Not as clever as it thinks it is, but Downey's sharp sense of humor comes through, and it was clearly something new and interesting at the time. By the time he made "Putney Swope", his wit as a filmmaker was honed to the sharpness of a samurai's katana.

Revolting, ugly, disturbing, etc. Very well directed, implausibly written (but not POORLY written), and deeply unpleasant. I feel completely helpless when watching movies based on Jack Ketchum novels, and "The Woman" is no exception. I can't say I recommend the experience it provides, but it's not a bad film.

Just watch THE WICKER MAN again instead.

Tightly scripted and paced sci-fi, it's like an extended "Twilight Zone" episode, which is the highest compliment.

Graded on the "how dare you remake this classic" curve by blind genre goons. Scott Derrickson put together a proper modern exploration of the same tale, and it was unfairly maligned simply for existing. Moving dramatic moments, fun effects updates, and excellent casting decisions make for an excellent retelling of a classic.

Dunham has gotten backlash for her breakout feature, and I can see why some may find it irritating. But I find that there is an undeniable, painful honesty here that is compelling. It gets lumped in with "mumblecore", but Dunham's film is clearly impeccably scripted and visually planned out, unlike the works of, say, Joe Swanberg, which feel improved. "Tiny Furniture" is a proper film, and Dunham is a proper talent.

CABIN IN THE WOODS goes beyond SCREAM in the meta-horror department, in that it critiques not only horror filmmakers, but horror fans as well. It dares the genre to rip it up and start again. Drew Goddard seems poised to do just that, if he's as bold as this film suggests.

Rafelson attempts to outdo himself by further examining America the way he did in FIVE EASY PIECES, but somehow comes out the other end saying less. Jack Nicholson opens the film with an impressive monologue, but his introverted character is a snoozy presence while he and Bruce Dern's con-man huckster sleepwalk through the Fellini-like setting of a rotting Atlantic City. Boring and full of itself. Looks nice though.

Kurosawa's non-samurai outings seem to get overlooked, this film noir brimming with intrigue and corruption is among his best work, and that's saying a lot. Toshiro Mifune dominates the screen, this time filling a suit and horn-rimmed glasses with his trademark intensity. Watching it in the wake of the corruption that contributed to the Wall Street crash shows this film remains relevant 50 years later.

Good on Criterion for releasing this movie, so that audiences could remember why they forgot it in the first place. A SAFE PLACE is the worst kind of American artsy crap from the late-60s/early-70s, riddled with faux-European pretensions & shallow hippie culture. Not even Welles and Nicholson can save it. Criterion's synopsis describes it as "overlooked," but actually it's a film that was forgotten with good reason.

I love documentaries that chronicle a strange subculture, and while "Chasing Ghosts" covers a lot of the same cultural ground as "King of Kong", it doesn't indulge in the false-narrative schadenfreude that "King of Kong" revels in, even if "King of Kong" is the more entertaining film.

More character driven than the cast of comedians would suggest. It has a premise (birdwatching) that makes it pretty understandable why the film didn't perform at the box office, yet it's quite a pleasant film to sit through, and it takes the hobby it's centered around and wraps it up in male obsession that makes it interesting.

This movie has two characters: Alex Jones and Hipster Alex Jones. It's freshness and innovation for the time is apparent, seems a bit precious through today's goggles.

While I prefer the passionate takes on Jesus from Martin Scorsese and Mel Gibson, Pasolini's take on the Gospel of St Matthew is a beautiful, straightforward telling that captures His teachings with brevity and grace. Enrique Irazoqui's Jesus is more stern and far less tortured than other screen incarnations. The origins of this film are even more fascinating given Pasolini's beliefs and how he came to make this film

Despite its shallow plotting, "Laid to Rest" has a potent atmosphere. It really feels like these characters are trapped in a nocturnal Hell with a crazed killer, as civilized safe-haven is nowhere to be found, even if the lack of contact via phone and internet comes off as ridiculous. The practical effects are a welcome commodity, giving it an old-school slasher feel.

Despite its shallow plotting, "Laid to Rest" has a surprisingly potent atmosphere. It really feels like these characters are trapped in a nocturnal Hell with a crazed killer, as civilized safe-haven is nowhere to be found, even if the lack of contact via phone and internet comes off as ridiculous. The practical effects are a welcome commodity, giving it an old-school slasher feel.

