Movies Reviewed, 2000

Movies Reviewed, 2000
REVIEWS, BY YEAR:

12/31/00
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles - great. up.
Charade - funny. up.

12/30/00
O Brother, Where Art Thou - very very good coen brothers flick. based on homer's odyessy. title, as i mentioned before, comes from sullivan's travels - very fitting. entertaining, funny, great acting, well written, very good. some interesting visual arrangements or filter tricks were used, so it seemed to me. the colors, especially in certain scenes, were really pretty. liked the music as well. up.

12/29/00
Welcome To The Dollhouse - quirky black comedy about adolescent girl trying to fit in. very good. funny, but should be sad. up.
Karate Kid - one of the great teen 80s films. this is a classic. up.
Home Alone - amazing how cute that little bastard was back in those days. good idea, well executed, not too sentimental. up.
Invisible Man - probably should give this one another chance since i slept at times and it's by james whale (pronounced wah-lay). good from what i saw. neutral.
Rio Bravo - it's still good, it's still good (a la homer simpson chasing his flying pig). up.
La Strada - very good story and acting. there is the big roman numeral controversy - the movie says it was made in 1956, according to the roman numerals at the beginning, but the box, imdb, and my movie guide say it was made in 1954. hmmm. music was very good as well. up.

12/28/00
Public Enemy - james cagney being the classic mutha fucka that he was. 1931, i guessed 1933. up.

12/27/00
American Beauty - just great. inspirational. sad. true. great soundtrack, worked very well. the characters are very good and provide good contrasts and host of foils. acting was up to the task. up.
Untouchables - deniro is great. costner shows that he doesn't always suck. the carriage scene brought me to tears the first time i saw it (11 years ago), and for good reason. very very very well done...think battleship potemkin when you see the scene. up.

12/26/00
Rainmaker - better than i remember is being. some really good parts. matt damon didn't suck. up.
Analyze This - a funny film. billy crystal is good, deniro is good. up.
The Killers - very good film noir. 1946. lancaster's first film. a lot like citizen kane - lighting, style, narrative, et al. up.

12/25/00
The Limey - a good film. interesting narrative style, made me feel like i had seen the movie before. up.
Heaven Can Wait - good fun. up.

12/22/00
Planes, Trains, And Automobiles - greatest comedy of all time. up.
U-571 - worst submarine film of all time. down.
The Family Man - nick cage was good. it was hoky fun, but still good. corny, of course, but enough comedy to pull it off. up.

12/21/00
Where the Heart Is... - horrible. watch this only to see natalie portman's cute, but overrated, mug. down.
Home Alone 2 - the final house scene is worthy of your time; can't say as much for the rest of the film. neutral.

12/20/00
Frequency - really corny at times (esp. the end), but overall good as a movie (as opposed to a film). i never really felt like watching another movie so i guess i'll give it a thumbs up.

12/19/00
Manchurian Candidate- good film overall, some really nice deep focus shots. entertaining overall, despite the racial mix ups (asians weren't played by asians...hmmm). up.
Kicking And Screaming - still good. up.

12/17/00
Nosferatu - 62 minutes of dracula goodness. actually not the best horror film i've seen, not even one of the best, but it was made in 1922 so you gotta give it props for that. germans had their shit together. neutral.

12/16/00
Dr. Strangelove - one of the best anti-war films of all time. timeless script and characters. up.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - excellent film. jack does a smash up job. brings a tear every time. a must see. up.

12/15/00
Rio Bravo - The original version of El Dorado. much better. dean martin is great, ricky nelson (colorado) is even better than james caan (mississippi). john wayne is better as himself in rio bravo than he is in el dorado, if you can believe that. i think the script has a lot to do with it. played up the relationship with john wayne and dean martin (the once great deputy, now drunk) better in this one too. very good flick. i can see why quentin tarantino makes all his girlfriends watch it. up.
The Jerk - can't go wrong with steve martin. this is a classic. up.

12/09/00
This Is Spinal Tap - vastly over-rated. everyone says it's a must see so i guess you should see it so you have something to talk about when people around you will invariably go off on how great it is, but don't believe the hype. it is very clever and has lots of touches which are neat, but don't quite reach, for me, the point of inciting laughter. kentucky fried movie was the same way. down.

12/06/00
Quiet Man - this movie sucks. john ford and john wayne should have died after el dorado. maybe i should double check that exact date, but this movie sucks ballsac. could only bear to watch the first hour. down.
Alexander Nevsky - some good fighting sequences. good for its time, but now it's just kind of out of date. watch it if you are hardcore into film or russians or just hardcore. neutral.

12/05/00
Double Indemnity - great film noir. barbara stanwyck is classic bitch material. she's so good. up.

12/04/00
Run Silent, Run Deep - clark gable and burt lancaster. so so submarine movie. watch crimson tide before you watch this, watch the hunt for red october before crimson tide and watch das boot before any of em. neutral.

12/03/00
Grapes Of Wrath - excellent film. don't know about the book, wish i had the discipline to read it, but i don't. the film, though, i have seen twice and it's absolutely epic. well done. best john ford movie i've seen, and that's saying a lot. henry fonda and ma joad - forget the actress's name - are both great. kick ass script though i'm not sure how much of it came from the novel. up.
Modern Times - chaplin's finest work, but mostly because of the first half of the film. some classic gags and the first ten minutes are some of the greatest in comic film history. all this and it's still able to be a social commentary. up.

