I really hope this doctor is significantly different than the previous two. It’s time for a serious overhaul of the persona. I am looking forward to the new TARDIS control room which is supposed to mimic the old school look which I much prefer to the newer theme. I also like the new logo.
OK, long story short, I ended up surfing through some YouTube videos watching several Milla Jovovich clips. It started with this more recent clip on Ferguson. Then I saw these old school Conan clips:
1994:
The musical performance mentioned in the above video:
Her next visit to Conan in 1997:
And for kicks, a sample from her studio album, a Ukranian folk song cover which I love:
It’s interesting how much her interviewing behavior has changed as she’s aged.
10. Extract – R
Many reviews I’ve seen of this film have complained that the characters weren’t developed enough (particularly Kunis’ character), or that the plot is aimless. I don’t see justification for either of these criticisms, as Kunis’ character isn’t really a major character. The story is about Batemen’s character. He’s the protagonist. Everyone else just helps him on his journey, and therein lies the plot. I enjoyed it. I laughed. I have to wonder if the drug use in the film is the reason for the R rating. If so, yet another reason to almost completely ignore the rating process.
09. Pandorum – R
Science-fiction might be my favorite genre, and this year had several strong films within the genre. I’m glad to see that it’s regaining some traction in the industry. Pandorum is yet another examination of humanity, and the affects of space on the oft frail human spirit. Strong performances from the relatively small cast of major characters makes their interaction quite believable, and the story, although not exactly original, is still engaging.
08. Moon – R
Moon is what 2001: A Space Odyssey is supposed to be, but actually enjoyable. Sam Rockwell turns in an outstanding performance as a lone miner on a three year operation on the Moon. His only companion is a Kevin Spacey-voiced robot aid. The movie again examines just how easily humans can fall apart due to extreme conditions.
07. Inglourious Basterds – R
This movie actually deserves its R rating, but the violence is far less pervasive than the trailers or critics would have you believe. There are three scenes of violence that I can think of, and only one made me cringe. The other two were typically stylized ala Tarantino. The trailer also emphasizes the titular group, but the film really focuses on a Jewish resistance fighter in France. As usual for Tarantino, the soundtrack was fantastic. All in all, I really liked it.
06. Up – PG
I’m not big on cartoons or animated features in general, but this film was awesome. It’s quite moving, and a nice story that everyone in the family can enjoy.
05. The Hangover – R
I watched the unrated version, so I can’t really say how the theatrical played out, but the content is far more graphic than Basterds. Lots of language, comedic violence, and nudity galore (factoring in the still shots during the credits). In fact, the stills go beyond traditional nudity in American cinema. The language is part of the joke as Zach Galifianackis’s character avoids course language entirely. There’s also a nice cameo from Mike Tyson. Definitely good for more mature laughs.
04. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – PG-13
This is probably my favorite of the Marvel comic films. It showcases Wolverine and his life prior to the X-Men flicks. It was paced well, and I can’t wait for another sequel.
03. Watchmen – R
Zack Snyder did a fantastic job of adapting the legendary graphic comic to the big screen. The cast was just about perfect, the soundtrack stellar, and despite its length, didn’t seem to drag. My only complaint is that my favorite scene from the book was altered for the movie. I don’t want to specify which, but it involved Rorschach’s back story. I thought the book was an edgier character depiction than was shown in the book, and less violent. Speaking of which, this movie earned its R rating via violence to be sure, but that should be no surprise to anyone that read the books.
02. Zombieland – R
Shaun of the Dead is one of my top five films of all time, and Zombieland follows in that trend of quality, comedic, zombie action. It also has one of the best cameo appearances of all time. I don’t want to say who, nor how, but it was awesome. I don’t think it should be rated R at all. Yeah, it’s violent, but they’re zombies! That’s like saying Tom and Jerry should be rated R because of violence. Ratings = poop.
01. Star Trek – PG-13
I went into watching this film with the understanding that Berman had driven the Star Trek universe into the toilet, and therefore this reboot of sorts couldn’t be any worse no matter what. J. J. Abrams exceeded that low expectation significantly. While not strictly a reboot (which I wouldn’t have appreciated by the way, curse you Battlestar Galactica), Abrams essentially gave his team a clean slate via alternate realities. Therefore those extremely lame Trek fans who hold on to the ship that Berman torpedoed for so many years, have no justification for ANY of their lame complaints. Furthermore, Abrams and crew focused on the most important aspect of the original series: Kirk and Spock’s relationship. Sure, the relationship altered drastically due to the aforementioned alternate reality, but by movie’s end, was much like that developed by Shatner and Nimoy so many years ago. I cannot wait for another film in the series, and would like to see the rest of the bridge crew, superbly cast by the way, fleshed out more in subsequent films. Also, a flyby by R2-D2 needs to be in every film from here on out as it was in this one.
