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A Beautiful Mind Steve Gadd   DVD at home   22 August 2002 Now we know why Mr. Crowe was expecting that Oscar. Great portrayal of the life of a disturbed genius.

A Beautiful Mind Mike Gadd   borrowed video   05 March 2004 A most enjoyable story. Finely acted as well.

A Christmas Story Julie Gephart   DVD   24 December 2003 I love this movie like nobody's business. It's one long laugh from start to finish.

A Dirty Shame Tony Pisarenkov   Cineplex Odeon Dupont Circle, Washington, DC   08 October 2004 I gotta give it to Waters -- the sheer imagination required to come up with this stuff is worthy of respect.

A Free Soul (1931 B&W) A Bennett   VHS Hollywood Video Rental   24 January 2003 Clark Gable and Leslie Howard lock horns nearly a decade prior to playing (can I say 'rivals'?) rivals in Gone with the Wind. This film, standing on the cusp of silent films becoming talkies, showcases the scenery-eating oft found in the former. Humorous when watched in a group. If watched alone, a bit of a head scratcher.

A History of Violence Steve Gadd   Countryside Megaplex   07 October 2005 Don't listen to an artsy director when he says he's sold out. True, this movie has the typical Hollywood fistfights and revenge killings, but without the one-liners to sanitize them. When a high school bully gets the drubbing he's due, the next conversation is about assault charges. And every time a baddie gets capped, the camera lolls over the gore as if to say "You want violence? Okay, sicko, here's a sticky mess of it!" No, as has been said before, we're just looking for cheap thrills in our thrillers, we don't want to be convinced that we're actually seeing people die.

A Knight's Tale Julie Gephart   Mysteriously free HBO   11 March 2003 Horses, fighting, dancing - what could be better? Only a movie featuring TV's Best Husband Wash and, as my boss insisted much to my amusement, "Lisa Bonet."

A Man and a Woman Tony Pisarenkov   DVD at home   15 November 2003 Although to contemporary viewers it does look like a long music video at times, for me this is *the* way to do romance, and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this film. Beautiful in every respect, and for its time (1964) -- very innovative.

A Man Called Horse (1970) A Bennett   TiVo'd off TV   08 May 2003 For every Silken Savage (see Book List) there ought to be a Man Called Horse. Okay, maybe I take that back. My dad used to love this movie and watched it whenever it was on. Somewhere between an attempted study of the psychology and sociology of the Sioux, and a really sunny post-Godspell drug trip, after watching this from TV I was sure that it had been heavily edited, hence the almost reverential lack of story arc. After looking it up in the Golden Retreviers Movie Guide (three bones!), and learning it only ever ran 114 minutes, I'm at a bit of a loss. Also, it is apparently famed for its depiction of torture scenes (let's no muse on what this may or may not say about my dad), as well as its depiction of the life of the Sioux. Richard Harris (whom I love) plays a British lord, kidnapped by the Sioux and made their slave (or, 'horse' as they call him). After quite a long time--during which he still manages to not quite learn their language (not that anyone is teaching him)--he finds himself in a situation to do a great favor to his captors, which he does, and counts his coup (though it seems to turn his stomach even as he is doing it). As a result, he is allowed to undergo the "Vow of the Sun," which I will not elaborate on here except to say that it involves some more torture--but, when it's all over, they do give him the woman of his choice (so hey, I guess he wins?!?). Told with minimal English dialogue (whole quarters of an hour pass without any) and no subtitles, viewers are forced into the position of the main character, having to draw their own conclusions about the Sioux without the benefit of spoken communication. And while the film probably is important for what it shows and the lack of sentimentality with which it shows it, the less-violent side of Sioux culture (such as daily tasks within the tribe, social rituals, work, etx) is all but ignored. There are two more films in this series, which also, I forgot to say, showcases an awful lot of skin--and not just in Richard Harris--who runs about quite bare for quite an awfully long time, sporting the closest thing to a six-pack they probably had in the 1960s when the film was made.