12/02/00
Angels With Dirty Faces - very good gangster film with james cagney, bogart, and o'brien? i forgot the last fella's name, but i've seen him before. at any rate it was a quality film in lots of ways. worth the 100 minutes. up.
The Magnificent Ambersons - orson welles is the shit, but doesn't show it very well in this, his follow-up to citizen kane, movie. a so-so story. the movie's first half hour is its best. only for orson welles enthusiasts. neutral.

12/01/00
The World According To Garp - good story with good acting. on the long side, but didn't drag too much. i think the beatles track "when i'm 64" framed the film pretty nicely. some downright fucked up portions and even tear worthy at times. provided some laughs throughout which is always appreciated. up. same director as sting and butch cassidy and the sundance kid...didn't see much in the way of overlapping themes, but...

11/30/00
El Dorado - good western flick. mississippi is one classic character. john wayne is classic, with some good lines. good for a western so i guess i'll give it a thumbs up.

11/29/00
Hell Is For Heroes - good, not great, war film. 1961. steven mcqueen is the shit, nothing new there. watch it if you like war films, otherwise i'd say nevermind. neutral.

11/28/00
The Lady Eve - entertaining flick with henry fonda and barbara stanwyck. barbara stanwyck is a classic biatch. i liked the movie. it was funny. i should review movies for a living because i'm a fucking genius. up.

11/27/00
Bananas - woody allen flick. pretty straightforward for woody allen. good shit overall, had some really funny gags and some slower moments, but overall entertaining. i, too, used to think that i didn't like woody allen. not sure why, but i officially like him now. up.

11/26/00
Meet The Parents - formulaic, BUT very very funny. didn't do anything too different in terms of plot - sympathetic (to the audience) character tries to win over the in-laws and can't seem to do anything right. the thing is that this movie was well directed, acted, and had lots of good gags. i laughed plenty. formula movies aren't always bad, that's the moral of the story. up.

11/20/00
I Am A Fugitive On A Chain Gang - paul muni (30s) version. thought i had seen it, turns out i saw the, inferior, later version. this movie rocked from beginning to end. it rocked for different reasons at different times. sometimes it was witty and funny. other times it was kinda heavy or sad. other times it was exciting and nerve racking. very good. paul muni, though not good as scarface (in my humble opinion) esp. compared with pacino, was very good in this flick. up.

11/18/00
Boyz N The Hood - soundtrack left something to be desired. great movie which made a slightly better movie possible - menace to society. still a very very good film. up. i cry everytime.
A Night At The Opera- very good classic marx brothers flick. if you like them you'll like this one. if you don't like the marx brothers then you probably have something wrong with your head. up.

11/17/00
Bringing Up Baby - Katherine Hepburn is pretty classic. such an annoying woman who always wins my heart in the end, despite being so annoying. i can definitely see how some people would hate her though. straight-forward movie overall. has some good comedy, mostly based on miscommunication which is always good fun. entertaining. up.

11/16/00
Atomic Cafe - great compilation of video and audio clips circa 1945-55...they all revolve around the building of the atomic weapons and such. some great propaganda video which makes you laugh at the absurdity and cry at the same time. pretty damned sickening at times. up.

11/15/00
American Movie: The Making of Northwestern - fifth time i've seen it. definitely one of the best documentaries of all time. tackles a lot of issues all by following around one movie maker and his posse. funny as is possible and even more touching. an hour shorter than hoop dreams and just as personal. great great great. way up.

11/13/00
Baby Face - a good 30s film about a woman who sleeps her way to the top (literally) of a bank. funny at times. annoying at times. always entertaining though. neutral.

11/11/00
Buena Vista Social Club - a good look at a cuban group which you should have checked out by now. then again it's impossible to keep up with all that shit. at any rate as far as documentaries go this one wasn't great, but it was still worth seeing. up.

11/10/00
Touch Of Evil - well done orson welles film. slept through parts, but got enough of it to know it was good; i had seen it before anyway. famous for its opening shot which doesn't cut for a few minutes. up.
Italian Job - good 1963 type fun. michael caine heist film. plenty of good cars to look at. good ending. fun all around. up.

11/08/00
Frenzy - has some disturbing moments, that's the point. alfred had some issues with women. the ending was classic. a good film overall up.up.
Take The Money And Run - funny woody allen film. redundant i suppose. up.

11/07/00
M - excellent film all around. very lockean in ways. up.

11/05/00
Blackmail - good narrative techniques, what else would you expect from hitchcock? this was meant to be a silent film, but the studio made it a talkie, kinda takes away from the movie. kind of a boring film, with some moments of hitchcock potential shining through. only watch it if you are hard up for another hitch-cock. haha neutral.

11/04/00
Dog Day Afternoon - pacino is so amazing in all his films he puts most actors to shame. up.
Everyone Says I Love You - musical woody allen. the musical part took away from the flow of it, i thought. it was still worth the watch. up.

11/02/00
Brazil - a good start. more potential than it lived up to. gilliam has talent and wit, no doubt, but this one doesn't make the grade overall. drags. down.

11/01/00
Hester Street - a good film to study the jewish american experience. not very entertaining though. neutral.

10/29/00
Sweet Smell Of Success- a good film which picks up in the latter half. well acted and directed. up. not as entertaining as sullivan's travels.

10/28/00
Sullivan's Travels - very good film on the whole. had some slow parts for my taste, but the acting was good enough and the story was excellent. sullivan is a lot like me. good themes, but didn't seem as progressive as it should have in some parts - depiction of the black cook wasn't appreciated. up.

10/27/00
Adam's Rib - good story, good acting, but the directing left something to be desired. there were some cornball moments and bad cuts, but the movie was entertaining, thus: up.

10/26/00
The Big One - great documentary by the infamous michael moore. extremely funny, very telling, all around great. up.

