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Movie
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Review
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Recommended if you like:
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Rating
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| Team America World Police |
You know...the puppet movie. I happened to think it presented a fairly
balanced view of the state of the world. For a puppet movie that is. For
all that I didn’t really like it. I think this has to do more with my bias
against comedies than it being a really crappy movie. |
South Park,
making fun of the French,
Celebrity Deathmatch
|
1 |
| Alfie (2004) |
Didn't really want to see it but then heard about it from Josh. I actually
liked it quite a bit. I think it was marketed pretty poorly. Wasn't actually
a chick flick more like one of those guy films disguised as a chick flick.
Although anyone buying this DVD and expecting to see Cary Grant might
be disappointed.
|
Love Actually
High Fidelity
About a Boy |
2 |
| XXX 2: State of the Union |
DVD Cover: "The greatest threat to our nation comes from within" Reid:
"Yeah, from within this DVD case" DVD Cover: "Prepare for the next level"
Reid: "Next level of crap"
With a quote like this on the back of the DVD case I should have realized
the movie was going to be bad. But towards the end when I didn't think it
could get any worse everyone started speaking in Russian. Literally. Who
knew that Ice Cube speaking Russian would improve the acting level? |
Full House
That country guy from the 2nd season of the Real World |
0 |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
Not bad. As the back cover said, " A pleasant surprise." If you liked
the books then watch the movie. If you've never heard of the book or the
movie then you probably won't like it. |
Old episodes of Dr. Who (or at least memories of them, some things just
don't age well (speaking of which don't try to watch old Superfriends cartoons,
they just aren't as cool as you remember))
The books |
2 |
| Mean Girls |
Better than I thought it was going to be. Although the blurbs on the box
promising, "A hysterical comedy" and "Awesome, cool, and wicked good" were
a bit of an exaggeration. Still I don't normally like comedies and I found
this one amusing. What I really want to know though is where does Gene Shalit
get off using a word like "wicked"? Isn't he a bit old? No offense but if
I come home from China and my Dad says, "Reid, check out our wicked new
place." I'd find that a bit odd. |
Those ubiquitous teen angst/comedy films like:
That thing you do
those other ones with the same plot where the new girl/guy at first is nerdy/ugly/unpopular
but turns out to be cool/hot/popular |
2 |
| Casshern |
I get the feeling that this was made from a Japanese Manga (comic book)
but am not really. I didn't actually like it that much but it was pretty
cool visually. |
Really like super hero movies, Anime, and art films. |
1 |
| Sin City |
Loved it. Of course I loved the comic book as well. I also like gangster
movies and liked Dark Angel when it was on television. That warning aside
just look it up on the internet movie database and browse the writer/director/actor
list. Good stuff. |
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez movies |
3 |
| Elephant |
Mildly amusing in a "we've all wanted to see the popular kids in those
typical teen movies who are always picking on the nerdy kids get shot" kind
of way. The DVD cover says it is "Unforgettable" and just like the song
it is very boring. Plus it won some awards at Cannes so you know it is going
to be a little artsy. On the plus side it just shows what that crappy "Slacker"
movie from the eighties could have been with a little more violence. If
you do end up watching this please tell me what is up with the weird gay
shower scene that just comes out of nowhere. I mean what was the message
supposed to be? |
Kids (not little adults but the movie)
Bowling for Columbine |
1 |
| Meet the Fockers |
The funniest thing about this movie was the title and the writers knew
it. That is the only thing that could explain the 1000 "we said focker and
not fucker, hahaha" jokes in the movie. Let's just say that I liked the
first movie but this one is just not very funny. |
Dumb and Dumber 2
American Pie 2
Blues Brothers 2 |
1 |
| School of Rock |
I had heard this one was pretty good. Wrong. Open letter to Jack Black:
"I get it you are in a bad that has a cult following. No need to make a
movie about it." I'll admit that the kids are cute in a Star Search kind
of way but don't get this one thinking it is going to be good. |
Star Search
American Idol: Kids |
1 |
| The Forgotten |
"The biggest jaw-dropper since the sixth sense" in the sense that when
I yawn my jaw sort of drops. "Use the title as a guide and just forget it"
- Reid, Reidablog film critic |
Signs
The Village |
1 |
| A Bridge too Far |
Big budget, great cast, war movie. Pretty good. You've got to remember
this was made before Platoon & Saving Private Ryan but it still holds up
pretty well. Still the book is better. |
Pre-Saving Private Ryan war movies.
