Day 44: A Hard Day's Night (1964)

You're just not American if you don't like The Beatles.

Starring: The Beatles, Richard Vernon, Wilfrid Brambell
Directed By: Richard Lester

The Positives:

- Does one even need to mention the soundtrack in the positive notes? Cause it's pretty obvious it rocks.
- Every type of joke imaginable has been thrown into this film. Witty wordplay, slapstick physical humor, sight gags, this flick has it all (though it's the boy's comical quips that are the highlight of the film).
- I'm pretty sure John Lennon was sniffing a Coca-Cola bottle in the background of one scene.
- Matter of fact, this flick proves John Lennon may be one of the funniest sonovabitches to ever live.
- It's interesting to see the Beatles' take on Beatlemania before it even ended. They went into this film portraying it in a tongue-in-cheek manner and it think it speaks miles more than if they just would've sulked about it in unavailing interviews.

- This movie is defined by the era it was filmed and it's a pleasure to look back and witness a time I will never be able to experience myself.
- 'A Hard Day's Night' is filled with what I assume was every beautiful girl in England at the time.

- The black and white gives this film some edge and I'm glad it hasn't been recolored.

- I love that the film doesn't just sell itself as a musical. The comedy and the chaos makes you believe it's so much more.

The Negatives:

- Dammit Ringo. Just Dammit.
- Some of the camera work is strange to say the least
- The lip syncing was noticeably off in a couple of the musical scenes.

Grade: A-

Just as funny and smart as it was almost fifty years ago. I can't believe this director went on to make 'Superman III'.

Day 43: Bronson (2008)

As most movie fans know, Tom Hardy has been cast as Bane in the upcoming Batman threequel 'The Dark Knight Rises'. Since this casting bit was announced months ago, everybody and their mother has been suggesting one to watch Mr. Hardy's performance in 'Bronson' just so we'll know what we can be expecting of the 'Inception' star.

Starring: Tom Hardy, Matt King, James Lance
Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn

The Positives:

- Tom Hardy's narration? Creepy as hell. He just sits toward the camera and tells you is horrifying life story. He barely moves. Not even to blink. If he does make a facial expression it's genuinely frightening, but only for a moment as it quickly dissolves into his blank stare (which is equally frightening).
- For a dramatic horror-esque thriller, 'Bronson' is quite funny… if you're into dark humor.
- Okay, I was wrong. Tom Hardy giving his narration in clown make up? Now that's creepy as hell.

- Bronson's uncle is right, he does have an outstanding mustache.

- There's an animated sequence toward the end of the film that's truly delightful.
- I'm no expert of the real-life Charles Bronson, but Tom Hardy gave one hell of a charismatic performance that actually had me rooting for "Britain's most violent prisoner".

- The synth soundtrack worked surprisingly well.

- Telling thirty-five years of a prisoner's life in 90 minutes is quite an impressive feat.

- It feels as if Nicolas Winding Refn went into this movie with some pretty insane ideas and the outsome was marvelous. 'Bronson' definitely had a 'Natural Born Killers' feel to it and Mr. Refn looks to be one of the more promising up-and-coming directors (I hear his latest movie 'Drive' is kicking ass at all the major film festivals this year).

The Negatives:

- I saw a guy shit in his own hand… then smear it on his face. I can live without seeing that again.
- While tom Hardy's performance makes the film, the Charles Bronson character does feel like a cartoon character tossed into a gritty reality. Like I said, I have no real knowledge of Bronson other than this film, so he may be a walking cartoon character in real life.

- Normally I'm not bothered by male nudity. However, I found myself extremely uncomfortable when a big, burly man with a twisted tip mustache stripped naked and then beat down an entire room of prison guards. Twice.

- As with most films told in a quirky narrative of this nature, there's always a few random scenes that don't really make sense and could've probably benefiting from either being replaced by something else or edited out completely.

Grade: B+

While this role was much too comical for anybody to expect Bane's portrayal to be, Tom Hardy proved that he has the chops to become a major hollywood star once he's given the opportunity. 'The Dark Knight Rises' looks like his chance and he couldn't be anymore deserving.

Day 42: Muppets From Space (1999)

I have nothing better to do today than just sit around and watch a light-hearted someday featuring everybody's favorite puppet pals: The Muppets… In space!

Starring: Frank Oz, Jeffery Tambor, Rob Schneider
Directed By: Tim Hill

The Positives:

- First and foremost, I love that Netflix lists Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo as the cast of this film on their instant watch menu.
- Nothing like starting off a children's movie with a biblical figure telling a beloved muppet he's going to die.
- Though the Commodores' song "Brick House" has nothing to do with the scene it's used in, I liked that it was there.
- Matter of fact, the entire funk soundtrack was awesome.
- God bless Statler and Waldorf.
- Kermit the Frog was channeling his best Michael Bluth for this role.

- Thanks to this flick, Bobo the Bear has become my favorite Muppet.

The Negatives:

- The plot wore thin pretty quickly.
- There was a significant lack of any original Muppets' songs.

- Believe it or not, the muppets were better actors than some of the people playing bit parts.
- The "R U THERE" gags were a tad too silly, even for a 'Muppets' movie.

- Domestic animal abuse that wasn't even all that funny.
- I feel like most of the celebrity cameos in this film were wasted on stupid jokes or quirky characters. So. Much. Potential.

- Words can't describe how annoying I find Kathy Griffin.

- Katie Holmes' appearance will undoubtedly help me out when I play Six Degree of Separation, but otherwise she failed to make a positive impression.

- I found the revelation of the actual alien muppets underwhelming.
- For a film titled 'Muppets From Space', there isn't that much that happens in space.

Grade: C

It's a kids movie that doesn't aspire to be much more. It's too silly for my tastes, but it attempts to speak to the children in all of us.

Day 41: Blue Velvet (1986)

I have a love-hate relationship with David Lynch's films. While I understand the psychological beauty in his movies, they still never fail to piss me off. I respect them though, that's why I'm going to give 'Blue Velevet' a shot.

Starring: Dennis Hopper, Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern
Directed By: David Lynch

The Positives:

- There was a disclaimer before the film warning me that 'Blue Velvet' contains: "Adult content, graphic language, graphic violence, nudity, rape, and strong sexual content". Now that's my type of film.
- Right off the bat, the beautifully vibrant colors of the outdoors hit you. It's perfectly contrasted against the darker tone the film shifts into toward the latter two-thirds of the run time.
- You're immediately sucked into the mystery at hand. David Lynch treated it well, providing just one clue that is intriguing enough to peak both my and the main character's interest.
- Since I actually live in a relatively close proximity to a Lumberton, I felt a small connection to the setting.
- The blind man who could guess the amount of fingers somebody held up was a badass.

- Dennis Hopper put on one helluva performance. He definitely portrayed one of the most twisted and intense characters I've ever seen.

- The rape scene couldn't have been anymore disturbing (theoretically it could've been but I don't want to think about it.)

The Negatives:

- There was a random moment of slow-motion at the beginning of the picture that I felt was very distracting.
- Kyle MacLachlan's character was acting a tad bit too odd on his first date/walk down the street with Laura Dern's character. Odd enough that I had to mention it on here. Chicken walk? Really? The real mystery of the film is how she fell for him after that.
- The film's slow pace came across as hampering at times.
- Some of the acting (especially in the smaller parts) seemed too theatrical for the flick.

- I'm glad that about an hour and a half into the movie, the sick father subplot was hinted at again (since it started this whole film off in the first place).

Grade: B-

Scary and smart, 'Blue Velvet is a mystery flick defined by Dennis Hopper's performance.

Day 40: Rango (2011)

Day three of my unofficial "Movies with One Word Titles" marathon consists of the animated, animal western 'Rango'.

Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant
Directed By: Gore Verbinski

The Positives:

- The animators knew they were doing a good job and they weren't afraid to show of. The blinding sun. The dry desert. The multiple close up shots of flowing water. The animation excels.