A MidSummer Night's Dream (1999) A Bennett   owned VHS   02 February 2003 Beautiful scenery. Beautiful soundtrack, and (this is going to sound quite silly) pitch perfectness where fairies and their magical world are concerned. [If you allow yourself, it can be] Like slipping into a perfect, operatic dream. Kevin Kline should = major award. *sigh* A two-hour vacation to sun-drenched Italy-that-never-was (and I will _always_ be up for that). Rupert Everett--you are, and will always be my muse. And Sam Rockwell? You bring down the house, even dressed as (possibly) the world's ugliest woman.

A Mighty Wind Kristin Schrock   Landmark Theater--Chicago   19 April 2003 Although not as good as Best In Show, it does have some very funny moments. It's probably not worth going to see in a theatre, but it's always a treat to see so many funny people together, obviously enjoying what they're doing. And, although they poke fun at folk music, the music isn't all that bad. I was also happy to see Nasedo of "Roswell" make a brief appearance.

A Mighty Wind Tony Pisarenkov   AMC Desert Ridge, Paradise Valley, AZ   25 May 2003 Chrisopher Guest lays it on a little thick in this one, but still very much in his element. If you enjoyed any of his previous films ("This Is Spinal Tap," "Waiting for Guffman" or "Best in Show"), this is a must-see.

A Scanner Darkly Steven Krise   You Need To Ask?   28 September 2007 Freck: That sure is some silencer. Barris: Yes, uh, what it did was augment the sound rather than dampen it. But I almost have it. I believe I have it in principle anyway.

A Shark Tale Kristin Schrock   Newport on the Levee (with 2 small children)   22 October 2004 Absolute hackery--a collection of "inside" jokes that I can't imagine would appeal to children (allusions to Jaws, The Godfather, Gladiator, Untouchables). I chuckled a few times at some reggae jellyfish, but that was it. Even the animation failed to delight. Blah.

A Very Long Engagement Steve Gadd   DVD   02 September 2005 A surprisingly demanding fairy tale about a lover lost, by all accounts, in the French trenches.

Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story Steve Gadd   E-Street Cinema   01 December 2006 This documentary about Japanese citizens kidnapped into North Korea has come a long way since we saw a rough cut in the directors' home last year.

About Schmidt Kristin Schrock   Theatre   26 January 2003 Because this was done by the Election guy, I was hoping it would be funnier. Schmidt has retired and sort of realizes that he's been a failure at life. I'm always going to be a fan of those kinds of movies. And I was happy to see the Mayor from Buffy make an appearance, even though he was not evil. Although it did take him a long time to get some beer. Hmmm.

About Schmidt Steve Gadd   Reston Town Center   08 February 2003 Jack Nicholson (who has been on the Brando Diet, by the look of things) tries to deal with the world's lack of need for him after his retirement. Middle America co-stars, with big Nebraska skies, motor homes, and corny roadside attractions. Without Jack it could have been dull, but he turns in a great performance.

About Schmidt Ray Hunley   DVD   15 June 2003 Didn't Sally Struthers star in the original? The best part of the film was the first minute and a half: Schmidt dutifully waits out the final seconds of his last day before retirement, looking stoicly up at the clock among the remnants of his career, boxed up and carefully labeled. After that it was "Warren R. Everyman has some mildly interesting experiences and finds a piddling redemption from an utterly expected source". The characters were somehow spot-on realistic and hackneyed at the same time. I found it hard to care about any of them. Good acting, nice looking film, BFD.

Adam's Rib Julie Gephart   Canadian cable, eh   16 May 2004 Hebpurn and Tracy are lawyers debating that age old question, “If your husband is a cheater and a beater, should you really have to go to jail for shooting off his ear?”

Adaptation Kristin Schrock   Theatre   02 February 2003 Remember, 'member when Nicolas Cage was an actor? Yeah, those were good times. This movie will make you weep for the Con Airs and the Rocks that he wasted himself on. Not as good as Being John Malkovich, but an entertaining and sometimes wrenching movie about writing a movie about writing a movie and so on. Its Meta-ness will sort of make your head spin. It has a strange third act that merits discussion, though.