Honorable mention: Inkheart, The Great Buck Howard, Whatever Works, The Boat That Rocked, Invictus, and Observe and Report.
10. (500) Days of Summer – PG-13
I love Zooey Deschanel, like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, thought it was cool to see Geoffrey Arend, and was stoked that Regina Spektor was used for the trailer. You’d think these things would combine to make this movie one of my favorites. Not so. In fairness, I blame this on the trailers for the film. I hated the trailers, and didn’t really want to watch the film as a result. Therefore, I expected to not like the film going in, and that’s pretty much what happened. There are certain things I really liked, and it probably shouldn’t be on this list, but it is.
09. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard – R
If you’ve seen the classic Kurt Russell screwball comedy, Used Cars, then don’t bother watching this. It’s not technically a remake, but it’s essentially a lite version of the same story. There were some laughs, but as a whole, it was mediocre.
08. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies – PG-13
This video release suffers from bad timing mostly. Green Lantern: First Flight was the top of the steadily increasingly quality DC releases. This movie was appreciably less good. The story was the main issue, as the voice cast was top notch. A weak story for a comic book animated adventure will kill you every time.
07. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – PG-13
This picture sums up the strategy for the flick: have Megan Fox show more skin so people don’t notice we don’t really have much more to offer the story. While I appreciate the motivation for that strategy, Fox, as attractive as she is, is not enough to bail this film out. I kind of liked this movie, but all in all it’s basically the same darn thing as the first. It just seemed like a quarter of the film was rehashed junk from the first.
06. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – PG-13
This film makes me sad. Azkaban and Goblet were quality films, but since Yates took over, the series has been progressively worse. Why they stuck with Yates when both Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro both expressed interest, I will never know. The fact that John Williams wanted to return to composing for the series, and that he was DENIED, is completely unthinkable. I hold out no hope for the final films, but I am certain of one thing, Helena Bonham Carter will scream in EVERY SCENE SHE IS IN.
05. Push – PG-13
I can’t remember if i finished watching this movie or not. That’s not a good sign. I do know I saw this scene. I do know I thought the story was convoluted and essentially a rip-off of other science-fiction. Other than that, I can’t remember much. That’s why it’s on this list.
04. Crank 2: High Voltage – R
The first Crank was filthy yes, but had some pretty funny moments. It had a low-class charm about it. The sequel was more of everything except charm. It went so over the top with the absurdity that it became nearly unwatchable. I couldn’t wait for the film to end.
03. Year One – PG-13
Year One was disappointing. I loved the cast and I love Harold Ramis, but nothing seemed to gel right. The whole was far less than the sum of the parts on this one. There wasn’t much of a story, and that became more and more evident as the movie dragged on painfully. What would have been awesome, would have been to make the sequel to History of the World: Part I. That would have been epic as long as Brooks was involved.
02. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – PG-13
What a waste of a hot, hot woman. How can you not let Scarlet shine? That’s the first thing I think of when I consider this film. Then I think, how annoying it is that you can’t tell who anyone is by their appearance except for Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. That was one of the great things about the cartoons and figures, you knew who they were. Apparently, they wanted to make the movie more “realistic” so they decided everyone would be in a standardized uniform. They wanted that realistic, but were fine with the absurd technology that basically made them into human Transformers. Sure.
01. Fanboys – PG-13
I had heard so much of this film as it struggled through the editing process that I KNEW I would love it. Shatner with a cameo in a film about Star Wars. SHATNER! Throw some of my favorites like Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Danny Trejo, Joe Lo Truglio, and Ethan Suplee, with further cameos from Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Will Forte, Craig Robinson, Ray Park, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher, and you’ve got a classic. Well, you should have, but not with this pile of turds. The other two protagonists are woefully bad, and they drag this movie down into the abyss of suckitude. What a misuse of pop culture potential.
Again, I used this handy site, and here are the movies in order of their release:
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Inkheart
Taken
Fanboys
Watchmen
Race to Witch Mountain
I Love You, Man
The Great Buck Howard
Knowing
Monsters vs. Aliens
Observe and Report
Crank 2: High Voltage
State of Play
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Angels & Demons
Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Up
Land of the Lost
The Hangover
Moon
Whatever Works
Year One
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
(500) Days of Summer
Green Lantern: First Flight
Funny People
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
Extract
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Pandorum
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Zombieland
The Boat That Rocked
Invictus
These movies I have seen portions of, but haven’t bothered finishing the movie for one reason or another. I am definitely going to finish 9, but the rest might or might not be viewed:
Chocolate
Push
Battle for Terra
Brüno
9
These are films I still want to see, and a few of these would probably make the top ten had I seen them in time:
Couples Retreat
Disney’s A Christmas Carol
2012
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Road
Especially, if they did stuff like this:
The guy’s a stud. Here’s to hoping he and the rest of the Blues can get a run together.
Also, I love Pang for the color commentary. If only the Blues could get a better play-by-play man.