- The camerawork is noticeably well executed.
- Despite the Nickelodeon branding, the humor is aimed at adults more than children (As if the next positive note wasn't a clue).
- The cameos from the characters of 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' was not only surprising but hilarious.
- Certain scenes in 'Rango' reminded me of that 'The Simpsons' episode with Johnny Cash. That's always a welcome memory.
- The mariachi owl narrators were funny in their own right but it was their constant call of Rango's demise which had me in stitches.
- Rango himself was more interesting and funny than the entire cast of 'Ice Age' put together.
- The more hideous the animal, the more I welcomed it in the film. Gave it some grit. True grit.
- I think there was a tiny little homage to 'Jurassic Park' in there. If it was, bravo.
- Normally it's in rare form that I actually laugh out loud when watching a comedy by myself. There was one particular scene in Rango', however, that made me laugh uncontrollably. Once more, bravo.
- Animated, animal hookers. Classy.
- Also, Im pretty sure one of the mariachi owls sang in spanish: "Where are your balls?".

- Aside from the 'Fear and Loathing' reference mentioned above, this flick is filled to the brim with more hidden easter eggs. I noticed a reference to 'The Dollars Trilogy' as well.

The Negatives:

- The fact that the avian shop keep could not only grow hair but fashioned it into a trendy mustache really, really bothered me.

Grade: A

'Rango' has excellent animation, superb voice acting, and a thrilling story. My choice to win this year's Best Animated Feature Oscar for sure.

Day 39: Phantasm (1979)

I'm going to borrow a quote from this film's Wikipedia page to properly summarize what I'm about to view: "It introduced The Tall Man (who was portrayed in the film and its sequels by Angus Scrimm), a supernatural and malevolent undertaker who turns the dead into dwarf zombies to do his bidding and take over the world." Yep. It's going to be one of those films.

Starring: A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Angus Scrimm

Directed by: Don Coscarelli

The Positives:

- The impromptu concert performed at the beginning of the film by the young Michael Hasselhoff look-a-like and the young David Koechner look-a-like was actually pretty good.
- There is a character credited as The Mega Dwarf.
- I'm diggin' the synth score.

- That little black bug demon was incredibly creepy.

- Every death via the flying spheres o' doom was creative and, for a lack of a better word, awesome.

- The dwarves reminded me of killer Jawas. I don't know If that's a good or bad thing.

The Negatives:

- The film is apparently well-respected in the indie-horror community. However, I feel that it's amateur production is more distracting than respectable.
- This is highlighted by the sloppy editing, which is present throughout the film but noticeably the death scenes.
- I really thought the little brother was a girl until somebody called him "Michael".
- Corpses shouldn't breathe, especially at their own funeral.
- I feel like the entire cast took acting lessons from Paris Hilton. "Say all your lines monotone unless you're scared, then you say your lines loud."
- The story, and the way it is presented, felt rather disjointed. Introducing psychic grandmothers and shrinking zombies didn't help.
- Having sex in a graveyard is never a good idea. Having sex in the same graveyard where your best friend was murdered having sex is even worse.

Grade: D+

While the film reeks of amateurism, the latter death scenes were creative enough to possibly merit a repeat viewing. I won't be adding this to my DVD collection anytime soon though.

Day 38: Brazil (1985)

Terry Gilliam is the one of those directors I've heard nothing but great things about, who's work I am mostly unfamiliar with. Not counting 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', this will be my first foray into Gilliam's visual wonders.

Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Ian Holm
Directed by: Terry Gilliam

The Positives:

- It's like 'The Office' meets 'Minority Report' with a dash of 'V for Vendetta' peppered about.
- The humor is excellent, especially the take on the government being completely self reliant on paper work.
- Also a very excellent/humorous observation: Despite making our lives easier, technology is getting more and more complicated.

- The score of 'Brazil' is the perfect blend of peppy and chilling.
- I love the design of the futuristic computers. Type writers + iPhone sized monitors + Magnifying glass = Genius.
- Shoe hats. Equally genius.

- Jonathan Pryce plays a very good well-to-do government paper pusher.

- The scene toward the end where Sam is hanging in one of those straight jacket hoods, moving down the assembly line of executives as the screaming gets louder and louder with each one, genuinely frightened me. The forced perspective from Sam's hood certainly helped.

- The thing that creeped me out the most, however, were the extremely unsettling baby masks.

- For a flick that takes place in all of about three buildings, the scope of the film feels epic. I believe this falls back of Terry Gilliam's excellent visual direction.

- The end is a schizophrenic nightmare... and it's perfect.

The Negatives:

- Holy crap, this film is long. While it drags at times, even the most dull scenes are kind of charming.
- The film's color scheme is made up of mostly grays, and though it fits the drab tone it kind of makes the film feel dull and lifeless at times, and thus loses my attention.

Grade: B

While the flick could've used a good thinning out, Terry Gilliam has created a hilarious dystopian tour de force.

Day 37: Get Smart (2008)

Nothing like sitting in an airport goofing around on your iPad because you're flight is delayed when you should be attending the last half of the last day of Comic-Con.

Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson
Directed by: Peter Segal

The Positives:

- I've seen enough of Anne Hathaway's role choices to know she's a major whore. And I love it.

- I have an intense love for Terry Crews and everything he does.
- Up until the last half of this flick, I actually didn't hate the Rock. That's pretty rare.
- Steve Carrell didn't annoy me as much as his other film roles have either. He played just the right amount of Michael Scott in this.
- Alan Arkin was always entertaining and earned the attention I gave him.

- The humor isn't thought provoking, but it was charming enough to work.
- The film did a good job at actually developing some sort of story and not just playing the parody card for what it was worth. There were times for drama and action just as there were times for the jokes.
- I love it when the main villain isn't killed by the hero but somebody of lesser importance.

- The scenery actually was beautiful if one paid attention. You get to see everything from the large city of Los Angeles to the Russian countryside.
- BILL MURRAY!

The Negatives:

- The ending felt very forced. Like they couldn't have ended it without there being a double agent. They didn't even explain why Agent 23 was working with Chaos.
- The film was funny but it wasn't without jokes that fell flat.

- The fight scenes got boring fast and unless there were jokes to lighten things up, they became pretty troublesome to sit through.


Grade: B-

The film's entire success is based solely on the performances, which are charming enough to warrant a watch. It's no 'Austen Powers' but it's a great way to kill a few hours.

Day 36: Alien 3 (1992)

A movie infamous for its budget troubles, script problems, and control issues. I know it as the only rotten film on David Fincher's Rotten Tomatoes directing filmography. How could this be?

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Charles Dance, Pete Postlethwaite
Directed By: David Fincher (Who happens to be my favorite director of all-time.)

The Positives:

- I've seen enough of the Alien franchise to know that in space no one wears a bra.

- I like it when children die in movies. It's a morbid thing to admit but I think it's a ballsy move on the storytellers behalf.

- The splicing of two scenes together at a time felt like a real effective narrative method. Ex. The credits and the ship crashing or the funeral and the alien bursting from the dog's chest.

- It's beautifully shot. Even the muted colors in the film are gorgeous. It's rare to see a movie with a yellow color scheme and it sets this flick apart from other sci-fi flicks.

- I love my action/horror movies romance-less. No better way of curing that than to kill the potential love interest off early.

- There's a certain David Fincher-esque quality about this film that I really enjoyed. You can tell this is one of his pictures and that he really wanted to tell a dark and twisted story. However, it's clear to see where this went wrong: Handing a virgin director a quality franchise that came with a great deal of studio interference is naturally a bad idea. Especially a director as cold and emotional as Mr. Fincher.

The Negatives:

- Even though I've seen both Alien films that precede this (and remember enjoying them immensely), it hasn't really been a franchise I've kept up to date with. At best I am familiar with two of the characters (Newt and Ripley) and I remember vague details about both films (though I can't really place in which movie they belong). Alien 3 doesn't help with this at all. It just throws you in the middle of the action and hopes you know enough to keep up.