Despite its shallow plotting, "Laid to Rest" has a surprisingly potent atmosphere. It really feels like these characters are trapped in a nocturnal Hell with a crazed killer, as civilized safe-haven is nowhere to be found, even if the lack of contact via phone and internet comes off as ridiculous. The practical effects are a welcome commodity, giving it an old-school slasher feel.

I like how Dark Water is nowhere to be seen on here.

Despite some contrived writing, "21 Jump Street" is a consistently funny action comedy with a few surprises up its sleeve. I used to dislike Channing Tatum, but his performance is genuinely funny, and he has excellent chemistry with Jonah Hill. The direction is occasionally surreal, making it more visually inventive than most comedies, and you gotta love any movie that knocks hippies and "Glee".

"John Carter" is an uneven experience, but hits the sweet spot for escapist fantasy in the places where it counts. The giant vistas depicting an alien landscape populated by crazy creatures make it a movie that gives you bang for your buck on the big screen. The dialogue isn't stiff so much as uninteresting, but Andrew Stanton tells the story with the skill that can only come from working at Pixar.

P-Dubz makes some of the best B-movies out there. Frankly I'd rather watch an action by him than most of the overly-serious shaky-cam bullshit that passes for highbrow action from Hollywood. He keeps it real.

P-Dubz reimagines "The Three Musketeers" as a mix of Shaw Brothers and Final Fantasy, along with a healthy dose of his love of booby-trapped hallways, intricate sets, and his wife (Milla Jovovich) looking hot. Unfairly described as an attempt to be like "Pirates of the Caribbean", "The Three Musketeers" doesn't commit the crime of being as boring as those movies. It's classic literature turned into trashy fun. Dig.

"American Graffiti" set the standard for the nostalgic meaningful night of youth movie, and "Myth of the American Sleepover" comes from the modern indie side of this tradition. Being a film populated by confused, hormonal teenagers, it hits on themes you'd expect it to, but does so in a way that invites adjectives like "understated" and "poignant" and other words you apply to "little independent movies." Recommended.

Clint at his most hyper-masculine, his rugged Arizona sheriff has a culture clash with the drug-crazed hippies of NY, as he seeks to bring one of them into custody. Clint's movies weren't popular with the intelligentsia of the day, as they didn't romanticize hippie culture the way the other movies did. It's rare that the cop who plays by his own rules learns that going by the book is sometimes the way to go like here

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS is the Showa era of Godzilla films at their most fun, the Godzilla films are always at their most enjoyable when they combine goofy B-movie sci-fi and their trademark kaiju action. The shot of Godzilla leading the monsters into battle with Mt. Fuji in the background is one of the most iconic of the series. Poor King Ghidorah never had a chance.

How precious.

One of those movies that is played so consistently out-of-key you can't help but find it fascinating. The acting is ridiculous (everyone knows "that scene," the most embarrassing moment of Ryan O'Neal's professional career), and the dialogue overcooked to the point of insanity. But the unique tone of TOUGH GUYS DON'T DANCE is as intoxicating as straight whiskey. Goes down rough, but it'll get you fucked up.

Eastwood's last outing as Dirty Harry is some goofy-ass fun. Jim Carrey does Axl Rose, Liam Neeson has a sleazy ponytail, Patricia Clarkson sets out to nab her some Clint, Pauline Kael gets her comeuppance for the review she wrote of "Dirty Harry" in the New Yorker, and Harry FINALLY gets to wield a harpoon gun, because that .357 magnum is for pussies anyway. The remote-control carbomb chase is an absurd delight.

Considering what energetic, exciting filmmakers Neveldine/Taylor are, it's a crime that their GHOST RIDER film is boring for the most part. Nifty effects and a characteristically nutball Nic Cage performance are short-changed by a snoozer of a story you've seen a bajillion times. But it's great to see guys like Ciaran Hinds, Christopher Lambert, and Anthony Head in a movie, they don't get enough work.

A standard-issue modern thriller, which doesn't amount to much, especially with all the seizure-cam jerking around and shifting in-and-out of focus. I'll watch Denzel Washington in anything, and kudos to Ryan Reynolds for not making a wisecrack every other line. But it's the same ol' song n' dance. The real bad guys are the corrupt people on the inside, agent on the run, etc. Yawn. Next.