Movie | Jumping Jack Flash | PAss

The first 7/8 of this movie is utterly charming, featuring a one in a million cast. The only reason the end falls apart is because of a weak script. Don't let that stop you - revisit this one. I hadn't seen it for a many, many years and I had forgotten how much fun it is. A forgotten classic!

Movie | Silver Linings Playbook | Pass

Great cast, cool music (soundtrack chosen by Danny Elfman!), fun setting and well done. But, it's hard for me to enjoy an hour and a half of sad people leading sad lives. If you are drawn to this movie, you will love it.

Movie | Anvil | PASS

Another excellent (two in a row!) documentary about starving artists. This time it's metal musicians. Fanfreakintastic!

And, yes, nothing says "Rock Star" like a fanny pack.

Movie | Deja Vu | PAss

I honestly thought I'd already seen this movie. Turns out I didn't.

Excellent action flick! Great cast, every element was top drawer. The ending made us go a bit, "Huh?", but that shouldn't slow you down from seeing it.

Recommended.

Movie | The Bed-Sitting Room | Pass

Whacked out British post-apocalyptic surrealism. A bit tedious to sit through, but still very interesting. For genre fans only - and ones that don't mind very little violence and a slow pace.

TV | Hamish Macbeth | Pass

It's old home week for the cast of supporting actors from Monarch of the Glen! That's a good thing.

Movie | Splice | PAss

Turns out what super nerds can create is super scary. A must see if you want a horror movie with brains and a fresh take. Great cast, amazing FX.

The only thing that holds this film back was the slightly unsatisfying end (the very, very end is very satisfying - I mean right before that). Somehow, it feels predictable and not feasible, somehow. You'll know what I mean if you see it and don't let that stop you if you're interested. It's still very much worth a watch.

There is some seriously freaky stuff going on in this movie...

From the same director that brought us the fantastic Cube.

Movie | Indie Game: The Movie | PAss

An excellent look at the creators of independent video games. These are some serious artists, just not the kind we're used to. Other than a pace that is a tad slow, this is a very good documentary and well worth seeing.

Movie | Men In Black 3 | PAss

Good fun! You'd have to be pretty jaded not to have a good time watching this one (or any in the series, for that matter).

Movie | Count Yorga, Vampire | Pass

Totally dated look at a vampire in the early 1970s. Still, there were moments. It's a movie for genre fans only.

TV | Stargate SG-1 | Fail

We never made it past the pilot. It was just too hokey for us. Bummer, because it would have been fun to have another long series to watch. It probably gets better, but we'll never know.

Movie | Total Recall | Pass

Lens flare much? Not bad for a remake. Surprisingly, worth a rental.

Movie | Chocolate | Pass

Listened to too much hype about this movie, so it was going to take something really special to meet expectations. Unfortunately, it didn't. The plot was pretty dumb and the first two-thirds of the movie is slow and boring.

But, the martial arts mostly made up for the lame script (the depiction of the hero with "special needs" was downright ridiculous), especially the fight with the chaotic break-dancing fighter (who wears a track suit...a homage to Bruce Lee?) and the last fight scene on the side of a building.

Stick around for the outtakes over the credits where we learn, once again, that you can't make movies like this in the United States.

By the same director behind the Tony Jaa classics (and there are many references to him in this). Worth a rental if you've seen everything else and you're in the mood for a Muay Thai actioner. Otherwise a skipper.

Thanks for the loan, DubS!

Movie | The Lives of Others | Pass

Good but very slow. Also, depressing.

Movie | Bad Ass | Pass

What a straightforward movie. There are no surprises whatsoever, the plot totally predictable. It could easily have been starring Charles Bronson (who is mentioned) and produced in the 80s. Still, the cast is superb and so much fun to watch, it makes it all worth it. Featuring several of the Sons of Anarchy cast as well as several other notable actors, Trejo is simply amazing. He pulls this rather silly script (that does have moments, but even then doesn't really add anything new) along and makes it all worth watching. I'd love to see him get more serious roles that are outside of the usual box he's pigeonholed in. He's a great actor, every bit as good as Bronson and Eastwood. Maybe better!

TV | Frisky Dingo | Pass

I wasn't a huge fan of Archer and Unsupervised, so I began watching this with much trepidation. What bothers me about both of those shows is twofold - the joke delivery pattern and why they are animated in the first place. Frisky Dingo suffers the first of these problems, but somewhat avoids the second with impossible creature characters. Much shorter episodes make the whole thing more likeable and it turned out to be humorous. The jokes wear thin quickly, but this format doesn't let you get sick of it all. The characters are actually interesting (though Xander Crews and Archer are the same - sadly, because they are the most unlikeable).