- I actually believe that "throwing an alien into a maximum security prison and watch what happens" is a great concept, yet the execution feels bogged down with exposition.

- The performances, especially the inmates, were hit or miss.

- Some of the effects are obviously models or piss poorly rendered CGI and have an extremely distracting vibe to them.

- All of the inmates looked practically the same and it made it very difficult to identify with them. I could've sworn Pete Postlethwaite died on three separate occasions.

- I don't know if it is the transfer on my DVD or if the movie was actually released like this, but I'm afraid 'Alien 3' is another flick where the sound effects are much, much louder than the dialogue.

- Even though the run times comes in at a little under two hours, the film seems to drag on a bit too long.

- The movie was almost completely void of suspense since the characters fell into the "Don't do that stupid!" category. Ya know, the cliche concept of yelling at your screen in frustration because the characters are so stupid they go against natural human instinct, practically saying "Oh, there's a monster down this hole? Let me stick my head it to take a gander." and your only response is "Don't do that stupid!"

Grade: C-

Maybe it's the David Fincher fan boy in me but I actually didn't find 'Alien 3' nearly as atrocious as the internet wants me to believe it is. While it's in no way a good film, it still kept me entertained for a couple of hours. I'm sure there's enough slaps in the face to the franchise's die hard fans to keep them from enjoying it but to the casual viewer this is nothing more than your average sci-fi fodder.

Day 35: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Day two of Comic-Con consists of a massive amount of Hitler punching.

Starring: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving
Directed by: Joe Johnston (Who should really be working on 'The Pagemaster II')

The Positives:

- Hayley Atwell was absolutely beautiful in that 1940's sort of way.
- Stanley Tucci and Tommy Lee Jone's Performances were the highlight of the film.
- Chris Evans actually pulled off a great Steve Rogers/Captain America.
- Hell, the digitally minimization of his body looked fantastic and not at all as fakey as the trailers would suggest.
- The Red Skull's makeup was superb.
- I enjoyed the little hints here and there at Indiana Jones.
- "A weak man knows the value of strength" was the perfect line for this film. It sums everything up about Cap's origin so neatly.
- I loved that the film-makers found a way to incorporate the Captain America punches Hitler comic book.
- Also, the mention of Odin and (especially) the inclusion of Howard Stark were great tie-ins to the rest of Marvel Studio's series.
- Correction: The post-credits 'The Avengers' trailer was the high light of the film.
- It was a fun, not-too-serious summer popcorn flick.

The Negatives:

- There were numerous poorly edited jump cuts. At one moment Captain America could be swinging on a chain towards the enemy and the next scene he was darting after him on foot.
- I didn't care at all for Bucky. His death wasn't the emotional beat that it should've and could've been.
- The Red Skull was a bit underwhelming as a villain.
- And don't even get me started on Hydra. First and foremost, Hydr isn't real (as if I had to tell you). Part of Captain America's appeal is that he was invested in real world events. Having Cap never fight an actual nazi but instead a sub-group only invented for Marvel properties kind of takes the realistic aspect out of Captain America. The super-futuristic laser guns Hydra used only made things worse.
- While I enjoyed the stylistic 1940's tone of the movie, it felt like it wasn't set in the same universe as the rest of Marvel Studio's films. This was only partially resolved at the end of the film. I believe this really all falls back on the director. I do not like Joe Johnston and I feel like he was the wrong choice for the film.
- Adding critiques to both the realism and the tone of the film, once captain America gets his updates costume and the flick switches into an action movie montage, the movie's tone shifts to almost that of a cartoon. Jumping out of explosions in slow motion on a motorbike? That doesn't belong in a Marvel Studio's picture. It belongs in 'Machete'

Grade: B-

What I would consider the worst of Marvel Studios pre-'Avengers' films. While it wasn't bad, the picture suffered from poor direction.

Day 34: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

What better way to kick off the first day of Comic-Con than with the grand-daddy of nerdiness itself: Star Trek.

Starring: William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy
Directed by: Robert Wise

The Positives:

- Bones look like Barry Gibb in his very first scene. What a badass.
- Some of the banter betwixt the crew members is both smart and funny. At times... Really only when Bones is talking.
- 'Bout time somebody was killed via transporter.
- The wormhole's cheap Photoshop blur effect won me over. I don't have any idea how.
- Somehow, the film-makers (or better yet, the make-up department) actually made a bald chick sexy. Congrats all around.

The Negatives:

- A good portion of the effects look dated, even for the 1979.
- The movie sets off on a slow start. It doesn't get much more exciting. The film-makers seemed to focus more on the effects than the story, treating their outer space shots like they were being filmed for '2001: A Space Odyssey'. It doesn't come off as mesmerizing but tedious instead.
- Besides the 'Star Trek' theme song peppered throughout, the score was nonexistent or extremely unoriginal.
- The new Enterprise uniforms look bleak and devoid of all personality.
- I feel like I should feel something toward Decker. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not supposed to be detest.

- The living machine cloud that served as the antagonist of this film reminded me of a mute Melllvar from 'Futurama' and Kirk of Zapp Brannigan. Actually... I found that to be pretty entertaining in its own right.
- I honestly stop caring about this movie by the half-way mark and started thinking about better uses of my time.

Grade: D

The biggest flaw of the film is that it's just plain boring, which says alot considering this film is about an intergalactic star fleet fighting against a giant machine.

Day 33: Rubber (2010)

A French techno DJ decided to make a film about a tire that comes to life and kills people with its psychic powers. Sing to me, muse. Sing to me.

Starring: Stephen Spinella, Jack Plotnick, Ethan Cohn
Directed By: Quentin Dupieux

The Positives:

- This flick lets you know what it is in the very first scene: A man with a bunch of binoculars walks out of a desert to find a road full of chairs. A car randomly arrives and hits all of the chairs very slowly. Then a sherif with a glass of water pops out of its trunk, ignores the man with the binoculars, and walks toward the camera. He precedes to ask the audience a bunch of movie trivia which can only be answered with "No reason.", then pours the water out. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to 'Rubber'.

- I love the in-movie audience and how they interacted with the film as it progressed. It's only a plus that it's composed of genuinely funny and interesting characters.

- Despite a slower start, it was pretty entertaining to watch the tire blow up rabbits and crows and people's heads. At least the first few times it did it.

- I was a very big fan of Stephen Spinella's character.

- The man with binoculars was pretty entertaining to watch too. Ya know, before he died like a punk as well.

The Negatives:

- Once the tire came to life it spent the next ten to fifteen minutes blowing things up in the desert. While that doesn't seem like a relatively long time, the premise got old fast and I stopped caring about it just rolling around, blowing up cans.

- Roxane Mesquida's character was pretty pointless. It's like her character was just introduced to parade around in water and look sexy. While I'm all for gratuitous naked women in horror comedies, I felt like a pervert just watching her shower. Nudity for the sake of nudity. Oh, and you're wrong black audience lady. She's very attractive, but her rack wasn't that impressive.

- Within the first thirty minutes I was already bored. The next fifty minutes were a pain to sit through.

- Remember that awesome audience I mentioned earlier? Yeah, they're all killed. Like punks. Halfway through the movie.

- Even though I was warned at the start of the movie this film is pointless, I didn't realize what a problem that would be. It's incredibly difficult to invest in a film that has no purpose.

Grade: D+

The flick has a charming premise but the pseudo-film gimmick quickly grows tired. I think I can go a while without seeing any more of these schlocky B-movie parodies.

Day 32: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (2011)

After an entire decade of the Harry Potter films being pumped out every two or three years, it's hard to imagine that it's over.