Adaptation Ray Hunley   DVD   02 September 2003 We open on Hunley logging on to Gadd's movie page... Nice performances from Nicolas Cage, Chris Cooper and Brian Cox, a couple good one-liners, and self-referential gimmickry, and that's about it. Try Mamet's "Things Change" or read some Hofstadter instead.

Adaptation Mike Gadd   dvd rental   06 October 2003 I couldn't have enjoyed this movie any more. It picks up in the middle of the best scene from "Being John Malkovich" and continues with a nice mix of 'meta-ness' as Kristen puts it. Excellent camera work and too-lifelike car accidents. I tried explaining to a friend how the movie went and got lost in my story. Certainly not for everyone.

After the Wedding Steve Gadd   DVD   12 November 2009 Our first Netflick.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God Tony Pisarenkov   DVD at home   22 October 2005 The film that started the Herzog-Kinski collaboration. Rough around the edges, to be sure, but still well worth seeing.

Alien Vs. Predator. Ray Hunley   Comcast On Demand   13 November 2005 Thought I'd get all the crap movies out of the way this weekend. Wasn't as bad as I expected, though it was still pretty bad.

All About My Mother Steve Gadd   DVD   07 August 2005 We bailed out of "Clerks," the last recommendation I will trust from Yahoo, after 20 minutes. What's the matter with you internet people, rating this flimsy stuff so highly? Going from that affected, black-and-white, home video style non-acting to Almodóvar's wonderfully colorful scenes and characters was quite refreshing.

Amazons and Gladiators Julie Gephart   Basic cable   04 January 2004 On a scale of 1 to10, I’d have to rate this… THE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE. Only the subject matter of oppressed peoples rebelling against Rome was enough to drag me in. By the end I was literally rolling from side to side on the couch, just trying to escape the pain of the remaining dialogue. IMDb informs me that the lead Amazon has played roles in the past ranging from “Fantasy Girl” to “Pretty Girl” to “Sorority Girl” to “Bikini Girl” until she reached her proudest role, “Alien Jumpsuit Chick #2.”

Amelie Steven Krise   My Basement on IFC   16 January 2007 Kind of an absurd, French Allie McBeal. And, yes, the narration was annoying.

Amélie Tony Pisarenkov   DVD chez Stacy   31 May 2003 Unexpectedly great film. Funny, sad, touching, intelligent and gorgeous all at the same time. One of the very rare films where you actually wish for a happy ending, and when it comes, it works beautifully.

Amélie Steve Gadd   DVD   22 January 2005 A perfect little piece of moviemaking. C'est drôle, la vie.

Amélie Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   26 November 2006 This movie was a huge steaming pile. -1 for using a narrator, -1 for stupid, cutesy effects (Amélie melting into a puddle in shame/disappointment, using a "telestrator" to highlight, e.g., a key dropped in Amélie's pocket, etc.) -1 for breaking the 4th wall, -1 for glorifying meddling in other peoples' lives, -1 for the ridiculous, cliched device of using the girl in the painting as a conversational surrogate for Amélie, -1 for Amélie falling instantly for some dork scrounging around under a photo machine, -1 for the sophomoric "X likes/X doesn't like" character introduction device, -1 for being French, -1 for being smarmy crap, +3 for Audrey Tautou.

American Gangster Steve Gadd   DVD   30 March 2008 Good cop, bad guy.

American Hardcore Tony Pisarenkov   Landmark E Street Theatre, Washington, DC   29 October 2006 An honest attempt to look at the early eighties hardcore punk scene, marred by a lack of good footage, a lack of narrative continuity and, ultimately, the fact that the music itself was so bad that no filmmaker could probably redeem it.

American History X Steve Gadd   DVD   02 February 2005 Edward Norton is an angry young man.

