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...