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman
Directed by: David Yates

The Positives:

- The first third of this film can be defined by Emma Watson's cleavage.
- There was a significant amount of action in this film, and just as much murder.
- Snape's death, while a long time coming, was much more horrific than I thought it'd be.
- Voldemort and LeStrange's deaths (while I felt the battles that led up to them were a tad anticlimactic) were harsh and visually destructive.
- Despite being the most serious and darkest in tone, this film still found a way to add humor when needed most.
- Neville really would've done it in four books.
- The CGI was really well done and characters like the stone soldiers and the Gringott's dragon looked fantastic.
- While most of the cast in the epilogue was aged well, Harry Potter and Ginny's makeup stood out to me the most.
- The film moved at a rapid pace and it didn't feel nearly as long to me as I thought it would.

The Negatives:

- The film wasn't nearly as emotional to me as the last film. I was much more hurt by Harry and Ron's strained relationship and Hermione erasing her parent's memories than most of the deaths in this film (I was particularly upset that I didn't feel a thing when Fred and Lupin were found dead.)
- Ron was severely underused compared to the other films.
- The battle at Hogwarts was amazing, though I felt I wasn't shown enough. Some of the most important characters weren't even shown fighting.
- I don't really know how I feel about the 'Harry Potter in the afterlife' scene. It was necessary but I think it could've been done a bit better and less confusing
- Aberforth's character was never really developed.
- Malfoy looked fake and cartoony in the epilogue.

Grade: B+

While not my favorite 'Harry Potter' film, it was a close-to-perfect close to the trilogy.

Day 30: The Last Samurai (2003)

Watching this movie wasn't my choice, it was a decision made for me. Tell a few people you've never seen this film and they'll never get off your jock.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Timothy Spall, Ken Watanabe
Directed by: Edward Zwick

The Positives:

- Ken Watanabe. Everything about his performance is excellent.
- This is one of Tom Cruise's better post-20th century performances.
- I'm not sure why but I love Timothy Spall.
- Actually, all of the acting was subtle but perfect and the film was perfectly cast.
- The scenery is beautiful. It plays an important part in the film and is a character in its own way.
- Well choreographed and executed, the action scenes left an impression.
- The film is a period piece drama filmed like a modern day action film.
- There is an intense focus on silence in this film and it just adds to the beauty. I love it when sound editors set small actions to silence. It makes the scenes so much more powerful.

The Negatives:

- Not only is the flick 154 minutes long, but it feels like it ended at three different times.
- A few of the battle scenes are riddled with very distracting CGI.

Grade: B

On the "Warrior gets sent to kill off a native tribe but has a change of heart and joins their forces"-themed movie scale, 'The Last Samurai' definitely comes before 'Avatar' (Which is in no way a great movie, but that's another review for another time.) I haven't seen 'Dances with Wolves' but now I kind of want to. Future 365 Days film? Possibly. Any ways, this was a good flick.

Day 29: My Name Is Bruce (2007)

His name is Bruce. Bruce Campbell. That is all.

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Grace Thorsen, Ted Raimi
Directed by: Bruce Campbell

The Positives:

- Bruce Campbell is playing himself. As it should be.
- Ted Raimi in a dual role! I love Ted Rami.
- Cheap shots at Sam Raimi and other flicks of Bruce Campbell's career.
- Gotta love happy endings.
- The musical chapter markers are kind of neat.
- Considering this film is based on Bruce Campbell's less successful films, no mention is made of his appearance in the 'Spider-Man' franchise. It is referenced subtly however with quips like, 'My hero-sense is tingling'.

The Negatives:

- The 'monster' was stupid. I would've much rather seen him fight that cave-monster-fly-guy-in-a rubber suit thing.
- Bruce Campbell's style is based on a badass hero fighting crappy B-movies and getting the sexy leading lady. While Campbell brings the badass, the leading lady isn't too attractive. That'd be like (to a lesser extinct) casting Amy Pohler as a Bond girl.
- Nobody takes a cheap shot at 'Bubba Ho-Tep/'. Nobody.
- I know the acting a dialogue were supposed to be a reference to the crappy quality of Bruce's films, but it wasn't clever enough to be good. They were just crappy parodies of already crappy qualities. What makes other films in this genre more successful is being intelligent, not just caving to the tropes.

Grade: D+

I believe the perfect way to describe this film is to think of a time someone you care about dearly has let you down. For the most part, you still love and respect them but you can't help but to think, "What the hell?". That's how I feel about Bruce Campbell and this movie.

Day 27: MacGruber (2010)

I have been bothered relentlessly by people to see this since it came out. Considering SNL's movie track record, I could really care less.

Starring: Val Kilmer, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig
Directed by: Jorma Taccone

The Positives:

- The intro song is excellent.
- Val Kilmer! He should be in everything! (Except Batman)
- Also, I'm glad Jorma Taccone is directing these days.
- Little things (Like MacGruber always taking his radio out of his car when he parks it) sell the '80s-esque tone.
- Ryan Phillippe still has a career? Yay!
- The 1980's soundtrack is marvelous.
- Highlight of the soundtrack? Eddie Money.
- Throat ripping.

The Negatives:

- The humor is real hit or miss. For every joke that works, one doesn't.
- Is it a double standard that I like to see naked women in films but can't stand male nudity? Probably, but it's still gross.
- Maya Rudolph isn't attractive. Stop pretending she is.
- I can't tell if the movie is making fun of action film cliches or actually falling for them.
- There is a significantly less amount of actual McGuyver-ing than I thought there'd be considering it's a parody of the character.

Grade: C+

The fact that it's the best SNL movie since Wayne's World doesn't mean much. Entertaining, yes, but nothing special.

Day 26: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

It's been a day of hectic travel across the country, so you'll have to forgive me if this review is a tad late.

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera
Directed by: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

The Positives:

- If the film-makers were trying to make Toothless cute and vicious at the same time, they succeeded.
- In fact, most of the dragons were very well designed.
- This is by far the best a Dreamworks animated film has ever looked, especially with all the emphasis on nature and fire.
- While the dragon fighting scenes could have easily looked chaotic and clustered, they actually came off as thrilling.
- I cared about Hiccup and his problems... for the most part., when he wasn't a whiny bitch.
- Craig Ferguson is a really good voice actor and he probably gave the best performance.
- The humor works in this movie quite well compared to other Dreamworks animates films which rely on fart jokes and funny voices.
- I love me some violence and drinking in a kid's movie.

- The ending was anything but anti-climatic, unlike most Dreamworks film which spend too much time on build up with little pay-off

- Lastly, what happens to Hiccup in the final battle is rare for a child's movie.

The Negatives:

- I find Jay Baruchel's voice too annoying for voice-over work. The fact he's the only accent-less character also bugs me, even though it makes his character much more accessible to the (American) audience.
- I feel like Hiccup and Astrid's relationship wasn't established properly. She just kind of starts to like him without any real reason, especially since she hated him at the start of the movie.

Grade: A-

This is Dreamworks Animation's best film, without a doubt. With q flick this beautiful, classy, and mature Dreamworks has finally won me over.

Day 25: Sideways (2004)

I'm spending the last day of my beach vacation enjoying a nice, little 2004 indie film. Tomorrow I'll be off to Oklahoma to visit Chris. I'm going to have to watch a damn fine film to take my mind off of flying.

Starring: Thomas Hayden Church, Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh
Directed by: Alexander Payne

The Positives:

- Thomas Hayden Chruch is one of those actors I forget I enjoy until I see him in another film.
- 'Tis a road trip movie, which is one of my favorite sub-genres!
- Smooth jazz is always a welcome edition to any soundtrack.
- Paul Giamatti has a certain smart-ass quality to him that is rarely paralleled by others.
- The camerawork in this film is... Sophisticated? I suppose that,s the proper word. It' noticeable and smart is what I'm saying.
- Wine-tasting has never been that entertaining to watch.
- "Two Tickets to Paradise"!
- This flick's funny in a subtle sort of way.

