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Facing Windows Steve Gadd   DVD   01 January 2006 I got a disturbing "Lifetime" vibe from this movie, in which all the straight male characters were louts. To be fair, it was quite watchable, with the melodious Italian and beauty of Rome plusses.

Fahrenheit 9/11 Jaqi Ross   Georgetown Loews   26 June 2004 Social commentary more than documentary. I just happen to agree with some of what he says.

Fahrenheit 9/11 Tony Pisarenkov   Some scary place in Fairfax   04 July 2004 Michael Moore has learned how to make films

Fahrenheit 9/11 Steve Gadd   BitTorrent Cinema   18 July 2004 Hard to rate, but certainly entertaining. As propaganda it would be more effective if the director stuck to his strong points, took a consistent position, and gave up empty but amusing rhetorical tactics.

Fantastic Four Kristin Schrock   DVD   19 December 2005 Not much to recommend this superhero movie except that it is probably better than the Hulk and DareDevil (probably). The Human Torch is somewhat appealing and it's always nice to see Horatio Hornblower's Ioan Gruffudd doing ANYTHING (even without his lovely Welsh accent). The movie does make the mistake of putting its charismatic bad guy in a metal mask--because that's what you want to do when you have Julian McMahon, cover him up.

Fantastic Voyage Julie Gephart   Basic cable   23 November 2003 Aside from the sight of Raquel Welch in a wetsuit, this was pretty much an excruciating two-hour version of the two-minute Body Wars ride at Disney World. Sadly, not once did I feel inclined to shout “woo!” and grip the arms of my chair.

Far From Heaven Kristin Schrock   DVD   04 May 2003 Despite being very stylish and outstanding performances by Dennis Quaid, Julianne Moore (when she cries she rips your insides out), and Dennis Haysbert, this movie wasn't as good as I was expecting. Of course, since most people I know billed it as the greatest thing since sliced bread, it was sure to disappoint. Sliced bread rocks!

Fat Girl Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   06 April 2005 Disturbing, somewhat graphic French film about two young sisters' quite divergent introductions to sexuality.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Steven Krise   My basement, on DVD   10 October 2004 Fairly faithful to the book. My favorite scene had to have been the slapstick where Dr Gonzo is trying to get off the carousel bar. Johnny Depp is the only actor who could have pulled off the role of Raoul Duke/HS Thompson.

Fellini's Roma Tony Pisarenkov   DVD   12 January 2003 Visually stunning, highly surreal, grotesque and pyschedelic, and full of Fellini's trademark repulsive specimens of humanity but ultimately relatively shallow. Worth seeing once, but otherwise for Fellini worshippers and completists only.

Female Trouble Tony Pisarenkov   DVD at home   24 June 2006 Vintage John Waters. What less could you want?

Femme Fatale Julie Gephart   DVD   31 March 2003 Le movie is, how you say, sucky. Is much bad actress. Is much confusing plot. Is much fake accent de Francais. Somehow, though, after watching the DVD commentary, I was left with the impression that it was a much better movie, so it gets a 5.

Festival Express Tony Pisarenkov   Loews Dupont Circle, Washington, DC   06 September 2004 A little-known piece of rock-n-roll history, documented but for some mysterious reason not released until now: a chartered train carrying the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, the Band, Buddy Guy, and a handful of lesser acts, to a series of outdoor concerts across Canada in the summer of 1970. A must for fans of the music, but potentially very boring for the rest, although if you have never seen close-up footage of Janis Joplin on stage, you're in for an eye-opening experience.

Fierce Creatures Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   23 March 2005 Younger, dumber sibling of "A Fish Called Wanda". Not worth it.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Julie Gephart   Mysteriously free HBO   13 March 2003 I was completely fascinated by the animation, and that took me a long way, but I hated the story. This movie was the closest thing to reading a science-fiction novel that I've seen, but mystical life forces are not really my thing. By the end, I was just clinging to the tenet "Blue=Good" in lieu of being able to follow the particulars. "Of course the earth's spirit is shooting a giant energy beam into space, because... heck, I don't know, but it's blue! Good beam! Blooo gooood! Happy triumph yay! Please let this be over soon."

Final Verdict Julie Gephart   Basic cable   19 June 2003 The description was "A 1900s lawyer travels with his tomboy daughter." The movie was... unfortunately not. Rather, it was the story of a precociously self-righteous little girl who had what I'd call a psychotic obsession with her father. Not only would she trail him all over town as he attempted to do his job, but when he would try to dislodge the obnoxious little tick, she'd sneak after him anyway, lurking in hallways to spy on his every conversation, the better to ensure that he was meeting her high moral standards. She even got up repeatedly in the middle of the night to check out what he was doing. Dude, there's a word for your kid, and that word is "stalker."

Finding Nemo Mike Gadd   Carmike Cinema (Apple Blossom Mall)   01 June 2003 What a wonderful movie. Pixar knows how to do it right. Imagine a theater packed full of kids pumped full of soda and popcorn remaining perfectly silent through the quiet parts of the film. They wanted to hear what was going on as much as I did. Who knew that under the ocean looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting? Incredible detail and color and amazing fish-like motion. Larger than life characters, all perfectly voiced. We all loved it.

Fitzcarraldo Tony Pisarenkov   DVD chez G&N   19 August 2006 Seeing a film at 2:00 a.m. after a couple of bottles of wine, much less this famously static Herzog/Kinski number, is no way for a respectable person to behave.

Flashdance Julie Gephart   Basic cable   09 October 2003 From the E! True Hollywood Story, I learned that the final casting decision was made by showing audition tapes to a collection of 50 teamsters, gaffers, and other assorted Manly Men from the studio lot. They voted they’d rather sleep with Jennifer Beals than Demi Moore, and that was that. I think of this as proof that Jerry Bruckheimer was Jerry Bruckheimer even before he was Jerry Bruckheimer.