American Movie Jaqi Ross   Hollywood video rental   10 October 2004 Revisiting the favorites - On the northwest side of Milwaukee, Mark Borchardt dreams the American dream: for him, it's making movies. Using relatives, local theater talent, slacker friends, his Mastercard, and $3,000 from his Uncle Bill, Mark strives over three years to finish "Covan," a short horror film. His own personal demons (alcohol, gambling, a dysfunctional family) plague him, but he desperately wants to overcome self-doubt and avoid failure. In moments of reflection, Mark sees his story as quintessentially American, and its the nature and nuance of his dream that this film explores.

American Psycho Steve Gadd   DVD   24 January 2006 Christian Bale looked a lot healthier before his self-imposed starvation for "The Machinist." Here he plays a Wall Street big shot with an unfortunate taste for blood. We're not sure how much we got the old Unreliable Narrator treatment.

American Psycho Steven Krise   My Basement, NetFlix   25 December 2006 Oh my god. It even has a watermark.

American Splendor Kristin Schrock   DVD   27 March 2004 This was an interesting "bio" pic about an undergroud comic book writer, Harvey Pekar. Interesting in that it has meta elements, wherein Pekar narrated aspects, appeared on film intermitently, and commented on the action. From the movie, it seems that his comic books are very similar. Also, I love me some Hope Davis who plays his wife.

An Affair to Remember A Bennett   VHS @ Tonya's House   20 December 2002 Melodrama? What melodrama? Give it up--she's a *cripple* for Pete's sake. That's why she can't let Cary Grant love her, for all that he waited until midnight in the rain atop the Empire State Building. A sort of overly sentimentalized story about fidelity, though its level of schmaltz is nothing to "Somewhere in Time."

An Engineer's Assistant Jaqi Ross   National Gallery of Art   21 February 2004 In the early 1960s, following a train crash, the National Railroad Company in Japan commissioned the distinguished documentary filmmaker Noriaki Tuschimoto to do a short promotion for a new safety device. The film he finally shot, however, is a paean to an engineer's assistant working an obsolete steam locomotive on the same track.

An Ideal Husband A Bennett   owned VHS - 2003 Jeremy Northam Film Festival   17 February 2003 A film so perfect in its perfection it makes one almost unable to keep from quipping at its 'ideal' status. Rupert Everett proves himself worthy far above others to utter Oscar Wilde's words, and deserving every bit of his own self-worship (as well as that of Minnie Driver's). In fact, one could make a case that the film in its entirety is little more than a love letter to his character (each other character, after all, without exception, is, in their own way, in love with him). Jeremy Northam takes second chair, though he does get his own love scene with Cate Blanchett. His lip is crawling with mustache, though--save in one brief flashback sequence. Still, he manages to perform worthily despite the burden of such facial hair.

An Ideal Husband A Bennett   Owned DVD   28 March 2004 The razor sharp wit of this play-to-film earns it the classification of comedy, though the heart of the story is directed to play as dire. Sort of the most perfect Wilde adaptation to film I may have seen. A pleasure to watch, a delight to listen to characters whose very speech is play. A perennial favorite and frequent re-watch of mine.

An Injury to One Jaqi Ross   National Gallery of Art, D.C.   21 February 2004 Perhaps my all-time favorite documentary. The Montana town of Butte and its celebrated struggle with the Anaconda Copper Mining Company provide the focus for Travis Wilkerson's beautifully-crafted, experimental documentary. Zeroing in on its assertions with sly agitprop style, An Injury to One rises above one-dimensional origins to become a consummate example of nonfiction filmmaking and, affirms historian John Gianvito, "a work of formal precision and acrid beauty".

Analyze That Steve Gadd   DVD   15 May 2003 Lame followup leaves one thankful that there are no more demonstrative pronouns.

Analyze This Steve Gadd   DVD at home   27 August 2002 Well-written comedy about a gangster getting in touch with his sensitive side.

Anatomy of a Murder Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   29 March 2005 Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick and George C. Scott make this an essential entry in the courtroom drama canon. All the achetypical elements are here: the wisecracking judge; the poor but noble defense attorney; his drunken, elderly assistant; the slick big-city prosecutor; the defendant's hot, hot wife.