10/25/00
Kicking And Screaming - very good movie about friends, relationships, life, reality, etc. some classic dialogue at times. enjoyable up.

10/24/00
The Man With The Movie Camera - excellent russian documentary. very different style. quick cuts. probably a few thousand cuts in the 80-90 minute film. really good and dense. it would take a fuckload of spare time to fully understand this one. up.

10/23/00
Metropolis - fritz lang's very stylized view of the future. a good story. M is better, but this is still a must see. up

10/21/00
Paths Of Glory - better than clockwork orange. jim thompson works on the script and it is evident. kirk douglas gives a beyond great performance. up.

10/20/00
The Clockwork Orange (dvd)- a very good movie. script was very smart and fresh. great use of music. malcolm mcdowell was excellent. up.

10/19/00
The Killing - just great. the story is awesome. the script (jim thompson assisted) is very good although i like full metal jacket's script more. the editing, narration, and story structure are all some of kubrick's best (that's saying a lot). good performances all around - sterling hayden is superb. the ending is fucking perfect. up.

10/18/00
American Job - same director (chris smith) as american movie. this one isn't real, but is shot in a gritty, up close way to make it feel like it is. very good film, some funny moments, but not as funny as i thought it was going to be or as funny as most thought it was. realistic view at one labor class worker and his quest for...? up.

10/16/00
The Immigrant - very good chaplin film about an immigrant man and woman who are separated at ellis island but meet again by chance/fate. very funny. chaplin is great and so is eric campbell.

10/15/00
Hannah And Her Sisters - good woody allen flick. liked it more than annie hall actually. funny, good story, good all around. didn't think it was as intelligent as annie hall, but somehow it stuck better. up.

10/14/00
Basquiat - a good movie. addresses a lot of things i don't like about art...the elite, the exploitation, etc. worth watching once, but not more. didn't move me, didn't make me laugh or cry. neutral.

10/13/00
Annie Hall - pretty much vintage woody allen, like it or not. woody allen is funny, but doesn't make me laugh very much, if that makes sense. it was a good movie and if you like allen's humor it's a must see. an intelligently made movie with a good script. up.

10/12/00
Last Tango In Paris - i don't like movies like this. artsy in the beginning, but to no end. some people make sex into a lot more than it is. even beyond that this movie wasn't very good. i suppose brando was good in it. the scene where he talks to his dead wife was i'm sure an influence in magnolia, though magnolia did it better. down.

10/11/00
"G" Men - solidly entertaining film. good comedy and cagney was great. up.
The Big Sky - very good howard hawks film. entertaining throughout. good amount of comic relief and action. up.

10/10/00
Third Man - very good movie. entertaining for the most part and has orson welles' good taste in film making. couple of plot twists keep it going. given the 1949 release date there is surely something to be said of the post war feelings and how they are manifested craftily throughout the film. good soundtrack too. up.

10/09/00
Traffic In Souls - bad. old. stupid. 1913 tour de gayness. this is what gives silent/black and white films a bad reputation. down.

10/08/00
A Farewell To Arms - not very entertaining. a decent love story amidst the war, but somewhat of a sleepy film. a nurse and gary cooper, whew hoo. down.

10/07/00
Dr. Strangelove - great in many ways. up.

10/06/00
Easy Rider - very good in points. artsy in others. when looked at as a whole it definitely is a great film. some weird cutting techniques. has elements of a western in it. freedom rocks, these guys know it - do you? the ending is perfect. up.
City Lights - funny, but not as good as modern times. if you're not a big silent film person or you aren't too impressed by chaplin i would suggest modern times first, this second, and gold rush third. up.

10/05/00
Scarface - this is the original scarface. although it's good for it's time and had some good comic relief, it doesn't compare to the depalma/pacino version. pacino is far more convincing than whoever played tony in this version. the very beginning of this version was good - it cited the movie as an indictment against our government and it's people for not having done anything to stem the crime tide. neutral. watch it if you are interested in seeing how "scarface" started.

10/04/00
Modern Times - very good chaplin film. the beginning is very political, but that seems to fade as the movie progresses. funny, witty, ahead of its time. up. better than gold rush. most of it is silent, though it does have sound (1936). the lead girl looks a lot like molly shannon.
Mutiny On The Bounty - saw this the first time in fifth grad (mr. manitzas, of course). a great film. somewhat like paths of glory, though the directing, script, and acting wasn't as good. then again paths of glory is in a league unto itself. gable was good, as was the captain. ending is more happy than paths of glory. up. i like it more than on the waterfront.

10/03/00
On The Waterfront - not sure why it's supposed to be one of the ten best films ever made, but then again i'm not a real film connoisseur. it was a good flick, don't get me wrong, but try not to watch it with the idea that it's one of the best films ever made. plenty of martyrs throughout. the conversation with his brother charlie (i could have been a contender...) was very good; as was the ending. up.

10/02/00
The Big Sleep - a classic film noir. good script. worth watching just to see bogart being a pimp. other than that it's a bit dense and isn't as catchy as double indemnity. neutral.
The General - a definite classic. buster keaton is funny even today. train sequences were really good and since most of the movie was train sequences... up.
Mean Streets - scorsese is obviously the shit. taxi driver is better, but deniro is almost as good in this one. watch it if you are a scorsese or deniro fan, otherwise it's not a must see. moral of story: you'll pay in the end. neutral.

10/01/00
Blood Simple - the worst of the three that i saw today, but still a good movie. a well-woven story which was equally well directed. up.
39 Steps - good story, well made and acted. who is this hitchcock guy? up.
Midnight Cowboy - a classic for a good reason. dustin hoffman is really good and so is jon voight. up.