Fled Julie Gephart   Basic cable   11 April 2004 A boring, stupid movie full of Stephen Baldwin’s ugly mug. It gets one point for Laurence Fishburne and Salma Hayek kissing, and one more point for at least attempting an in-joke about Fishburne playing Ike Turner.

Flesh for Frankenstein Tony Pisarenkov   AFI Silver Theatre, Silver Spring, MD   20 October 2006 "To know death, Otto, you have to fuck life... in the gall bladder"

Flic ou Voyou Tony Pisarenkov   DVD chez Pisarenkov the Elder   05 September 2008 On me dit que j'ai vu ce film Ă  l'age de six ans Ă  Moscou, et que mon père m'a fait entrer clandistenement dans le cinema parce que j'etait trop jeune.

Fog of War Tony Pisarenkov   DC Visions, Washington, DC   23 March 2004 A feature-length documentary on wars the US has fought, and more generally the conduct, philosophy, morality and consequences of war, with a long interview with a semi-repentant Robert McNamara as the backbone. Provided little, if any, new information, but Errol Morris's characteristically expert and inspired filmmaking made it powerful.

Follow the River A Bennett   TiVo taped from Hallmark Channel   08 March 2003 She's no Silken Savage...Kidnapped by Indians, your settlement slaughtered, 9-months pregnant with the child of a man you aren't even sure is still alive, courted by a warrior brave, and dragging your 5-year-old son along with you--pretty much anyone standing next to the tough-as-nails Mary Ingalls (no relation) is going to come off whiny and obnoxious. And they do. So, she decides to leave the Indian camp and escape, "follow the river," if you will. I can't decide if this pseudo-survival film makes me want to read the James Alexander Thom book on which it is based or not. However, I would like to know if, in the book, she got her kids back, or if that was just a Hallmark-touch. This may have been based on actual events.

Follow the River Julie Gephart   Basic cable   24 January 2004 It’s not like I am a big fan of savagery, but come on! This was the lamest movie ever. Women get kidnapped by a band of Indians, and… nothing bad happens. They aren’t hurt in any way, and they just go on living peaceful lives in the Shawnee village. When they decide to escape, they just walk away and go home, and nobody chases them. Nothing bad! Ever! Well, I guess Renee O’Conner disappears, but she was a whiny loser anyway.

Fools Rush In Julie Gephart   Mysteriously free HBO   22 February 2003 Another movie a la Greek Wedding in which Rich White Guy learns that he has absolutely no culture of his own and that everything from his background is Wrong and Bad. Since he is a good person, he recognizes this and abandons his lifestyle completely to immerse himself in the wholly Good if sometimes amusing culture of his wife. Now, I know Whitey is evil and repressive of other cultures; really, I do. But this is a marriage. Could there not be even one thing that he brings to the mix? One thing from his life - one hobby, one piece of music, one bit of food - that his wife enjoys and adopts for herself?

For Me and My Gal A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS   04 November 2003 I can't watch very many films with Judy Garland--the sad and uncomfortable truth of her actual life too often interferes, as with obvious signs of her fragile drug-addled health. Not so with this film, in which she shines as bright as the sun, and in which she finds truly electric sparks with costar Gene Kelly. A better film in the first half, prior to the Kaiser and his war invading the storyline.

For Your Consideration Tony Pisarenkov   DVD at the in-laws   25 December 2008 Christopher Guest's send-up of Hollywood. Easy target, but has a wider appeal for it.

Four Brothers Kristin Schrock   Oakley Drive-In   20 August 2005 Disproved my theory that any movie is good at the drive-in. Also, Marky Mark is getting old--it's very depressing. The best part was the previews because they had been spliced in backwards (picture and sound) which made that new Monster-Bat movie look awesome.

Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster Tony Pisarenkov   D.C. Visions, Washington, DC   24 August 2003 I should have had a lot more to drink beforehand.

Free Enterprise Julie Gephart   Basic cable   12 October 2003 I ran across this on live television and somehow got stuck. I watched COMMERCIALS for this, people!

Frenchman's Creek (1944) A Bennett   Owned VHS   14 February 2003 A mis-treated court wife (Joan Fontaine) and a wanted-by-the-law pirate (DeCordova) prove that romantic sighing and semi de-fanged pirates (in the role of dashing lover) can not only make a thoroughly romantic film, but also an exciting one, despite its fantastical approach. Based on the DuMaurier novel of the same name.

Friday Night Lights A Bennett   Whistler's Other Video Store   13 April 2005 A story about losing, with energizingly-shot football sequences, and a homerun, articulate performance by a muted Billy Bob Thornton. Lucas Black WILL be huge.

From Hell Kristin Schrock   DVD   28 October 2002 I fell asleep in the middle. And I watched this during the day. Not as compelling as I expected (hence the falling asleep thing). But I did wake up in time to see who Jack the Ripper was--at least who the movie identifies. I couldn't help thinking how similar Johnny Depp's character was to his rendition of Ichabod Crane and how much more I enjoyed Sleepy Hollow.

From Hell Casey     10 March 2006 This movie was great. The story of Jack the ripper was great and johnny depp was great!!! Def. see this movie

From Here to Eternity A Bennett   Hollywood Video VHS   01 November 2003 The lei has spoken. Deborah Kerr will never return to Hawai'i to again witness how good-looking is one Burt Lancaster in an abbreviated pair of swim trunks. Poor Deborah.

Future War (MST3K version) Tony Pisarenkov   DVD chez C.&S.   03 January 2009 Rating of movie: 1 Rating of MST3K commentary: 8 I forgot how funny those guys could be