about old romance movies is how dramatic everyone is. Shirley MacLaine is a beautiful leaf of a girl. Love stories sure aren't the same anymore. I sometimes wish we could go back to that kind of innocence.
Bryant Park
38.
The Craft
08/01
4
I hadn't seen this since I was a child. 90's sadism and high school teasing looks tame in today's world.
apt (Brooklyn)
39.
Lifeboat
08/04
4
Pretty good story and exciting enough even though the only scenes were on a lifeboat. That's Tallulah Bankhead?! A classic of classics. Hitchcock sure has his ways.
Bryant Park
40.
Helvetica
--/-- (?)
7
Interesting documentary on the origins of the popular typeface and what makes a great font.
apt: Gordon
41.
American Teen
08/05
7
Hilarious laughing at what we all used to be. I'd highly recommend this to everyone. Plus my friend used to date the quirky artist girl who went to New York! She is a girl close to my heart.
Landmark Sunshine Cinema: Gordon
42.
Weird Science
08/21
2
Classic cheesy John Hughes 80's movie. It's silly how the girl was considered hot in her day but looks weirdly unsexy in today's terms. The story is rather fantastic and unbelievable but you can't argue with old time fun. The effects were also lame. Though I love Hughes, I just can't connect with ole tyme entertainment.
home
43.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
08/23
10
Finally showed it to Michael, yay! Still a great movie of love and loss and intolerance.
apt: Michael
44.
Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders
08/23
4.5
Interesting anecdotes from those exemplary Americans with no will power. The credit crisis is horrific to be sure. Why some never learn I'll never know.
apt: Michael
45.
El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
08/24
9
Best movie I've seen all year. It had just the right amount of scary and creepy. Emotions were twisted the right way each time. The depressing ending actually turns out sort of sweet. I can't get over this movie!
apt: Michael, Andrew, Amy
46.
The Counterfeiters
08/24
7.5
Sad but moving story of perseverance.
apt: Michael
47.
Prom Night
08/29
2.5
Too drunk to remember... haha! Dumb teen movie.
apt: Michael
48.
Definitely, Maybe
08/30
5.5
Cute story and Ryan Reynolds is hot. Love the New York scenes. Oh, and Rachel Weiss!
apt: Michael
49.
SherryBaby
08/31
6
Dry coming-of-age story. I love me some Maggie Gyllenhaal but this one was too social-welfare for me. A bit slow, too, to enjoy fully.
apt: Michael
50.
Charlie Bartlett
08/31
5
Reminds me of Harold and Maude but without the crazy love story. Charlie is too cocky for my taste though.
apt: Michael
51.
Cabin Fever
09/21
8.5
Ever as ridiculous as I remember it to be.
apt: Michael
52.
Rent Filmed Live on Broadway
09/28
9
It was great to hear the live music again but it was weird not being able to look peripherally to see what other characters were doing at the same time. The concrete shots were difficult to get used to but I love Rent regardless. Watching some of the characters cry during their last ever performance was moving.
Eastside 9: Michael
53.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
09/28
4.5
Kristen Bell is pretty but her lothario boyfriend was dirty to look at. Story is rather dumb; I fell asleep and missed the ending.
apt: Michael, Andrew, Amy
54.
Tropic Thunder
10/05
3
Eh, not funny, drifted in and out of sleep.
apt: Michael
55.
Stranger Than Fiction
10/18
3
Will Ferrell was an annoying whiner and the author sounded stupid with an English accent. Why do all authors in movies have such accents? Her constant sniffling and "breaking down" with panic attacks was unbearable. Horrible movie with a stupid, happy ending. Even Maggie Gyllenhaal normal allure was watered down.
apt (Brooklyn), home
56.
Chicago
10/22
9.5
The glitter of Chicago was just as good and better than I remembered it to be. What a great set and costumes.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
57.
Shrooms
11/07
2
She predicts it, it happens, repeat. The only redemption was the ending; very John Cusack from Identity. The tampon scene was pretty cool too haha. Stupid camp.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
58.