09/30/00
American Movie: The Making of Northwestern (dvd)- one of the best stories ever. a must see. up. dvd.
a href="http://us.imdb.com/Title?0225434">Coven (dvd) - short horror film made by mark borchardt, worth seeing just for that reason. has some really good elements and some not so great elements. up.
Exorcist - The Version You've Never Seen Before (big screen) - the added minutes do add something to the film. very horrifying. a horror classic. up.

09/29/00
Lady From Shanghai - orson welles is a good director. duh. good story, last sequence is classic. a room filled with mirrors. up.

09/28/00
High Noon - good flick that holds tension throughout. up.

09/27/00
A Walk In The Sun- doesn't completely do it for me as a war film. had some comic relief, but not enough. characters were good, but i didn't latch onto them as much as i have in other war films. neutral.

09/26/00
Gun Crazy - seen it before, still like it. "why am i so tired?" ... "it's because of the altitude." a fine example of good script writing on the figurative level, i like this attention to detail. film noir classic. up. you should see it if you like film noir, otherwise i guess don't bother.

09/25/00
Red Dawn - very "b"ish. down. good idea, but bad acting, bad script and poor execution.

09/24/00
African Queen - sfx were horrible in places. bogart lapsed as an actor a few times. very allegorical. despite the sfx and two to three seconds of bad acting from bogart, i'd say it's a very good movie. up.
Sixteen Candles - good 80s movie, but not sure if i'd say it's a must see. neutral.
Stalag 17 - my dad says it's the best prisoner of war film ever. he's wrong, but it IS second to great escape. very well-balanced flick. up.

09/23/00
In The Company Of Men - good script and the main actor was good enough to carry it off. up (worth watching twice)
Double Indemnity - really good screenplay - raymond chandler and someone else. acting was about what you'd expect from this type of late 30s-early 40s film. the lead was convincing. up.

09/22/00
Dr. Zhivago - lenghty, but once it got started it was quite good. this one can wait. neutral.
Dead Man - eccentric, but in a good way. i'd recommend you see it once, maybe twice. not sure what the overall meaning was, but it was had a witty script and some really nice music from neil young. up.

09/21/00
Carlito's Way - Al Pacino and Brian DePalma - can't lose. some really good sequences. up.
M - Fritz Lang is an extremely good director. this is a film that should, could, and probably has been talked about for a long time. story is great. filmmaking ahead of its time too. up.

09/20/00
Grapes Of Wrath - great. "we keep comin they can't wipe us out, they can't lick us, cuz we're the people...we'll go on forever" up.

09/19/00
Killer's Kiss - smart film, but the story shows that kubrick isn't a writer. a must see just because it's kubrick's first and has some cool sequences which show his talent. very short (67 mins). up.

09/16/00
Beautiful People - good enough to watch once, but not twice. johnny told me to be more critical - down.

09/11/00
American Psycho - good, not great. up.

09/10/00
Lost In Space (dvd) - eh. down.

09/08/00
The Way Of The Gun(big screen) - good movie, well written, script was funny and smooth, but lost a little momentum towards the middle. overall definitely worth the watch. up.

09/05/00
Die Hard (dvd)- excellent screenplay, acting, directing, script, etc. up.
Dazed And Confused (dvd)- very good film about the mid-70s, being a high-schooler, growing up, life, etc. the best soundtrack ever, too bad it's not all on one cd. up.
The Fugitive (dvd)- good little action/adventure flick. harrison ford and tommy lee both sell their parts well. up.

09/04/00
Nightwatch - decent enough for me. up.

09/03/00
Robocop (dvd) - great action film all around. up. first movie i've seen on my dvd player.

08/30/00
How To Make An American Quilt - bad chick flick, really bad. down.
Citizen Kane - better the second time, nothing wasted, very good. up.
A Bridge Too Far - not as good as expected, but still a good war film with an all-star cast. liked james caan. lengthy. up.

08/29/00
In The Heat Of The Night - every actor sold me 100%. the chief of police (rod steiger) and mr. tibbs (sidney poitier) were both excellent. script was exactly as good as it needed to be. played out well, never dragged. rocked from start to finish. i think malcolm x (had he been alive to see it) would have liked it. up.

08/28/00
Lawrence Of Arabia - the score was rocking. the acting was really good. well directed, but the story dragged a bit. overall good. up.
Snake Eyes - great cinematography in the beginning...there isn't a cut for like 10 minutes. de palma is good. actually a good movie except for the last 2 minutes or so. up.

08/27/00
A Perfect World - Clint Eastwood can really direct a movie, even a kevin costner one. a great great film. moving enough to make me cry and make vern and scott leave. up.
Catch-22 - stacy slept, vern slept, scott left. had its moments, but overall a bit of a snooze. i'm not at all interested in reading the book. neutral.

08/26/00
Patton - george c. scott is great. the story is good and the movie, though long, keeps one interested. up.

08/21/00
Searchers - chuck d says "elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant shit to me. the mother fucker was straight up racist and plain..." to which flava flav adds: "mother fuck him and john wayne." searchers is a decent movie, technically, but in terms of themes doesn't go far in my book. among other things...i just can't stand movies where indians are portrayed so incorrectly. down.
All Of Me - steve martin is awesome, the movie is good enough to have a good bundle of gags and steve carries it the rest of the way. up.
Paths Of Glory - flawless film making. great comic relief. great great great acting. some flashes of brilliance in the cinematography. up.

08/18/00
Philadelphia Story - great screenplay and great acting. up.
The Cell (big screen) - images were really good. interesting to no real end though. neutral.

