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8 1/2 Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   25 September 2005 I was really looking forward to giving this film 0 stars and writing a review slamming dorks who fawn over Fellini because they were told to in film class. It wasn't that bad though - a few interesting scenes, well-filmed, well-acted - particularly Marcello Mastroianni as the charmingly buffoonish Guido,. Yeah, I get it, it's a film about Fellini's frustration at not being able to complete a film; it's a brutally honest self-portrait; it's got SELF-REFERENCE and DREAM SEQUENCES; Fellini loved women, blah freakin' blah. I get it, I just don't care. The insights are as shallow as the characters, and the story is just this side of wearisome, so what's the freakin' point?

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.

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.

Blood Simple Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   24 March 2005 M. Emmet Walsh is, as always, brilliant, but the Coens' best work was ahead of them.

Cape Fear (1962) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   25 June 2005 Continuing the original/remake comparison series. For the first time, I think I have to give the barest of nods to the remake version. Bob Mitchum and Gregory Peck give nothing up to Deniro and Nolte, but Scorsese's direction makes the difference in the 1991 version. The original, the story of ex-con Mitchum seeking revenge on the man who put him away, remains a chilling bit of genius nevertheless.

Coffee and Cigarettes Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   27 June 2005 Stupid people having insipid conversations while acting like idiots. The best thing director Jim Jarmusch ever did remains playing the Frostee Cream Boy in Sling Blade. Or maybe Ghost Dog. Maybe. One bonus point for putting Tom Waits in the cast.

Coogan's Bluff Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   12 November 2005 Clint Eastwood is a lawman from Arizona assigned to bring back a fugitive from New York City. That most of the humor in the film comes from people mistaking his origin as Texas tells you pretty much all you need to know. Lee J. Cobb, at least, should have known to stay away from this stinker.

Criminal Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   10 October 2005 I might have rated it higher if I hadn't already seen the original. John C. Reilly and Diego Luna try to con each other - one of them succeeds.

Dark Blue Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   29 March 2005 About what you'd expect. Forgettable

Dark Days Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   09 October 2005 An interesting, if amateurish, documentary about a group of homeless people living in an abandoned subway tunnel in New York City. Some residents had been there for 15 years or more; it was amazing and touching how they had made the surroundings liveable, if not exactly homey.

Dawn of the Dead (2004) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   04 April 2005 Oy vey. A tragic misstep for the sake of the original/remake comparison series. No more zombie films; I really mean it this time.

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

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

Gangs of New York Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   17 April 2005 Was going to rate it 6, taking off a full point for the abominable accents, but realized that would mean that I rated Van Helsing higher. Aaarhgh, but those accents, though. Daniel Day-Lewis and John C. Reilly are forgiven, the rest - especially DiCaprio and Diaz - can go hang.

Garden State Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   25 March 2005 Disappointing, but not bad. Banal story, but reasonably interesting script.

Get Carter (1971) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   28 March 2005 Second in the remake/original comparison series. Michael Caine plays Jack Carter with far more scoundrelly panache than does Sly Stallone in the remake. Carter's search for his brother's killer casts him alternately in the role of hero and villain, and the end winds up being bleak yet reasonably satisfying. Originals - 2, Remakes - 0

Hotel Rwanda Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   05 May 2005 Uplifting and chilling portrait of a man protecting refugees during the Rwandan genocide.

I, Robot Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   23 September 2005 Not nearly as bad as I expected. Will Smith does a workmanlike job, and the story, while cliched and silly, held my interest pretty well.

Invincible Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   25 July 2005 Real-life strongman Jouko Ahola plays real-life strongman Zishe Breitbart, a Jewish blacksmith who gets recruited to work as a side attraction in Tim Roth's "Palace of the Occult" in Berlin. A modest offering from Werner Herzog.

Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   10 April 2005 English title: The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. Why they changed it from the far cooler Every Man for Himself and God against All, I'll never know. Based on the true story of Kaspar Hauser, a man who one day appeared in the middle of a German village, apparently having been kept locked in a cellar his entire life up to that point.

Kung Fu Hustle Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   14 September 2005 I was going to give it a 7 until I went back and re-listened to what Donut said just before he died. That bit of crazy-random homage was thrown in with the flair and glee of a virtuoso, and elevates the film beyond anything I expected from it. Kung Fu Hustle is a fond, occasionally farcical tribute to the Hong Kong kung fu film industry, and a sweet little story in its own right.

L'Homme du Train Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   04 December 2006 It has come to my attention that various readers of this site have accused me, based on my review of the despicable Amélie, of being a France-bashing, freedom-fry eating neanderthal. As a refutation, I present a French film I greatly enjoyed: Patrice Leconte's The Man on the Train. Although I must admit I have some doubts as to whether it really is French - I mean, nobody surrenders, there's very little cheese eating, and one scene hints as to a character actually using soap. Hah! I kid because I love. Well, love Audrey Tautou at the end of a trail of blue arrows, I mean. But this film was decent as well: a slow-paced, fascinating character study which totally drew me in until the last five minutes or so ruined everything.