The Negatives:

- This isn't a movie full of action and cheap gags. It's slow and mature and it feels a bit lifeless at times.
- I am not a fan on Sandra Oh. She always seems to have this pretentiousness about her.
- I don't drink, nor am I divorced or getting married. I just can't identify with these character's problems. Since I can't identify, they come off as pathetic.


Grade: C

The film is a bit too mature to be enjoyed by somebody my age. I assume the older you get the more you can relate to this film and the character's marital problems. Even if I enjoyed Thomas Hayden Church's performance I could still care less about the difference between merlot and Pinot noir.

Day 24: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Shot on 16mm in only 28 days for $110,000, this film has become more than a cult horror classic. It's become a legend. All the more reason to watch it.

Starring: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles
Directed by: John McNaughton

The Positives:

- The very first shot was shocking, brutal, and classy.
- Actually, the entire first sequence cutting back and forth between Henry and his victims was fantastically pieced together.
- Michael Rooker! Huzzah!
- For its budget, this film is very well crafted.
- While a few of the murders weren't depicted on screen, the film does show the bodies with the sound of their deaths echoing in the back ground. It's both smart and effective.
- Most horror films find it difficult to balance sexuality and gore, throwing in gratuitous amount of both with out need or caution. This film finds the perfect balance of the two.
- The home invasion/rape/murder scene that was shown via a home recorded video tape was sickeningly uncomfortable. Just right for a indie horror film.
- This movie is the very definition of the word "Gritty".
- While a kick in the dick, the ending was shocking, as a good horror flick's should be.

The Negatives:

- The film's score at it's worst reminded me of a generic piss-poor soundtrack from a Sega video game or a crappy PBS documentary on local restaurants.
- Some of the lesser parts were poorly acted and the script didn't do them any favors.
- I think some attempt at a story was there but mainly this film just showed off a small part of a serial killer's day-to-day life and was presented as more or less of a showcase for his many kills.

Grade: B-

What the film lacks in story it more than makes up for with exceptional film-making and quality scares. When it comes to indie horror films, "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is an above average attempt.

Day 23: Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)

Do you see the title of this film? How am I not going to enjoy it?

Starring: Rutger Hauer, Brian Downey, Gregory Smith
Directed by: Jason Eisener

The Positives:
- The over-exposed color!
- Rutger Hauer makes everything better.
- Somebody receives a technical credit as "Creator of The Plague." You don't see that in just any movie.
- "Filmed in Technicolor."
- Hyper violence + Hyper sexuality = Pure B-movie cheese.
- The deliberately hokey dialogue and over-acting fit the film's tone perfectly. This isn't a movie to take seriously at all.
- A carnival. Where the homeless are brutally slaughtered. For fun. I approve.
- The Punisher wants to revenge his fallen family. Thor wants to live up to his good name in hopes of returning to Asgard. The Hobo wants a lawnmower.
- Back to the dialogue for a second. Did I mention it was hokey? Cause it is and dammit if it isn't perfect.
- Does it make me a fucked up human being for posting "Children get murdered. A lot." under the positives? Yes? Well I'm sorry. I find killing children a movie taboo that takes balls to break.
- Once more, just in case I didn't get the point across: THE DIALOGUE DAMMIT! '"I'm going to wash this blood off... With your blood." has to be one of the best movie quotes of all time. ALL TIME!
- This film is superior to both B-movie throwbacks like 'Machete' and dark comedies like 'Super' because it isn't bogged down with heavy political undertones and the dark humor doesn't make you hate yourself for laughing at it.

The Negatives:

- I hate endings where (SPOILER ALERT) the hero dies.
- It's nasty and disturbing, so of course you have to be in the right mood to watch it. I can clearly see why this film would be frowned upon by many.
- Where the hell did Hobo get all that ammo?

Grade: B+

While 'Hobo with a Shotgun' has its flaws, it accomplishes what it set out to do with style and flare.

Day 22: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Woody Allen's 1985 flick has been described as a love movie for movie lovers. Let's see if I'll love it.

Starring: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello
Directed by: Woody Allen

The Positives:

- Jeff Daniels played both of his parts phenomenally. He's definitely movie up on my favorite actors list.
- Though, Danny Aiello stole the show for me.
- About a fifth of the way through the film, there is a dramatic tonal change I wasn't expecting but delighted to see. It was both refreshing and original to say the least (I suppose it may help if you go into this movie knowing nothing about it like I did.)
- The score was fantastic and complemented the film's tone perfectly.
- The scenes set inside the movie within the movie stood out to me as my favorites.
- Political Correctness? The 1930's didn't have it and neither does this movie.
- Religion and the meaning of life is quite a deep subject for something as shallow as a romantic comedy. But then again, this isn't just any romantic comedy.
- It's relatively short and very face paced, just the way I like my movies. No bloated self-appreciation here. Just love and laughs.
- Has little to do with the movie, but when a scandal about a Mr. Fatty Arbuckle was referenced, I took to the Internet to learn more about it. I enjoy movies that make me go out a learn things.

The Negatives:

- Mia Farrow was just a bit too air-headed and spaced out for my tastes. She reminded me of a little ol' granny more than a leading lady.
- You like happy endings? Fuck you. There's your ending.

Grade: A

Not only is this one of the best romance movies I have ever seen, but it's also one of the best films I've watched since I started this project.

Day 21: Super (2010)

90 minutes of 'The Office"s Rainn Wilson telling crime to "Shut up!".

Starring: Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion
Directed by: James Gunn

The Positives:

- I love me some Bacon. Kevin Bacon.
- The animated opening scene was probably the best part of the flick.
- Michael Rooker!
- I'm thankful Linda Cardellini still finds employment (even if her character was pointless and wasted). I like her.
- If you wanna go from a beginner to a pro, you're gonna need a montage. A good ol' montage! (Not a quote from this film mind you, but a 'South Park' quote I like to use to display my love for montages.)
- When the quirky jokes do work, they're really quite funny. Especially taking wrenches to the face. That's never not funny.
- I do find it kind of refreshing that when the Crimson Bolt starts out fighting crime, he doesn't get his ass kicked like most other super-powerless wanna-be superheroes do, but instead actually does some heavy damage (which of course causes more bad than good when he gets a tad power hungry).
- What happens to 'Bolty' is shocking... Horrible even. It does spin normal superhero tropes on their head however, and thus I approve.

The Negatives:

- I think the film tries too hard to be original via quirkiness and it doesn't work well enough for me to believe it helps. I found the imaginary scenes that take place in the protagonists head (think 'Scrubs') and eccentric tone much too distracting to feel fresh.
- It doesn't help that 'Super' is also pretty boring at times.
- Once more, a comedy flick takes the "He's Christian so he must be crazy" approach.
- I did approve of the pop-art style words popping up during fight scenes, referencing Adam West's 'Batman' of course. But then they only used it in like two scenes. You can't just do that shit once. Commitment dammit!
- 'Inception' proves Ellen Page has range, so I don't understand why she pretty much only plays Juno in everything she's in.
- I understand the Crimson Bolt is going through some rough times, but both he and Libby are pretty fucked up and I don't really know why I should root for them.
- The sugary-sweet ending felt tacked on nor did it give the film proper closure.
- Oh, and hentai in a main-stream film? I'm not ready for that.

Grade: D+

It's a dark comedy a bit too twisted to laugh at and it's uninspired to boot. I expected much more.

Day 20: Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)

Hoping to add some older dates to the film archive, I decided to pick a movie I've never seen before that was considered a classic. I wound up choosing this Francis Ford Coppola treasure. Little did I know, 'Redux' is usually considered by fans and critics, as well as director himself a completely new movie altogether (It even sports a separate Rotten Tomatoes page). Therefore, looks like I'll just be adding another 21st film to the list.

