25. Gran Torino 24. Elegy
23. Burn After Reading 22. Frost/Nixon
21. Role Models 20. Tell No One
19. Frozen River 18. Pineapple Express
17. The Visitor 16. Hamlet 2
15. American Teen 14. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
13. Milk 12. Doubt
11. Changeling 10. Revolutionary Road
9. Let the Right One In 8. Bigger, Stronger, Faster
7. Waltz With Bashir 6. The Wackness
5. In Bruges 4. Rachel Getting Married
3. The Dark Knight 2. The Wrestler
1. Slumdog Millionaire
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
I will begin with a warning for those who have children, this is very very much an R rated movie! That being said, I really enjoyed it. Since I am a huge "Jackie" fan (Mila Kunis of That 70s Show fame), I was pleasantly surprised when I heard her voice. And, in my opinion she turned the movie around. It was coasting along at the speed of a turtle when she arrived on the scene and afterwards it was very entertaining. Jason Segel, who wrote Knocked Up, delivered another good one. 4 out of 5. Joe
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Righteous Kill
Being stir crazy due to the second day in a row without power, I paid ten bucks to see this. I went with low expectations because of the reviews. I really wanted to see De Niro and Pacino together though. It wasn't worth the $10 but exceeded my expectations. Think of this as Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble as cops and one of them (maybe) as a serial killer (but rated R, not especially funny, not a cartoon, and not in the stone age). I'd recommend seeing it at a $3 theatre when it moves there, or renting it in the future. 3 of 5. Joe.
Friday, September 5, 2008
In Bruges
Excellent movie based in Bruges, Belgium about two hit men who are about as different as the Odd Couple. The film contains awesome shots of what is called the best-preserved medieval city in Belgium. Collin Farrell puts forth a top notch acting job. Some parts of this film are very funny, some parts very dark. All in all I enjoyed it very much. By the way, if you are a happy ending type person, get a pure comedy ready to put in the DVD player directly afterwards. 4 of 5. Joe.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Paranoid Park
Last night I watched this 2007 film written and directed by Gus Van Sant. It was outstanding. This one definitely flew under the radar but was so good that I put it in my top ten list at 9th. The movie revolves around the life of a teenage skateboarder named Alex (Gabe Nevins). One of the true joys of watching this movie is seeing the story unfold, so that is as much as I will tell you about it. Definitely a must see though. 5 of 5.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Pineapple Express
People who were adults in the 60s, or responsible members of society in the late 60s through the 70s, will more than likely not like Pineapple Express. Reaganites probably will not like it either unless they, like me, mellowed out dramatically in the 90s.
Following are my comments:
Seth Rogen acted well, as well as he acted in Knocked Up and Superbad. Seth's character, Dale Denton, smokes marijuana regularly and develops a friendship with his dealer Saul (James Franco). Saul is a perfect side kick. Red (Danny McBride), Saul's supplier, performed superbly, at times playing a prototypical drug supplier "to a Tee," at times going way off the beaten path.
The contrasts of this movie were tremendous: almost like "Dazed and Confused" meets "Pulp Fiction." Furthermore, Dale Denton's girlfriend was beautiful, which always helps a movie out. The fact that she still attended high school creates yet another contrast and provides both laughs and musings.
The story included a few subtle messages regarding gun violence and the irresponsibility of excessive drug use. The story also provided moments of extreme action and of reflection.
All in all, although some will hate it, and others will tolerate it, I liked it a lot. 4 of 5. Joe
Following are my comments:
Seth Rogen acted well, as well as he acted in Knocked Up and Superbad. Seth's character, Dale Denton, smokes marijuana regularly and develops a friendship with his dealer Saul (James Franco). Saul is a perfect side kick. Red (Danny McBride), Saul's supplier, performed superbly, at times playing a prototypical drug supplier "to a Tee," at times going way off the beaten path.
The contrasts of this movie were tremendous: almost like "Dazed and Confused" meets "Pulp Fiction." Furthermore, Dale Denton's girlfriend was beautiful, which always helps a movie out. The fact that she still attended high school creates yet another contrast and provides both laughs and musings.
The story included a few subtle messages regarding gun violence and the irresponsibility of excessive drug use. The story also provided moments of extreme action and of reflection.
All in all, although some will hate it, and others will tolerate it, I liked it a lot. 4 of 5. Joe
Harold's comments about The Dark Knight's Best Picture chances
This week, The Dark Knight has officially become too big to ignore.
To not nominate it for Best Picture at this rate would undermine the process of having a Best Picture race in the first place; if you don’t honor a film this big you really do a dishonor to those who drive the entire business: the ticket buyers. If you look at the top five all-time highest grossing films only one hasn’t been nominated for Best Picture and that was an animated film, Shrek 2.
If The Dark Knight had topped out at $400 million, it probably wouldn’t be in consideration for Best Picture. But for those who remember an Academy that nominated E.T. and Star Wars and Jaws, ushering in the mega blockbuster, it’s impossible to imagine them snubbing this film, whether you adjust for inflation or not. Finally, the industry and the Oscars need films like The Dark Knight - big, beautiful, artful, political - to redefine the blockbuster genre itself, to take it back from the tired, lazy sequels that have been served up as overpriced crap for the last two decades. An Oscar nomination for The Dark Knight would bring much-needed attention to the Academy, and its telecast would ultimately bridge the ever-widening gap between the general public and the kinds of films that enter the Oscar race.
Watching Oscars involves having an open mind just as it requires you know a little bit about Oscar history. When you hear yourself saying “no way” can THIS happen, that is exactly when you should imagine it could or it will. Now, with The Dark Knight showing no signs of slowing down, and if it does, it’s going to be somewhere at number 2 or 3 in the coming weeks, and will sail past Star Wars. It will edge as close to Titanic as any film ever has.
To not nominate it for Best Picture at this rate would undermine the process of having a Best Picture race in the first place; if you don’t honor a film this big you really do a dishonor to those who drive the entire business: the ticket buyers. If you look at the top five all-time highest grossing films only one hasn’t been nominated for Best Picture and that was an animated film, Shrek 2.
If The Dark Knight had topped out at $400 million, it probably wouldn’t be in consideration for Best Picture. But for those who remember an Academy that nominated E.T. and Star Wars and Jaws, ushering in the mega blockbuster, it’s impossible to imagine them snubbing this film, whether you adjust for inflation or not. Finally, the industry and the Oscars need films like The Dark Knight - big, beautiful, artful, political - to redefine the blockbuster genre itself, to take it back from the tired, lazy sequels that have been served up as overpriced crap for the last two decades. An Oscar nomination for The Dark Knight would bring much-needed attention to the Academy, and its telecast would ultimately bridge the ever-widening gap between the general public and the kinds of films that enter the Oscar race.
Watching Oscars involves having an open mind just as it requires you know a little bit about Oscar history. When you hear yourself saying “no way” can THIS happen, that is exactly when you should imagine it could or it will. Now, with The Dark Knight showing no signs of slowing down, and if it does, it’s going to be somewhere at number 2 or 3 in the coming weeks, and will sail past Star Wars. It will edge as close to Titanic as any film ever has.
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