Lost in Translation Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   07 January 2005 I was, bizarrely, inspired to write an extensive review of this film - too extensive to post here. Gave it five because I had no clue how to rate it; see extended review for details.

M Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   03 July 2005 Fritz Lang's portrait of a serial killer. Interesting to see how little the portrayal of forensic investigation techniques in film has evolved since 1931. We've gotten much better at scripting endings, though.

Mean Creek Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   24 September 2005 Punks plot prank on porker, problems pop up, punks pule plaintively.

Metropolis (2001) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   08 August 2005 This anime "re-imagining" of Fritz Lang's boring classic involves a young boy and a huge-eyed android girl.

Miller's Crossing Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   01 April 2005 The Coen Brothers' gangland noir. Better than The Ladykillers and The Hudsucker Proxy, worse than Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski.

Monster Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   23 April 2005 Charlize Theron is as good as advertised. Her Wuornos is made a little more sympathetic, I think, than the reality, but what a life to have had to live.

National Treasure Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   27 July 2005 Cage chases clues, chick, cache. Cliched and corny, but not dull.

Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   06 June 2005 Slick con film from Argentina. Gastón Pauls and Ricardo Darín are excellent and I wasn't completely sure until the very end which one was the mark. Remade in English as "Criminal", with John C. Reilly.

North by Northwest Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   04 April 2005 The crop duster; Mt. Rushmore; Eva Marie Saint.

Nowhere to Hide Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   21 September 2005 A buddy cop film from South Korea. Kind of formulaic, but well-made and interesting.

Ocean's Eleven (1960) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   28 March 2005 First in a series of "How does the original compare?" films. O11, the original, is less focused on the details of the heist, and more on the characters and their relationships, than its successor. It won't be mistaken for a masterpiece of characterization, however. The Rat Pack, as usual, basically play themselves (smooth Sammy, goofy Dean, charismatic Frank, etc.). In this version Billy O. does not make off with as big a haul, but he's not saddled with Julia Roberts in the end either, so it's basically a wash.

One Way Out Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   30 March 2005 A cop flick with James Belushi. What in the world was I thinking?

Paths of Glory Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   13 September 2005 Three French soldiers are scapegoated and court-martialed after an ill-advised raid on a German position fails during WWI. Kirk Douglas Plays the colonel trying to save his men from their fate in this Stanley Kubrick effort.

Patton Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   06 June 2005 GCS shows us a passionate and complex GSP as he wreaks havoc on the Axis at the end of WWII.

Primer Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   23 August 2005 Huh?

Run Lola Run Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   26 June 2005 The original German title was Lola Rennt, but it should have been Lola Saugt. A silly, modernish story of Lola trying to get 100,000 Marks to save her puling boyfriend from a ruthless drug dealer. The same story is presented three different ways in three successive segments, all of which are annoying.

Say Anything Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   05 July 2005 Extremely lame ending, but the dialog was full of gems. This tale of the loser who bags the valedictorian has become iconic in the culture.

Shanghai Knights Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   06 June 2005 Good grief. Fann Wong is inconceivably hot, but hot only goes so far.

Shanghai Noon Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   01 May 2005 Puerile script and weak plot involving Jackie Chan and Owen wilson rescuing "princess" Lucy Liu in the late 19th century American West. Wilson and Chan are great at what they do, so I'll probably watch the sequel, but I'm not expecting much.

Shiri Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   09 May 2005 Predictable yet watchable South Korean film. Plot involves a North Korean terror group attempting to precipitate a war in hopes that it will further reunification efforts.

Sin City Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   02 September 2005 Darker and more cartoonish than I expected, but I'm not complaining. The experience really was like reading a Frank Miller graphic novel. I hope he has as much influence in the upcoming V for Vendetta.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   06 September 2005 Indiana Jones he ain't. Nor even Nevada Smith.

Sunset Boulevard Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   05 April 2005 This film is a perfect illustration of my long-standing contention that no degree of production value can overcome a mediocre story. Gloria Swanson has a few good lines ("I *am* big; it's the *pictures* that got small."), but overall she ridiculously overplays the part of the washed-up silents star. We learn in the first scene that William Holden's character is dead, and everyone else is a self-absorbed nutjob, so who freakin' cares?

Suspicion Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   05 April 2005 Joan Fontaine tries to decide whether Cary Grant is a murderer, or just a scampish rake in this Hitchcock classic. Nigel Bruce steals the show as "Beaky" Thwaite, Grant's bumbling friend / possible victim.

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   24 March 2005 One point for historical value as the beginning of the "blaxploitation" genre, and one point out of simple pity. "Rated X by an all-white jury!"

The Cooler Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   01 August 2005 Offensively ridiculous story starring William H. Macy as a loser whose luck takes a turn for the better, unfortunately. Also has that dude from Office Space.

The Hole Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   22 September 2005 Prep school kids are stuck underground; there is some question as to why; Thora Birch is annoying.