Turns out third times' the charm. This one is worth your time if you're looking for goofy "Adult Swim" fare.

Thanks for the loan, DubS!

Movie | Safety Not Guaranteed | Pass-ish

Though there were moments, I didn't really like this movie very much. The characters were poorly developed and that was pretty much the whole point of the thing. Yes, there was also the question of whether or not he was crazy, but the movie just made a point of showing that all of the characters had massive emotional and mental problems (especially Jake Johnson's character). N liked it a lot more than I did, but I was disappointed after all the hype.

TV | Dead Boss | Pass

Britcom about a woman wrongly accused of killing her boss...or, is she? Actually quite clever and funny.

TV | Mongrels | Pass

If you loved Meet The Feebles, this is a must see. Puppets can (most often) be horrifically lame, or they can be memorably funny (rarely are they hilarious). Fortunately, this show features the later type.

Cars | Suzuki (USA) | RIP

Sayonara, Suzuki.

TV | Monarch of the Glen | PASS

For the second time, we watched the entire series. Despite some minor inconsistencies, this is an utterly charming television show and an absolute must see!

Movie | Dark Shadows | Pass

Good, wholesome, creepy-comedy fun! A winner!

Movie | Silent Hill | Pass

Somebody (I forget who) recommended this to me a long time ago and I finally got around to watching it. I quit watching after the first half hour. It was just plain bad - who cares what was going on and what happens to the characters? Not me.

Then I started thinking how much fun it was to watch Laurie Holden (The Walking Dead) channel Robert Patrick's T-1000 character. I also read more about it online. I knew this was based on a video game (to which this movie is basically a love letter) and so many games these days are basically movies anyway. After all that, I got a bit more intrigued. So, what did I think...?

I'm not surprised most critics and viewers panned it. The plot unfolds like a video game...in other words, poorly, with seemingly disjointed discoveries and scenes that go on too long. But, if you know how it's going to play, that helps and you don't end up trying to fit it into the typical movie plot pacing.

But, the whole thing was actually kind of interesting. Enough that I'm mildly curious about the sequel. It's actually rather inventive and reminded me a bit of the books and movies by Clive Barker with obvious connections to Japanese horror, too. If you're looking for a gory horror movie that doesn't fit the mold, this one might be your bucket of blood.

TV | Mash Up | Pass

Good, often brilliant, sketch comedy that reenacts various standup comedians' monologues.

Movie | Scott Pilgrim vs the world | Fail

Tries so very hard...but is dumb as a rock. If you enjoy today's MTV, then you might like it. If you think MTV sucks because it has absolutely nothing to do with music any more and should be taken off the air, then you'll hate this movie. Michael Cera plays, once again, the same role he always does. It's tired, so very, very tired.

Movie | Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter | Pass

After the tragically bad Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, I was less interested in seeing this. Turned out to be very entertaining! The fun cast includes Jimmi Simpson (Breakout Kings), Robin McLeavy (Hell on Wheels) and Alan Tudyk (Firefly)...who is uncredited!?!

Well worth a rental.

Movie | Sound of Noise | PASS

Swedish absurdist musical crime comedy about a tone-deaf cop tracking a bunch of anarchist drummers who will stop at nothing to create their outlandish compositions. Very creative and I loved it. If you're looking for something different, this is it!

Movie | Skyfall | PAss

First and foremost, this is a very good action movie.

But, is it a good Bond movie? That's not really the right question. Is another Bond movie relevant? Does the character have anything left to give?

And that's the brilliance of this movie - it's all about whether or not Bond is still relevant (and, thus, is the franchise still relevant). This movie is. Whether that means yet another flick is worth producing remains to be seen (probably not - they won't stop until the last dollar is squeezed out).

I've heard from several sources that this is the best Bond movie ever. Or, even more ludicrously, that this is the second best. I think that's silly and I don't think most folks making those claims have really watched the entire series. Of the two dozen movies (up to this point in time), Dr. No is the best. It was the first, introduced the character and starred the actor that all Bonds are compared to. I'm not going to even get into which movie is the second best.

Action fan? This is a must see.

Bond fan? This is a must see.

