CONTAGION

CONTAGION...Released September 2011. Sometimes a well made film can be boring. Contagion can be placed in this category. The poster reads "nothing spreads like fear". I kept thinking of this moniker while waiting for something exciting to happen on the screen. As the contagion spreads across the world and the death toll reaches 1 million, then 5 million, then 15 million the screenplay is void of major panic. It was as if the film wanted to take a "cool, calm, collected" approach to mass death. Ultimately, there was no "fear" in the screenplay.

Jamie says "6".

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT...Released March 2011. The poster reads "BEST. NIGHT. EVER."

Unfortunately, its one of the worst 80's retro films ever made. Jamie says "3".

Check out Topher Grace in 2004's IN GOOD COMPANY.

DRIVE

DRIVE...Pure 80's cool. "8"

COWBOYS & ALIENS

COWBOYS & ALIENS...Nice to see Harrison Ford back in the saddle again. "7"

FAST FIVE

FAST FIVE...Why do I like these films? "7"

RISE of the PLANET of the APES

Rise of the Planet of the Apes...To date, my favorite film of 2011. "10"

PRIEST

PRIEST...Men of the cloth with ninja skills vs. vampires. When will the vampire fade end? Not soon enough. "2"

IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY

IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY...An ill-fated attempt at capturing the crazy spirit of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" with a small dose of fake teen angst of "The Catcher In the Rye". I never thought it was possible to have a film that takes place in a mental ward be so boring and soulless. "3"

Zach Galifainakis is the most annoying breakout star of the last half decade. He is a one-act wolf pack.

EVERYTHING MUST GO

EVERYTHING MUST GO...Wow, Will Ferrell can act. Who knew? To date, one of the 2 best films I've seen this year. "9"

THE FIGHTER

THE FIGHTER...a good film that critics want you to think is a great film. 7

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE...Disappointingly bland. "5". I'm confident the American version will be much better.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD...When will Micheal Cera enter puberty? I wasn't expecting much from this film....I was pleasantly surprised. "7"

THE EXPENDABLES

THE EXPENDABLES...There should be an old folks home for 80s action stars. It should be locked from the outside. "2"

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON...Add dragons to the long list of pets that I have no desire to have. "7"

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY...at best, average. "6". PA's marketing campaign, "10".

AUDITION

AUDITION...I had never heard of this film until a few years ago when watching an interview of Rob Zombie. In the interview he said "AUDITION" scared the hell out of him. "7"

THE SKELETON KEY

THE SKELETON KEY...More suspenseful than horror. I'm indifferent in regards to Kate Hudson, however, she is really good in this well crafted thriller with a supernatural twist. "7"

HOSTEL

HOSTEL...Torture porn at its best...or worst (depending on how you look at it). "7"

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE...a true vampire film...dark, romantic, a masterpiece. Watching this and then watching any of the Twilight films is an exercise in torture. "10"

SCREAM

SCREAM...a great film that reinvigorated the tired slasher/horror genre. "8"

THE DESCENT

THE DESCENT...Simply stated, the best horror film of the last decade. "10"

DRAG ME TO HELL

DRAG ME TO HELL...The second best film of 2009. One of the best theater experiences I've ever had. "10"

CLOVERFIELD

CLOVERFIELD...One of the Top 10 films of 2008. "8"

FATAL ATTRACTION

FATAL ATTRACTION...More suspenseful than scary...100% perfect. "10"

JAWS

JAWS..The very first summer blockbuster. "10"

ALIEN

ALIEN...a great example of "less is more", a true sci-fi/horror original. "9"

ALIENS

ALIENS...3 words: BEST. SEQUEL. EVER. "10"

THE OTHERS

If you liked THE SIXTH SENSE...There's no reason why you wouldn't enjoy THE OTHERS. "8"

SILVER BULLET

SILVER BULLET...A forgotten horror gem from the 80's. "7"

THE THING

THE THING...One of my favorite sci-fi/horror films of all time and one of my top 50 films of all time. Suspenseful and great special effects...for 1982. "9"

WOLF

WOLF...The idea is a little goofy...Mixing animal instincts of survival in the corporate world with the classic werewolf tale could have been a total disaster. More drama than horror (that's a good thing) and watching Jack Nicholson turn into a wolf makes this an interesting film. "7"