08/15/00
Bridge On The River Kwai - it was really really annoying throughout most of it. there isn't anything more annoying than pompous brits. i think william holden saved the movie. actually the ending saved the movie more than anything else. neutral. wasn't quite worth 2 hours 40 mins.
Gold Rush - pretty damned good. some of the gags are really good, others are predictable. up.

08/13/00
Magnolia - best movie of the year 2000. up.

08/11/00
Ronin - very good car chases. well directed. up.
All The President's Men - dustin hoffman was really good, story is sad, true, but interesting. up.

08/09/00
Mighty Peking Man - B-film, big time. actually has some decent moments, but more fun to laugh at it. the chick in it is hot. neutral.

08/08/00
Serpico - story isn't anything too exceptional, but of course pacino is classic. up.

08/07/00
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington - has some cornball moments, but overall is a really good movie. of course jimmy stewart is good in it too. up.
The Patriot (big screen) - has plenty of corny moments. has a few good moments too. historically accurate more than expected, but idealized a lot in regards to race relations. down.
The Jerk - steve martin rocks. the whole movie is so well crafted, storyline really works and is fuuuuuny. up.

08/06/00
Vanishing Point - good movie. the whole movie is a car chase, but as a movie it's much more than that. guns and roses used the DJ's air break in one of their songs. it's worth watching the movie just to hear the dj talk about the "last american hero." up.
Goodfellas- great flick, that's why i own it. up.

08/05/00
Paths Of Glory - great anti-war flick by kubrick. the evil general was a classic, the screenplay was great, and kirk douglas was priceless. love it. up.

08/03/00
Meaning of Life - funny monty python movie. terry gilliam actually did some work on it too. funny and liberal. up.

08/01/00
Bottle Rocket - a lot like rushmore. good characters and acting was good too. i'm tired, but the movie is not to blame. up.

07/30/00
Liar Liar - good movie. jim carrey is obviously one of the greats in current physical comedy. up.
Ninth Gate - starts off really well and gets steadly worse, but never really makes the movie shitty. neutral. i'd describe it as "decent enough."

07/28/00
Evil Dead - second greatest horror flick ever. funny, scary, gross, it has it all. well directed, of course. up.

07/27/00
Minus Man - interesting movie. same blond guy from armageddon and shanghai noon. leaves you guessing. the best thing about this movie was the trailer...doesn't come with the movie so hopefully you remember it. neutral.

07/26/00 (145)
Pulp Fiction - best movie ever. directing, script, acting all kick ass. up.

07/24/00
Father Of The Bride II- not as good as i remember it, but still had some funny points. watch planes, trains, and automobiles instead. down.

07/23/00
Three Amigos - funny movie with three really funny guys. well directed too. up.
Road Trip (drive-in) - better than you expect from this type of movie. tom green rocks. up.
Scary Movie (drive-in) - see above, insert wayans brothers where appropriate. up.

07/22/00
Office Space - funny and well done, especially for a directorial debut. up.

07/21/00
Boiler Room - ribisi is always good, this movie is no exception. i thought it was going to suck, i was surprised to find that it didn't. worth the watch. up.

07/19/00
X-Men (big screen) - better than shallow grave, better than i had expected. worth the time. up.

07/18/00
Shallow Grave - the beginning is completely different from the rest of the movie in terms of feel, style, etc. however, it is still a good movie. this is the kind of story that had i written it people would have said "good idea, too much of a tone shift, maybe cliche in parts." i guess if you get some big shot to compare it to pulp fiction and get someone like ewan mcgregor in it then you're set. such is life. neutral.

07/16/00
Strangers On A Train - one of the better hitchcock films i've seen. the classic last scene is classic for a reason and the tennis scene owns. up.

07/15/00
Goodbye Mr. Chips - great film. gets better with every minute that passes. up.

07/14/00
East Of Eden - made me cry a lot. james dean is really really good. much better than rebel without a cause. up.
The Killer - the paradigm john woo flick. hong kong with subtitles, good action scenes had a few scenes that were really great for one reason or another. up.

07/12/00
All Quiet On The Western Front - very good movie in terms of art and technical merit. i really liked the first 20 minutes...very well done. up.

07/09/00
High Sierra - good movie overall. story and themes were good. the whole sequence in the mountains was really good. should be renamed "lose the bitches." up.

07/08/00 (130)
Quiet Earth - decent enough to watch. up.

07/07/00
Blues Brothers - the last 10 minutes made the movie about 3 times more expensive, but it was a good 10 minutes. somewhat overrated, but still funny in parts. soundtrack was obviously great and the cameos were appreciated. neutral.

07/06/00
The Killing - great, great, great Kubrick film. soundtrack was good, acting and casting were perfect, characterization was quick and adequate. up.

07/05/00
Pink Floyd: The Wall - longest music video i know of. if you like the album then you'll love the movie. even if you don't like the album the movie should strike a chord. up.

07/04/00
Man on the Moon - decent, but not particularily funny. good story, albeit a true one. neutral.
Man Bites Dog - shot in a documentary style, but about as real as blair witch project. i guess it's supposed to be shocking, but it really wasn't at all shocking to me. funny in parts which takes away from the shock factor. not at all horrifying. not really worth watching actually besides the great performance of the lead character. neutral.

07/03/00
Bride Of Re-Animator - great horror film. up.

07/01/00
Perfect Storm (big screen) - corny, big time. down.

06/30/00
American Movie: The Making of Northwestern - saw it again. it's great. fucking watch it. up.

06/28/00
American Movie: The Making of Northwestern - this is the reason non-fiction owns fiction. this movie is officially great. up.