Casual movie goer? You could probably skip this one, believe it or not. To you, this is just a another genre addition with a whole 'lotta big explosions. There's certainly not anything particularly new or innovative here. How could there be?

Movie | Prometheus | PAss

I rather enjoyed this throwback to the origin of the franchise (with a big helping of 2001 thrown in and a review of the character Sigourney Weaver made famous).

I'm not surprised that a lot people weren't thrilled with it. That only proves that they had no true appreciation for Alien. If you did, then this is an absolute must see. This is not an action flick (though there is plenty here) - it's a scifi horror. 

Good choice in cast. I was nervous to see that Charlize Theron was in it. Not that she's a bad actor, it's just that she is massively over-exposed. Fortunately, her role is small and she plays it low-key. The standout here was Michael Fassbender...who is now starting to be over-exposed...uh oh.

Looking forward to the sequel.

TV | Last Resort | PASS

I liked this show a lot. The first two episodes were just like Red October - plenty of undersea tension and action. Then, the plot changes dramatically and there are even more twists. This was a really good show, but it took an attentive audience, which people nowadays are not. And, like all good shows, it's been cancelled. Watching Andre Brahgher weave his magic was worth the price of admission alone. Bummer, it would have been interesting to see where they took it.

TV | Copper | Pass-ish

At its worst, this is a period drama. At best, its an interesting and violent depiction of 1800s policework. Unfortunately, I found more of the first and less of the second, which made me yawn, and I ultimately couldn't connect with it. I was hoping this would be another Hell on Wheels, but it wasn't. I think if the plot had more interesting twists to it, I would have watched more than the first three episodes. The filming bothered me - intentionally blurry, which made it unrealistic for me.

Movie | Resurrect Dead | PASS

Spooky, eerie and haunting documentary about the search for the source of mysterious tiles that appear imbedded into streets containing cryptic messages. I can't say more than that about it. JUST SEE IT! This is a must see.

I loved everything about it, especially how Philly is featured as a (not so) silent character.

Thanks for the recommendation, JSwan!

toynbee idea
in movie 2001
resurrect dead
on planet jupiter 

Movie | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | PASS

A killer cast, fun premise, expertly done - delightful!

Movie | New World Order | Pass

Documentary that, uh, documents a bunch of conspiracy theorists working themselves into a tizzy. You'll get exactly what you were expecting with this film, too.

Movie | Like Water | Pass

Documentary focusing on MMA fighter Anderson Silva. I hate to say it, but it was a bit boring. If you're a fan of his, there won't be anything new here for you and the film itself was not all that compelling. It's hard to bring out the elements of hardship when you're talking about such a successful athlete. That always smacks of marketing BS to me. Still, it certainly wasn't a bad film.

Movie | Headhunters | PASS

Superb Norwegian thriller about an art thief that feels that he must steal to maintain his lavish lifestyle. What will go wrong, does. Majorly.

Everything about this film is absolutely top notch. Very adult and the violence is surprisingly vivid. You've been warned and I hated the scene with the dog. Can't stand animal cruelty, no matter what.

A must see for thriller genre fans and a definite keeper!

Movie | Riki-Oh | Pass

For genre (super gory martial arts movies) fans, this is a PASS. It has got to be the king of all gross-out kung fu flicks. The plot, acting and production are nothing to write home about, but this thing is so over the top that it becomes something special. Do not eat while watching this movie.

Movie | We Are Legion | PAss

Very interesting documentary on the group of hackers known as Anonymous and their various splinter groups. I'm certainly glad people like this are out there protecting free speech and the freedom of information, but most of the subjects interviewed are extremely self-important. Maybe they're not in real life, but it's so extreme that it made me wonder if they were actually real people. Regardless, this is a must-see movie for anybody concerned with such matters or are at all interested in what's going on around them in the world.

Cars | Cadillac CTS-V Wagon | PASS

Awesome! 556 hp and I want one. But don't blink - it will surely be out of production, uh, yesterday...

Movie | Eight Legged Freaks | Pass

Fun monster homage featuring a notable cast, that doesn't take itself too seriously.

TV | Revolution | Fail

I can't quite put my finger on why I don't like this series. The acting is good, but the show seems miscast. The cinematography is fine, but it seems false at the same time. The premise seems promising enough, yet it's boring as all get out. Ack! All I know is that it doesn't work for me...