The Intruder Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   08 August 2005 A young William Shatner stars as a racist rabble-rouser stirring up opposition to desegregation in this Roger Corman production. Seems kind of trite and moralistic by today's standards.

The Italian Job (1969) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   31 March 2005 Third in the "originals" series. This film lacks the revenge angle of its successor, which I haven't decided yet is a feature or a bug. However, it gets at least one full point for casting Benny Hill as a concupiscent computer expert with an eye for the rubenesque. The cliff-hanger ending gives the nod to this movie over the 2003 version.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   16 May 2005 I've liked each successive Wes Anderson film less than the previous one. This effort, a disjointed tale about Bill Murray's Zissou seeking a "jaguar shark" which killed his partner, clearly suffers from the loss of Owen Wilson from the writing team. I recommend skipping this one and watching Bottle Rocket again.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   25 March 2005 Jimmy Stewart can do no wrong. This John Ford classic is eminently watchable, as Stewart teams up with John Wayne and Lee Marvin for a slight twist on the timeless good vs. evil storyline. Strangely enough, a search for "valance" on imdb turns up two films: this one, and that well-beloved film of our host, Koyaanisqatsi

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   01 April 2005 Fourth in the "originals" series. A classic, of course, but it failed to grab me as I'd hoped. Angela Lansbury is eerie and creepy as the power-mad wife of a doltish senator, Henry Silva is just ridiculous as a Korean who betrays American troops to the Chicoms, and Frank Sinatra does his smooth thing.

The Million Dollar Hotel Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   31 March 2005 A blatant ripoff of The Dark Backward. Also, I kept thinking that Tom Tom was played by Henry Thomas. Who ever heard of Jeremy Davies? Thirdly, this movie managed to present Milla Jovavich as somewhat less than impossibly hot, perhaps its most unlikely achievement.

The Mind Snatchers Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   12 September 2005 An impossibly young Christopher Walken stars in this dated-looking One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest wannabe. Military scientists threaten individuality by mucking about in people's brains - too bad it's been done to death. I was mildly pleased to recognize Joss Ackland from his role in Lethal Weapon II, though.

The Night of the Hunter Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   26 March 2005 "I know you don't mind the killin', 'cause there's plenty o' thet in your Good Book. But there are things you do hate, Lord. Perfume-smellin' things, lacy things, things with curly hair." Robert Mitchum's opening Deologue as he's driving along in search of his next victim sets the eerie tone for this classic. Unforgettable.

The Passion of the Christ Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   30 March 2005 I enjoyed trying to translate the Latin before reading the subtitles.

The Punisher Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   12 May 2005 I should not have trusted this recommendation. Will Patton was pretty cool, though.

The Red Violin Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   20 July 2005 Sam Jackson covets violin; we learn about its history.

The Seventh Seal Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   23 March 2005 I liked it much better when I hadn't seen it. However, the final scene is haunting beyond words. If I were to direct a remake I'd have Antonius Block play a game of go, not chess, for his life: "Go narabaya / ko ni mo tatete / iku beki wo / shinuru michi ni wa / te hitotsu mo nashi" [translation]

The Shop Around the Corner A Bennett   Netflix DVD   06 March 2004 Jimmy Stewart falls (inexplicably) in love with a shrewish harpy, played by Mia Farrow's mother (no, really), because she's so much nicer/better/less shrewish in longhand. Not much time is spent on the regular epistles that bring their hearts together, leaving you wondering a great big, all caps, 'W-H-Y'. Apparently an early entry in the 'they hate each other; it must be love' school of film--except in this case it really did seem that they hated each other and that we, as the audience, at least, hated her. Needlessly set in Hungary.

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   10 July 2005 Otto Wernicke reprises his role from M as Kriminalkomissar Lohmann in this middle film of Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse (that's "mah-boo-zuh", not "may-byoos") trilogy. Watching a Lang picture reminds me of how, when I saw Casablanca for the first time, I had no idea that so many common pop culture sayings had come from the film. Similarly, Lang appears to be the source of many of the techniques and plot devices which now have become cliche.

The Third Man Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   26 March 2005 Overrated; just a total mess. Joseph Cotten's Holly Martins is a complete schlub, and Welles' Harry Lime is a smirking, cardboard villain.

Van Helsing Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   15 April 2005 Of course there were lame plot devices and ridiculous dialog, but it worked great as what it was. Quite entertaining, if you allow it to be.

Whale Rider Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   09 April 2005 A story about the special relationship young girls have with their whales. Keisha Castle-Hughes really is brilliant in this absorbing portrait of Maori life.

Word Wars Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   31 July 2005 This documentary tracks four Scrabble aficianados as they gear up for, and compete in, the U.S. championship tournament. The level of obsession and dedication among the top players is amazing.

Yojimbo Ray Hunley   Netflix DVD   06 April 2005 A yakisoba western from Akira Kurosawa. Storyline was later stolen for Sergio Leone's Clint Eastwood vehicle, A Fistful of Dollars. A wandering ronin comes into a small town, swaggers around, subdues two gang bosses by playing one against the other.