06/27/00
Me, Myself, & Irene (big screen) - if you liked kingpin you'll like this. up.

06/25/00
Fargo - great film in many ways, great directing, score, story, screenplay, actors, characters, cinematography, etc. up.

06/24/00
Kentucky Fried Movie - tried hard. john landis is usually a funny director, this time he isn't. down.

06/23/00
Maximum Overdrive- some cuts weren't the best, ending was abrupt, but it was stephen king's first directorial venture...great soundtrack and the movie had some good stuff. up. who made who?

06/22/00
Atomic Cafe - great compilation of video and audio clips circa 1945-55...they all revolve around the building of the atomic weapons and such. some great propaganda video which makes you laugh at the absurdity and cry at the same time. up. watch this and then dr. strangelove.

06/21/00
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - very good movie, but not for the weak of stomach, mind, or heart. up.

06/20/00
Spanish Prisoner - good movie. steve martin is good. overall worth the watch. up.
American Movie: The Making of Northwestern - great documentary which follows a midwestern guy while he's trying to get an independent horror film made. great fun, very real, definitely my style. up.

06/19/00 (112)
Shanghai Noon (big screen) - has some funny moments, fight scenes aren't as great as some former jackie chan flicks, but it's still jackie chan. up.

06/18/00
Superstar- uhm, no. down
Truman Show - a definite winner. carrey is the shit and the amount of social commentary that can be extracted from a movie like this is endless. up.

06/17/00
Bachelor - this movie sucked. down.
Fight Club - great in many many ways. up
Philadelphia- don't believe the hype, it's not the greatest movie of the year, but it is a good flick. somewhat ahead of its time too. up.
One False Move - billy bob thorton, the thug. straight ahead run away criminal movie, but good. up.

06/11/00
Biography of W.E.B. DuBois - you'll probably never find this in the video store, but it's worth watching. if you are ever in the davis area you can check it out from the reserves desk. great man, good story. up.

06/10/00
Road Trip (big screen) - first movie i've seen in the theater since gladiator which was the first in a really long time. this was a goodie. tom green was great, but didn't have to carry the movie - the hot chick's bare ass did that. actually it was a solidly funny movie, worth the time. up.

06/08/00
Malcolm X - considering the scope of such a project spike lee did a fantastic job of covering the main themes and views of malcolm. definitely not a substitute for the book, but a good place to start. up.

06/05/00
Godfather II - good, but not the best movie ever as some claim. directing was solid, obviously. pacino was boss, obviously. worth the watch. up.

06/04/00
Dr. Strangelove - great movie, even after 3 or 4 times...gets better every time. kubrick and this sexual themes are prevalent, but so is the comic relief. great. up.

06/03/00
Being John Malkovich - really quite good. up.

06/01/00
Deer Hunter - so, i was named after christopher walken because of this performance. now i've seen the movie; i still have no clue why i was name after him. the movie was long to the point of dragging. but it was all worth one series of scenes at the end where two great actors show their stuff. up.

05/28/00
Mission Impossible II - really good action scenes, which is what john woo is all about, but the rest of the movie was a bit corny. watch it with no expectations and you'll be fine. up.

05/27/00
Wrongfully Accused- funny in that dumb slapstick way. up
Fallen Angels - drags in points, points for style, and theme. up.
Austin Powers 2 - funny, but by now you should know that. up.

05/26/00
Dogma- some funny moments, but not as good as kevin smith's earlier stuff. some casting decisions were questionable. i expected more. you could use your time better by watching clerks, but overall the movie was decent enough to watch. up.

05/25/00
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - there are some movies you watch one time and just say "wow, this movie is fucking great." boogie nights, magnolia, great escape, cool hand luke and casblanca were all just like that...this one was too. just awesome in so many ways.

05/22/00
Red Dwarf - good french film. has some priceless moments, but gets a little long towards the third fourth. ended well enough. up.

05/20/00
When We Were Kings - really good look at Mohammad Ali's life, esp. around the fight with foreman in zaire. i wish it covered more not surrounding that fight, but it was good nonetheless. up.

05/19/00
Gladiator (big screen) - good enough to watch. needs more action less wanking off. up.

05/17/00
Boogie Nights - great. way up.

05/15/00
American Graffiti - great movie about nothing great. about to go to college, kids not sure they want to, some aren't, some are geeks, etc. the geek gets the girl, the tough guy wins the race. very cliche, but done so that it actually works. the only thing i could have done without would be the summaries at the end...so and so goes on to become a real estate agent or whatever. that was a bit white. up.

05/14/00
1984 - george orwell book to movie. didn't read the book, don't really want to. movie was good, not great. a bit sleepy in parts. up.

05/13/00
Jackal - neutral. cliche. twist. yay.

05/12/00
Full Metal Jacket - best vietnam war movie ever. up.

05/11/00
Yojimbo - great western style japanese flick by the immortal akira kurosawa. up.

05/08/00
Payback - decent action flick. doesn't really take itself seriously, if it did then it would be bad. neutral.

05/07/00
Ghost in the Shell - good anime flick. confusing for a while, but it comes together in the last 30 minutes. animation was dope in parts and lackluster in some - like running scenes and such. philosophical points were good. up.

04/29/00
Casablanca- great film all around. hits you like it intends to...hard to find in big studio productions. timeless classic. up.

04/26/00
Jacob's Ladder - i watched this when i was 11 or 12 so i didn't fully grasp it the first time. liked it more the second time. up.

04/25/00
Scarface - epic. pacino is the best. finale is amazing. i can't believe i watched this when i was like 8. up.

04/22/00
Pi - great movie. soundtrack is one of the best ever in terms of creating a mood. up.