TV | Mockingbird Lane | PASS

Super fun one hour television special that reboots The Munsters. From the same crew that brought us the awesome Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies. A must see for Halloween!

I wish they'd make it into a series.

Movie | Rare Exports | PASS

Thanks for the recommendation, DubS!

This is a super fun foreign film revolving around the premise that Santa is really an evil monster who has been lying dormant inside a mad-made mountain. It's an adult movie that really isn't very gory, but has horror overtones mixed with a dash of humor.

There were two short movies made that established the plot. Sorry about the subtitles - I couldn't find them on Youtube without. A definite PASS!

Warning: I highly recommend that you watch the movie before you watch these two shorts!

Movie | Exit Humanity | Pass

Surprisingly decent. But it's for zombie and/or apocalypse genre fans only, really.

Movie | Put Up Your Dux | PASS

For a lot of the martial arts world, the movie Bloodsport was and continues to be a touchstone. Years after it came out (and made Jean-Claude Van Damme a household name), word started circulating that the man behind the film, a martial artist named Frank Dux, was not being entirely forthcoming in the truth behind his stories. This was mainly due to an inflammatory article in the LA Times.

Non-martial artists will find this an interesting picture, too. Did this man's ego run amok and create all of the problems he experiences to this very day? If so, at what point is he forgiven his relatively minor infractions? Also, does hearsay equal gospel? Just because somebody says something about someone that can't be proven one way or another by the accused party, does that make it right and truthful? Is it fair to completely dismiss a person and their life because their self-importance might have gotten away from them? That's a really tricky maze to navigate...

Though there is no mention of it, the size of the muscles on Dux and Van Damme a number of years ago makes me wonder if steroids weren't involved. At that time period, they certainly were at their heyday (the 'roids). This might have been a factor in personality and business dealings...but I have no proof of any such use. Still...

As usual, the truth is stranger than fiction and this documentary about Dux (who some say is the true grandfather of MMA) won't necessarily answer any questions. Is there a witch hunt against the man or is everything he's put forth the absolute truth? We'll probably never know. But, it's a fascinating watch and a must see!

TV | Hell On Wheels | PASS

What in tarnation?!@#$%!@#$%? I thought I'd already added this to my blog, but apparently not. I can't find it anywhere. Must have forgotten.

This is a really good show about characters involved in building a railroad. That certainly sounds like a boring premise, but it's not in this show. Everything is top notch about this show, especially the writing.

The first season was really good, lots of interesting twists and turns and great character development.

The second season takes the characters and completely flips them upside down. Strong, dominant characters are now weak and submissive and the opposite is true of the wimpy ones. That takes some mighty fine writing to pull off and they do it masterfully.

Best role for Common, hands down. It looks like he's been working hard on his acting and it definitely shows. The rest of the cast is just fantastic.

Highly violent (but in a realistic, "That's the way it was" sort of way) and very adult. A must see, in my book.

"When logic isn't on your side, resort to the profane." - Lilly Bell

Movie | Colombiana | PASS

You know I have to see any movie with Luc Besson's name attached to it. Let's see if this one is any good....

...it was awesome and I loved it! Basically a reworking of La Femme Nikita, that's no bad thing. A must see for genre fans.

And I loved all of the Parkour!

Movie | Iron Sky | Pass

Nazis on the dark side of the moon?

I've been waiting for this for a long time. Will it be any good? I'll find out shortly! I already love the soundtrack.

...So how was it? If you're a fan of fantastical action movies like Hellboy, you're going to love this flick. Tons of fun, some really hilarious bits and an underscore of seriousness.

Definitely worth a rental. Make it a double with a similar movie. Lockout, for example.

TV | Major Crimes | Pass

An excellent continuation of The Closer, this time more focused on the team. That is a really, really good thing because this is a great cast. The first season was well worth watching and let's hope the second is just as good.

Transport | Paper Bicycle | PASS

A $20 bicycle built for the masses made of cardboard? Awesome!

http://news.yahoo.com/cardboard-bicycle-change-world-says-israeli-inventor-090732689.html

Movie | Jiro Dreams of Sushi | PASS

Just gorgeous and amazing in the simplicity of it all.

A life worth living can be extremely difficult and 85 year old sushi master Jiro Ono is living proof.

This film also had great correlation with martial arts practice and lifestyle. Martial arts instructors don't get a lot of support as people and professionals and sometimes it can be a rather painful (in many ways) existence. This documentary will ring many bells and help you continue to walk the path.

A must see!