Starring: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

The Positives:
- Rarely does sound editing ever make a significant difference to the point that I actually notice it, but that is anything put the case when those helicopters slowly roar past as the film opens.
- Actually, the whole damn opening scene was magnificent
- Setting it to 'The End' by The Doors didn't hurt either.
- Beautifully shot. Beautifully scripted. Beautifully acted.
- Harrison Ford!
- Gotta love Francis Ford Coppola's cameo.
- I'm still a bit flabbergasted that I just watched two men drop everything and begin to surf in the middle of a battle.

- It's kind of crazy to see just how much Martin Sheen resembles his son charlie. Not really a posit, not really a negative. Just an observation.
- Sheen's narration gave the film a kind of noir tone. War noir.
- I think the key too making a good war film is not making every character a hard-ass war monger or a soldier who is just learning who he is while witnessing the troubles of the world, but instead making the characters charismatic, funny, and fearless.
- Playboy playmates. Good stuff.
- The music, especially in the battle scenes, is haunting yet perfect.

- Damn. I just can't get over how gorgeous this film is. The color is so vivid and the picture is so sharp. And I'm not even watching a Blu Ray.
- I've read the Joseph Conrad novel form which this film was based. It funny how the film-makers could completely change the events of Heart of Darkness, yet keep the spirit and story completely genuine to its original source.

The Negatives:

- Some of the dialogue in scenes where soldiers are yelling is inaudible, which is especially distracting.
- It is 203 minutes long. Though, one can't really complain about running time on a film as excellent as this, considering nothing could or should be cut out. It also doesn't help that I deliberately chose the extended cut of the film.

Grade: A

The second 'A' grade flick in a row. Coppola proves that just because something isn't broke doesn't mean it can't be fixed.

Day 19: Duck Soup (1933)

The Marx Brothers are comedy legends, and while I'm quite familiar with the Three Stooges and Charlie Caplin, 'Duck Soup' will be my first foray into the brother's films.

Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx
Directed by: Leo McCarey

The Positives:

- Like jokes? You're going to be bombarded with witty word play, cunning insults, and slapstick humor. All in rapid succession. And they are hysterical.
- Breaking the fourth wall. Love it.
- Harpo and Chico may be one of the most brilliant/hilarious/random/haphazard duos to ever grace early 20th century celluloid.
- The Marx Brothers are masters of comedic timing.
- I appreciate the relentless pace almost as much as I appreciate the 68 minute runtime.
- For some reason I always picture the pre-1960's as this wholesome era where family values are practiced and people are always respected. I suppose I can contribute that to the way both sets of my grandparents acted. Reading the works of Hemingway and Steinbeck obviously opened my eyes to the times but I'm still shocked to see just how crude this film is.
- The mirror scene will go down as one of my favorite comedic scenes of all time.
- There is a plot, I suppose. But it more or less serves as wrap-arounds for large blocks of what is practically the Marx Brother's stand-up routine. I actually kind of like this, as a proper storyline would probably bog down this film's humor (as Funny People could probably tell you. However, that's not to say an actual plot wouldn't help, otherwise most comedy films would end up like 'Meet the Spartans' or 'Disaster Movie'. This is one of the rare films that works on this level because the actual comedy material presented in this film is hilarious and snappy.)

The Negatives:

- Dammit. I hate it when movies randomly burst into song.
- I feel like the political satire was attempting to go somewhere but it didn't.
- Harpo is one creepy looking sonovabitch. Imagine if the Mad Hatter, Willy Wonka, and Michael Cera had a 4' 11" son.
- I still don't know why it's called 'Duck Soup'.

Grade: A

Comedy just isn't this funny anymore.

Day 18: Batman Returns (1992)

The only (live-action) 'Batman' film I have never seen. Considering I haven't liked a pre-Nolan Caped Crusader flick yet, maybe I should've stayed away.

Starring: Michael Keaton, Christopher Walken, Danny DeVito
Directed by: Tim Burton

The Positives:

- If there was one thing I liked about Burton's take on the series, I'd have to say it was the gothic overtones. While it doesn't compare to the realistic theme of Nolan's films, it was much better than the campy takes that preceded and followed.
- The scenery, for the better part, is hauntingly beautiful.

- A Paul Reubens cameo!
- I loved that the boy playing Walken's son was pretty much doing his Walken impression. This might not be a positive comment however, because I loved it only because of it's absurdity.
- Danny Elfman's score is phenomenal.
- Damn. I love that Batmobile.

- I love Michael Keaton. Not necessarily as Batman, but as a person in general.

- I may not love what they did to the Penguin's character (see below), but he was pretty entertaining.
- While her Selina Kyle leaves much to be desired, Michelle Pfeiffer played Catwoman with a certain sexy ease that was more than fitting.

- Ah. There it is. I wouldn't have been satisfied if there wasn't at least one "pussy" pun at Catwoman's expense.

The Negatives:

- The circus-esque henchmen, with oversized skull helmets and cold clown makeup feel a lot less Dark Knight and a lot more Tim Burton. I normally like it when Directors add their own little subtle touches to films, but in this case it just feels too theatrical.
- I am not a fan of the actors playing Alfred or Gordon. Their take on the characters less than please me.
- Christopher Walken's make-up disturbed me far more than Danny Devito's did.
- Within the fist thirty minutes of the film, Batman may have only received three minutes of screen time. I do not approve.
- During one of the fight scenes, Batman looks around from villain to villain to villain to... Poodle. Yes, a poodle. A poodle that plays catch with a batarang. I couldn't make this shit up.

- Listen, if the Dark Knight punches you, it's for a damn good reason. Batman. Doesn't. Apologize!

- Seriously? There's just open-topped trucks full of cat liter parked around Gotham?

- Okay. Catwoman's claws can pierce the batsuit but bullets can't? I call bullshit.
- The main reason I dislike Tim Burton's first 'Batman' flick is because I really HATED what they did to the Joker character. While I do love Jack Nicholson, and it was fun watching him perform, I cannot forgive what they did to the character's back story. It took all the mystery away from the Joker and kind of just made him a routine villain-of-the-week.
It looks as if the Penguin didn't suffer much better in this film. If I remember correctly, the Penguin was born into a wealthy family with an over protective mother. His general hatred of people was because he was picked on as a child. He surely wasn't abandoned in the sewers because he was deformed. He was aristocratic dammit! Not feral. Other directors can make excellent movies without trashing the source material. I mean god, it's not like Bryan Singer turned his back on the 90 years of Superman's backstory just because he could. Oh wait. He gave him a kid. Damn.
- I'm not familiar enough with Catwoman to argue against her film's origin story, but being magically revived by supernatural cats doesn't feel right. That seems much more akin to the 2004 travesty that was 'Catwoman' than it does to the comic series.

Grade: C

You could do worse, but there are far better Bat-flicks out there.

Day 17: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011)

Let's celebrate the birth of our nation with a documentary about love, loss, and masturbating bears.

Starring: Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Stephen Colbert
Directed by: Rodman Flender

The Positives:

- Rarely has a movie title ever fit the film this perfectly. Conan O'Brien really can't stop performing. As he put it, "I'm like Tinkerbell. Without your applause, I die."

- There are subtle, little clips here and there that show that no matter how much Conan wants to show off and no matter how many tickets he sells, he always keeps his family in mind. It's really sweet.

- Tilda Swinton/Conan O'Brien comparisons never fail to make me laugh

- Want to liven up the more slow and expository parts of your documentary? Digitally animated Korean news show clips never hurt.

- Appearances by Nick Offerman, Kyle Gass, Jack Black, Jack White, Jack McBrayer, Jon Hamm, Jon Stewart, Craig Robbinson, Eddie Vedder, Kristen Schaal, Stephen Colbert, and Jim Carrey (Dressed as Kick-Ass!).

- Conan's assistant (I can't remember her name unfortunately) was cheerful and lively and brought some much needed pep to the film.

- An 'Eddie Murphy Raw' suit? Classy.