04/18/00
American Me - very good. realistic. the overuse of some words was annoying, but overall the movie was good and from a refreshing perspective. up.
Platoon - i watched this when i was a young boy back in the day...don't remember it at all. very good. up.

04/17/00
Three Kings - not what i expected, but still good. does some weird things with the color. interesting directing style in parts. up.

04/16/00
Nixon - acting was great. but the movie got a little sleepy. overall good movie. neutral.

04/15/00
Tin Cup - retarded. down.

04/14/00
The Insider - just watched this two months ago...but jonique rented it so...great flick, even the second time. acting is great. directing is really good, but not flawless. story line is inspiring. politicking in interesing. up.

04/10/00
Lethal Weapon 4 - funny and good. a little long with some gay touchy parts intermixed, but overall a good end to the series....assuming that it is the end. up.

04/09/00
Roger and Me - great documentary about flint, MI. fuck GM. fuck rich people. fuck this world. michael moore officially rocks. up

04/08/00
Fight Club - great the first time, not as great the second time. everyone seemed to like it more the second time. it was funnier the second time. i caught more the second time, but it wasn't as inspiring. don't know why. still it's a great flick. up.

04/08/00
Singles - i guess you should watch it. it was true and funny. the title tells a lot. up.

04/06/00
Natural Born Killers (director's cut) - great film in every respect. great statement. good use of comedy to drive point home. very groundbreaking. soundtrack was great, i would have loved to make a few changes...some children's music during the shoot-outs would have been great. tommy lee jones was excellent. stone knows what's up. way up.

04/03/00
Lethal Weapon 3 - first half was gayish. some parts were down right cliche. the soundtrack was lame and over used. BUT it's lethal weapon and the formula works. comic relief is good, esp joe pesci. second half picks up. thus it earns a thumb up.

04/02/00
Streetcar Named Desire - don't know what it is about me and old movies like that, but i can't help but laugh. acting was obviously very good. up.

03/30/00
There's Something About Mary - funny, funny, funny.up.

03/29/00
Moonraker - roger moore isn't as good as sean, but he's good enough. it's funny how much of a formula bond movies are...they've got the length down to 2hrs 5mins or 2hrs 6 mins on most of the movies i looked at. but it works well.up.

03/29/00
Pink Panther - not as funny as i remembered, maybe i remember seeing some of the sequels. very much the anti-bond protagonist...overall good enough to recommend. up.

03/28/00
Producers - zero mostel, gene wilder, directed by mel brooks. really funny, but it's more situational than punch line type comedy. not as great as young frankenstein, but good nonetheless. up.

03/27/00
Trekkies - really funny, god there are some classic dorks in this 'movie' up.

03/17/00
If... - good message. malcolm rocks. some segues seemed rough. didn't get the black and white to color transitions, but it was good. the ending rocks. up.

03/16/00
Network- acting was pretty good. story was bomb ass. message rocked. another flick with william holden. up.

03/15/00
Rollerball - had a couple moments where it really shined. other moments had classic 70s gayness. good message. social commentaries rock nuts. up.

03/13/00
Wild Bunch - camera work is amazing. william holden rocks. the whole movie just kicks ass. up.

03/11/00
Empire of the Sun - great film. movies like this and saving private ryan that make me feel like maybe spielberg isn't so over-rated after all. jim is just plain gold. that kid actor is awesome. up.

03/09/00
Blowup - also artsy, but good. ending was a bit abstract for me. not sure what to think, but worth the watch overall. up.
Delicatessen - artsy flick, but really well done. foreign like blowup, but better. i'm not one for adjectives so - it was weird. based on reality, but unreal things happen. don't know what you'd call that. tell me if you do. definite up.

03/07/00
Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead - slow at first, but picked up at the very end. kinda up

03/06/00
eXistenZ - really good, but took a little while to get into it. a definite mind fuck. up.

03/04/00
Hoop Dreams - great documentary. so much to say about it. just watch it. up.

03/03/00
Basketball Diaries - good overall. characterization was weak at first, but picked up. leo is actually really good, without having to play a retard. drugs are bad. the movie is good. up.

03/01/00
Dr. No - yet another great bond flick. bond is the pimp. not quite as good as OHMSS, but still great. up.

02/29/00
Stigmata - kinda like exorcist, but not as good. overall only marginally worth watching, not as good as expected. down.

02/28/00
Matrix - still good. up.

02/28/00
Great Escape- perhaps the best WWII movie ever. like das boot it shows that not all germans were hitler lovers - quite the contrary. steve mcqueen is the shit. up

02/27/00
Heat - excellent. two pacino films in a row. he kicks ass. michael mann is the shit. great cuts, esp during the shoot out. sadest part was when the driver died....he was trying to go straight and all. that to me is a shame. same director as one of the other pacino flicks i saw recently - the insider. henry rollins is one of the two actors who are famous because of music the other is tone loc. a definite up.

02/26/00
Scent Of A Woman - Pacino rocks. that other kid doesn't so much. up.

02/25/00
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - excellent flick. great camera work, great acting, watch it. up.

02/24/00
Wonder Boys (big screen) - up. good, in rush. bye.

02/23/00
On Her Majesty's Secret Service - great bond flick. great action secquences. bond is the pimp royale. sad ending. the best i've seen so far, but i saw goldfinger when i was 10 so that doesn't count. up.

02/22/00
Birth of a Nation - drags a bit toward the end. not sure i really understood a lot of the second half, but the first half was good. 1915 so you have to see it. up.

02/20/00
Pitch Black (big screen) - good overall, didn't expect anything, got more than that. hot chick. favorable murderer. up.