Devil Wears Prada
11/08
8
Meryl Streep's ruthlessness was unbelievable. Anne Hathaway is absolutely beautiful. A fun story with great clothes (I wanttt). I miss New York and being able to look in to the glitzy glamour life.
home
59.
Willard
11/08 (?)
4
Surprisingly dark humored instead of all creepy. It didn't mesh too well. And Crispin Glover was a bit too goofy for the role.
apt: Michael
60.
Carrie
11/11
6
review pending.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
61.
Outsourced
11/16
7.5
Josh Hamilton! Cutie nerd with uneven teeth. A great story of culture and restricted love. I sure learned some things. The tension was felt and empathized. Tod's eventual treatment of his Indian replacement was sweet.
home
62.
Detroit Rock City
11/21
4
Worth a watch just to know pop culture references but this lies in the same box of quality and entertainment as Weird Science. I don't understand old school high school boys humor.
home
63.
The Strangers
11/24
4
The intro said it was based on true events but later I learned through Wikipedia that the director meant the movie was merely influenced by vague happenings that once took place in his town. More than anything, this movie was inspired by the Manson murder or Sharon Tate and friends. That made me value this movie less. It was scary but not so scary; if anything, it was rather befuddling. The blood splatters on the wall, "there's blood everywhere!," stabbing for the sake of sadistic stabbing, coldness of the murderers, leaving the scene undetected, young engagement/marriage, a visiting friend that is attacked, and the strangers themselves all sound so very Manson-esque the more I think about it. Cheap. Secondly, this movie reminded me of Funny Games if Funny Games was slower, less witty, and, frankly, a bit boring.
apt: Michael
64.
The Wackness
11/25
6
It started very good, sunk in the middle, then redeemed itself with a great ending. Josh Peck (from Drake and Josh on Nickelodeon?!) was cute and delivered his shy, depressing lines spot on. Ben Kingsley was also impressive. I couldn't like the girl very much, however, because she reminded me too much of myself. Some great quotes and some great footage of drug usage in a tasteful way. Setting in New York doesn't hurt either. It was cool to see the early-Giuliani environment.
home
65.
Go
12/01
7
review pending.
apt: Michael
66.
CJ7
12/06
6.5
review pending.
Suzie's house: mom, bro, Fred
67.
A Cross the Universe
12/14
6
Pretty funny and I don't even know Justice.
apt: Michael
68.
When Harry Met Sally
12/24
6.5
review pending.
apt: Jen, Kieran
69.
Wall-E
12/24
6.5
Sobering view of what the world could be someday. I like the chubbos too.
home
70.
Delirious
12/25
6
The story is a bit dumb and hokey but you can't go wrong a Michael Pitt/Steve Buscemi film. Pitt is his usual bumbling self emitting emo all the way through while Buscemi was typically obnoxious, angry, decrepit-looking. Alison Lohman's character turned out to be rather shallow and I found her to be almost insignificant by the end. There was also a beautiful scene involving Pitt when he walks out of his night with Kharma at her hotel and white flower petals rain down on him as he walks through the city. New York ftw!
home
71.
Man on Wire
12/26
5
The movie is *very* slow for the first 3/4 but the last 1/4 picks up speed when the ball finally gets rolling on their big stunt. All the details beforehand were too tedious for me and I had to split the movie into two days. The ending, however, what an ending! The slow piano notes as all the conspirators described the moment Philip Petit finally made it on the wire were moving and emotional. Petit's pride and happiness as he danced in the sky were magical. It also made me sad, for the first time in a long time, that the two towers no longer exist. I tried a quick Google search for any articles relaying his reaction to 9-11 but none were found.
home
72.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
12/30
6.5
Oh mortality and forgotten love. Great costumes. The essence of the story reminded me of Eternal Sunshine. The hospital scenes with old Daisy needed to be cut out. Otherwise, a moving film that doesn't move fast enough in the beginning.
The Magnolia: Michael, Jena, Jeff, Nate
Significance of Each Numeric Rating
#
meaning
10.
one of the best movies ever
9.
8.
very good, but not up to par to being a total favorite
7.
6.
5.
mediocre, good for one watch
4.
3.