The Longest Day |
2 |
| Sahara |
Well it's not Indiana Jones but with the crap I've been watching at least
this was amusing. Sort of fits in the not very good but still mildly entertaining
summer action movie category. |
Not very good but mildly entertaining summer action movies. |
1 |
| Lost in Translation |
Funny. Laugh out loud funny. Maybe because I am in Asia but I loved it
and didn't think that I would. The first 15-20 minutes of this movie is
fantastic. The rest is pretty good. But the end of the movie kind of bugs
me. Not the "what did he whisper" question but the fact that he says good-bye
to her in the hotel, gets in a car and drives away, then he suddenly sees
her on the street? Who is she the Flash? Still highly recommended. |
Good movies |
3 |
| Hart's War |
I want to like it. I mean it has action, war, Bruce Willis, and Colin
Farrell. But it is preachy, implausible, stupid, and just not very good. |
Crappy war movies |
1 |
| High Crimes |
I swear there is another Ashley Judd movie with the exact same plot where
she is accused of killing her husband on a boat and has to prove her innocence.
Kind of a 2nd rate thriller. |
Blah…If you like this one then you can just go to the mystery section
of Blockbuster and pick out any movie you've already scene. You'll like
that one too. |
1 |
| The Interpreter |
This was really good. Smart, interesting, not too many holes. If you like
thrillers then skip High Crimes and see this instead. My only problem is
that the DVD wouldn't play on my computer I had to use one of the Chinese
DVD players that ignore zones and copy protection. That probably shouldn't
be a problem for most of my readers though. |
Thrillers that aren't stupid. I can't think of any others at the moment
but I'm sure I've seen a couple. |
3 |
| Ong-Bak |
My first time seeing a Thai movie. The DVD box says that the movie got
the first ever standing ovation at the Toronto film fest. This would only
happen if they bussed in a bunch of 8th grade karate classes. But then it
also says "The dialogue is fresh and on the money." Huh? Of course my version
says it has English subtitles and it didn't so I'll take David N. Butterworth
of Movie Boeuf at his word. If I could figure out what was happening without
understanding a single word then it probably doesn't matter how good the
dialogue was. In the end I found it long and kind of boring but the stunts
were pretty fantastic. |
Blood Sport
Mortal Kombat |
1 |
| The Motorcycle Diaries |
One of those films where I can recognize a good movie and though I didn't
think it was anything special. If you like movies a lot then you'll like
this movie. But in that case you'll have already heard about it and it won't
really matter what I think. If you need a date rental, want to appear more
sensitive and sophisticated than you really are, and neither you or your
date voted for George Bush (it is about Che Guevara after all) then go ahead
and watch. |
Romantic (in the classical not the guy/girl sense) road movies |
2 |
| Riding the Bullet |
I had never heard of this one but I kind of remember hearing the title
of the Stephen King book it is based on. Kind of like a cross between "Tales
from the Crypt" and "Stand by Me". Can't really recommend it but it's not
bad. If you see it on TNT it is ok to sit through but not really worth 4
bucks. Thankfully I only paid $1. |
Storm of the Century
Pseudo horror movies with a message |
1 |
| B13: Banieue 13 |
A French action movie with an amazing chase scene. Even more amazing that
the chase takes place on foot. This was the first movie with really crappy
subtitles. It was as if someone took the script and fed it to one of those
internet translation sites and then used the result to add the subtitles.
Still, it being an action movie I was able to follow the plot even though
I only understood 1/3 of the words. I'd probably recommend it if you speak
French or have a real version with professional subtitles AND you like cheesy
action movies with good foot chases. |
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Escape from New York |
1 |
| Suspect Zero |
One of those 'hunt the serial killer' movies. Not all that bad if you
like the genre but not all that good either. More amusing than the movie
(to me at least) is that I've realized that many of the DVD boxes contain
the phrase: "This film is presented in widescreen format. The black bars
on the top and bottom of the screen are normal." If you are one of the people
who have complained about this please take a moment to slap yourself....thank
you. |
Taking Lives
Murder by Numbers |
1 |
| Layer Cake |
I've heard that this got pretty bad reviews when it was released in the
US. I admit that it similar to Lock Stock and Snatch but I ask, "Is that
a bad thing?" It is a little darker and not as funny but still a good caper
film. I highly recommend it. |
Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels
Snatch |
3 |
| God of Gamblers 1&2 |
These movies prove that I don't understand Chinese humor or movie genres.