Bram Stoker's Dracula

BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA...The most faithful adaption of Stoker's horror novel. Originally released November 12, 1992. One of my top 10 all-time favorite horror films. "10"

BODY SNATCHERS

BODY SNATCHERS...Another exception to the rule. A great remake of a horror film...actually this is the 3rd 'body snatcher" movie. Its a remake of a remake. "8"

DAWN OF THE DEAD

DAWN OF THE DEAD (DOTD)...I'm not a big fan of horror film remakes. DAWN OF THE DEAD, released in 2004, is a rare example of a horror remake that is MUCH better than the original. DOTD was the first film directed by Zach Snyder. He went on to direct 300 and THE WATCHMEN. DOTD gets an "8".

JEEPERS CREEPERS

JEEPERS CREEPERS...One of the better horror flicks of the last decade. The ending is classic! There's nothing better in a movie when the bad guy wins. "7"

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA...Released May 30, 1986. Subtle comedy is my favorite and no movie does it better than BTILC. Kurt Russell is great as the clumsy over-confident hero who is doing his best to save the day and a Chinese woman with green eyes. John Carpenter is typically an over-rated director and story teller. However, he is stellar with this material.

John Carpenter's 5 Best Films
1) Big Trouble In Little China
2) Starman
3) The Thing
4) Escape From New York
5) Halloween

ART OF THE TITLE

Came across artofthetitle.com the other day and I can't get enough of it. I've always felt the opening title sequence of a film is an under-used potential attention grabber that most film makers do not use wisely. The site discusses classic title sequences and features interviews by the individuals who created these 2-3 minutes of art. I was glad to see some of my favorite title sequences included on the site. Check out the following sequences from these films:

THE UNTOUCHABLES

ALIENS

THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU

SE7EN

FIGHT CLUB

FRIDAY THE 13th

FRIDAY THE 13th...If you are going to remake a horror film, make it better than the original. "1"

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT...A well crafted disturbing remake of a cult-classic horror film. "7"

REPO MEN

REPO MEN...Finally, a national health care plan that I can agree with. "7"

BRIGHT STAR

BRIGHT STAR...Who knows if the John Keats / Fanny Brawne relationship really went down like this....It simply doesn't matter. BRIGHT STAR is a great love story. "7"

THE TOWN

THE TOWN...A good blend of drama and crime saga. Ben Affleck is growing on me. GONE BABY, GONE his first directorial effort was good. THE TOWN is a little better. If he can direct a 3rd good film Affleck will be for real. "8"

Jeremy Renner (THE HURT LOCKER) is solid as the short tempered villain. Although he has a great screen presence I don't see how he can last as a leading man in Hollywood. How many roles like this can he be in before he gets type-cast...Can you envision him in a comedic role?

Rebecca Hall...I'm a big fan.

MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME

MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME...Released July 1, 1985. One of my favorite films of all-time. A perfect "10".

THE WATCHMEN

THE WATCHMEN...A graphic novel turned into a film made for grown-ups. I wish there was a little more action, but at the same time I appreciated a super-hero movie that was more drama than spectacle. "7"

MOTHER

MOTHER...A mother tries to prove her simple minded son is innocent of killing a young girl. Typically I frown upon Hollywood remaking a foreign film. However, the story of "MOTHER" is so good that I hope it happens. "6"

DEVIL

DEVIL...An above average thriller/who-done-it. Do you believe in the Devil? "6"

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME...Over produced, over acted. Almost a complete mess of a film. "1"

BROKEN EMBRACES

BROKEN EMBRACES...Is it possible for an actress to perform better when the role is in her native tongue? When it comes to Penelope Cruz this is true. If you have an indifferent view of the acting skills of Cruz check her out in the Spanish language films BROKEN EMBRACES and VOLVER. "6"

CLASH OF THE TITANS

CLASH OF THE TITANS...To date, one of the 2 worst 3D films of the year. "3"

DATE NIGHT

DATE NIGHT...Take away a talented crew of television writes and Tina Fey is just another average looking, unfunny actress. Steve Carell...please don't leave the office. "3"