2.
has some redeeming qualities
1.
total bollocks, couldn’t finish
Below is a list of all the movies I have seen in 2008, the chronological order in which I saw them, the date of viewing, and a short review comment I have about the film. Disclaimer: spoilers to any degree may be present.
Movies Seen in 2008
#
Title:
Date viewed:
Rating:
Comments:
Notes:
01.
Shortbus
01/03
5
Strange and occasionally arduous investigation of various characters' sexual frustrations. Kind of like softcore porn. John Cameron Mitchell's works are interesting indeed.
ZenM: NYC, airports
02.
Pink Floyd's The Wall
01/12
7.5
Much different and more comprehensive than I remembered it to be. A striking combination of animation and reality. Basically, the animation made the film; the way everything warps and morphs into something else so smoothly must have taken extraordinary talent.
Lafayette Theater: Steph, Andrew D.
03.
American Beauty
01/13
6
Suburban idealism is an illusion. The ending is quite depressing but thoughtful. And when did Thora Birch become so sinful?
home
04.
December Boys
01/19
4
Beautiful sweeping shots of the Australian beachfront. The acting was less appealing. While the little boys were cute and mischevious as could be, Daniel Radcliffe's role as a blossoming, nervous, angsty teenage orphan was flat and undeserved. Misty put on a delicate and loving performance. Still, I enjoyed the great juxtapositions between young male innocence and growing up. And what of the mental trauma that orphans go through? Imagine growing up while constantly being passed over by families who choose to love your peers over you. One great long shot took place near the end as the three young boys stood on the beach shoving each other before walking off in opposing directions; contrast this with the earlier idyllic scene when they first arrived at their summer heaven. Sadly, December Boys was slow and difficult to get through because of the religious overtones and stagnant storyline that couldn't decide between being emotional or sexy.
home
05.
Hard Candy
01/19
5
Ellen Page really has some extraordinary talent (seeing as how she basically carried this film) but needs to develop her style so won't forever be known as "that girl from Juno." The plot's gimmick got old as it progressed, and by the end, it was all just too unbelieveable to enjoy anymore. That said, the castration scene is excruciatingly painful as one emphasizes with the horrific grimmaces on Patrick Wilson's face.
home
06.
100 Girls
01/19
4.5
Ah, the memories of bad romantic comedies from the 90's. Bad fonts, bad acting, bad costumes, bad lines, bad stories, bad colors, good entertainment. It's also funny to see some of today's biggest stars in their beginner movies, eg. a chubby Katherine Heigel and sultry Jamie Pressly. Also, this is probably Larisa "I was in 10 Things I Hate About You" Oleynik last movie as a recognizable star. The insights about men, women, and the forces that come between them are often way too cheesy, obnoxious, and smug though. Decent fun times, but the ending was lame.
home
07.
Bully
01/27
7
This thriller/dark comedy is plagued by skippy filming and borderline amateur acting. But maybe their jittery speech is just perfect for the psychos they all play. Keep in mind that I'm biased, though, because I really like Michael Pitt, Nick Stahl, and Bijou Phillips, not to mention the late Brad Renfro. The character of Lisa was easily the strangest as I couldn't tell whether the actress was horrible or merely playing the crazy way too well. It was also silly to notice the underlying theme of the film which is explained by its tagline, "Where were the parents?" Bobby's murder was less violent than I remembered it to be; the slit throat was shocking but kind of fake-looking. Its serious mood hit a mental home run at the end when you realize this was based on a true story and that the teens got some hardcore incarceration sentences.
home
08.
All That Heaven Allows
01/29
4
A melodrama if I ever did see one. It was like the cover of a bad romance novel come to life. Rock Hudson is quite the short-haired Fabio. And what was up with that deer? It was pretty fun watching it with the rest of the class though; everyone was cracking up during the horribly cheesy dialogue. What a bunch of drama queen characters.
ENGL387: BRWN1154
09.