- Conan O'Brien may be one funny fuck, but Andy Richter is God's gift to comedy.

The Negatives:

- The whole documentary feels less like an actual film and more like a television special. (Not a VH1 special mind you, but more like something you'd find on HBO.)

- It's kind of weird hearing Conan swear up a storm and become a tad bit hostile toward his writers all because he's pushing himself too hard.

- Every once in a while a stray clip or two would feature Conan being kind of a dick. I don't like to think of my comedy idols as dicks.

Grade: B-

This documentary provides one with all their comedy needs. However, Conan can be a bit much at certain times, especially when he's cranky. I understand where he's coming from, after losing his job and such, but I'd prefer more hilarity and a bit less hostility.

Day 16: My Own Private Idaho (1991)

It's been 16 days and I haven't taken into consideration just how exhausting this experiment would be. Luckily, I have a Gus Van Sant film to review today. It could be worse.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, Udo Kier
Directed by: Gus Van Sant

A modern recreation of Shakespeare's 'Henry IV' told with gay, street-smart hustlers.

The Positives:

- Gus Van Sant is an excellent director, and his use of breaking the proscenium arch recalls theatrical plays and delivers both amusement and exposition.
- The gritty tone of the movie is nicely contrasted without the colorful title screen and setting markers.
- Huzzahs all around. Keanu Reeves is actually showing some emotion!
- River Phoenix also shines as Mike, whose narcolepsy is used both tragically and comedically, something I feel perfectly juxtaposes the entire film.

- A 'Simpsons' cameo! (The first 'Treehouse of Horror' episode too.)
- The long, wide shots of various scenery has kind of become a staple of Independent cinema, and while I'm sure this fin wasn't the first to feature it, it's put to good use here.
- Twangy covers of a more classical score occupies the background flawlessly when needed.
- Showing a key sex scene via only still frames actually seemed more romantic than if the actual movement were shown.

- The old street bum in a thriller jacket made me laugh. Hard.

The Negatives:

- Sometimes the acting is a bit much, especially in scenes that have roots in 'Henry IV'.
- The Shakespearean dialogue is toned down at times, and that's when I think the performances really shine. It also makes the scenes where the dialogue is heavily Shakespearean stand out for the worst.

- I felt much more invested in the characters than the journey they were on.

Grade: C+

While the uneven tones of 'Henry IV' plague the film at times, the performances of Phoenix and Reeves more than make up for it. Van Sants wonderful direction only helps.

Day 15: Total Recall (1990)

Arnold Schwarzenegger fights corporate business men, mutants and the authorities on Mars, all while believing he's another man.

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Ironside, Sharon Stone
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven

The Positives:

- Good ol' fashioned 'head exploding on Mars' effects.
- Three tits. Awesome.

- The story premise was both original and exciting, even twenty years after it's release.

- I love futuristic films that are gritty and dirty instead of sleek and lustrous.

- Michael Ironside was the most entertaining to watch out of all the characters. He made you love to hate him.
- While some of the futuristic props leave a bit to be desired, the VFX are fantastic.

- There is enough fake blood in this film to fill at least three of the elevators in 'The Shining'. Got to love excessive violence.
- "The perfect mind-fuck" indeed.
- I remember reading somewhere that 'Minority Report' was going to be Spielberg's attempt at making a sequel for this flick. While it of course became it's own, superior film, I can definitely see how the two movies would and could fit together.

The Negatives:

- Some of the dialogue is groan-worthy to say the least.
- Now I see why Arnie was perfect for 'Terminator'. He can't act worth a shit. He's just as plastic and wooden here as he is as the T-600, and that's not a compliment.
- While Verhoeven is a great visual director, I don't think he always gets the best performances out of his actors. For ever actor who under performs (Arnie, Rachel Ticotin) there are an equal ammount who over-acts (Sharon Stone, Mel Johnson, Jr.)

Grade: B

If memory serves, after making this film both Arnie and Verhoven had about one good movie left in them. That's a shame considering how damn entertaining this film is. While the performances were lacking, the plot and effects make this one of the better sci-fi films of the '90s.

Day 14: Cars 2 (2011)

Pixar's first sequel to a movie that isn't Toy Story also happens to be their lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes by a good 40% , not to mention that the original film is the only film before this not be be in the 90's. Should this affect my decision? No, but it does scare me a bit.

Starring: Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, John Turturro
Directed by: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis (co-director)

The Positives:

- Bruce Fucking Campbell!
- I still found the world inhabited by the cars quite interesting and original.
- Cars die in this. Seriously. Pixar has no problem with blowing up race cars or drowning henchmobiles (I assume henchman cars would be called that.) It actually adds a bit of danger to the film.
- John Turturro made what could've and should've easily been a horribly annoying character quite entertaining, and I would actually liked to have seen more of him.
- These cars are alcoholics. In at least every scene with four or more cars somebody is drinking champagne or martinis. I guess that's why I like Pixar so much. They understand that just because a child sees an animated car drink alcohol doesn't mean they are going to set out to become drunkards.
- The action scenes are surprising well done. Gun fights and (of course) car chases are spread about the film quite nicely.
- Kudos to Pixar for having a hero (BRUCE CAMPBELL!) imply he banged the villain's sister and mother.
- The picture is gorgeous, no doubt about it, though the cartoonish vibe of the film undermines the beauty at times.

The Negatives:

- Do rednecks even like Larry the Cable Guy anymore?
- Some of the voice actors are not even up to par for a Dreamworks film.
- I'm surprised by how well the James Bond part of this film worked, and how little everything else did. It's not disjointed as much as it is unfocused.
- Dammit Pixar! You're too good for fart jokes!
- The times that the film actually tries to be laugh-out-loud funny fails in comparison to the little, more subtle jokes.
- 'Cars 2' feels like a rehashed combination of Pixar's better works:

• A colorful party of characters (The 'Toy Story' films).
• The main characters leaving the security of home to go on a great journey ('A Bug's Life', 'Finding Nemo', 'Up').
• Two rivals racing to see who is better at their jobs ('Monsters Inc.').
• Secret agents versus a league of evil ('The Incredibles').
• A French setting ('Ratatouille').
• The theme of renewable energy and a healthier planet ('WALL-E')

Grade: C+

It pains me to give a Pixar film this low of a rating (I don't even know if I'd give any of their other films below an A, besides the first 'Cars' of course.) While it's definitely one of Pixar's worst, this film is not the harbinger of misery most critics are making it out to be. I had fun watching this, much more fun than I have watching a good portion of Dreamworks or Blue Sky's flicks, and dare I say, I actually think that this sequel is better than the original.

Day 13: I ♥ Huckabees (2004)

Starring: Lily Tomlin, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg

Directed by: David O. Russell

The Positives:

- Best opening movie line ever, but it is much too vulgar to post here.
- "Have you ever transcended space and time?" "Yes. No. Time, not space. ...No I don't know what you're talking about." Well deadpanned Mr. Schwartzman
- Naomi Watts is smokin'. David O. must think so too because the first time you meet her character in person, all you see is her ass bent over in bikini and then another good ten seconds of her shaking it about. (This seems to be a constant theme as of late.)

- I swear I see Kevin Dunn in everything. Counting this film and yesterday's he's already been in 1/6 of the movies I've reviewed.
- Dammit Marky Mark! I shouldn't like you as an actor this much.
- I just noticed how many movie scenes I enjoy that are set at a dinner tables.

The Negatives:

- I could've gone my entire life with out seeing Jason Schwartzman dressed as a baby sucking milk out of the tits of woman's body with Jude Law's face superimposed on it.
- This film feels like a movie Wes Anderson would make while kicking an unhealthy addiction. Not that it's about substance abuse mind you, but it feels both dirty and gawky.
- The script seems a bit... disjointed at times, and it's existentialist nature is not one for most people.
- I also found myself losing interest as the film progressed.