Angel and the Badman Julie Gephart   Basic cable   27 June 2003 Two John Wayne movies now, and two fairly pleasant viewing experiences. I guess I’ve been missing out on an important piece of culture all of these years. I nearly didn’t make it past the third minute of this movie, where I spent almost ten minutes rewinding and laughing and rewinding and laughing at the most hilariously ridiculous character introduction I have ever seen. I can't even capture it in words.

Anger Management Steve Gadd   Reston Town Center   05 May 2003 Jack Nicholson brings some much needed Jack Nicholson into this Adam Sandler comedy. I do think Adam Sandler is funny, I just don't think his movies are much better than the condensed previews of them.

Anna Karenina (1997) Julie Gephart   Basic cable   15 March 2003 One thing you probably didn't know about this classic story is that all the Russians talked to each other in English, some with French accents. Blah blah obsessive love at first sight for no apparent reason, hail the goodness of nature, big dresses, etc. Sophie Marceau has some rather arresting eyes.

Apartment Zero Steven Krise   Netflix   21 November 2007 An odd couple (the slick coke using salesman from Die Hard and a very young Mr Darcy) come to accept murder as transformation.

Arabesque Julie Gephart   Basic cable   04 July 2003 Overly witty spy thriller brought back pleasant memories of the old Mission Impossible TV series. Tip: If you’re ever a spy looking for a place to hide, try Sophia Loren’s shower. You won’t be sorry.

Ararat Steve Gadd   DVD   26 July 2005 A colorful, layered issue film, in some ways subtle and in some ways not subtle enough, which aims to draw attention to the Armenian Genocide. The bitter pill is delivered not with an onslaught of historical evidence, but by portraying a fictional director trying to make a Hollywood-style dramatization of the events. The film-within-the-film format allows the characters to question their own motivations and the liberties taken with their history.

Arch of Triumph (1948) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC a.m.   02 March 2004 A German refugee in Paris comes into contact with the Nazi who tortured him and killed his compatriots. Herr Nazi does not recognize Herr Refugee. A love plot involving Ingrid Bergman is dropped in the middle of Herr Refugee's revenge scenario, complicating things, and ultimately Herr Refugee does kill his tormentor, but unwittingly at the cost of Bergman's life. Herr Refugee is left in the final shot about to be arrested, having just lost his love, and (in an oddly satisfying conclusion) making a plan to meet his fellow refugee, the Colonel, at Fouquet's once the war is over, even as they discuss their transportation to the camps. Charles Boyer (as Herr Refugee) gives a surprisingly-for-the-times nuanced performance, entirely devoid of histrionics. (These, it must be assumed, were left to Bergman, who more than delivered.)

Aristocrats Steven Krise   My basement   05 August 2006 "...here's the kicker: Grandma's dead."

Atonement Steve Gadd   Cinema Arts Theatre   14 December 2007

Attila (TV) Julie Gephart   Basic cable   26 October 2003 I don’t care if it was historically accurate – any movie that gives me a chance to raise my sword and shout “TAKE THE VILLAGE!” is a winner in my book. Add a very attractive cast, bloody swordfights, and a Borg queen ruling Rome, and it’s an instant classic, well worth the four hour time investment. One pet peeve: why is it that eyes seem to be invisible to casting directors? A child with dark brown eyes is just not going to grow up into a man with light blue eyes, no matter how much you ask me to believe they’re the same person. Plus, a blue-eyed Hun? Ok, pet peeve over. TAKE THE VILLAGE!

Austin Powers III Mike Gadd   dvd at home   30 March 2003 They still have a formula that has it's moments. I was near tears at times. The sight gags don't do much for me but I loved the more low key humor. I'm amazed this came out with a PG-13 rating. This would have been an R 10 years ago, but times are changing. I even heard the s-word on the USA network last night.

Aviator Tony Pisarenkov   The Uptown Theatre, Washington, DC   04 February 2005 Impressive all around. If someone tells you that DiCaprio can act, they are not lying.