I have finally recovered....

from the disaster that was The Happening. On to some new reviews. From best to worst:



Walk The Line (2005)
Directed By: James Mangold
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon
#19 on my All-Time list



Acting: 9
Cinematography: 9
Plot: 9
Experience: 9

Overall: 9

Reese Witherspoon puts on her best performance (BY FAR) to date and Joaquin Phoenix does really well. I had waited a while to see this movie and it definitely lived up to all the hype and prestige. An absolute must see no matter your music preference.




The Sting (1973)
Directed By: George Roy Hill
Starring: Robert Redford, Paul Newman
#62 on my All-Time list



Acting: 9
Cinematography: 7.5
Plot: 9
Experience: 8.5

Overall: 8.5

I was not a big fan of the cut scenes or the rest of the cinematography, but this movie is a solid crime caper. Robert Redford and Paul Newman are great and I had a hunch how it would end, but I definitely wasn't certain at any point.




Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail (1975)
Directed By: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
Starring: Monty Python group
#92 on my All Time list


Acting: 9.5
Cinematography: 7
Plot: 8
Experience: 8.5

Overall: 8.25

A re-watched favorite and a movie that you either like or hate. There really is no room for middle ground. This is Monty Python at its finest (or worst depending on your view). Take into consideration that they had a budget of about $200,000 which kept them from renting horses or learning how to ride, hence the coconut assisted followers and the script for this is really top notch. I knock the cinematography on the grounds that I really don't care for the cartoon cut scenes that are a MP staple.




The Truman Show (1998)
Directed By: Peter Weir
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney
#99 on my All-Time list



Acting: 7.5
Cinematography: 8
Plot: 9
Experience: 8

Overall: 8.125




The 25th Hour (2002)
Directed By: Spike Lee
Starring: Edward Norton, Rosario Dawson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman




Acting: 8
Cinematography: 7.5
Plot: 7.5
Experience: 7.5

Overall: 7.625

Another solid performance from Edward Norton with solid help from Rosario Dawson.




Miller's Crossing (1990)
Directed By: The Coen Brothers
Starring: Albert Finney, Gabriel Byrne, John Turturro, Marcia Gay Harden




Acting: 8
Cinematography: 6.5
Plot: 7
Experience: 7.5

Overall: 7.25

Would have rated much higher if it weren't for the horrendous score. There were many times that the movie leaned towards ominous, but then this chirpy/bright music would start playing and ruin the mood that they were trying to portray. This is the only Coens' film i have seen where I have had that complaint. Still worth watching and Gabriel Byrne's second best film next to The Usual Suspects.



Porky's (1982)
Directed By: Bob Clark
Starring: Kim Cattrall



Acting: 7
Cinematography: 6
Plot: 6.5
Experience: 7

Overall: 6.625

I was surprised for a couple reasons 1) this movie was actually pretty funny and seemed much more realistic than the more modern American Pie series and 2) the lack of nudity. Not that i was looking for that but considering what is essentially mandated for all coming of age movies nowadays this movie keeps it pretty low key with the understanding that in 1982 this was considered risque.




Body Heat (1981)
Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner




Acting: 7
Cinematography: 6.5
Plot: 6.5
Experience: 6.5

Overall: 6.625

Your average movie with predictable storyline. Nothing really that unique.





Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack




Acting: 6
Cinematography: 8.5
Plot: 6
Experience: 6

Overall: 6.625

An absolutely ridiculous story that is basically a reason for Kubrick to showcase Kidman. I understand that there are a lot of strange things that occur in this country that I probably don't know about, but the story was incredibly far-fetched. That said the visuals and cinematography are classic Kubrick and he has yet to disappoint in that category. Everything else is ho-hum and it is strange to see a movie with Kidman and Cruise now.




Virtuosity (1995)
Directed By: Brett Leonard
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe




Acting: 6
Cinematography: 6
Plot: 3
Experience: 5

Overall: 5

Who thought a movie starring these two could be so incredibly bad. The story was probably about 15 years and a good script away from being a decent sci-fi movie, but it just does not work at all. Kelly Lynch has one of the worst performances I have ever seen.



Doom (2005)
Directed By: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Rosamund Pike




Acting: 4
Cinematography: 5.5
Plot: 5
Experience: 5

Overall: 4.875

OK, so I completely expected this to be terrible. That said I didn't expect them to destroy the entire premise for the game. If you don't know the video game Doom was created by ID software and is about a base set on Mars where some experiments lead to the opening of a portal connected to H-ll. Here we get a lab where they are focused on genetic engineering. Totally defeats the purpose. The only redeeming thing is the performance of an under appreciated Rosamund Pike.