Old School
01/30
5.5
Wanted to watch it again post-entering college to see if I could connect even better with it, but the answer is no. Maybe it's because I'm not in a fraternity/Greek house. Luke Wilson was adorable, Will Ferrell hilarious, and Vince Vaughn snarky snark but something just felt lacking at the end, like everything (college humor, relationship analysis, ethics) were only skimmed. Lame, no depth at all.
home
10.
Touch of Evil
02/05
3
I'm getting really fed up with Orson Welles. Maybe I've become a robot conditioned to prefer commercial fare, but his movies really aren't that engaging. Citizen Kane, F for Fake, now Touch of Evil have all managed to bring down my highest hopes for his work. They're beautiful, sure, but plot-wise, they stand relatively empty and boring. The dialogue was so dry and bland and easy to tone out. Then again, a movie is just a moving painting, so perhaps I can just overcredit Touch of Evil's lack of substance with its stunning photography.
ENGL387: BRWN1154
11.
Don't Look Now
02/19
4
Wow, to see Donald Sutherland in an old quality film. I guess I just associate him with his son Kiefer who makes more commercial stuff. But Don't Look Now's style heavily reminded me of classic Polanski: The Tenant, Rosemary's Baby, etc. The grainy, saturated images created a constant eerie mood throughout the entire movie and the sounds and background music more than contributed to it. The opening scene with the death of the daughter was incredible; the cross editing between the parents and childrens' scenes were weaved together so well that the tension built like nothing else I'd seen before. One anticipated that something bad was going to happen but didn't know when. The sex scene was also like that; interwoven scenes of the couple taking off and putting on clothes. It was very sensual and gratifying. The ending was a bit strange though; the stabbing was rough like that in Psycho or even Bully--it didn't seem real. The strong, saturated traces of the color red were also interesting to observe in this film.
ENGL387: BRWN1154
12.
The Nanny Diaries
03/11
6
Note that it has been about five years since I read the book so I cannot use those fragmented memories as a mark of comparison for this movie. Regardless, I have to admit that Scarlett Johansson was not nearly as annoying as I thought she would be. In fact, she was pretty cute. Loved the button-up/cardigan combos. Laura Linney also wasn't bad. Her seriousness and inability to feel emotions was well portrayed for her role as Mrs. X. But what the hell was Alicia Keys doing in this movie? That was random. The story itself was good but I don't think it expressed Nanny Hell as well as the book did. Too much focus on Annie's love life with the boy upstairs, yet at the same time not enough because he only flitted in and out of scenes. Even Mr. X's attraction to her was merely skimmed over. In total, the pace was a bit rushed but the two main ladies did a great job.
home
13.
Children of Men
03/11
5.5
Many unexpected deaths and losses including the delightfully happy Jasper played by Michael Caine and Key's helper, not to mention Clive Owen himself. The movie was melancholy as hell with only a dash of humanity to illuminate it, which was probably the point. Future England is a complete wasteland with violence against immigrants similar to that of the Holocaust. The big shootout in the refugee camp reminded me of Black Hawk Down; death, destruction, desaturation, and explosions all shot with a steadier snorricam. I thought the sad choir music was a bit too much but the overall story made up for some of it. Blond dreadlocks guy was super annoying, though, as he was all angry and no personality. Ultimately, I was disappointed by the movie, maybe only because it had been hyped up so much. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great; I wished the future had more color despite going to shit.
home
14.
Funny Games
03/16
6
Once again, Michael Pitt is the star. While some may denounce the pace as being too slow, I felt that it was natural to have progressed so. It's a psychological thriller about psychopaths; it's not a slasher. Still, if it weren't for Pitt, this film would have dragged much more. Even from the beginning the viewer could tell Funny Games would be different. The entire time the family is driving out to the country, they are listening to classical music. All of a sudden, when the title flashed on screen, hard metal began blaring. Amazing intro indeed. Also, the first time we see the killers is when the family drives by their friends' house; what an awkwardly horrific implication of what was to come. The lighting throughout the nighttime film was well done; when the little boy is trying to escape, the eerie Exorcist-like image at the estate gates really stood out. Tim Roth was okay, as was Naomi Watts, but even Brady Corbet couldn't match Pitt's genius. The climatic scene when Corbet got shot then then came back to life with Pitt's usage of a remote was shockingly strange but cool. Finally, what a great, apathetic way to dispose of Watts at the very end; just push her off the boat as if one was pushing off some cigarette ash into the lake. The finale was sort of dumb though; the cyclical implication did nothing for me. Decent work by Haneke, but I have to see the original version to get a full understanding.