Take several stars from popular Hong Kong gangster movies (e.g. Chow Yun-Fat
and Andy Lau) put them in 1 part caper movie, 1 part gangster movie, and
1 part National Lampoons Vegas Vacation. You end up with weird comedy scenes
suddenly turning incredibly violent. It reminds me of the live action version
of the Anime series I am watching (Trigun). |
I have nothing to compare this too. If you like Chinese gangster movies
maybe it is worth a try. |
1 |
| Arsene Lupin |
Another French movie with lots of promise and horrible subtitles. I couldn't
follow some of the more subtle aspects of the plot but think I got the general
idea. Lots of promise even if I did end up watching the 2nd half on 4x speed.
I'm giving it a higher rating that I probably should on the assumption that
you will watch a version not prepared by the Russian Mafia. |
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Count of Monte Cristo (the book, not the movie) |
2 |
| Pit Fighter |
According to the cover the LA Times gave it 5 stars. After watching this
I tend to doubt it. If you really like martial arts movies then you'll probably
enjoy this one. Although you'd think in this day and age that a director
would remember to have his hero reload once or twice in the final shootout. |
Segal and Van Damme movies |
1 |
| The Grudge |
Ok, I admit upfront that I have a weakness for S.M. Gellar. Some of you
will remember that I proudly never missed an episode of Buffy. That said
remember the horror movie from your childhood (my was Children of the Corn)
that really scared you? And then you go back to watch it and find out it
just isn't very scary. Well this movie is scary. |
To actually be scared during a horror movie. |
2 |
| National Lampoon's Gold Diggers |
The box says 'ultra-crass contribution to the lampoon shelf' and 'raunchy,
offensive!". To me these should have read, "Crap. Crap. Double Crap." Not
funny. |
Crap |
0 |
| Alone in the Dark |
Funny, although I don't think it is supposed to be. The DVD cover amuses
me as well and does a better job describing the movie than I could. |
Bad action/horror/sci-fi movies |
1 |
| Taigukgi |
A big-budget Korean war movie about the Korean War. Fantastic. Everyone
I chat with about movies that has seen this movie loves it. My only warning
is that if you don't like war movies than this one isn't for you. Read a
review somewhere that said something like, "Remember the first 15 minute
of Saving Private Ryan (before it got all sappy) well just extend that scene
to 2 hours." At the same time it is very anti-war. Someone told me this
was going to be released in the US under the title "Brotherhood". |
The first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan |
3 |
| Saw |
Mid level horror movie more along the lines of Seven than The Grudge.
It had potential but in the end was just kind of silly. Kind of like the
quote on the DVD box (and no these are not typos - on my part at least):
"'Saw' will makc your olood run cold!" - Ack Acco, New Yoss Onilven. What
the hell is the "New Yoss Onilven"? |
Seven
8mm |
1 |
| Flight of the Phoenix |
Kind of like a 'Sahara' but more pretentious. Lots of people yelling at
each other for the whole movie. Blah. |
Bad remakes of what are potentially stupid originals |
1 |
| Saints and Soldiers |
No matter how good the war movie could be, if it has a small budget it
just won't be very good. Not a problem for this movie, since a big budget
wouldn't have helped much anyway. The fact that the cover says it won best
picture at the following film festivals: San Diego, Sacramento, Long Beach,
Marco Island, Ojai, Heartland, and Winslow isn't very encouraging for the
future of these big name events. |
TNT Original Movies about WWII |
1 |
| Sideways |
My DVD is missing the last 2 minutes of the movie and I find it difficult
to believe that anyone could fall for Paul Giamatti's character but I
still liked it
I'm assuming this is another language and not just the typical typos.
. 
Umm? Who is this guy? Seriously, he's not in the movie.
|
Smart movies about really depressing people. |
2 |
| The Night Porter |
Let me start by saying that I can't remember ever walking out of a movie.
Now let me say that I only could get through about 30 minutes of this DVD.
Finally let us never speak of it again. |
XX2: State of the Union |
0 |
| Undead |
If asked about my favorite genre of films I'd probably answer: zombies.