02/19/00
Mallrats - funny. up.

02/17/00
Drugstore Cowboy - good film. gus van sant did the recent version of psycho as well as to die for with nicole kidman...that was a good flick too. van sant was also an executive producer for kids. excellent movie. up.
South Park - still funny. watch it if you have the stomach for it. really well put together actually, like how it flows. up.

02/16/00
Run Lola Run - really good. stylistically really well done. fast paced. good soundtrack. watch it. up.

02/15/00
Search For One-Eyed Jimmy - good, funny, good characters, funny. tired. up.

02/14/00
The Shining - I'm not a big horror film guy, but this one rocks. scary like exorcist, but with a kubrick twist. was going to save to watch with a chick, not sure why, but that didn't work out so i watched it anyway. up.

02/13/00
Boogie Nights - easily one of the top three movies ever. easily one of the best writer/directors ever - p.t. anderson. i love the scene at the drug buyer's house...where dirk is lost in the moment and jessie's girl is playing the background. the characters are among the best ever. the cinematography is among the best ever, soundtrack rocks, script is amazing. a timeless film. must see. way up.

02/12/00
Stir of Echoes - pretty darn good. suspenseful. i'd watch it again. up.

02/11/00
Friday - good flick overall. funny, pretty good ending. ice cube is one pissed off man. up.

02/10/00
Die Hard 2 - good, not nearly as great as the original, and even the third is better. different producer, writer, director, no wonder. up.

02/09/00
Mystery Men - quirky, funny, good cast, extremely corn at times, but it didn't take itself seriously so it was okay. up.

02/07/00
Die Hard 3 - good movie, of course the directing was top notch and the script was too. i don't like the cast so much, though. of course bruce willis and samuel l. jackson were both great, but the chief and his side kick were a little lame. worthwhile overall, good comic relief, exciting, etc. up.

02/05/00
Cruel Intentions - i don't think the movie took itself too seriously, at the end it looked like it did a bit, but the slow motion was comedic, so i thought...for this reason it's definitely a thumbs up.
Die Hard - within the top three films ever. i smiled the whole time...pure genius. saw the dvd version, but this time looked at the extra features...interesting note is that some of the producers worked on predator too...no wonder, that was the other great action flick of the late 80s. way up. 1988, still great.

02/04/00
The Insider (big screen) - great flick, same director as heat. didn't know that it was about tobacco, seems like not watching TV pays off more and more everyday. i've done two reports on the tobacco industry so it was right up my alley...politics and anti-tobacco movements. good on all levels. al pacino is officially an absolutely awesome actor. up.

02/03/00
Cool Hand Luke-great flick, luke is about the coolest guy, ever. must see. up.

02/02/00
Mystery Train - good overall, funny at times, story was decent. Jarmusch also did dead man, which is on our list, and the samurai flick with Forest Whitaker, who i think is cool, but the movie had gay previews so most mocked it. i think i was the only one who wanted to see it just based on the director. at any rate...the movie was worth watching. up.

01/30/00
What's Eating Gilbert Grape - leo is a great retard, which in this movie turns out to be oscar worthy. really good flick, i enjoyed. up.
Celebrity - woody allen has talent, but is a weirdo. the movie is good, characters are good.up.

01/28/00
Night At the Roxbury - funny, still. up.
Taxi Driver - classic, great, still. watch it. good characters, good camera shots, good story, good directing. ooops, replace 'good' with 'great'...all around great flick. tracy flick. up.

01/26/00
Clockwork Orange- i have no idea of the title's origin, but i do know that the movie rocks. kubrick's themes are always among the best. up.

01/25/00
Maltese Falcon - funny, characters are in ways so one-sided it's bad, but at the same time they're just kick ass. sleepy at parts. a really good 40s flick. up.

01/23/00
Wild Things - funny, sexy, funny, corny, horny, goody. watch it. denise richards has nice hooters. up

01/22/00
Waiting for Guffman - funny, characters are funny. my reviews suck. up

01/21/00
Arlington Rd. - good, watch it. up

01/19/00
Rushmore - really funny. good characters, good story. bill murray rocks and the kid is a total pimp. watch it. up

01/16/00
Magnolia (second time) (big screen) - best movie of the year, best movie of last year, when i originally saw it, too.

01/15/00
Fall- good movie that can depress, inspire, or insight memories. further proof that relationships are litterally full of awe - insight feelings of both fear and admiration. up

01/13/00
Romeo and Juliet - directed by baz luhrmann...funny. well directed. good job of making it more modern. overall up, but it's depressing and shakespeare requires something i don't always have. won't see it again, unless i have a girlfriend, is basically my assessment. so yea i won't be seeing it again.

01/12/00
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - great movie, very funny, trippy, well acted and directed (gilliam). up

01/11/00
Dark City - good overall. keeps you somewhat in suspense the whole time, but not impossible to understand like some sci-fi can be. up

01/10/00
South Park - great fucking flick. up.

01/09/00
Thunderball - second early bond flick i've seen. he's funny, but you know that. up.

01/08/00
Juice - up - good enough to watch. had potential didn't live up to it fully though.

01/07/00
Pulp Fiction - up - the best movie ever. the best script ever. never have i watched it and been disappointed.

grading scale:

A+ 4.3

A 4.0

A- 3.7

B+ 3.3

B 3.0

B- 2.7

C+ 2.3

C 2.0

C- 1.7

D+ 1.3

D 1.0

D- 0.7

F+ 0.3

F 0.0

F- -0.3

A+	4.3
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	1.0
D-	0.7
F+	0.3
F	0.0
F-	-0.3