Keystone Art Cinema & Indie Lounge: Michael
15.
Into The Wild
03/29
4.5
In preparation for watching this movie, I spent Spring Break reading the book and loved it to death. So suffice it to say, the movie does not do the book justice at all. It's not even because of the usual "movie doesn't have enough detail" reason; it's because the angle they took on McCandless felt a bit off. While the movie made him out to be some sort of new age adventure god whose words should have been considered englightened pieces of advice, the book was much more practical and showed all sides of him such as his intelligence, passion, ignorance, and ultimately possible stupidity. Too much of a glorified eulogy and not enough biography like the book. Usually I like Jena Malone, but her narration in this felt forced and unneccesarily tacky and emotional. Trying to be much too metaphorical. Emile Hirsch has certainly grown up from his Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys days but his young charm is still here. What a riveting performance at the end as McCandless slowly starved to death. The sheer amount of weight he seems to have lost was striking. Marcia Gay Harden reminds me of Stuart's mom on MadTV. Vince Vaughn plays the obnoxious outdated frat boy like he always does. And of course, Catherine Keener can do no wrong. All that said, beautiful movie, a bit slow, but I'd stick to the book. Postscript: great soundtrack/score.
home
16.
Swingers
04/02
6
review pending.
apt: Michael
17.
Death of a President
04/05
4.5
Interesting.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
18.
Titanic
04/20
8.5
I will never get over this movie.
apt: Michael
19.
Saw IV
04/20
3
review pending.
apt: Michael
20.
Saw II
04/24
4.5
review pending.
apt: Michael
21.
La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon)
05/02
8.5
So, so good. The very last five seconds were the best. A completely heartwarming story. Definitely in the top 3 or 5 of the year.
Lafayette 7: John G.
22.
Iron Man
05/04
7.5
Fun!
Wabash Landing 9: Michael, Johnny
23.
Teeth
05/08
6
Vagina dentata! Great cheesy moments.
apt: Michael
24.
Enchanted
05/12
5
review pending.
home
25.
The Neverending Story
05/16
4
A children's classic I'd never seen before. It is a good reminder of childhood innocence and optimism. I wish adults could be the same. The effects were laughable, though, in a good way.
apt: John G.
26.
Dan in Real Life
06/01
5
Eh, too dramatic.
home
27.
Hercules
06/04
8
So good.
Jen's apt: Jen, Kieran, Michael
28.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
06/12
4
Awesome CGI and cinematography but horrible story. Boring.
Loew Cinemas on Broadway and 12th St.
29.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
06/16
6.5
Matt Damon sure is good. Jude Law... never did understand that phenomenon.
apt (Brooklyn)
30.
Music and Lyrics
06/21
7
It was okay, Drew Barrymore didn't annoy me as much as usual. Hugh Grant is just a shadow of his old self. Decent story but predictable.
apt (Brooklyn)
31.
My Kid Could Paint That
06/22
5.5
Stupid people paying lots of money for "art."
apt (Brooklyn)
32.
Land of the Dead (Unrated)
06/24
4.5
I don't really get the big fad about zombie macabre but I guess this was a decent movie. Whatever, it's just the undead.
apt (Brooklyn)
33.
Big
07/12
6.5
Cute little story. Then I got to visit the piano up by Central Park!
apt (Brooklyn)
34.
Fight Club
07/13
7.5
*So* much better than the book.
apt (Brooklyn)
35.
The Dark Knight
07/20
7.5
Great villains.
Regal Union Square Stadium 14: Gordon
36.
Seven
07/25
8
review pending.
apt (Brooklyn)
37.
The Apartment
07/28
5
The lies and scandal were pretty entertaining. The funny thing about old romance movies is how dramatic everyone is. Shirley MacLaine is a beautiful leaf of a girl. Love stories sure aren't the same anymore. I sometimes wish we could go back to that kind of innocence.