It was low budget with a pretty bad script and only OK acting. That said
it was done very well with a good ending. |
Zombie movies |
2 |
| Joint Security Area |
Another well made Korean anti-war movie. This one wasn't actually a war
movie but more of a crime investigation film. Still not bad. In the end
though it wasn't that original and unless you are stuck in Asia without
a video store you can probably pass this one up without much guilt. It did
make me wonder what is up with all the suicide in Asian movies. |
Presidio
A Few Good Men |
1 |
| Hostage |
Hmmm…I think that Bruce Willis had a boat payment due. |
Die Hard 2 & 3 |
1 |
| The Ring 2 |
Did you like the first one? Did you also like the Blair Witch Project
the first time you saw it? Did you like the sequel to the Blair Witch project?
If you can answer yes to all three questions than this one is for you. But
the DVD box is pretty accurate. |
The Blair Witch 2
Friday the 13th part 7 |
1 |
| Spades |
I've seen this one at home and almost rented it several times. Each time
I was stopped by the fact that it has lots of household names (albeit many
past their primes) but was never released in the theater. My experience
told me that this isn't a very good combination. So I was surprised that
I actually like this one. Not great but not bad. And is it just me or is
Melanie Griffith looking more and more like Michael Jackson? |
Confidence
Rounders |
2 |
| I heart the huckabees |
Well the acting was decent and it passed the time. One of those movies
that tries to make you think and then you realize you'd rather just have
a Big Mac. |
The Royal Tennanbaums |
1 |
| Maria Full of Grace |
Some people buy and read novels that don't have a secondary genre like:
mystery, thriller, sci-fi, etc. I don't but some people do. If you do you
might like this movie. All I can compare it to is the feeling I got after
reading Saul Bellow in high-school: "Not bad but I wouldn't buy it." |
….coke? border politics? the war on drugs? I don't know.
|
1 |
| The Downfall |
Amazing. My German friends tell me that this movie was very controversial
in Germany since it portrays Hitler as human. That may be true but if it
does it is as the kind of human we all know him to be. Watch it. |
The Pianist
Hotel Rwanda |
3 |
| Hotel Rwanda |
Good but not great. Better to read the recently published memoir of the
Canadian general in charge of the UN troops (can't remember his name) but
since you won't it is worth seeing. .
And when you complain that "What could a few troops have done anyway?" you
should go read 'Once a Pilgrim' by Will Scully. |
The Killing Fields
Schindler's List |
2 |
| Criminal |
Another caper/revenge kind of movie. I have a soft spot for these and
this one was ok. To tell you the truth I think I liked Spades better even
though this one probably had better acting, etc. Still worth renting if
you like this kind of thing. |
Con men type movies. |
2 |
| Hitch |
I enjoyed it. Probably the result of too many other movies being bad rather
than this movie being good. Like most comedies it kind of peters (is this
how youspell it?) out in the end.  |
Light hearted geeky guy likes girl and gets girl kind of movies. |
1 |
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |
This is another one that I always meant to rent but it never quite made
it to the top of my list. I liked it. |
Sci-fi
Animation |
2 |
| The Last Supper |
About the best thing I can say about this movie is that it wasn't bad.
It was just boring. I mean really boring. |
Watching other people's dinner parties. |
1 |
| Be Cool |
I can't remember if I liked 'Get Shorty' but I remember seeing the previews
for this before leaving the US. Unfortunately ALL of the funny parts were
in the preview. As a result, if the movie had been about 60 seconds it would
be hilarious. At its current length it is about 89 minutes too long. The
more I think about this movie the more I realize the characters are blatant
rip-offs from Pulp Fiction. |
REALLY REALLY like the dancing scene from Pulp Fiction |
1 |
| Closer |
I'm going to steal a review of this movie that said something like: "Great
for a date because no matter how messed up your relationship, at the end
of the movie, you can turn to your partner and say - At least we're not
as screwed up as them." |
making your relationship seem healthy |
2 |
| Mystic River |
Good? Yes. Picture of the year? Hardly. And is it just me or do a disproportionate
percent of Kevin Bacon's movies contain some kind of child abuse? |
Drama with a bit of mystery |
2 |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |
I owe Rose an apology for this one. Kind of like "Lost in Translation"
I thought I wouldn't like it but I did. |
Lost in Translation |
2 |
| Kingdom of Heaven |
I read the reviews before seeing this movie. I was hoping that I would
disagree but I didn't. This movie is pretty bad. |
Alexander |
1 |