Grade: C-

This is either a love it or hate it film, and I wanted to enjoy it much more than I did. Maybe in two or three years, if I choose to ever re-watch it, I may enjoy it more than I do presently, but as of now I find it very "Meh."

Day 12: Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

If the 'Transformers' series was personified, it'd be the macho, douchebag prettyboy... and I'd be the slut he abuses that still comes back for more.

Starring: Shia Labeouf, Patrick Dempsey, Leonard Limoy
Directed by: Michael "Bay-splosion" Bay

The Positives:

- If you're going to see this movie, do yourself a favor and see it in 3-D. It was glorious.

- We FINALLY get to see some fighting on Cybertron! Though it's only about two minutes at most and everybody is in spaceships, but still. Dope.
- If you're thinking about skipping the film due to an excessive lack of Megan Fox, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley provides plenty of hotness to the final installment of the series. Think you'll miss Megan's ass bending over in short shorts? Bay provides the audience with enough Huntington-Whiteley upskirts to keep the perv in all of us satisfied. Oh, and just so you know, she's introduced ass-first, and the camera stays on her langerie-clad rear for 80% of her first scene.
- Actually, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was a much better actress than I expected, and she provided much more to the story than the previous bullet point indicated. (Even if there is about twenty-minutes of cohesive story.)

- So many 'Star Trek' references (Okay two, but one was an on-screen cameo by Limoy as Spock as seen on Sam's television.)

- Lazerbeak was bad-fucking-ass. Just sayin'.

- A Mexican standoff? With Transformers? Dear lord, my fan-fics have come true!

- Alan Tudyk!

- Was that John DiMaggio's voice I heard? Yes! Yes it was.

- Hey, Barricade retuned! Albeit briefly.

- The final fight scene was at least 45 minutes to and hour. It was tiresome yes, but damn if it wasn't epic, more than making up for the weak ending of the second film.

- I know most people had to admit this about a "Transformers" film, but I really did have a lot of fun watching it. I may have a lot of negatives below, but those couple of irks didn't take too much from my enjoyment. Too much.

The Negatives:

- Even with the two racist Autobots removed from the series, Michael Bay still found a way to annoy us with Brains and Wheelie.

- John Malkovich's character was annoying as hell too.
- Not to mention, Ken Jeong's scenes felt way too cartoonish for a 'Transformers' film... Wait. Yes I know how crazy that sounds.

- Going into this movie, I believed Shockwave was going to be the main villain, as the press would have you believe. However, he was a third-teir baddie at MOST. Hell, I think Starscream did more damage than Shockwave did.

- Luckily, Sam's parents have hardly any screen time, but when they're there, you notice. Mom's talking about the size of their son's penis should not be allowed to ever be filmed. Ever. It's not funny.

- Actually, I'm surprised by how many jokes fell-flat in this film. Normally, the writers provide one-or-two chuckles, but either all the jokes in this film felt forced or just poorly timed.

- Apparently, somewhere between filming and the final release, the Transformers formally known as Wheeljack and Mirage had their names changed to Que and Dino, receptively. While I understand that a lot of the original series's fans are happy their classic characters weren't bastardized, I would've much rather they kept the names seeing as Que and Dino don't sound especially Autobotic. Also, the former names would've made the final scene with Que calling Bumblee "Old friend" all the more enchanting considering Bee and Wheeljack shared the very first scene of the original cartoon with each other. (Though I suppose this won't bother anybody who's unaware of this change, like most of the viewing audience.)
- I think Michael Bay just ends his movies when the final fight is over. "Okay, boys! That's how you end a movie!" "Uhh... Sir, shouldn't you probably provide the film, nay, the series with some kind of closure?" "Oh... I suppose. Somebody film me a montage!" I actually kind of like this, considering how exhausting the final fight scene was, but I have a feeling that enough people care about a film's story that I should probably file this under the Negatives section. (Don't worry, I never plan on being this lazy when I direct movies.)

- This is less a critique of the film and more of a complaint about society in general. The men in the row behind me at the cinema constantly talked about the dumbest stuff, like "Dude, does that Chernobyl place really exist or was that something that happened between this and the second film?" while the man in the row in front of me thought it was okay to answer is phone in the middle of the damn movie and talk about it with his buddy. Dear lord, doesn't anybody have respect for the average movie-goer anymore?

Grade: B

The 'Transformers' series is loud, dumb and obnoxious, yet I still always manage to have fun. Somehow.

Day 11: Last Night (1998)

With a tagline like "It's not the end of the world... there's still six hours left", how could you not be interested?

Starring: Sandra Oh, David Cronenberg, Sarah Polley
Directed by: Don McKellar

The Positives:

-The opening sequence of a post-rioted New York City set to "Last Night" was beautiful.
- Not to mention how real the scene involving the family who is celebrating their last christmas feels, especially since every character still has their own troubles which they bring to the table, even when facing their own death.
- David Cronenberg should act a lot more. He emphasizes the emotional core of a character who one wouldn't even think was relevant at all.

- Matter of fact, I think the film's greatest strength is the cast and their performances.

- The movie does have a dark sort of beauty to it as well. Especially in the quieter scenes.
- 'Last Night' kind of feels like an "end of the world" sequel to 'Go'. Even though every character has their own story, they often interact and bump into each other as the movie progresses.


The Negatives:

- I am slightly more concerned about the human race now. I notice many movies about the end of the world are like this, with most humans becoming deranged, crazy lunatics, and I can't help but to feel that their is a truth to it.
- Watching a sex addict try to talk their best friend into sleeping with them was especially awkward... especially considering both friends were straight men.

- I would also like to know what caused the end of the world. Yes, I know not giving the premise a definite answer gives the film more mystery, but I find that kind of cliche now. I think having a well thought out reason for the apocalypse is much more interesting than just leaving it up for the audience to guess.

- It's a good film, yes, and it will definitely stand as one of the better films in the "apocalyptic" genre, yet I have a feeling I'm more likely to just remember certain clips rather than the movie as a whole. I could even say it's a bit... bland.

Grade: B-

'Last Night' feels like an extended episode of 'The Twilight Zone', just in color. If it were, it'd be one of the better episodes.

Day 10: Paul (2011)

Comic-Con is less than a month away and Chris and I got our tickets. What better way to celebrate than to watch the recently released sci-fi comedy 'Paul'?

Starring: Seth Rogen, Simon Pegg, Jason Bateman
Directed by: Greg Mottola

The Positives:

- Oh God! So. Many. Nerdy. References.
- So. Many. Comedian. Cameos.
- A Steven Spielberg Cameo! Gah!
- A Mac and Me reference! (And a positive one at that!)
- I don't want to say that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are this generation's Abott and Costello, but if this is seriously the worst movie this duo has made together, than it seems like they can do no wrong.
- They get bonus points for realistically acting against a CGI character, which anybody who's seen any of the Star Wars prequels should know how difficult that is.
- Speaking of which, based on the trailers, I thought the CGI in 'Paul' would look cartoonish and fake. After actually seeing it in the film, however, I can honestly say it's some of the better effects I've seen in comedy revolving around a CG character. This looks like fucking 'Avatar' compared to 'Scooby-Doo'. Also, Seth Rogen is just as entertaining voicing a digital alien as he is in any Apatow film.

The Negatives:

- I'm not a fan of movies that take negative religious stances, especially when they cast Christians as crazy, hypocritical rednecks.
- It's not necessarily a negative critique, but it was a bit odd watching a Simon Pegg comedy that drew its humor from nerdy references than clever dialogue. I liked the references mind you, but some more wit wouldn't have hurt.
- One could also say that the supporting cast, especially Jason Bateman and Bill Hader out shined the main stars. Once again, it didn't make the movie worse, it's just something I noticed.

Grade: B+

It might be the lesser of Frost/Pegg saga but it filled my little nerd heart with glee, and it will surely hold me over until 'The World's End' comes out.