Bryant Park
38.
The Craft
08/01
4
I hadn't seen this since I was a child. 90's sadism and high school teasing looks tame in today's world.
apt (Brooklyn)
39.
Lifeboat
08/04
4
Pretty good story and exciting enough even though the only scenes were on a lifeboat. That's Tallulah Bankhead?! A classic of classics. Hitchcock sure has his ways.
Bryant Park
40.
Helvetica
--/-- (?)
7
Interesting documentary on the origins of the popular typeface and what makes a great font.
apt: Gordon
41.
American Teen
08/05
7
Hilarious laughing at what we all used to be. I'd highly recommend this to everyone. Plus my friend used to date the quirky artist girl who went to New York! She is a girl close to my heart.
Landmark Sunshine Cinema: Gordon
42.
Weird Science
08/21
2
Classic cheesy John Hughes 80's movie. It's silly how the girl was considered hot in her day but looks weirdly unsexy in today's terms. The story is rather fantastic and unbelievable but you can't argue with old time fun. The effects were also lame. Though I love Hughes, I just can't connect with ole tyme entertainment.
home
43.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
08/23
10
Finally showed it to Michael, yay! Still a great movie of love and loss and intolerance.
apt: Michael
44.
Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders
08/23
4.5
Interesting anecdotes from those exemplary Americans with no will power. The credit crisis is horrific to be sure. Why some never learn I'll never know.
apt: Michael
45.
El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
08/24
9
Best movie I've seen all year. It had just the right amount of scary and creepy. Emotions were twisted the right way each time. The depressing ending actually turns out sort of sweet. I can't get over this movie!
apt: Michael, Andrew, Amy
46.
The Counterfeiters
08/24
7.5
Sad but moving story of perseverance.
apt: Michael
47.
Prom Night
08/29
2.5
Too drunk to remember... haha! Dumb teen movie.
apt: Michael
48.
Definitely, Maybe
08/30
5.5
Cute story and Ryan Reynolds is hot. Love the New York scenes. Oh, and Rachel Weiss!
apt: Michael
49.
SherryBaby
08/31
6
Dry coming-of-age story. I love me some Maggie Gyllenhaal but this one was too social-welfare for me. A bit slow, too, to enjoy fully.
apt: Michael
50.
Charlie Bartlett
08/31
5
Reminds me of Harold and Maude but without the crazy love story. Charlie is too cocky for my taste though.
apt: Michael
51.
Cabin Fever
09/21
8.5
Ever as ridiculous as I remember it to be.
apt: Michael
52.
Rent Filmed Live on Broadway
09/28
9
It was great to hear the live music again but it was weird not being able to look peripherally to see what other characters were doing at the same time. The concrete shots were difficult to get used to but I love Rent regardless. Watching some of the characters cry during their last ever performance was moving.
Eastside 9: Michael
53.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
09/28
4.5
Kristen Bell is pretty but her lothario boyfriend was dirty to look at. Story is rather dumb; I fell asleep and missed the ending.
apt: Michael, Andrew, Amy
54.
Tropic Thunder
10/05
3
Eh, not funny, drifted in and out of sleep.
apt: Michael
55.
Stranger Than Fiction
10/18
3
Will Ferrell was an annoying whiner and the author sounded stupid with an English accent. Why do all authors in movies have such accents? Her constant sniffling and "breaking down" with panic attacks was unbearable. Horrible movie with a stupid, happy ending. Even Maggie Gyllenhaal normal allure was watered down.
apt (Brooklyn), home
56.
Chicago
10/22
9.5
The glitter of Chicago was just as good and better than I remembered it to be. What a great set and costumes.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
57.
Shrooms
11/07
2
She predicts it, it happens, repeat. The only redemption was the ending; very John Cusack from Identity. The tampon scene was pretty cool too haha. Stupid camp.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
58.
Devil Wears Prada
11/08
8
Meryl Streep's ruthlessness was unbelievable. Anne Hathaway is absolutely beautiful. A fun story with great clothes (I wanttt). I miss New York and being able to look in to the glitzy glamour life.
home
59.
Willard
11/08 (?)
4
Surprisingly dark humored instead of all creepy. It didn't mesh too well. And Crispin Glover was a bit too goofy for the role.
apt: Michael
60.
Carrie
11/11
6
review pending.
apt: Michael, Jen, Kieran
61.
Outsourced
11/16
7.5
Josh Hamilton! Cutie nerd with uneven teeth. A great story of culture and restricted love. I sure learned some things. The tension was felt and empathized. Tod's eventual treatment of his Indian replacement was sweet.
home
62.
Detroit Rock City
11/21
4
Worth a watch just to know pop culture references but this lies in the same box of quality and entertainment as Weird Science. I don't understand old school high school boys humor.
home
63.
The Strangers
11/24
4
The intro said it was based on true events but later I learned through Wikipedia that the director meant the movie was merely influenced by vague happenings that once took place in his town. More than anything, this movie was inspired by the Manson murder or Sharon Tate and friends. That made me value this movie less. It was scary but not so scary; if anything, it was rather befuddling. The blood splatters on the wall, "there's blood everywhere!," stabbing for the sake of sadistic stabbing, coldness of the murderers, leaving the scene undetected, young engagement/marriage, a visiting friend that is attacked, and the strangers themselves all sound so very Manson-esque the more I think about it. Cheap. Secondly, this movie reminded me of Funny Games if Funny Games was slower, less witty, and, frankly, a bit boring.
apt: Michael
64.
The Wackness
11/25
6
It started very good, sunk in the middle, then redeemed itself with a great ending. Josh Peck (from Drake and Josh on Nickelodeon?!) was cute and delivered his shy, depressing lines spot on. Ben Kingsley was also impressive. I couldn't like the girl very much, however, because she reminded me too much of myself. Some great quotes and some great footage of drug usage in a tasteful way. Setting in New York doesn't hurt either. It was cool to see the early-Giuliani environment.
home
65.
Go
12/01
7
review pending.
apt: Michael
66.
CJ7
12/06
6.5
review pending.
Suzie's house: mom, bro, Fred
67.
A Cross the Universe
12/14
6
Pretty funny and I don't even know Justice.
apt: Michael
68.
When Harry Met Sally
12/24
6.5
review pending.
apt: Jen, Kieran
69.
Wall-E
12/24
6.5
Sobering view of what the world could be someday. I like the chubbos too.
home
70.
Delirious
12/25
6
The story is a bit dumb and hokey but you can't go wrong a Michael Pitt/Steve Buscemi film. Pitt is his usual bumbling self emitting emo all the way through while Buscemi was typically obnoxious, angry, decrepit-looking. Alison Lohman's character turned out to be rather shallow and I found her to be almost insignificant by the end. There was also a beautiful scene involving Pitt when he walks out of his night with Kharma at her hotel and white flower petals rain down on him as he walks through the city. New York ftw!
home
71.
Man on Wire
12/26
5
The movie is *very* slow for the first 3/4 but the last 1/4 picks up speed when the ball finally gets rolling on their big stunt. All the details beforehand were too tedious for me and I had to split the movie into two days. The ending, however, what an ending! The slow piano notes as all the conspirators described the moment Philip Petit finally made it on the wire were moving and emotional. Petit's pride and happiness as he danced in the sky were magical. It also made me sad, for the first time in a long time, that the two towers no longer exist. I tried a quick Google search for any articles relaying his reaction to 9-11 but none were found.
home
72.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
12/30
6.5
Oh mortality and forgotten love. Great costumes. The essence of the story reminded me of Eternal Sunshine. The hospital scenes with old Daisy needed to be cut out. Otherwise, a moving film that doesn't move fast enough in the beginning.
The Magnolia: Michael, Jena, Jeff, Nate
Significance of Each Numeric Rating
#
meaning
10.
one of the best movies ever
9.
8.
very good, but not up to par to being a total favorite
7.
6.
5.
mediocre, good for one watch
4.
3.
2.
has some redeeming qualities
1.
total bollocks, couldn’t finish